The Internal Quality Assurance System
An Implementation
A. N. Hidayat, E. Mulyasa, S. Sauri and Vidia Lantari Ayundhari
Faculty of Education and Teachers Training, Universitas Islam Nusantara, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Keywords: Internal Quality Assurance System, Implementation, Study Program.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to get an image of how is internal quality assurance system (IQAS) implemented
in the level of postgraduate study program. This research used the case study method by a means of interview,
observation, and documentation. The research subjects were the head, the secretary, lecturers and students.
The results show that the internal quality assurance system contributed positively to the improvement of
graduates’ quality. It was evidenced by teaching, research, and community services implementation
standardized through the establishment of quality assurance institution, but still limited to focus on the
academic field. The constraints faced are (1) leadership commitment to quality instruments is relatively less,
(2) the number of auditors is still limited, and (3) internal quality assurance system activities are often stuck
in routine activities. Implementation evaluation on internal quality assurance system is conducted annually
by requesting input from auditors, postgraduate, and university leaders.
1 INTRODUCTION
Indonesian education system is leading to the quality
improvement of the nation to shape quality, existence,
and integration of human beings in the middle of
international com-petition. Quality education system
must have strong principles, clear paradigm, and in
line with society development. It should be used as a
tool to educate the nation, achieve a decent life, have
the ability to think, reason and morals, develop the
potential, create originate, independent, strong-work
ethics human beings, and provide nation's life
provision. To realize the education quality of higher
education institution, it requires planning,
implementation, control and development of its
standards consistently and continuously, so that the
related parties will gain satisfaction over the
performance and the graduates. The research result of
Fikti (2011) shows that to improve the reputation of
higher education institution, the basic values should
be based on their vision and increase the internal and
external customer satisfaction. Kurnia (2011) is in
line that efforts to guarantee the education quality
should be started from the need awareness for quality
assurance in improving agency capabilities.
The obligation of universities to carry out quality
assurance, regulated in: (a) Law No. 20 year 2003
about National Education Standards (NES). Article
51 Paragraph (2) basically regulates the unit
management of university conducted based on the
principles of autonomy, accountability, quality
assurance, and transparent evaluation; (B)
government regulation in lieu of law No.19 year 2005
on NES. Article 91 paragraph (1), paragraph (2),
paragraph (3) of Government Regulation No.19 year
2005 regulates that in order to fulfill NES, every
university shall perform quality assurance of
education as a form of accountability to stakeholders,
be established gradually, systematically, and planned
in a quality assurance program which has clear targets
and timeframes; (C) Ministry Regulation No.17 year
2010 on education management and implementation.
Article 96 paragraph (7) of Government Regulation
No.17 year 2010 which stipulates that a university has
to conduct Internal Quality Assurance System
(IQAS) program.
To implement the internal quality assurance
program, it is necessary to establish the standards
required by a university in order to improve the
quality of sustainability, i.e. the standard at the level
of higher education, faculty, and study program. The
184
Hidayat, A., Mulyasa, E., Sauri, S. and Ayundhari, V.
The Internal Quality Assurance System - An Implementation.
In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences (ICES 2017) - Volume 1, pages 184-189
ISBN: 978-989-758-314-8
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved

study of Sutomo (2012) shows that university
standards include vision, mission, academic policy,
academic standard, academic regulation, and
academic quality manual. Academic standards,
academic rules, and academic quality manuals are
categorized as faculty level standards. Whereas
standards of study program cover graduate
competency standards, study program specifications,
procedure manuals, and work instructions and
supporting documents.
8,139 study programs in both state and private
universities have not been accredited yet, for the
quality performance of universities and few that have
IQAS refers to the Directorate General of Higher
Education and External Quality Assurance System
(EQAS) as regulated in BAN-PT (Kompas 2013).
The private universities conditions are rather
apprehensive, because among 3,200, they are only
200 running IQAS. (BAN-PT 2013). The quality
assurance institution is responsible for determining
the lecturer’s quality. Syamsul, the member of BAN-
PT, said that if universities carry out internal quality
assurance and self-evaluation, this will simplify the
accreditation process, but internal quality assurance is
not optimal yet (Kompas 2013). Around 30-40% of
accreditation forms submitted by universities to
BAN-PT are not eligible. Universities should en-sure
the institution and graduates quality (Kompas 2012).
This cannot be separated from the duties and
functions of lecturers as agents of change. However,
many lecturers have not been certified, for not
completing master degree.
