One should be aware that transparency of processes and results of quality assessments is not automatically ensured, neither for internal nor external stakeholders and customers. Therefore, all assessment activities need to be supplemented by an active publication and communication strategy.

This strategy must define who can access which information through which medium, since owing to their confidential nature not all assessment data can be given to all stakeholders or made available via the Internet to the general public. Generally a weighing of interests has to be made, between protection rights (of teachers and trainers in particular) and the requirement for the greatest possible transparency.

The following guidelines might help establish rules for communication of assessment results in your organisation:

1. personal assessments of teachers are for their individual eyes only;

2. results from classroom observation should be kept confidential and discussed only between the teacher and the responsible supervisor;

3. assessment of classes and programmes might be circulated via the intranet of the VET institution, if anonymity of personal data is guaranteed and discussed widely in quality meetings with internal and external stakeholders;

4. aggregated results from surveys should be made accessible via the public website, thus supporting positive marketing of the VET institution.

Box 21. Questions for reflection and options for further action