ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION ACTION PLAN for Industrial Rope Access, Rigging and Scaffolding (version 2) Contact Chief Executive The Skills Organisation Freepost 5164 PO Box 24469 Royal Oak Auckland 1345 Telephone Fax Email Website 09 525 2590 09 525 2591 info@skills.org.nz http://www.skills.org.nz Planning and Construction > Construction Trades Domain Standard IDs Core Construction 26348 Service Sector > Lifting Equipment Domain Standard IDs Advanced Scaffolding 26596-26604 Core Rigging 26349, 26350 Elementary Scaffolding 9184, 13016, 13053, 20855 Industrial Rope Access 19361, 19362, 19365, 19366 Rigging 4212-4219, 20259, 25318 Rigging and Scaffolding Safety 26605 Scaffolding 23230 ACCREDITATION INFORMATION (AI) Introduction The purpose of the Accreditation Information (AI) is to indicate the nature of involvement of the standard setting body (SSB) in the accreditation process, and to set out the SSB’s industry or sector specific requirements for a tertiary education organisation (TEO)1 or school’s quality systems in relation to the criteria for accreditation. 1 Tertiary education organisation (TEO) includes public and private tertiary education providers, industry training organisations, government training organisations, and other providers. Ref: 0183 2 Standard Setting Body involvement in accreditation process It is recommended that any training provider seeking information about accreditation requirements for the unit standards covered by this AMAP make initial contact with The Skills Organisation through the above address. The Scaffolding, Rigging and Industrial Rope Access Advisory Group (SRIIT) advises The Skills Organisation for the domains covered by this AMAP. A qualified industry person appointed by The Skills Organisation (with advice from SRIIT) will carry out the industry evaluation of applications for accreditation. Level 1 Evaluation of documentation by NZQA and industry. Level 2 and above Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and industry. Visit waiver conditions When the application for accreditation has been developed in consultation with The Skills Organisation; or when the applicant’s history of teaching and assessment is well known to The Skills Organisation who considers a visit is therefore not warranted. Areas of shared responsibility None. Fees schedule for SSB involvement in accreditation process The fees schedule is applicable to all applications for accreditation received by NZQA from 1 November 2004. However, the SSB may choose to charge lower fees for their involvement in accreditation. Contact the SSB for further information. Additional fees can be charged by NZQA, the Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics Quality (ITP Quality), and the Committee for University Academic Programmes (CUAP) for involvement in accreditation. Contact the relevant quality assurance body (QAB) for information. General requirements for accreditation These are the general requirements for accreditation of providers gazetted in 1993. Applicants should consult their QAB (NZQA, ITP Quality, or CUAP) for detailed requirements. Criterion 1 Development and evaluation of teaching programmes There is a system for developing coherent teaching programmes and for their evaluation, which should include evaluation by learners/consumers. Criterion 2 Financial, administrative and physical resources Ref: 0183 3 Adequate and appropriate financial and administrative resources will be maintained to enable all necessary activities to be carried out. Adequate, appropriate and accessible physical resources will be available for supporting students to meet the required standards. Criterion 3 Staff selection, appraisal and development A teaching staff with the necessary knowledge and skills will be maintained through staff selection, appraisal, and development. Criterion 4 Student entry There is a system for establishing and clearly publicising student entry requirements that include no unreasonable barriers. Criterion 5 Student guidance and support systems Students have adequate access to appropriate guidance and support systems. Criterion 6 Off-site practical or work-based components There are arrangements for ensuring that any off-site practical or work-based components are fully integrated into the relevant programmes. Criterion 7 Assessment There is a system for ensuring that assessment is fair, valid, and consistent. Criterion 8 Reporting There is a system for providing students with fair and regular feedback on progress and fair reporting on final achievements, with an associated appeals procedure. There is a reliable system for archiving information on final student achievements. Industry or sector-specific requirements for accreditation The Skills Organisation welcomes inquiries from TEOs wishing to become accredited to assess against unit standards in the Lifting Equipment subfield. Criterion 1 Development and evaluation of teaching programmes The applicant organisation will be required to show policies and procedures for industry liaison, including liaison for the development of teaching programmes. An explanation of the applicant organisation’s rationale for the programmes to be offered will be required, ie who the programmes are aimed at, what unit standards the programmes contain, and what the intended outcomes of the programmes are. The Ref: 0183 4 applicant organisation will be required to show how student and industry feedback will be taken into account in evaluating programme quality. Criterion 2 Financial, administrative and physical resources The applicant organisation will be required to show that provision has been made for an appropriate range of training equipment and library resources to be available for all students, including documented evidence of contractual arrangements made for the provision of equipment where this is not owned by the applicant organisation. Training equipment and materials provided must meet the requirements for effective assessment against the unit standards and must also meet the requirements of any Standard specified in the unit standards. The applicant organisation must have adequate first aid facilities and a person holding a current first aid certificate immediately available at the location of training and/or assessment. Evidence of an organisational health, safety and injury prevention policy covering proposed training and assessment activities must be provided. Criterion 3 Staff selection, appraisal and development The applicant organisation will be required to show policies and procedures for the appointment and on-going performance management of staff who are training and/or assessing against these standards. The applicant organisation will be required to show policies and procedures to ensure that: training and/or assessing staff hold a relevant qualification(s), and have appropriate industry experience (including on-site experience in the relevant industry discipline), at a level higher than the level of the unit standards they are delivering training and/or assessment against; and assessing staff hold unit standard 4098, or are able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills. It is recommended that assessing staff also hold unit standards 11552 and 11281, or are able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills. The applicant organisation will be required to show policies and procedures to ensure that training and assessing staff have annual contact with industry partners, preferably through on-site practice, and are provided with information about the latest developments in technology, industry practice and legislation in their field; and that specify the process by which training and assessing staff will keep up to date with trends, techniques and changes to legislation. It is