Non-Conformance in the Examination and Assessment of Joint Memorandum Circular: Basis for Enhanced Monitoring and Inspection Tools for Maritime Programs in the Philippines

This study examined the conformance of Maritime Higher Education Institutions (MHEIs) with Key Area IV (Examination and Assessment) of the Joint CHED-MARINA Memorandum Circular (JCMMC). It focuses on the congruency of the results of respondent auditors who are experienced in the inspection and audit to the noted non-conformance report identified by the monitoring team using the existing Outcomes-based Monitoring Instrument (OBMI). The existing methodologies frequently exhibit subjectivity, vagueness and incongruent findings during inspection. The research evaluated the CHED-MARINA monitoring scheme and audit tools in relation to examination and assessment. An ex-post facto technique is employed based on document analysis and quantitative-descriptive for data analysis. Data were obtained from the monitoring report of 15 MHEIs nationwide and 25 auditor respondents’ surveys. The results showed significant disparities and inconsistencies by auditors in the classification of observed findings across Section 16 provided in the current OBMI. The study recommended an enhanced monitoring instrument to address its notable gap by providing a standardized framework for objective and comprehensive memorandum circular compliance verification. This tool will allow regulatory bodies to evaluate and deploy suggested monitoring across critical domains to demonstrate the quality and uniformity of assessment methods. The implications of the study are substantial, indicating that the recommended enhanced OBMI can call for a more robust theoretical framework for evaluating compliance that promotes reliability and transparency of audit results grounded in an established quality standards system. Consequently, training for auditors is crucial through the calibration of inspection ethics to improve reliability and transparency of results.