ABSTRACT
A characteristic feature of the further and higher education service in the last decade has been the concern for the provision of quality education and training. A range of literature has been generated in relation to the definition, enhancement and measurement of quality. Because the qualifications awarded in further education relate to the needs of business, industry and the professions, some of the quality measures applied in those fields have an attraction for use in this area of education. Concerns about Total Quality Management (TQM) and quality assurance have concentrated the minds of many committees within the further education service, leading to weighty documentation. However, as Müller and Funnell (1991) have pointed out, there is a danger that quality documentation may become more significant than commitment to quality management, including staff development.
