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
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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
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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
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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
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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