Ensuring Quality Vocational and Higher Education in Lithuania

1. Overview of assessment, recommendations and roadmap

Abstract

This chapter offers an overview of the assessment, recommendations and roadmap for Lithuania presented in the report.

This report contains four major analytical chapters (i.e. chapters 3-6). Each of these chapters focuses on a different area of quality-focused policy and is structured into two main sections. The first section offers an analysis of the situation in Lithuania and the main challenges identified in the OECD team’s analysis. The second section offers recommendations and a proposed roadmap for Lithuania to implement each recommendation, building on a review of international policies for quality assurance and enhancement across nine comparator jurisdictions selected for Lithuania in OECD (2025[1]) and OECD (2025[2]). An overview of the assessment, recommendations and roadmap included in each chapter is presented below.

1.1. Regulatory framework and external quality assurance in higher education

Chapter 3 assesses Lithuania’s regulatory framework and external quality assurance system for higher education and identifies two major sets of challenges. The first relates to the multiple legal frameworks that regulate the design and delivery of study programmes in Lithuanian higher education. Together, these constrain academic staff in developing innovative programme offerings and in aligning provision with the needs of the labour market and society. Removing regulatory barriers to programme innovation and labour market alignment emerges as the single most important priority for Lithuania to address in the coming years. A second set of challenges relates to the standards, methods and procedures used by the Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education (SKVC) for the external quality assurance (QA) of higher education institutions (HEIs) and programmes. Multiple procedures, several of which narrowly focus on assessing HEIs’ compliance with regulatory requirements, impose a heavy administrative burden on both HEIs and SKVC staff. They also offer limited practical support to HEIs and insufficiently differentiate between different types of institutions. Finally, the data generated through annual study field monitoring is used insufficiently as a tool to identify programmes and institutions at risk of being of insufficient quality.

To address these challenges, the chapter proposes two sets of recommendations for Lithuania. The first of these centres on revisions the Lithuanian authorities may consider introducing to the Higher Education and Research Act (Republic of Lithuania, 2009[3]), general requirements for programme implementation (Republic of Lithuania, 2016[4]) and study field descriptors (SKVC, 2025[5]), to ensure that these give HEIs and academic staff sufficient guidance and flexibility to experiment with new and innovative study formats and content that meet the expectations of the current and future generations of learners, and the latest developments in scientific research, the economy and society. The second set of recommendations includes proposed changes to SKVC’s external quality assurance framework, to ensure this is designed in such a way that it devolves greater responsibility for quality management to HEIs, foster a culture of collaborative enhancement among institutions and SKVC, and targets resources on those programmes and institutions where the greatest risks to quality are observed.

The specific recommendations are as follows, and a proposed roadmap to implement each recommendation is presented in Table 1.1:

• Recommendation 1: Revise study format regulations and develop a national framework to support the development of digital higher education and micro-credentials;

• Recommendation 2: Make study-field descriptors less binding, increase the frequency of their updates, and shift towards developing and issuing thematic guidance;

• Recommendation 3: Grant self-accrediting rights to well-performing HEIs and raise the bar for new programmes to demonstrate labour market relevance;

• Recommendation 4: Develop a holistic risk assessment framework, building on the existing study-field monitoring procedure;

• Recommendation 5: Plan the timing and focus of the next institutional review cycle with the Lithuanian Research Council, and adapt standards and methods in function of assessed HEIs; and

• Recommendation 6: Give SKVC an explicit mandate and resources for sectoral enhancement.