recommended that in order to satisfy the above skill maintenance requirement a minimum of 80 hours per annum is required in a working/learning environment, spread throughout the year. The applicant organisation will be required to show policies and procedures to ensure that staff appointed to train and/or assess against the standards will be fully Ref: 0183 5 cognisant of safe working practices and the provisions of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 and the Health and Safety in Employment Regulations 1995, relating to the lifting equipment industry. SRIIT advisors are available to assist with the selection of training and/or assessing staff. Criterion 4 Student entry The applicant organisation will be required to show policies and procedures for the selection of students to ensure that their English language skills are sufficient for them to understand all requirements, instructions and communications (oral, written and graphic) necessary for compliance with industry related health and safety requirements. For people who do not have English as their first language, the level of English language skills required is equivalent to an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 5.0 (General Training). This is to ensure that health and safety requirements in relation to the unit standards can be communicated to, and comprehended by, students. Given the high risk nature of scaffolding, rigging and industrial rope access industries, the applicant organisation will also be required to show policies and procedures to ensure the entry of students who have the physical strength, dexterity, balance, co-ordination and motor skills to demonstrate competence in the unit standards in the programme. Criterion 6 Off-site practical or work-based components The applicant organisation will be required to show policies and procedures to ensure that on-job training takes place in a workplace environment characterised by the following: the organisation is suitable and has a structured and systematic approach to training; where training is contracted to or carried out on behalf of the provider by an onjob assessor, training staff hold a relevant qualification(s), and have appropriate industry experience (including on-site experience in the relevant industry discipline), at a level higher than the level of the unit standards they are delivering training against; where assessment is contracted to or carried out on behalf of the provider by an on-job assessor, the assessor is an The Skills Organisation registered workplace assessor; the workplace complies with health and safety regulations. The applicant organisation must show that, where a workplace is used for the purpose of training and/or assessment, that a memorandum of understanding exists and reflects the above requirement. Non-compliance with accreditation requirements Where there is evidence of non-compliance with the requirements for accreditation the quality assurance body (QAB) (NZQA, ITP Quality, or CUAP) will seek remedial Ref: 0183 6 action. In cases where this action is ineffective and non-compliance continues, or in cases of repeated non-compliance, the QAB will take action that can ultimately lead to the withdrawal of accreditation. Implementation The Skills Organisation is able to provide sufficient trained participants to service the requirements of the accreditation processes. MODERATION INFORMATION (MI) A centrally established and directed national moderation system has been set up by The Skills Organisation. Introduction The purpose of the Moderation Information (MI) is to provide details on the national external moderation system, developed by Opportunity – The Training Organisation, to ensure that assessment decisions of accredited TEOs and schools are consistent with the national standard. All accredited TEOs and schools assessing against the standards in this Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) must meet the requirements for moderation outlined in this MI. Moderation System Administration The Skills Organisation, with advice from SRIIT, will appoint a National Moderator for the Lifting Equipment subfield. In conjunction with The Skills Organisation, and with advice from SRIIT, the National Moderator will appoint Assistant Moderators. The National Moderator will co-ordinate the national external moderation process, including the development of moderation guidelines, and the scheduling, direction and recording of moderation activities. The National Moderator (through Assistant Moderators) will implement the national external moderation system. Moderator meetings will be held at least annually to monitor consistency of assessment with the national standard. These will be led by the National Moderator and attended by Assistant Moderators. They will include consideration of: moderation methodology and activities; samples of pre- and post-assessment moderation conducted in that year; current issues related to assessment, moderation, and standards. SRIIT will be responsible for the training of moderators. Ref: 0183 7 Process Each accredited organisation will notify the National Moderator of the unit standards they are intending to assess against and the timeframe for assessment. The National Moderator will notify each accredited organisation of the representative sample of the unit standards that will be required to be moderated and allocate an Assistant Moderator to conduct this moderation. Moderation of assessment may be through: observation of the assessment taking place; evaluation of assessment tasks (pre-assessment moderation) and assessor judgements of completed candidate evidence for these tasks (post-assessment moderation); checking of assessor records such as photographic evidence. The Assistant Moderator or the National Moderator will either verify assessor decisions or require a change to subsequent practice. Feedback from moderation will be in the form of a written report sent to the accredited organisation and the National Moderator (if moderation is conducted by an Assistant Moderator) and will include recommendations as appropriate. Reporting The Skills Organisation is responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of its national external moderation system, and for providing an annual report to NZQA. The National Moderator will report to The Skills Organisation annually on the moderation process, including the outcomes of moderation. Funding Moderation costs will be funded from the rebate portion of any per credit fee paid to NZQA, and/or from industry contributions. Non-compliance with moderation requirements Non-compliance in meeting the requirements of this moderation system will result in further action by The Skills Organisation. On-going unresolved non-compliance will be referred to the appropriate quality assurance body (QAB) (NZQA, ITP Quality, or CUAP). Ultimately the QAB may withdraw accreditation. Where an accredited organisation does not meet the moderation requirements set out in this AMAP, the National Moderator will specify the actions that the accredited organisation must undertake to achieve compliance, and the time frame. Ref: 0183 8 Appeals Where a dispute occurs with an accredited organisation the National Moderator will attempt to facilitate a solution. Where resolution is not possible the National Moderator will report the matter to the Chief Executive of The Skills Organisation. The Chief Executive or his/her appointee will then mediate a resolution. If a resolution is not possible the dispute will be referred to the The Skills Organisation Board for resolution. The Board may require parties to appear and may call what evidence as they see fit, and/or may appoint an independent arbitrator to resolve the matter. The Board or Board-appointed arbiter’s decision is final. Ref: 0183