The Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) was formed under the HKCAAVQ Ordinance (Cap 1150). As the Accreditation Authority and Qualifications Register Authority under the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework, the HKCAAVQ provides quality assurance and assessment services to education and training institutions, course providers and the general public. In addition to its statutory roles, the HKCAAVQ also provides advisory and consultancy services in education qualifications and standards to government bureaux and professional organisations in Hong Kong.

The Council is composed of members appointed by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. As of March 2013, the Council membership is composed of six non-local members and 13 local members. Its composition reflects expertise and experience in quality assurance, education and training as well as links with industry and the Education Bureau. The Council maintains its international perspective by including non-local members who come primarily from countries with well-established external quality assurance systems. They enlighten us with valuable advice and global views, allowing us to benchmark the HKCAAVQ’s approaches with the latest international standards and good practices.

The Council meets formally twice a year with meetings of local members held between full Council meetings.

The work of the Council is supported by three committees: the Qualifications and Accreditation Committee, the Personnel and Administration Committee and the Finance Committee. Each Committee has its own terms of reference, which are detailed in the Appendix.

The daily operation of the HKCAAVQ is undertaken by the Secretariat under the leadership of the Executive Director who is an ex-officio member of the Council.

As of end of March 2013, the HKCAAVQ Secretariat had 86 full-time staff, most of whom are quality assurance practitioners, seasoned trainers or education professionals. There are also two part-time staff including one consultant who provides legal advice.