The term for these units is the ‘TAQA’ qualifications:

T ... raining

A ...ssessment

Q ... uality

A ... ssurance

The assessment and quality assurance qualifications will be part of an integrated suite of TAQA qualifications for training, assessment and quality assurance practitioners.

These qualifications are for people working in, or looking to enter roles in assessment and internal quality assurance. They have been developed by LLUK to replace the Assessor and Verifier (A&V) Units. They are designed for use in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – alternative arrangements exist in Scotland.

The units and qualifications will provide people who carry out assessment and internal quality assurance roles in their organisation with the opportunity to develop and improve their practice as well as achieving a professional qualification for the role. They are available to anyone working in: accredited learning; non accredited learning (where people may assess performance but do not assess for a qualification); the NQF and the QCF. There are knowledge only units (which are titled ‘Understanding the... .....) these allow anyone who is interested in or needs to know about assessment and quality assurance – but is not a practitioner – to acquire knowledge and information about the processes. Although they are stand alone units they feature in each qualification as the sound basis for ‘competent’ practice.

A Comprehensive Approach to Quality and Quality Assurance

It is in everyone’s interest for the delivery of training, assessment and quality assurance of qualifications in the UK to be of the highest quality. At Intrinsic Training Solutions we are committed to supporting learners to ensure and improve levels of quality. In line with this we view the content of the TAQA qualifications – and their delivery - as being fundamental to ensuring the delivery quality of all vocational learning and qualifications. We offer:

Quality  the ‘degree of excellence of something’

Quality assurance is ‘a system of maintaining and improving standards’

High quality learning, assessment and quality assurance are required to get the most out of all qualifications. There are tangible benefits for all from this approach as it means:

· improved learner experience

· raised learner achievement rates

· increased learner completion rates

· more cost effective programmes

· regulatory requirements are met

· support for other planning and monitoring processes such as self-assessment

To achieve this – quality of evidence and quality assurance must be included from the planning stage of our programmes of learning – to achieve the outcome you require.

A useful way of looking at this is:

‘Quality and quality assurance are built into Intrinsic Training Solutions Programmes as we find it is much more difficult to audit poor quality out than build good quality in...‘

These needs are firmly in mind when we plan the delivery of the TAQA qualifications. Quality and quality assurance measures are built into all processes in your journey – these include the:

· recruitment process

· induction process

· initial assessment

· learning plans

· teaching

· facilitating learning

· reviews of progress

· assessment processes

· achievement

· progression planning Quality matters everywhere in the ‘Learner Journey’.....

Learning and Assessment Approaches

It is important for you to be aware recognise that the QCF quality requirements are not set centrally by Ofqual but are ‘devolved’ to Awarding Organisations, in our case City & Guilds to allow flexibility of approach.

Some mandatory activities are included in the assessment strategy for these qualifications. These are outlined at the start of the assessment guidance for each unit.

To assist you the guidance included for assessment and evidence is based on ‘activity based’ Certificate learning and assessment. It is recommended that the delivery and assessment of your qualification should be approached holistically whenever possible. For example, if you are undertaking the Certificate in ‘Understanding the Principles and Practice of Assessment’ and not actively practicing as an assessor, then this knowledge unit could be delivered and assessed on its own. However as you are undertaking the Certificate ‘Assess Occupational Competence in the work environment’ there are opportunities to acquire the knowledge through practice i.e. experientially – it may not be necessary to deliver ‘learning’ separately for this unit.

Learning can be delivered through a combination of:

· applied practice

· coaching

· experience

· training

· support and advice.

As access of learning opportunities remains the responsibility of the centre (not the learner)

Intrinsic Training Solutions have to ensure that the right staff are available to deliver learning by methods we decide and discuss to meet your needs. Formative assessment of your progress will monitor development and indicate your summative assessment is appropriate.

The recommended process for assessment involves:

· planning and learner assessor preparation

· assessment

· analysis

· decision taking

· recording

· feedback to the learner assessor throughout the process

· engaging with the quality assurance process throughout

This systematic approach reduces the burden on the assessor and you the learner as it removes the need for the you to ‘gather’ separate evidence for assessment – the evidence falls naturally from the assessment activities being undertaken with your two learners.

Storage of Evidence and ‘Portfolios’

Evidence of Learning and Evidence of Competence

‘Portfolios’ come in many forms – some are electronic, some paper based, yours will be a combination of both. It is important to remember that the ‘Portfolio of evidence’ should be precisely that and contain ONLY the records of assessment and evidence that confirm achievement. It should not contain training materials, assignments for developing the learner and other information and guidance that formed part of the ‘learner journey’.

Learning File

However many learners want to maintain a personal record of their learning. They can maintain a ‘Learning File’ containing all the information and materials that chart their development. This ‘Learning File’ will not, however, form part of the assessment or quality assurance processes – but the learner would have a valuable personal record of their journey and progress.

More about ‘Portfolios of Evidence’

Intrinsic Training Solutions has long maintained that evidence ‘where it is in paper or material form, can be left in its natural location’ for example the workshop, office or building site. This is a sensible approach as much ‘product’ evidence cannot for a variety of reasons go into a ‘portfolio’ (e.g. a brick wall which has been built, sensitive records from a care home etc.)

In the same way, it is not necessary to print off and present paper copies of policies and procedures if those can be left in their usual location and checked by assessors, Internal Quality Assurer (IQA) and External Quality Assurer (EQA) ‘in situ’.However if you use this approach it is very important the assessment record must state:

· Who and what was assessed by whom – very descriptive

· The date, and location of assessment

· The assessment methods used – signing the evidence and dating it if possible is important.

· The assessment decision

· The Units, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria achieved

· The location of the supporting evidence – very descriptive so easy to find.

· Failure to record the above information will lead to portfolio action points.

One ‘portfolio’ may actually comprise evidence in a number of locations, linked by the audit trail provided through the assessment and quality assurance records.

There are however important practical implications to consider:

· if evidence is left in its usual location then the internal and external quality assurers will both have to sample it in its usual location. This will require QA staff to plan for and carry out visits to other premises as part of their sampling

· the QA audit trail still has to be clear, trackable through the evidence and the planned

· sampling must be carried out as required by the qualification

· it is crucial that the evidence is kept safely and can be easily found through the description from the assessor or yourself and in its usual location and is readily available.