ABSTRACT

This chapter considers the differing expectations of external quality assessment (EQA) in the Netherlands. The system of EQA at the Dutch universities involves peer review by visiting committees followed by a meta-evaluation by the inspectorate (see Chapter 7). It is suggested that the government and the inspectorate are expecting too much from the work of external experts and the reports they publish. Visiting committees cannot serve two masters. Assurance of quality is more important than the exact measurement of it.