Academic Staff Perceptions of the Impact of Internal Quality Audit: The Case of Zimbabwe Open University

A quality assurance unit was put in place by the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) for all the regions in 2010. The unit has gone in leaps and bounce to ensure that the university attains the ISO 9000 certification among other quality initiatives. Internal quality audits have been conducted for quality improvement and also in readiness for ISO 9000 certification. These audits have been carried out after thorough preparation, which included selection and training of internal quality auditors. Contextually, these audits were carried out as an innovation to ZOU as the quality assurance is also in its infancy. This research was inspired by staff reaction during internal audits. The present study therefore, focused at establishing the perceptions of academic staff on the impact of internal quality audit on their work. A qualitative approach was used while the research design was the case study. The study adopted interviews for data collection and these were administered on all the 13 academic staff members of the Mashonaland East Region. Results from the study indicate that the majority of academic staff members understood the objectives of internal quality audits. Whilst academics view the process as systematic, generally it stifles innovation as staff  is expected to perform certain activities as dictated by procedures, which may not be the most efficient way. In terms of communication of results, most academics were uncomfortable as results were first communicated to immediate supervisor thus bringing about a lot of anxiety among members. The study recommends that further awareness is required in making sure that all members appreciate the need for the internal quality audits in order to address issues of anxiety.