This document represents an innovative and radical landmark in the development of external quality arrangements for Scotland's colleges. The quality framework and arrangements for annual engagement, subject-based aspect reports, and external review reflect new thinking nationally, within HMIE, in the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC), and in colleges themselves. The indicators in this edition of "External Quality Arrangements for Scotland's Colleges, September 2008" are arranged under the three key principles, established by the report of Scottish Funding Council's Joint Quality Review Group (August 2007), addressing four high-level questions which HMIE is adopting for evaluation purposes: (1) High quality learning: How well are learners progressing and achieving relevant, high quality outcomes? How effective are the college's learning and teaching processes?; (2) Learner engagement: How well are learners engaged in enhancing their own learning and the work and life of the college?; and (3) Quality culture: How well is the college led and how well is it enhancing the quality of its services for learners and other stakeholders? These four powerful questions are set out in a quality framework of nine elements in: (1) "HMIE quality framework, September 2008": for reference during the external review of Scotland's colleges; and further in the form of challenge questions in: (2) HMIE quality framework, September 2008": for reference during the external review of Scotland's colleges (interrogative version). The following are appended: (1) The quality indicators: indicative themes for external reviewers; (2) Learner engagement: an overview; (3) Confidence statements; and (4) Rationale for identifying and evaluating potential excellence and potential risks. (Contains 10 footnotes.)