Abstract:
The purpose of accreditation is to assist higher education institutions to improve the quality
of higher education delivery. Most quality assurance bodies use the accreditation model that
is founded on the principles of self-regulation and peer review. However, the use of peer
reviewers in accreditation has been criticised because of the time taken, the expense and the
possibility of peer reviewer bias. Notwithstanding these criticisms, no effective alternatives
have been proffered and hence it is prudent to improve on the existing model. The objective
of the study was to assess the peer review process used in accreditation of new programmes
in Zimbabwe with a view of improving the credibility of the process. The methodology
entailed a qualitative research design premised on documentary analysis, questionnaires and
interviews with academic community and staff from the Zimbabwe Council of Higher
Education. The results showed that although it has its flaws, the peer-reviewed accreditation
model is largely accepted by the academic community. The issues of concern pertained to
peer reviewers, ZIMCHE and the higher education institutions. However, these issues are not
insurmountable; they can be addressed by paying attention to peer reviewer selection and
training as well as making sure that ZIMCHE increases its capacity in terms of human and
financial resources. In order to further strengthen the peer-reviewed accreditation process,
ZIMCHE should consider discussing with the institutions and agreeing with them on the
choice of peer reviewers to be used before they are assigned tasks.
