The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) has been developed as a common reference framework and a translation device to make more readable and understandable the various qualifications acquired within different education systems, training programs and learning contexts in Europe. The EQF encompasses eight levels defined in terms of learning outcomes. It should enable the allocation of qualifications from different countries and learning contexts to these levels. However, qualifications are not directly allocated to the EQF: they are allocated to national qualifications levels that are to be linked to the EQF levels. The Member States are invited to relate their national qualifications levels to the EQF by 2010. To facilitate the referencing of national qualifications levels to the EQF, many European countries are currently developing National Qualifications Frameworks (NQF) that are based on the same principles as the EQF.

To ensure that the referencing process is designed so that it can be understood and trusted by stakeholders in all countries involved, the EQF Advisory Group has agreed on a set of criteria and procedures to guide this process. Some of these criteria play an essential role: the criterion related to the procedures for including qualifications in the NQF or for describing the place of qualifications in the national qualification system (Criterion 4) and the criterion related to the correspondence between the levels of the NQF and the eight levels of the EQF (Criterion 2). For example, how should Criterion 2 actually be addressed in those cases where the NQF and the EQF have an equal number of levels? Does this mean that the linking of levels is already fixed ex-ante? Have the countries just taken a pragmatic approach (‘for the sake of comparability’)? Does this fit reality or are countries planning to change their national systems to an eight-level structure?

As of January 2010, not much experience is available in applying these criteria because only two ‘EQF referencing reports’ have been officially presented in the EQF Advisory Group (from Ireland and Malta). It can be expected that a number of countries will be organising and finalising their referencing process during the next months.

A crucial question in this context is related to providing arguments and evidence when allocating qualifications to the NQF and when linking national levels to the EQF levels. This paper aims to analyse and compare the approaches of selected countries. The research questions include:

• To what extent will evidence actually be included in the referencing process (‘evidence-based policy’, cf. Lassnigg 2009) that is up to a certain extent based on political decisions?
• What kind of evidence is given when applying the ‘best fit’ principle (for example, evidence based on a technical analysis by comparing descriptors, on consultation of stakeholders or on empirical research) (cf. Coles 2009)?
•  How and in what detail are the arguments presented?

- Beyer, M. & Hanf, G. (2009): EQF Referencing Process – Exchange of Experience: Case study Germany. EQF-Ref project, September 2009. - Beyer, M.; Grollmann, Ph.; Hanf, G. (2009): Project TransEQFrame. Synthesis Report Work package 6: EQF Testing. Online: http://www.transeqframe.net/WP%206_Synthesis%20Report_20%2002-final.pdf (14.01.2009) - Coles, M. (2009): How can we apply the principle of ‘best fit’ when referring national qualifications levels to the EQF? - Background note to the PLA of the cluster on recognition of learning outcomes, Brussels 3-4 December 2009. - Hanf, G.; Luomi-Messerer, K.; Rein, V. (2009): Österreich und ‘gleichgesinnte’ Länder. Ergebnisse aus dem internationalen Projekt TransEQFrame. In: Markowitsch, Jörg (Hrsg.): Der Nationale Qualifikationsrahmen in Österreich. Beiträge zur Entwicklung. Studies in Lifelong Learning 3. Lit-Verlag. - Hart, J. (2009): Cross-Referencing Qualifications Frameworks. Online: http://www.ces.ed.ac.uk/PDF%20Files/Brief049.pdf (14.01.2009) - Lassnigg, L. (2009): ‘Evidence’ about „outcome-orientation’ - Austria in a comparative perspective. Contribution to VETNET-Forum, 28-30 September 2009, ECER-09, Vienna. - Luomi-Messerer, K. (2009a): Materialien und Überlegungen zur Gestaltung der Deskriptoren des NQR für Österreich. 3s Working Paper 01/2009. - Luomi-Messerer, K. (2009b): EQF Referencing Process – Exchange of Experience: Case study Austria. EQF-Ref project, September 2009 - MQC (2009): Referencing of the Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF) to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area (QF/EHEA). Online: http://www.mqc.gov.mt/file.aspx?f=179 (14.01.2009) - SCQF Partnership (2009): Final Report on the Referencing of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework to the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning. Online: http://www.scqf.org.uk/AbouttheFramework/SCQF-to-EQF-Referencing-Project.aspx? (14.01.2009)