# Blockchain-Based Quality Assurance System for Academic Programs
## 3 The Proposed Blockchain-Based QAS
### The Blockchain-Based Model for QAPs  
In this section, we will discuss a proposed model for quality assurance processes (QAPs) that utilize blockchain and smart contract technologies. The model explains how these technologies can be used to perform different QAPs. Figure 3 presents the proposed model. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Roles** & **Faculty** & **Quality** & **Department** & **College** & **Accreditation** & **Deanship of** & **Reviewer** & **Advisory** \\
**Permissions** & **Member** & **Committee** & **Council** & **Council** & **Authority** & **Quality** & **Member** & **(Evaluator)** & **Committee** \\  & **(Instructor)** & **Member** & **Member** & **Member** & **Member** & **Member** & **Member** & **Member** & **Member** \\ \hline \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Permissions related to course reports**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Create course**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**report**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**View course**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**report**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Edit course**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**report**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Comment on**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**course report**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Approve**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**course report**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**course report**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Permissions related to quality reports (APRs, LO assessments, KPI analysis, etc.)**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Create quality**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**reports**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**View quality**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**reports**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Edit quality**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**reports**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Comment on**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Quality reports**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Quality reports**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Approve**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Quality reports**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Approve**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**quality reports**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Permissions related to user management**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Register users**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Cancel user**} \\ \multicolumn{10}{c}{**reigrations**} \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Roles and permissions in the proposed blockchain-based ecosystem. During the first stage, quality committee members and instructors prepare quality and course reports. The quality reports are stored offline using IPFS technology, while the hash code and version number are input to the smart contract. Representatives of the department council prepare review reports and comments on the quality files prepared by quality members. Like quality reports, review reports will also be stored offline in the IPFS, and hash codes will be input into the smart contract, which will be signed by the departmental and college council representatives. Once approved, all quality files' transaction and hash codes are stored in the blockchain to ensure the integrity and availability of sensitive quality reports. College council members can access reports submitted by academic departments, while the deanship of quality can access reports prepared by all colleges within the university. After signing the smart contract, the deanship of quality will receive a notification. The ID of the smart contract signed by the college and the program information are input to another smart contract at the university level. An independent reviewer will write review reports that are stored in the IPFS, while the hash codes are input to the smart contract, which will be signed by the higher education institution (HEI), represented by the deanship of quality. Once the HEI signs the smart contract, it is equivalent to the official approval of quality documents. As a result, the accreditation readiness notification is sent to the accreditation authority and panel review. The proposed system presented in Figure 3 leverages blockchain and smart contract technologies to offer distinct advantages over traditional QASs.