The influence of new concepts in education,
among others: (1) Privatization; (2) Efficiency,
Effectiveness, productivity and accountability; (3)
Orientation to consumers; (4) focusing on learning
rather than teaching; (5) Education is dynamic; (6)
Education must be relevant to the needs of the
community, the state and the world; (7) Education
responsibilities should be shared by educators and the
public; (8) Empowerment in education is an absolute
requirement. The tempts of education concept quality
include: (1) the origin of the quality concept; (2)
quality assurance; Total Quality Management,
strategic management, should be applied in
education; (3) the use of quality concept in education;
(4) the use of quality concept in education-process
and experience themselves. The problem closely
related to the improvement of the higher education
quality is the system of university management.
From the implementation aspect of national
education policy, many study programs have not
applied NES standards, and have not been accredited
yet. Many private universities own no IQAS".
(Directorate General of Teachers and Education
Personnel, Ministry of Education and Culture 2013).
Researchers observe the phenomenon in the private
university inputs, such as vision, mission, goals, and
objectives are not supported by the standard
documents. The less developed curriculum of study
program. Teaching-learning activity has not been
oriented to University Based-Competence
Curriculum. Moreover, the lecturer’s qualification
are not standardized.
Based on the mentioned description and
conditions above, the problem formulated in this
research is "How is Internal Quality Assurance
System (IQAS) implemented in a postgraduate study
program?
2 METHOD
In this study, researchers used a qualitative approach
by a means of using case study method. Data required
by the researchers related to the problems studied are
the head and secretary, lecturer and member staffs of
the study program as the research subjects.
Meanwhile the data collection techniques use
interview guides, documentation study guides, and
observation guidelines. The steps taken by the
researchers in this study, are as follows: (1)
preparation consists of: (a) proposal preparation, (b)
research team meeting, (c) research location
determination, (d) survey and preliminary study, (e)
research permit completion, (f) research subjects
determination; (2) Implementation consists of: (a)
instrument preparation, (b) instrument validation, (c)
instrument improvement, (d) data collection; (3) the
final activities are: processing, data analyzing and
reporting.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 Research Results
The results of documentation, observation and
interview with the head of graduate program shows
that IQAS planning process is based on the Statute
and Strategic Planning. Whereas, the IQAS in the
context of academic and non-academic quality begins
with setting goal, formulating the current state,
identifying support and barriers, developing the
activities from graduate competency standards,
content standards, process standards, educators and
staffs standards, facilities and infrastructure
standards, and financing standards. The standard-
The Internal Quality Assurance System - An Implementation
185

making mechanism refers to Government Regulation
No. 19 year 2005. The higher education standards
established by the university comprise research
standards, community service standards, information
system standards, domestic and foreign cooperation.
The planning process gives priority to policy
formulation about IQAS, academic quality context
from Government Regulation No. 19 year 2005 on
NES, and the manual book of university quality
assurance published by the Directorate General of
Higher Education.
The results of documentation, observation and
interview with the head of study program demonstrate
that the IQAS implementation is conducted through
internalizing quality culture, running the IQAS
policy. These actions are integrated into the
organizational structure of postgraduate Program, and
coordinated by a separate unit. Later, the university
runs the eight standards according to the Government
Regulation No.19 year 2005, develops eight research
standards, as well as eight community service
standards. The method of measuring results is
determined by quality assurance institution based on
academic and quality documents. IQAS's work
program is socialized to stakeholders, and its
implementation is coordinated with the quality
assurance unit in the level of postgraduate and study
program. The level of study program has two
categories, they are academic and management field.
The results of documentation and interview with
the head of postgraduate program exhibit that IQAS
implementation monitoring is a systematic effort to
ensure its process implemented followed to the plan.
The results are in line with the target; graduate quality
assurance unit as the implementer, the steps of
planning and team preparation, monitoring and
document evaluation, as well as field visits,
suggesting improvement, and reporting to the head of
quality assurance unit. The scope examines the
quality assurance organization existence at the level
of study program is in accordance with the quality
manual, the study program targets, and the Standard
of Procedures (SOP) implementation.
The result of documentation, observation and
interview with the head of graduate program indicates
IQAS checking center in the level of study program
are: (a) The Appointment Decree for person in charge
as quality assurance system implementer; (B) the
coordinator, secretary and quality control group
members; (C) the formulation and ratification of
policies and study program standards; (D) preparation
of academic quality targets and SOP of IQAS
implementation at study program level; (E)
conformity of quality target and SOP of IQAS
implementation at study program level; (F) The
Appointment Decree of the faculty monitoring team;
(G) preparation of self-evaluation and follow-up
planning for standard quality improvement and
reporting to quality assurance unit; H) constraints to
implement quality standard of study program. (I)
ways of overcoming obstacles; (J) checking every
quality standard that has not been implemented and
its planning.
