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Maastricht European Studies Papers 2007/07 L. Unbehauen
Neave is right to argue that the reform process has reached a crucial stage. In the last years
even the sensitive question of QA has come to the fore and the call for a common European
QA mechanism has caused heated discussions. However, the success of this next reform
phase and of the Bologna reform as such will depend mainly on the implementation of the
whole reform package; implementation not only meaning a change to appropriate national
legislation but also to actual practices at Europe’s HEIs. Unfortunately the findings of the
Trend IV analysis have revealed that much remains to be done, even in such basic action
fields as convergence of degree structure and recognition.
Yet, the Trend IV report has also identified certain factors which can help the reform
on its road to success. The first success factor is the positive perception of the aims and added
value of the Bologna Process among HEIs across Europe. In other words, if the “top down
agenda [is transformed] into their own bottom-up interpretation of desirable change”
(Reichert & Tauch, 2005, p. 42), the reform will run more smoothly. Second, good
communication within the institutions and a pro-active leadership can foster better
cooperation and flawless implementation of the reform (ibid.). Thirdly, the right “balance
between national level regulation and coordination and institutional autonomy” (p. 44) is
needed to guide but not over-regulate the HEIs in their reform progress. National qualification
frameworks should give incentives for action without prescribing too many rules on, for
example, the language of instruction or accreditation of programs. The fourth reason for
success is to allow the institution enough time to adjust instead of rushing them through half-
cooked reforms (p. 46). It has proven that countries such as the Netherlands which started the
implementation early could report the most thorough reform results (p. 45). Last but not least,
not only rhetoric commitment but increased national funding is necessary. Until now most of
the Bologna reforms and the associated higher administrative and staff costs had to be paid
out of the limited pot of Europe’s HEI, leaving less resources for other fields such as research
or intensive student counseling.
If all these factors will be considered and incorporated into the reform strategy it might
be possible to speed up the Bologna Process and make it a real success, which until now has
been hindered by the selective and incoherent implementation of reforms among the
participating members.
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