Three basic questions guide the evaluation process. In the case of schools, for example, these are:

How is our school doing?

We need to consider how well we are doing in relation to our school's aims. What are these aims? What are our strengths and weaknesses, and what needs to be improved?

How do we know?

We look at the evidence and use compliance and quality indicators to help us make judgements on the quality of education.

What are we going to do next?

We report fully on the evidence gathered in the evaluation process. In particular we make recommendations for development and improvement.

The IQAA evaluation process consists of the following six steps:

• An internal school team is trained by IQAA and assisted by a mentor appointed by IQAA to guide the school team.
• The school undertakes a Core evaluation (minimum requirement for ISASA member schools) or may choose a more extensive evaluation that includes areas chosen by the school such as governance, management, boarding, and so on. The document, School in a Mirror, is used by the school as a framework for conducting the evaluations, and includes the areas of operation and quality targets.
• When the evaluation is completed, the school team, with the guidance of the mentor, writes a report on the findings and makes recommendations for improvement, including timelines.
• The mentor confirms the validity of the school's report in a separate mentor's report.
• The school then makes the report available to the school leadership who decide how widely to circulate the findings, and how to respond to the recommendations.
• The reports are sent to IQAA. IQAA will report to any relevant associations or authorities whether the school has satisfactorily met any conditions that may be required by them.