In 2010, Royal Decree No 54/2010 was issued establishing the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA) and replaces the former Oman Accreditation Council (OAC). The OAAA is an entity with legal status and financial and administrative independence, which reports (formerly) to the Education Council. The OAAA was established to continue the efforts initiated by the OAC in 2001 in the dissemination of a quality culture and accreditation of institutions and their programmes.
On 13 January 2021, The Oman Authority for Academic Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Education (OAAAQA) was established by Royal Decree No 9/2021, amending the name of the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority, and reporting to the Council of Ministers. The Decree also includes an expansion of OAAQA’s competences comprising the quality of school education, and implementing the National Qualifications Framework. The Decree also stipulates the competences of the Authority, through the following:
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Formulating a national quality assurance system for school education and higher education in the Sultanate, to ensure the continued maintenance of a level that meets international standards and to encourage educational institutions to develop their internal quality assurance systems
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Assessing public and private schools in accordance with the standards and procedures set by OAAAQA
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Accrediting public and private higher education institutions and programmes in accordance with the standards and procedures set by OAAAQA
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Auditing the quality of general foundation programmes
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Preparing and developing the Comprehensive National Qualifications Framework, listing Omani qualifications in it, and aligning foreign and international qualifications with it
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Publishing the results of the quality assurance and accreditation processes and the outcomes of listing qualifications in the national framework and aligning them with it, in accordance with the guidelines set by OAAAQA
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Training educational personnel in the field of quality assurance of school and higher education and the national qualifications framework
- Proposing draft laws and royal decrees and issuing regulations and decisions relating to the competences of OAAAQA
- Enhancing and developing cooperation in competences relating to OAAAQA with other concerned stakeholders in countries and specialised regional and international organisations and institutions
- Representing Oman in regional and international conferences, events, and meetings relating to the competences of OAAAQA
- Any other competences prescribed by laws and royal decrees