Table 1.1. Recommendations and roadmap to strengthen Lithuania’s external evaluation and quality assurance system for higher education

Recommendations	Proposed roadmap and actions to implement the recommendations			International examples of relevance to Lithuania
	2025-26	2027-28	By 2028
Focus area 1: Remove regulatory barriers that may hinder programme innovation and alignment of provision of labour market and societal needs
Recommendation 1: Revise study format regulations and develop a national framework to support the development of digital higher education and micro-credentials	- ŠMSM: Update the definition of digital HE in Articles 26 and 27 of the descriptor of general requirements for studies. - SKVC: Co-ordinate the development of a quality framework for digital HE.	- SKVC: Pilot the new methodology for institutional evaluation, with attention to the specificities of digital education. - ŠMSM: Support HEIs to pilot micro-credentials, followed by an evaluation.	- SKVC: Introduce the new methodology for institutional evaluation, with attention to the specificities of digital education. - ŠMSM: Introduce a national framework for micro-credentials.	OECD: technical support on digital higher education in Hungary (OECD, 2023[6]) OECD: technical support on micro-credentials in Finland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain (OECD, 2023[7])
.Recommendation 2: Make study-field descriptors less binding, increase the frequency of their updates, and shift towards developing and issuing thematic guidance	- SKVC: Introduce a “link to regulation”-statement in study-field descriptors and increase required frequency of updates. - ŠMSM: Consult STRATA & other bodies on capacity to produce skills intelligence.	- SKVC: In consultation with the HE sector, develop thematic guidance on themes of broader sectoral relevance (e.g. internationalisation or digitalisation).	/	UK: Subject Benchmark Statements (QAA, 2024[8]). Estonia: thematic analysis and guidance on the teaching and learning of international students (HAKA, 2020[9])
Focus area 2: Develop a risk-based and enhancement-driven quality assurance system, geared towards promoting greater institutional responsibility for quality
Recommendation 3: Grant self-accrediting rights to well-performing HEIs and raise the bar for new programmes to demonstrate labour market relevance	- ŠMSM: Discuss and agree on need to establish a Lithuanian Commission for Higher Education Relevance (LC-HER). - SKVC: Develop and agree on a procedure and criteria for granting expanded self-accrediting rights to HEIs.	- LC-HER: Pilot programme relevance assessments in selected disciplines where there is an “inflation” of study programmes in Lithuania. - SKVC: Pilot the new methodology for institutional evaluation, with results linked to expanded self-accrediting rights.	- LC-HER: In function of the results of the pilot, roll out relevance assessment to all disciplines. - SKVC: Introduce new methodology for institutional evaluation, granting expanded self-accrediting rights to HEIs with good results.	Denmark & Netherlands: labour market relevance assessment (CDHO, n.d.[10]; Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science, n.d.[11]) Australia: application guide for self-accrediting authority (TEQSA, 2022[12])
Recommendation 4: Develop a holistic risk assessment framework, building on the existing study-field monitoring procedure	- SKVC: In consultation with HEIs, NŠA, ŠMSM and Lithuanian Students’ Union develop relevant indicators and a procedure for annual risk assessment.	- SKVC: Use the results of annual risk assessment to inform the intensity of programme evaluation and refine the focus of institutional reviews.	/	Australia: Risk Assessment Framework (TEQSA, 2024[13]).
Recommendation 5: Plan the timing and focus of the next institutional review cycle with the Research Council of Lithuania, and adapt standards and methods in function of assessed HEIs	- SKVC: Plan explore synergies with Research Council’s assessments of research and doctoral education. - SKVC: Develop a more open evaluation framework to reflect HEIs’ differences.	- SKVC: Pilot the new methodology for institutional evaluation with a diverse sample of HEIs, including synergies with LMT’s doctoral education evaluation.	- SKVC: Introduce the new methodology for institutional evaluation, including synergies with LMT’s doctoral education evaluation, more openness and flexibility to tailor to institutional context.	France: education-research synergies (Hcéres, 2021[14]) Austria: open evaluation framework (AQ Austria, 2021[15]) Finland: benchlearning as part of institutional evaluation (FINEEC, 2019[16]).
Recommendation 6: Give SKVC an explicit mandate and resources for sectoral enhancement	- ŠMSM: Revise Articles 17 and 40 of the Law on HE and Research to give SKVC an explicit mandate and resources for sectoral enhancement.	- SKVC: Establish a HE Enhancement Advisory Group and Implementation Unit to pilot a sectoral enhancement offer, but distinct from evaluation/accreditation.	- SKVC: Roll out a dedicated quality enhancement offer to supplement the existing evaluation/accreditation services and strengthen follow-up.	Austria & UK: additional evaluation services (AQ Austria, 2024[17]; QAA, 2024[18])

