Secretariat of the Pacific Board of Education Assessment (SPBEA)

The USP has a longer history of dealing with quality assurance issues. It has its own formal Quality Strategy and Quality Assurance Framework. The USP is also a member of the Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN) and the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE).The USP has also benefited from its ties with other international quality assurance agencies, including the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) and the New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit (NZUAAU).

The Transnational Qualifications Framework (TQF) for International Accreditation for the Virtual University for the Small States of the Commonwealth (TQF for VUSSC:Procedures and Guidelines) was formally launched in April 2010. It is heralded the introduction of probably the most international, collaborative system for capacity building, skills development and greater access to quality-assured qualifications. Since the VUSSC is not an accrediting or awarding body, the institutions that offer the courses must accredit them locally. The aim of a TQF should be to ensure that all the open educational resources that are being created collaboratively can be adapted into recognised courses that students can take for credit through the recognized institutions of the small states. The TQF is to act as a translation point for modules/units and qualifications between countries. An additional benefit of the TQF may be to discourage bogus providers, which are particularly active in trying to sell fake qualifications in the small states.