Arrangements for the validation of non-formal and informal learning

BiH does not yet have a coherent and fully implemented national system for the validation of non-formal and informal learning (VNFIL). The country’s complex administrative structure—with education responsibilities shared between entities, cantons, and BD—has resulted in a fragmented legal and policy framework, with uneven development of validation mechanisms across sectors and jurisdictions.

The Lifelong Learning Strategy and the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Qualifications Framework in BiH (2014–2020) recognise the importance of validation of non-formal and informal learning as part of the broader effort to align with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). However, implementation is still limited and differs significantly between administrative units.

Entity-level laws on adult education (RS, Federation of BiH, and BD) allow for the recognition of prior learning in adult education and vocational qualification programmes, particularly within retraining and upskilling schemes. Some vocational schools and training centres apply internal procedures for recognising learning outcomes acquired outside formal education, especially when linked to specific employment needs. However, there is no unified methodology or national framework governing these practices.

At the entity and cantonal levels, adult education centres, employment services, and some vocational institutions engage in limited validation activities, mostly through donor-supported or project-based initiatives.

In the Youth sector, certificates of participation from non-formal learning (e.g. youth exchanges, volunteering, peer education) are common but not formally recognized in education or employment systems.

Information and guidance 

BiH lack formal mechanisms or systematic activities initiated by top-level institutions to raise awareness about the possibilities for validating competences acquired through non-formal and informal learning. Occasionally, public institutions provide support to non-governmental organization-led projects addressing this area; however, these efforts remain fragmented and are not part of any officially adopted national framework.

Quality assurance 

There is currently no established national system in BiH for quality assurance related to the validation of non-formal and informal learning. While the concept of validation is recognized within certain policy documents and pilot initiatives, there are no formalised procedures or unified quality assurance mechanisms in place at the state or entity level. As such:

• There are no national mechanisms to systematically monitor or ensure the quality of validation procedures, such as feedback collection from candidates and assessors, formal alignment with national qualification frameworks, or regular institutional evaluations.
• No uniform criteria, indicators or standards have been adopted to assess the reliability or validity of potential validation procedures. There are also no established benchmarks for learning content, levels, or qualifications of professionals involved in such procedures (e.g., assessors, counsellors).
• There are no defined outcomes or corrective mechanisms, such as institutional feedback loops, conditional public funding based on quality, or revision of qualification systems informed by evaluation processes.

Although some civil society initiatives, supported through international donor funding, have explored the validation of competences acquired through non-formal education (especially in the youth and employment sectors), these efforts remain isolated, unregulated, and lack sustainability without institutional anchoring or recognition.