1.2. Regulatory framework and external quality assurance in vocational education and training

Chapter 4 assesses Lithuania’s regulatory framework and external quality assurance system for vocational education and training (VET) and identifies two major sets of challenges. The first relates to the structure and content of VET programmes. Professional standards outline the skills required in each formal VET programme. However, while harmonising VET programme design, they restrict institutional flexibility in adapting curricula to emerging labour market needs. The process for updating existing or introducing new professional standards is administratively burdensome and slow. This limits VET institutions' ability to respond promptly to technological changes and skill demands. Similarly, apprenticeships lack a clear structural differentiation from school-based VET. This makes it difficult to establish a distinct apprenticeship identity and means apprenticeships can be delivered with smaller amounts of work-based learning than international norms. The monitoring of work placement quality is also under-developed in Lithuania. A second set of challenges relates to the standards, methods, and procedures used by the Qualifications and Vocational Education and Training Development Centre (KPMPC) for external quality assurance of VET providers. External quality assessments, though recently introduced, remain inconsistently applied, with limited alignment between annual VET institutions’ performance monitoring and periodic institutional evaluations. Furthermore, data-driven decision-making for programme enhancement is under-utilised, and the mechanisms for monitoring work-based learning quality remain under-developed.

To address these challenges, the chapter proposes two sets of recommendations for Lithuania. The first focuses on regulatory reforms to enhance the labour market responsiveness of VET programmes. This includes revising the process for updating professional standards and ensuring greater flexibility in curriculum design to accommodate innovation. Additionally, it proposes strengthening the regulatory framework for apprenticeships, including clearer quality standards and improved employer engagement. The second set of recommendations aims to streamline and embed external QA in VET, ensuring it fosters institutional improvement rather than merely assessing compliance. This entails enhancing co-ordination between different QA mechanisms, leveraging labour market intelligence for programme evaluation, and strengthening the quality monitoring of work-based learning placements.

The specific recommendations are as follows, and a proposed roadmap to implement each recommendation is presented in Table 1.2:

• Recommendation 7: Incorporate routine data analysis on skills and labour market developments to update professional standards and plan study places;

• Recommendation 8: Re-define work-based learning content in VET programmes, increase the apprenticeship reporting quality and introduce placement quality monitoring;

• Recommendation 9: Incorporate the KPMPC as an official public legal body to increase its VET licensing and external expert contracting powers;

• Recommendation 10: Introduce better labour market and student demand checks to license applications and consider granting greater autonomy to well-performing VET providers;

• Recommendation 11: Introduce a six-year institutional evaluation cycle, including follow-up and director assessments linked with institutions’ strategic plans; and

• Recommendation 12: Conduct further analysis and invest in data to revise monitoring indicators and their thresholds.

Table 1.2. Recommendations and roadmap to strengthen Lithuania’s external evaluation and quality assurance system for VET

