Quality Assurance Reform In Algerian Higher Education: Policy And Implementation (2008-2023)

Abstract

This research examines the evolution of Quality Assurance (QA) mechanisms in Algerian higher education from 2008 to 2023, focusing on self-evaluation as a key driver of institutional improvement. Through analysis of 22 strategic documents, including legislative frameworks, international cooperation programs, bilateral support initiatives, and quality networks, the study traces QA development across four phases: foundation, development, implementation, and consolidation. Employing a cross-document analysis framework grounded in Denzin's (1978, 2012) triangulation methodology, this research integrates systematic translation protocols for French-language documentation with multi-dimensional content analysis. As a bilingual QA expert and practitioner, the researcher ensures conceptual and technical fidelity through direct translation and rigorous verification processes. The investigation reveals complex implementation challenges, including policy interpretation disparities, institutional adaptation hurdles, and varying impacts of international program influence. This study provides the first comprehensive longitudinal analysis of QA implementation in Algeria, documenting its maturation through distinct developmental phases and analysing recent structural reforms, particularly the centralization of quality oversight mechanisms and modernization of evaluation frameworks. The findings demonstrate how the 2023 National QA Framework revision addresses persistent challenges in research valorisation, digital infrastructure development, and stakeholder engagement, while illuminating the dynamic relationship between international quality standards and local institutional contexts.