Accreditation of experts (expert organizations)

On 01 September 2014 the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation of 20 May, 2014 № 556 "On approval of qualification requirements to experts and expert organizations, procedures for their accreditation, inter alia the maintenance of the register of experts and expert organizations, selection of experts and expert organizations for carrying out external reviews" came into force. The order determines the rules for accreditation of experts and expert organizations for external reviews of educational organizations including the establishment of the powers of a natural person as an expert and the powers of a legal entity as an expert organization, termination of the powers of an expert (expert organization).

In order to establish the powers of a natural person as an expert (hereinafter – Candidate) and a legal entity as an expert organization (hereinafter – Organization) the Candidate and Organization should submit to the accreditation body a set of documents with an application.

The powers of a natural person as an expert and the powers of a legal entity as an expert organization are established for a period of 3 years.

NAA provides support in the accreditation procedure of experts and expert organizations and implements the following:

Receipt and registration of:

applications for the establishment of the powers of a natural person as an expert and

applications for the establishment of the powers of a legal entity as an expert organization.

Consideration of a set of documents attached to the application on the establishment of the powers of a natural person as an expert:

copy of the identity document;

copy of the state format document on higher professional education;

copies of certificates on further professional education and training (if available);

copies of the state format documents on scientific degree, academic rank (if available);

copy of the employment record book (extract from the record book);

recommendation from the head of the last place of primary employment in the sphere of education;

inventory of the submitted documents.

Copies of the documents (extracts) not duly authenticated shall be submitted with the presentation of the original documents.

To establish the powers of a legal entity as an expert organization the following set of documents with an application should be submitted:

copies of the constituent documents;

copies of local regulations that set requirements for the experts engaged by an expert organization in external reviews, as well as regulating the procedure for assessing experts’ compliance with the established requirements;

copies of local normative acts regulating the procedure of organization, preparation and participation in external review;

copy of the list of experts involved by the expert organization in external review, certified by the signature of the head of the organization;

inventory of the submitted documents.

Organizational and technical support of the meetings of Rosobrnadzor Accreditation Commission for the assessment of proficiencies of Candidates applying for the establishment of the powers of an expert (expert organization).

Maintenance of the register of accredited experts (expert organizations).

Organizing and conducting training workshops and seminars for accredited experts and Candidates wishing to become an expert.

The period from the date of the Candidate’s application submission to the date of issuing the executive order of Rosobrnadzor on establishing the powers of a natural person as an expert (the powers of a legal entity as an expert organization) or refusing to establish the powers of a natural person as an expert (the powers of a legal entity as an expert organization) must cover no more than 30 days. Due to the fact that the application shall be considered within the established regulatory deadline, the Candidate should come to the meeting of the Accreditation Commission to take a qualification exam at a fixed time. Otherwise, the documents shall be returned to the Candidate.

In the case of the correct filling of the application by the Candidate (Organization) and availability of the complete set of documents the accreditation body shall allow the Candidate (Organization)  to undergo the assessment of their compliance with the qualification requirements for the establishment of the powers of a natural person as an expert and a legal entity as an expert organization.

The assessment of the Candidate’s compliance to the qualification requirements is implemented in two stages by the Accreditation Commission of the Federal Service for Supervision in Education and Science which is in charge of accreditation of experts and expert organizations, involved in external reviews of educational organizations (hereinafter - the Commission).

At the first stage, the Commission considers the documents submitted by the Candidate and decides on the admission of the Candidate to the second stage of the qualifying exam or refusal of his/her admission.

At the second stage, the Commission carries out a qualifying exam in the oral and written form in terms of the knowledge of:

• the Russian legislation in the sphere of education, including the Federal Law of December 29, 2012 № 273-FL “On Education in the Russian Federation”; normative legal acts regulating the procedure of state accreditation of educational activities, including the Regulations on state accreditation of educational activities, approved by the Decree of the Russian Government of 18 November 2013 № 1039;

• federal state educational standards (in terms of the education level, professions, specialties and fields of training included in the integrated group of professions, specialties and fields of training (for professional education) subjected to external review by the expert);

• educational standards established by educational institutions of higher education independently (at all levels of higher education, on specialties and fields of training included in the integrated group of professions, specialties and fields of training in relation to which the expert may conduct external review).

The assessment of the Organization’s compliance with the established requirements is carried out by the Commission based on the documents submitted by the Organization. The accreditation body shall have the right to organize a site visit to the Organization if necessary.

On the basis of the documents submitted by the Candidate (Organization), and the outcomes of the qualifying exam of the Candidate, the results of site visit to the Organization (if there was any) the Commission shall take one of the following decisions:

1. a) to establish the powers of a natural person as an expert for carrying out external reviews (with indication of the level of education, integrated group of professions, specialties and fields of training (for professional education), or to refuse to establish the powers of a natural person as an expert for carrying out external reviews;

1. b) to establish the powers of a legal entity as an expert organization for carrying out external reviews (with indication of the level of education, integrated group of professions, specialties and fields of training (for professional education), or to refuse to establish the powers of a legal entity as an expert organization for carrying out external reviews.

Experts certified before September 1, 2014 but not accredited in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia of May 20, 2014 № 556, should submit an application for the establishment of the powers of an expert with the required set of documents and then take a written and oral exam.

The powers of previously certified experts who haven’t submitted the application with the complete set of documents and haven’t undergone accreditation shall terminate on 01.01.2016.

In order to prepare for the qualifying exam Candidates are recommended to review the basic normative documents regulating the procedure of state accreditation of educational activities.

The application and attached documents can be submitted to NAA on paper or sent by post mail to the address: 115162, Moscow, 33 Shabolovka Str., office №306.

Application form for the establishment of the powers of a natural person as an expert for carrying out external reviews of educational organizations

Sample structure of the recommendation from the head of the last place of primary employment in the sphere of education

Application for termination of the powers as an expert

Application form for the establishment of the powers of a legal entity as an expert organization for carrying out external reviews of educational organizations

Notification of the change in the data provided to the accreditation body when undergoing the procedure of establishing the powers of a natural person as an expert