Recommendations	Proposed roadmap and actions to implement the recommendations			International examples of relevance to Lithuania
	2025-26	2027-28	By 2028
Focus area 3: Amend regulation to strengthen VET’s links to the labour market
Recommendation 7: Incorporate routine data analysis on skills and labour market developments to update professional standards and plan study places	- KPMPC: Commission a joint working group of the sectoral professional committees to determine needs for skills analysis.	- ŠMSM: Consult with STRATA and other bodies on their capacity to produce skills intelligence - ŠMSM: Revise Law V-610/4-401 to provide the sectoral professional committees with an annual task for assessment.	- KPMPC: Establish an online portal for feedback by stakeholders and design a survey with professional committees for sectoral stakeholders to complete.	Estonia: thematic studies (Kutsekoda, n.d.[19]) Sweden: regional analysis (MYH, n.d.[20]).
Recommendation 8: Re-define work-based learning content in VET programmes, increase the apprenticeship reporting quality and introduce placement quality monitoring	- ŠMSM: Revise legislation on apprenticeships to add the condition that a minimum of 50% of an entire programme should be work-based.	- ŠMSM: Develop a quality framework for apprenticeships, working closely with KPMPC and stakeholders to identify quality standards. - ŠMSM: Introduce audits on apprenticeships data (for KPMPC to undertake) and include QA of work-based learning in regular assessments.	/	EU: European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships (EU Council of Ministers, 2018[21]).
Recommendation 9: Incorporate the KPMPC as an official public legal body to increase its VET licensing and external expert contracting powers	- ŠMSM: Create an order to vest the KPMPC as an official public legal body, with similar powers as SKVC for higher education.	/	/	Lithuania: legal powers accorded to SKVC
Focus area 4: Review external VET quality processes to increase labour market focus, efficiency and cohesiveness, and to continually drive up quality
Recommendation 10: Introduce better labour market and student demand checks to license applications and consider granting greater autonomy to well-performing VET providers	- KPMPC: Consider how to embed checks on labour market demand in licensing and present this proposal to the ŠMSM, considering the views of VET providers.	- KPMPC: Consider relaxing the licensing requirements for well-performing public and formal VET providers and introduce a fee for non-formal VET licensing.	- ŠMSM: Revise legislation for VET licensing based on work undertaken by KPMPC.	Australia: field-based accreditation (Department of Education, 2024[22]).
Recommendation 11: Introduce a six-year institutional evaluation cycle, including follow-up and director assessments linked with institutions’ strategic plans	- ŠMSM: Agree financing to support three-year budgets to plan external QA in VET. - KPMPC: Co-ordinate and produce a schedule for external assessments of all public VET providers. - ŠMSM: Revise legislation to include follow-up of all institutions following external QA + Link to external assessment of VET Directors.	- KPMPC: Review strategic plans of VET providers to ensure that they are standardised at three years and line up with the schedule of external quality assessments conducted by KPMPC.	- KPMPC: Review external evaluation processes to produce a report assessing the feasibility of offering further enhancement and support activities to VET providers.	Ontario (Canada): audit schedule (OCQAS, 2024[23]) Ireland: audit schedule of education and training boards (ETBs) (QQI, 2021[24]) New Zealand: risk profiling (NZQA, 2024[25]) Ireland: annual quality dialogues (QQI, 2024[26]).
Recommendation 12: Conduct further analysis and invest in data to revise monitoring indicators and their thresholds	- ŠMSM: Commission an analytical project to re-evaluate levels of current monitoring thresholds.	- ŠMSM: Commission an analytical project to re-evaluate the content of the monitoring indicators and propose an updated suite of indicators.	- NŠA: Undertake a programme of work to incorporate additional data identified in analytical work into the suite of monitoring data.	Denmark: risk-based quality monitoring (UVM, 2024[27]).

1.3.  Institutional capacity and supports for pedagogical enhancement and innovation

Chapter 5 assesses VET and higher education institutions’ capacity for internal quality management and pedagogical innovation, as well as available external supports for teaching and learning enhancement. The analysis identifies two main sets of challenges for the VET and higher education sectors. In the VET sector, acute teacher shortages and an ageing teaching population have meant that the qualification requirements for teaching staff have been more flexible than for general primary and secondary school teachers. As a result, there is great variation in the pedagogical readiness of Lithuanian VET teachers. This highlights the importance of strengthening the initial education and training requirements for VET teachers and to expand opportunities for their continuing professional learning, including for in-company trainers. In the higher education sector, the introduction of a dedicated career path for teaching and national guidelines to encourage continuing professional learning among teaching staff have had a limited impact on promoting teaching excellence and innovation. Limited available evidence points to a persistence of traditional teaching methods among academic staff, and large differences in the capacity of larger and smaller institutions to support the professional development of their teaching staff independently.

