HEA Closes QAMIS Training with a Call for Collective Ownership
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) brought its five (5)-day Quality Assurance Management Information System (QAMIS) training to a close with a clear and unifying message that the developed system was not HEA’s system, but a shared system owned by the entire higher education subsector.
Delivering closing remarks at the end of the training held from Monday, 23rd to Friday, 27th March, 2026, at Sandy’s Creation Resort in Chilanga, HEA Director – Quality Assurance, Dr. Martin Mushumba, described the workshop not as the end of a process, but the beginning of a collective journey towards a more transparent, efficient and trusted accreditation system.
Reflecting on the 5 days of engagement, Dr. Mushumba emphasised that the system developed must be understood as a shared tool, shaped by both HEA and HEIs.
“We do not want this to be referred to as the HEA system. This is our system,” he said, stressing that the success of QAMIS lies in collective ownership and participation.
He noted that the purpose of the training was not only to introduce a digital platform, but to address long-standing challenges in accreditation, particularly concerns around delays, transparency and consistency.
“For a long time, the accreditation process has been controversial, (with) complaints about transparency, complaints about delays, complaints about outcomes,” he said, adding that QAMIS represents a deliberate step towards resolving these issues.
Therefore, through the system, HEA and HEIs are now working towards a process that is more open, more accountable and more predictable, one where all stakeholders can see, understand and trust how decisions are made.
“We are here because we want to advance quality assurance. We want to advance excellence. We want to ensure that the education we provide remains competitive at every level,” he said.
In a powerful call for unity across the subsector, Dr. Mushumba underscored that quality must be consistent, regardless of institutional classification.
“A degree from any institution must be competitive at that level, whether it is from tier one, tier two or tier three,” he emphasised.
He further commended participants for their commitment and dedication throughout the training, noting that their presence and engagement over the five days reflected a shared resolve to strengthen higher education in Zambia.
“This is the trust we have built. This is the commitment we have seen,” he said, adding that the progress made during the workshop would not be possible without the active involvement of HEIs.
Looking ahead, Dr. Mushumba assured participants that HEA would continue to provide support and engagement beyond the training, emphasising that institutions are not being left to navigate the system alone.
“We are not sending you out there to struggle on your own. HEA remains available,” he said.
With the accreditation module nearing launch and plans underway for the institutional audit module, the Authority signalled that the digital transformation of quality assurance is not only underway, but firmly on course.
As the training officially closed, the message stood above all was that the QAMIS system was not a system imposed on Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) but a system agreed to by them, built together, owned together, and now, to be implemented together.
The training brought together two (2) participants each from 50 HEIs, specifically from Quality Assurance and Information Technology units, as the primary users of the system. QAMIS was developed by the SMART Zambia Institute in collaboration with the HEA development team led by Mr. Francis Kawesha, Senior Information Technology Officer, with Mr. Boyd Banda, Principal Systems Developer, representing SMART Zambia at the workshop.
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Dr. Mushumba giving closing remarks.
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