The results of documentation, observation and
interview with the head present that in the
implementation of the IQAS internal audit and
evaluation, quality assurance system unit is
coordinated with the quality assurance unit at the
postgraduate program. They examined the academic
and non-academic quality through independent
checking and verification toward the academic
process implementation. The objective is to check the
appropriateness of academic quality improvement
component with the standards, the quality
achievement process results, and to report to the
audit, as well as to assist universities, faculties,
departments and study programs in preparing external
examinations.
The results of documentation, observation, and
interview also indicate that the report of IQAS
implementation begin with the quality assurance unit
in the study program that held an internal meeting
discussing the performance instrument results, filling
out the reporting format from the unit, and submitting
it to the Rector. The reporting formats have been
decided at the unit meeting, are as follows: IQAS at
the study program level, quality assurance
organization, academic and Quality documents,
quality standard, IQAS Strategic Plan, and internal
quality assurance implementation.
Last but not least, the compiled results prove that
the barriers to IQAS implementation are related to
administrative, organizational, and psychological.
Supporting capacity of IQAS implementation is in
form of the vivid direction of quality development
program, the implementation of both academic
centralization and decentralization system, and
utilization of information and technology system.
3.2 Discussion
Planning in IQAS implementation becomes a strong
foundation, as stated by Silalahi (2011) that the
function of planning is to determine goals, to set
strategies for achieving the goals, and to develop a
plan to integrate as well as coordinate the activities.
The IQAS conducted by postgraduate program at its
core is vision, mission, objectives and strategy as the
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186

main references. They transform as juridical and
strategic foundation in every development of quality
standard planning, because the quality assurance unit
is obliged to refer to the statute. As stated in Article
62, the unit conducts the monitoring and evaluation
of teaching, research, community service activities, in
order to improve the quality and accountability of the
university to the public at large.
The work basis of IQAS implementation is the
guidelines that have been prepared after passing
through formulation involving internal stakeholders
in the planning process. The implementation of all
IQAS programs is based on the context of continuous
and sustainable quality development by adopting a
Kaizen model which enforce the Plan-Do-Check-
Action model preceded through benchmarking over
university, faculty, departments and study programs
level. By applying this benchmarking, the quality
assurance implementation is determined by the cycle
of quality assurance activities starting from standard
setting, monitoring implementation, self-evaluation,
internal audit, correction formulation, quality
improvement, and standard setting.
The university's quality assurance cycle begins by
setting the standards to be achieved. This standard is
also done with the optimum effort to see the progress
of the standards implementation and to ensure that
these implementation objectives are in accordance
with the plan and need to be monitored. Self-
evaluation also needs to be done in order to know the
carried-out advantages and disadvantages, most
importantly to see the strengths and weaknesses of
institutions relating to the efforts of achieving
standards. The next step is an internal quality audit to
see compliance with predetermined standards. The
results obtained from the stages of monitoring, self-
evaluation, and internal audit and supplemented by
input from all stakeholders are utilized for
consideration in improving the quality.
Implementing the standard with the aim of
improving the quality should be based on the quality
policy. Tampubolon (2001: 27) suggests that quality
policy is a basic policy in the university management,
learning systems and processes, graduates, the
development of quality management system, and
requirements of customers and stakeholders.
Monitoring of IQAS implementation is essential,
as clarified by Koontz, Donnell, and Weihrich in
Sukmadinata (2003), “controlling is the measurement
and correction of the performance of activities of
subordinates in order to make sure that all levels of
objectives and the plans devised to attain them are
being accomplished”.
The previous definition provides assertion that
there are two kinds of control activities, namely:
assessment and improvement. Things that are
assessed and improved are not only the targets, but
the activities plans and execution. Usman (2006)
argues that "control is the process of monitoring,
assessment, and reporting of plans for setting goals
achievement to corrective action as further
refinement". This statement supports the importance
of IQAS implementation monitoring in the graduate
program through the process of planning preparation
and IQAS cycle implementation’s schedule, the
planning determination and IQAS cycle
implementation’s schedule, the delivery of IQAS
planning and cycle implementation’s schedule to the
head of study program, secretary, and lecturers, the
appointment of responsible person who is in charge
to the monitoring through the Director’s decision as
the formal basis to execute monitoring tasks. The
concerned aspects in monitoring are the compatibility
between the Lesson Plan per semester, syllabus,
teaching and learning process, teaching and learning
results, and other instruments as the learning proses
endorsers.