To address these challenges, the chapter proposes two sets of recommendations for Lithuania. The first focuses on mechanisms through which Lithuania can strengthen the pedagogical readiness of VET teachers entering the profession, as well as proposals on how their continuing professional learning can be supported in a more systematic manner. It also offers suggestions on how Lithuania can strengthen its support for in-company trainers, which is currently non-existent. The second set of recommendations includes proposals on how Lithuania can create an eco-system that supports and incentivises the pedagogical competence development of teaching staff in higher education more systematically than at present, including through the development of a universal teaching qualification, and investments in a national structure that can support peer learning and the dissemination of best practice in teaching and learning among HEIs.

The specific recommendations are as follows, and a proposed roadmap to implement each recommendation is presented in Table 1.3:

• Recommendation 13: Reform the initial teacher education programme for VET teachers to ensure it is more focused on VET and is properly quality assured;

• Recommendation 14: Increase support for KPMPC methodological commissions to provide enhancement support to VET teachers;

• Recommendation 15: Improve support and training for in-company trainers in VET;

• Recommendation 16: Support HEIs to develop a national framework for teaching in higher education, situating ownership for its development and implementation with the sector; and

• Recommendation 17: Support the establishment of national centres of excellence for teaching and learning in higher education, building on existing institutional best practice.

Table 1.3. Recommendations and roadmap to support the creation of an eco-system for pedagogical enhancement and innovation in higher education and VET

Recommendations	Proposed roadmap and actions to implement the recommendation			International examples of relevance to Lithuania
	2025-26	2027-28	By 2028
Focus area 5: Develop VET teacher and company trainer competences with better training courses and guidance, and greater strategic resources to promote knowledge sharing
Recommendation 13: Reform the initial teacher education programme for VET teachers to ensure it is more focused on VET and is properly quality assured	- KPMPC: Commission a project to review the existing initial teacher training offer for VET teachers in Lithuania.	- KPMPC: Introduce a system of audit for providers of teacher training courses. - ŠMSM: Review the initial training offer with key stakeholders (VET providers, students, methodological commissions) to define revisions to the course framework.	- KPMPC: Collate information on teacher training course quality to provide to prospective students to guide education choice.	Denmark: in-service teacher training (Cedefop and University College Copenhagen, 2022[28]).
Recommendation 14: Increase support for KPMPC methodological commissions to provide enhancement support to VET teachers	- KPMPC: Review KPMPC’s capacity to support methodological commissions and offer options to strengthen the dedicated resource provided to this function. - KPMPC: Review sectoral practical training centres’ enhancement to serve as development function for teacher training.	- ŠMSM: Review and propose implementation plan following KPMPC recommendations and agree ongoing government budget to support implementation.	- ŠMSM/KPMPC: Undertake review of the sectoral practical training centres to determine scope for increasing pedagogical elements, using Denmark’s knowledge centres as inspiration.	Netherlands: HE-school clusters (HE-School Clusters, 2018[29]) Denmark: knowledge centres (Videnscenterportalen, 2024[30]).
Recommendation 15: Improve support and training for in-company trainers in VET	/	- KPMPC: Collate and share guidance material for in-company trainers in an accessible manner.	- KPMPC: Develop or commission a short online training course on basic development functions of placements.	Sweden: online training (MYH, n.d.[31]) Netherlands: support for employers (SBB, n.d.[32]).
Focus area 6: Develop a universal teaching qualification for teaching staff in higher education, and establish national centres of excellence to support teaching and learning enhancement
Recommendation 16: Support HEIs to develop a national framework for teaching in higher education, situating ownership for its development and implementation with the sector	- ŠMSM: Consult closely with the higher education sector to identify who would be best placed to lead on the development of a national teaching qualification framework for Lithuanian HE.	- Sector representative body: In close collaboration with higher education experts, develop a national qualifications framework for teaching, to be approved by the ŠMSM.	- SKVC: Consider developing a specific procedure to assess the quality of teacher training offered by HEIs.	Netherlands & Norway: national requirements for teacher training (Universities of the Netherlands, 2022[33]; UHR, 2018[34]) UK: QA of teacher training offered by HEIs (Advance HE, 2019[35]).
Recommendation 17: Support the establishment of national centres of excellence for teaching and learning in higher education, building on existing institutional best practice	- ŠMSM: Prepare and launch an open Call for Proposals for HEIs to apply and become a national “Centre of Excellence” in higher education teaching (possibly limited to certain disciplines or sectors where pedagogical enhancement is key).	- Centre(s) of Excellence: Successful institution(s) receive funding for an initial period of 3-5 years to develop a sectoral enhancement offer (possibly limited initially to certain disciplines or sectors where pedagogical enhancement is key).	- ŠMSM: Commission an independent evaluation of the institutional Centre(s) of Excellence to assess their impact and areas for improvement before launching a second funding round or expanding the programme.	Norway: Centres of Excellence in Education (NOKUT, n.d.[36]).

