The Feedback on ISO 21001 workshop, co-located with the 14th plenary of ISO / TC 232 Education and Learning Services, took place on September 24 at the School of Technology and Management (ESTG).
ISO 21001 - Management Systems for Educational Organizations - Requirements with guidance for use was published by ISO on May 1th, 2018 and is the first ISO management systems standard specially developed for the education sector.
This standard is focused on education organizations, their processes, services and products, seeking to ensure the satisfaction of their stakeholders, increase commitment to social responsibility and provide services that are affordable and equitable. The requirements of this standard provide the basis for implementing management methodologies that promote the improvement of the quality of services provided, for example in the management of teacher / trainer competencies, curriculum design and personalized learning pathways for students, the management of risk and monitoring of organizational performance, among other practices that have proven their efficiency to guarantee the excellence and sustainability of organizations.
Sandra Feliciano, researcher at the Knowledge Innovation Center in Malta and professor at ESTG, has led ISO / PC288 / WG1 and is responsible for the development of ISO 21001, which took four years to develop and is the natural evolution of other projects that ISO has developed in the last two decades in the area of education. For the researcher and teacher, this workshop was of particular importance, explaining that "after its first year of existence, it was imperative to hear what users from various countries in the world, pioneers in using ISO 21001 had to say about their experiences with the standard at different levels - implementation, certification, accreditation and public policy.” In this framework, the workshop sought to gather feedback, foster peer discussion and use the experience of this first year to assess impacts and begin to define the contours.
"It was an important time for peer sharing and learning," she adds, "relevant information was gathered to promote international reflection and consensus on the work of developing and continually improving this new management tool published by Which has the potential to make a significant contribution to the excellence of the educational organizations in Portugal, Europe and around the world. "
For ESTG, one of the first educational institutions to implement ISO 21001, hosting this workshop and the ISO / TC 232 plenary on its premises was especially significant and another way to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
