An Analytical Reading of the "Masar" Initiative by the Education and Training Evaluation Commission

Why Do We Need a National Evaluation Platform?

  • Transparency Gap: More than 850 non-profit centers provide training services, but there is no unified database showing their quality and outcomes.
  • Efficiency of Public Spending: Funding bodies like "Hadaf" and "Development Bank" inject hundreds of millions annually. Linking funding to the quality classification of a center ensures that resources are directed toward the most impactful options.
  • Vision 2030 Requirement: The Human Capacity Development Program stipulates “improving the ranking of training institutions through accredited national evaluation mechanisms.”

2. What is "Masar"?

Masar = the National Program for the Evaluation and Accreditation of Training

Operated by the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC), it targets all training providers, with priority given to non-profit centers, and is offered to them free of charge.

Its Four Objectives

  1. Standardizing Quality Criteria: A framework of 6 areas and 24 indicators (governance, resources, curriculum design, implementation, evaluation, labor market partnership).
  2. Collecting Documented Data: Self-study reports + stakeholder surveys (trainee, trainer, employer).
  3. Classifying Centers: Five categories from ⭐ to ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ updated every 3 years.
  4. Informing Funding Decisions: An API portal that enables funding bodies to verify the classification of any center in real-time before releasing support.

The Evaluation Cycle Step by Step

Stage | Execution Time | Responsible Party | Main Outputs

Self-Study | 6 weeks | Quality team at the center | Evidence file + Gap analysis

Field Visit | 3 days | Certified Evaluators | Interviews – Classroom observation

Evaluation Report | 4 weeks | Masar Commission | Score for each indicator

Improvement Plan | 8 weeks | Center + Masar Team | Measurable objectives

Annual Follow-Up | Automatic | Dashboard | Early warning for declining performance

Why Is It Offered Free of Charge to the Non-Profit Sector?

Angle | Expected Return for the State | Justification for Fee Exemption

Economic | Directing support to more efficient centers → Increasing ROI on training spending | Evaluation fees equal 0.4–0.6% of the budget of some associations and could hinder their participation

Social | Improving equity of opportunities for trainees in rural and small towns | Empowering peripheral associations that do not have financial surpluses

Organizational | Building a national database that includes live indicators | 100% participation from centers is required to complete the overall picture

How Can Your Association Prepare for "Masar"?

  1. Form an Internal Quality Team led by a board member.
  2. Gather Evidence Early: Study plans, attendance records, test results, labor market partnership contracts.
  3. Activate Trainee and Trainer Surveys; Masar gives a 15% weight to stakeholder voices.
  4. Book a “Trial” Appointment with an independent consultant to simulate the field visit.
  5. Link Performance Measurement Dashboard (KPIs) to the Masar Dashboard for automatic data updates.

Early Lessons from the Pilot Cohort

Non-Profit Center | Initial Category | Improvement Plan | Classification After 12 Months

“Qudrat” – Unaizah | ⭐⭐ | Increase certified trainers by 30% | ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Irada” – Jubail | ⭐⭐⭐ | Link curricula with additional work partnerships | ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Rawafid” – Jazan | ⭐ | Develop governance + financial structuring | ⭐⭐⭐

Main Observation: Centers that treated the plan as an opportunity for development rather than external imposition jumped two classifications in one year.

Recommendations for Funding Bodies and Supporters

  • Link grants to ensuring a classification of no less than ⭐⭐⭐; to encourage training centers to sustain improvements.
  • Allocate a portion of the grant (up to 5%) to the internal quality budget; to ensure maintenance of standards after Masar accreditation.
  • Use the Masar API to automatically update databases when the classification of any center changes.

In Conclusion

“Masar” aims not only to reveal the shortcomings of centers but to transform evaluation into an institutional learning process. The question now is: Is your association ready to turn quality standards from papers in drawers into a live number dashboard displayed publicly?

If the answer is “yes,” then the Masar portal is open… and 2025 will be the year of actual classification free from slogans.