1.4. Governance, funding and information systems of VET and higher education

Chapter 6 covers the wider, system-level policy areas in Lithuania that have a substantial influence on the quality and relevance of teaching and learning in higher education and VET. The analysis presented in this chapter identifies three main challenges. First. there is a lack of clear pathways and transitions for learners in Lithuania between different upper-secondary and post-secondary VET and higher education programmes. The lack of inter-institutional collaboration and programme alignment in VET and higher education is also reflected at system level, where different regulatory, funding and quality assurance frameworks govern both sectors. A second challenge is related to the student admission and related public funding systems in higher education and VET, which is driving unhealthy levels of competition for students among HEIs and VET providers. The performance-based funding model in higher education, which, in part, was introduced to tackle this institutional behaviour, has not yet yielded tangible results. Finally, the 2017 reform of the Lithuanian Science and Education Monitoring and Analysis Centre (MOSTA) into the Government Strategic Analysis Centre (STRATA) has led to a reduction in the availability of strategic and cross-cutting educational research in higher education and VET to support strategic decision-making. There is also no system-level student survey or graduate tracking system spanning both sectors that might help prospective students compare the quality and relevance of different study programmes.

To address these challenges, the chapter proposes three sets of recommendations for Lithuania. The first is to develop a common strategy and priorities spanning the VET and higher education sectors, centred on the development of skills for the Lithuanian economy and society through collaboration between VET providers, HEIs and labour market actors to create clear, flexible and aligned educational pathways. The second set of recommendations focuses on adopting a more data-driven approach to the allocation of state-funded study places in VET and higher education, to recalibrate the system of performance-based funding in higher education to incentivise HEIs to make more strategic use of funding to make investments that will improve teaching quality, and to consider introducing such a system in the VET sector. The third set of recommendations is centred on strengthening the availability of system-level data and information on the quality and relevance of teaching and learning in higher education and VET to both inform strategic decision-making, and to support more informed study choices.

The specific recommendations are as follows, and a proposed roadmap to implement each recommendation is presented in Table 1.4:

• Recommendation 18: Develop a common vision and sector oversight for post-secondary VET and higher education, with a focus on exploring collaboration in quality assurance;

• Recommendation 19: Establish a national mechanism to foster co-operation between VET providers, colleges and employers to better align and integrate provision;

• Recommendation 20: Incorporate data from national skills forecasts in the allocation of state-funded study places;

• Recommendation 21: Introduce institutional performance agreements in higher education and consider introducing a similar system of quality agreements in VET;

• Recommendation 22: Strengthen the online student information platform by developing a national student survey and graduate tracking system for VET and higher education; and

• Recommendation 23: Invest in the production and use of educational research and annual state-of-education reports to support evidence-based policy making and practice.

Table 1.4. Recommendations and roadmap to recalibrate the framework conditions governing VET and higher education in Lithuania

