Cambridge Professional Development Substantial Agreement Academic Credential Assessment in Canada: Implementation of the Lisbon Recognition Convention and Preparation for the UNESCO Global Convention September 8, 2020 Mr. Nigel Lloyd CamProf Inc. Dear Mr. Lloyd, The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) welcomes the report authored by CamProf Inc. and titled Substantial Agreement – Academic Credential Assessment in Canada: Implementation of the Lisbon Recognition Convention and Preparation for the UNESCO Global Convention. Using data collected through CICIC-led consultations with assessment services and competent recognition bodies in Canada in 2018, CamProf Inc. subsequently provided in this report a comprehensive data analysis on Canada’s implementation of the 1997 Lisbon Recognition Convention. The report was produced, as well, in preparation for the newly adopted 2019 Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education. Although this analysis does not necessarily reflect the official policies, positions, or views of CICIC, the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), provincial and territorial governments in Canada, or assessment services and competent recognition bodies in Canada, it does provide useful insight into the implementation of conventions related to qualification recognition in Canada. You will recall that assessment services and competent recognition bodies in Canada maintain broad autonomy with respect to the implementation of conventions related to qualification recognition. Postsecondary institutions in Canada determine what qualifications they will accept for typical entry to various programs of study. Legislation also confers some autonomy on professional governing bodies in setting the content of regulations under which earned credentials, competencies, and training are recognized. Professional governing bodies therefore enjoy broad autonomy in recognizing credentials, whether obtained in Canada or abroad, for the purposes of registration or permission to practise a profession in Canada. Given the above and as per CICIC’s mandate as Canada’s National Information Centre, the information contained in this report will be transmitted to assessment services, competent recognition bodies, as well as provincial and territorial governments for their respective consideration. CICIC will continue to encourage assessment services and competent recognition bodies to apply principles of the conventions while also improving the implementation of these principles. The aim of such continued improvement is to maintain a quality assurance process and to promote qualification recognition policies and procedures that are fair, transparent, timely and consistent in Canada. We thank you for your collaboration throughout the data analysis process and the resulting work. Sincerely, Michael Ringuette CICIC Coordinator Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) /2 Authors This report was authored by CamProf Inc. It was funded by the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) at the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC). Disclaimer The opinions, interpretations, findings, and recommendations expressed in this report are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy, positions, or views of the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC), the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), provincial and territorial governments in Canada, or assessment services and competent recognition bodies in Canada. Acknowledgements We wish to thank the assessment services and competent recognition bodies in Canada that provided valuable data through CICIC-led consultations, which enabled CamProf to perform the detailed analysis captured in this report. This report has undergone a peer-review process with key stakeholders from all six assessment services as well as from recognition bodies in Canada, mainly the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada (ACESC) and the Pan-Canadian Quality Assurance Framework for the Assessment of International Academic Credentials (QAF) Steering Committee. We wish to thank the following committee members and their organizations for their contributions: • Association of Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC) • Canadian Network of Agencies for Regulation (CNAR) • Comparative Education Service (CES) • International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) • International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) • International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) • Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et Intégration du Québec (MIFI) • Office of the Manitoba Fairness Commissioner • Université de Montréal • World Education Services (WES) Canada Ce document est également disponible en français sous le titre : Entente substantielle Évaluation des diplômes au Canada : Mise en œuvre de la Convention de Lisbonne sur la reconnaissance et préparation à la Convention mondiale de l’UNESCO © August 2020 CamProf Inc. Table of Contents Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................... viii Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... 1 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 3 1.1 Purpose of report ............................................................................................................ 3 1.2 Context in Canada .......................................................................................................... 4 1.3 Evolution of UNESCO Regional Conventions and the Global Convention .................... 6 1.4 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 8 1.5 Structure of report ........................................................................................................... 9 2 Access to Assessment ............................................................................................................ 10 2.1 Lisbon Recognition Convention requirements and interpretation in Canada ................ 10 2.2 Assessment and recognition responsibilities in a decentralized system ....................... 14 2.3 Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) ................................ 15 2.4 Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada (ACESC) ..................................... 16 2.5 Volume of assessments .................................................................................................. 17 2.6 Fairness legislation and commissioners ......................................................................... 20 2.7 Fees to undertake an assessment .................................................................................. 22 2.8 Access to information ..................................................................................................... 23 2.9 Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 23 3 Criteria and Procedures .......................................................................................................... 25 3.1 Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) .............................................................................. 25 3.2 Sources of criteria and procedures ................................................................................. 28 3.3 Criteria for assessment and recognition ......................................................................... 30 3.4 Elements of assessment procedures .............................................................................. 32 3.5 Conclusions ................................................................................................................... 34 4 Time Limit ................................................................................................................................ 36 4.1 Reasonable time limit ...................................................................................................... 36 4.2 Regulation at the provincial and national level ............................................................... 36 4.3 Policies on time limits ..................................................................................................... 39 4.4 Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 40 5 Right to Appeal ........................................................................................................................ 42 5.1 Legislation, policies, and availability of information........................................................ 42 5.2 Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 46 6 Substantial Differences ........................................................................................................... 47 6.1 What are “substantial differences”? ............................................................................... 47 6.2 Adoption of learning outcomes and substantial differences in Canada ....................... 49 6.3 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................