This article focuses on the development and implementation of a quality programme for higher education at the Hogeschool Utrecht in the Netherlands. Over the last 5 years, there has been increased interest in the improvement of quality for the educational process in higher education in the Netherlands. On the one hand, higher education is confronted by a diminishing number of students and reductions in government funding. On the other hand, higher education is expected to become more flexible in its organization and finance. Institutes of higher education are developing policies and procedures for assisting the primary process (‘good’ education for students and society). In the Netherlands there are special quality guidelines for services like education, derived from the standard ISO 9004-2.