Governance and Engagement Manager Mark Garcia has completed the CQI and IRCA Certified Practitioner Certificate in Quality Management, strengthening his ability to embed structured quality thinking across the English Schools Foundation (ESF). Supporting governance across 22 international schools, he is now applying quality management principles to drive confidence, transparency and improvement across a complex multi-school system.
We caught up with Mark to hear more about his role at ESF, why he chose to study with rove, and how his studies are helping him shape governance, risk management and stakeholder engagement in an education setting.
EMBEDDING QUALITY INTO EDUCATION GOVERNANCE
Based in the Governance Department in the Office of the CEO, Mark supports 22 schools and the wider Foundation in strengthening engagement, policy development and governance frameworks.
His work focuses on key stakeholders, particularly parents, while driving initiatives that improve efficiency in policy development, risk management and data governance.
“The most rewarding aspect of my role is the opportunity to navigate complex issues that reach our head office as complaints. Each case provides a chance to better understand parents, appreciate their diverse expectations and needs and identify areas where our organisation can continue to improve,” shared Mark.
WHY ENROL ON THE CQI AND IRCA PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATE IN QUALITY MANAGEMENT?
When Mark joined ESF, he was part of the Strategic Performance and Quality Assurance Department. He was encouraged to undertake professional development that would strengthen his ability to translate stakeholder insights into meaningful improvement planning.
“This programme was to further equip me to help the organisation translate insights gathered from stakeholder engagement into meaningful contributions to improvement planning.”
APPLYING QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES IN EDUCATION
One of the most impactful aspects of the programme for Mark was exploring how quality management concepts translate effectively into education governance and operations.
While some terminology was new to the education context, case studies and practical discussions helped Mark successfully apply these principles.
“I enjoyed applying the course discussions to the education context. They helped me deepen my appreciation of quality management principles and standards by unpacking concepts that initially seemed relevant only to commercial industries such as manufacturing and reframing them in ways that are meaningful to the operations of a school system,” explained Mark.
BUILDING CONFIDENCE AND STRATEGIC IMPACT
As Mark progressed through the CQI and IRCA Practitioner Certificate, which consists of eight courses covering topics such as quality planning, problem solving and stakeholder management, he felt increasingly confident and empowered in his role.
Completing the programme enabled him to validate his strengths, recognise areas already working well and identify opportunities to strengthen governance further. It also enhanced his ability to connect stakeholder engagement, particularly complex parent concerns, with strategic risk and improvement initiatives.
“I am certain the programme will also contribute to the new initiatives I am involved in, particularly in the areas of risk management, business continuity planning and data governance.”
WHY ROVE?
After researching accredited CQI and IRCA providers, Mark chose rove for its clarity around programme progression and learner feedback.
“Reading about the positive experiences of others who had enrolled with rove further convinced me of its strong reputation.”
Throughout his studies, he valued the consistent and responsive support provided by the rove team.
“My tutor was a steady source of guidance and support, always providing prompt responses whenever I reached out. Whenever I faced setbacks, the team were consistently present – ensuring I had exactly what I needed at the time.”