IQAS internal audit and evaluation
implementation as such accountability process to the
public through observation, assessment and
investigation using audit and evaluation instruments
is compiled over full-fledged standard. Natawidjaya
(2007) claims university audit covers observation,
examination, and assessments including performance
with respect to inputs, processes, and outputs. The
results are used to develop policies and make
decisions in the context of improving the performance
quality, and circumstances as well as sustainable
educational tools. The audit is a basic effort in the
context of high quality management education.
To achieve the vision, mission and objectives of
study program, it is established by designing and
implementing the quality assurance strategies
referred to The Directorate General of Higher
Education, Ministry of National Education. The
quality assurance is coordinated by the Rector
through quality assurance unit. The strategies of
assurance quality system used cover: (1) developing
the quality assurance system and its implementation
tools; (2) establishing and (or) enhancing the
leadership commitment and all basic units to carry out
the quality assurance in every activity held in line
with the system and its implementation model; (3)
setting objectives or quality standards for each quality
period; (4) designing the organization and working
mechanism of quality assurance system, as well as
implementing it consistently; And (5) identifying the
activity unit for each quality item at each stage in the
academic process, and specifying the activities of
which the quality is guaranteed.
The quality audit in both graduate program and
work unit for any period held by the Internal
Supervision Agency. This agency is responsible for
the quality audit implementation focused on the audit
The Internal Quality Assurance System - An Implementation
187

of quality assurance system implementation and
achievement standard level, or units in the
surroundings. In conducting this audit, IQAS
institution coordinates and cooperates with quality
assurance unit.
In term of implementing this audit, the checking
format consists of (1) annual inspection schedule, (2)
investigation schedule, (3) observation sheet, (4)
conformity inspection statements, (5) the
recapitulation of internal investigation, (6) corrective
action, (7) measures, (8) the document of revision
details, (9) customer satisfaction questionnaire, (10)
SOP of monitoring and evaluation implementation,
(11) the evaluation of quality target achievement
level, and (12) summary of internal quality
inspection.
The report of IQAS implementation in study
program held by IQAS through an internal meeting to
discuss the search results information via the
accreditation forms of evaluation instruments. It is
attended by the head and the secretary of IQAS,
appointed lecturers. It is also set in the meeting
agenda, to follow up the results of extracting
information about the performance of study program
when conducting IQAS. The head of IQAS
formulates reporting format to be submitted to the
Rector through quality assurance system afterwards.
The report are in form of IQAS effectiveness,
organization, documents and internal academic
quality, the program study strategic planning
implementation, the urgency socialization quality,
quality issues identification, IQAS document
preparation, and quality standards preparation. When
the report is completed, later revision is made.
The encountered obstacles are, among others (1)
administrative constraints, as the leaders, lecturers
and administrative staffs are not accustomed to work
based on standard, limited time, limited availability
of human resources who have IQAS competence and
understood the difference between IQAS and AMAI,
ISO 9000, internal audit process is less timely and the
whole results are not followed up. (2) the
organizational constraints over lecturers and
administrative staffs due to lack of understanding on
IQAS, limited funding sources, supple work program
planning, and uncompleted SOP. (3) psychological
constraints due to the acceptance of IQAS from
lecturers and administrative staffs is also minor,
uncontinously and unsustainably IQAS
implementation, as well as the minor of IQAS
communication, socialization, and quality culture, the
less toughness of IQAS executor and developer.
Meanwhile the carrying capacity of IQAS
implementation are: the clarity of sustainable quality
improvement program direction and its stages is
stipulated in its vision, mission, objectives, strategies
and its planning. Implementing harmonization of
administrative centralization and operation system, as
well as academic decentralization is fully supported
by information and technology system utilization to
accelerate effective, efficient, productive and
accountable services.
4 CONCLUSIONS
The implementation of IQAS in the study program
gives positive contribution to the improvement of the
graduate’s quality, as evidenced from the teaching,
research, and community service implementation. It
is standardized through the establishment of quality
assurance unit. However, it is still very focused on the
academic field, while the non-academic field is still
lacking. Whereas constraints faced in the institution
are the lack of leadership commitment to quality
instruments, the auditor’s number, and IQAS
activities which are often stuck into routine activities.
The steps taken to face obstacles among others,
providing experts in the field of quality assurance,
program auditor training, giving incentives,
motivating all study program components about the
importance of quality. The evaluation of IQAS
implementation is conducted annually by requesting
input from auditors, postgraduate and study program
leaders, as well as the Rector of university.
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