Recommendations	Proposed roadmap and actions to implement the recommendations			International examples of relevance to Lithuania
	2025-26	2027-28	By 2028
Focus area 7: Develop a national strategy to strengthen place-based collaboration and coherence across post-secondary VET, higher education and the labour market
Recommendation 18: Develop a common vision and sector oversight for post-secondary VET and higher education, with a focus on exploring collaboration in quality assurance	- ŠMSM: Establish a Commission to lead a review of the post-secondary VET, HE and research systems and their contribution to skills development. - SKVC & KMPC: Explore options for resource-sharing and joint evaluation.	- ŠMSM: Formulate a single strategy for post-compulsory education and training in Lithuania, based on the Commission’s review. - SKVC & KPMPC: Formalise co-operation in a collaboration protocol.	- ŠMSM: Consider renewing the mandate of the Commission on the implementation and monitoring of policy actions towards a more integrated and coherent post-compulsory education and training system in Lithuania.	Wales & Netherlands: reviews of VET and higher education (Weingarten, 2018[37]; KBA-Consortium, 2023[38]) Australia: memorandum of understanding on VET/HE collaboration in QA (ASQA and TEQSA, 2016[39])
Recommendation 19: Establish a national mechanism to foster co-operation between VET providers, colleges and employers to better align and integrate provision	- ŠMSM: Remove legal barriers limiting colleges from offering short-cycle programmes in sectors with skills needs. - ŠMSM: Identify sectors and regions with acute skills challenges.	- ŠMSM: Establish a mechanism, with involvement of the regions, to help VET providers and colleges develop integrated VET-higher education pathways or programmes, aligned with skills needs.	- ŠMSM: Evaluate integrated VET-higher education pathways or programmes in priority sectors and regions, and consider expanding them to other sectors if results are positive.	Ireland: tertiary degrees (NTO, n.d.[40]) Netherlands: Lifelong Learning Catalyst (Government of the Netherlands, 2023[41])
Focus area 8: Use national skills data to inform the allocation of state-funded study places and consider performance agreements to supplement performance indicators
Recommendation 20: Incorporate data from national skills forecasts in the allocation of state-funded study places	- ŠMSM: Commission a review to consider information needs in STRATA human resource forecasts to enable better account of skills and labour market needs in state education planning.	- ŠMSM: Consult with STRATA to discuss whether and in what capacity the ŽIPS forecasts could be amended, and funding and resource implications of this work.	/	Estonia & Finland: annual sector analyses and labour market forecasts (TEM, n.d.[42]; Kutsekoda, n.d.[19])
Recommendation 21: Introduce institutional performance agreements in higher education and consider introducing a similar system of quality agreements in VET	- ŠMSM: Design a funding model which makes a proportion of public funds for HEIs conditional on the conclusion of 3–5-year performance agreements, and consider creating a similar model in VET.	- ŠMSM: Engage in peer learning with peers from relevant comparator systems to refine and accompany the introduction of the new performance-based funding model and agreements.	/	Austria: strategic agreements with HEIs (Austrian Ministry of Education, 2021[43]) Ireland: strategic performance agreements with VET and HE providers (SOLAS, 2022[44]; HEA, 2023[45])
Focus area 9: Strengthen the availability and use of system-level data on the quality of teaching and learning to improve strategic decision-making and student information
Recommendation 22: Strengthen the online student information platform by developing a national student survey and graduate tracking system for VET and higher education	- ŠMSM: Identify and assemble key actors that should be part of a national partnership to develop a national student survey and graduate tracking system for VET and higher education.	- National partnership: LSS, HEIs, VET providers and the government collect and analyse a sample of institutional surveys to pilot a national student survey and graduate tracking system.	- National partnership: Launch the first iteration of a national student survey. - ŠMSM: Use information from students and graduates to enhance Lithuania’s online student information platform.	Norway & UK: online student information platforms (NOKUT, n.d.[46]; Discover Uni, n.d.[47])
Recommendation 23: Invest in the production and use of educational research and annual state-of-education reports to support evidence-based policy making and practice	- ŠMSM: Expand budget for educational research and mandate SKVC & KPMPC to produce an annual state-of-education report for higher education and VET, in co-operation with NŠA.	- Lithuanian Educational Research Association (LERA): Expand LERA’s scope and resources to focus on HE and research dissemination. - SKVC & KPMPC: Produce the state-of-education reports for VET and HE.	/	Ireland & Netherlands: annual state-of-education reports for VET and higher education (MinOCW, 2024[48]; QQI, 2024[49])

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