CONSENT AND MODERATION REQUIREMENTS (CMR)
for Funeral Service Training Trust of New Zealand
(version 5)
Contact
Secretary
Funeral Service Training Trust of New Zealand
PO Box 10 872
Wellington 6143
Telephone
04 385 9503
Fax
04 385 9504
Email
Fiona@fstt.org.nz
Website
www.fstt.org.nz
Service Sector > Funeral Services
Domain
Standard IDs
Embalming
8349-8360
Funeral Directing
8340-8348
Requirements for Consent to Assess (RCA)
Introduction
The purpose of the Requirements for Consent to Assess (RCA) is to set out the
nature of the process for granting consent to assess and involvement of the standard
setting body (SSB) and others in the 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 gazetted “criteria for accreditation”.
Standard Setting Body involvement in process for granting consent to assess
Levels 3 and above
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and
industry.
Visit waiver conditions
Participation in the visit may be waived by the Funeral Service Training Trust of New
Zealand (FSTT) if the applicant organisation meets one or more of the criteria set out
below.
 Where an applicant organisation is seeking to extend existing consent to assess.
 Where the application for consent to assess has been developed in consultation
with FSTT.
 Where the applicant organisation’s history of teaching and assessing is well
known by FSTT.
 Where there are other special reasons agreed on a case-by-case basis between
the applicant organisation, FSTT, and NZQA.
1
Tertiary education organisation (TEO) includes public and private tertiary education providers,
industry training organisations, government training organisations, and other providers.
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Any such waiver will be communicated in writing to the applicant organisation by
FSTT.
Areas of shared responsibility
None.
Fees schedule for SSB involvement in process for granting consent to assess
The fees schedule is applicable to all applications for consent to assess received by
NZQA from 1 November 2004. However, the SSB may choose to charge lower fees
for their involvement in granting consent to assess. Contact the SSB for further
information.
Additional fees can be charged by NZQA, and the Committee for University
Academic Programmes (CUAP) for involvement in granting consent to assess.
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 or CUAP) for details of the 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
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.
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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 consent to assess
Criterion 1
Development and evaluation of teaching programmes
The applicant organisation must have policies, procedures and review mechanisms
for programme development and evaluation. This will include development of a
teaching curriculum document, which relates to the qualifications that are being
delivered and assessed against.
The applicant organisation must have policies and procedures that will ensure links
with industry in the development and evaluation of teaching programmes. It is
recommended that a formal Advisory Committee, with independent industry
membership, be established.
Criterion 2
Financial, administrative and physical resources
The applicant organisation must have policies and procedures to ensure that it has,
or has access to, appropriate reference materials, equipment and learning facilities
(e.g. classrooms, library, laboratories, computers and software, funeral homes,
mortuaries, cemeteries).
Criterion 3
Staff selection, appraisal and development
The applicant organisation must have policies and procedures for the appointment
and ongoing performance management of staff to ensure that:
 assessors have training in assessment (preferably Unit 4098, Use standards to
assess candidate performance).
 teaching and assessing staff hold a recognised industry qualification and have a
minimum of five years full-time industry experience within the last ten years.
Recognised industry qualifications may include but are not limited to:
 National Diploma in Funeral Directing [Ref: 1330]
 National Certificate in Funeral Directing [Ref: 0290]
 New Zealand Diploma in Funeral Directing (Level 5) [Ref: 1942]
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

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National Diploma in Embalming [Ref: 1329]
National Certificate in Embalming [Ref: 0289]
New Zealand Diploma in Embalming (Level 5) [Ref: 1943].
The applicant organisation must have policies and procedures that will ensure that
teaching and assessing staff continue professional development through liaison with
industry.
Criterion 4
Student entry
The applicant organisation must have policies and procedures that will ensure that at
entry each student is a current employee of a funeral directing or embalming
company, and/or has access to a workplace to allow for clinical placement learning.
Criterion 5
Student guidance and support systems
The applicant organisation must have policies and procedures to ensure that
students have access to emotional support within the training environment and also
when engaged in on-job training and work experience.
Criterion 6
Off-site practical or work-based components
The applicant organisation must have policies and procedures that detail how the
delivery of all practical work will be managed, including, as appropriate, access to
real mortuary and funeral training experience.
The applicant organisation must have established a relationship with a local funeral
directing or mortuary company (or companies) that has the necessary equipment for
training and assessing against the unit standards in the scope of the application.
Arrangements for this must be confirmed in writing, for example through a
memorandum of agreement of responsibilities between all involved parties (e.g. the
applicant organisation, the employer/off-site provider, and the student). The written
agreement must clearly show what is expected of the facility in relation to training,
the responsibilities of all parties in relation to health and safety, the party responsible
for the assessment in the workplace, what will be assessed, how it will be moderated
and how it will be reported to the applicant organisation, and the party responsible for
reporting assessment results.
The applicant organisation must be able to demonstrate that all off-site practical
assessments will be carried out in real situations in mortuaries or funeral homes.
Simulations are not acceptable for assessment purposes except for outcome four of
Unit 8343, Organise a funeral.
Criterion 7
Assessment
The applicant organisation must have policies and procedures to ensure that all selfdeveloped assessment material is submitted to FSTT for pre-assessment moderation
and approval prior to use.
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Applicant organisations intending to offer the New Zealand Diploma in Embalming
(Level 5) [Ref: 1943] must have policies and procedures to ensure that they
incorporate a practical examination, conducted by national examiners approved by
FSTT, into their assessment schedule for the following standards: 8353, 8354, 8355,
8356, 8357, 8358, 8359, 8360. Further details regarding the practical examination
can be found in the moderation section of this CMR.
Non-compliance with requirements for maintaining consent to assess
Where there is evidence of non-compliance with the requirements for consent to
assess, the QAB (NZQA or CUAP) will seek remedial action. In cases where this
action is ineffective and non-compliance continues, or in cases of repeated noncompliance, the QAB will take action that can ultimately lead to the withdrawal of
consent to assess.
Implementation
The FSTT is able to provide sufficient trained participants to service the requirements
of processes for granting consent to assess.
Moderation Requirements (MR)
A centrally established and directed national external moderation system has been
set up by the Funeral Service Training Trust of New Zealand.
Introduction
The purpose of the Moderation Requirements (MR) is to provide details on the
national external moderation system, developed by the FSTT, to ensure that
assessment decisions of TEOs and schools with consent to assess are consistent
with the national standard. All TEOs and schools with consent to assess against the
standards in this CMR must meet the requirements for moderation outlined in this
MR.
Moderation System
FSTT has established a Moderation Panel to undertake moderation activities each
year. The Moderation Panel comprises:
 a nationally qualified embalmer (qualified in embalming and holding a current
practicing certificate recognised by FSTT)
 a nationally qualified funeral director (qualified in funeral directing and holding a
current practicing certificate recognised by FSTT)
 an education representative with experience in moderation who has credit for Unit
11551, Moderate assessment, or can demonstrate equivalent knowledge and
skills
 other members with expertise in an area(s) such as embalming microbiology,
anatomy, physiology and pathology, or chemistry may be co-opted to the
Moderation Panel by FSTT as required.
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Moderation will be coordinated by the National Moderator appointed by the FSTT.
The National Moderator will chair meetings of the Moderation Panel and facilitate
consistent interpretation of assessment requirements.
The Moderation Panel will adhere to the principle that assessment must be
appropriate to the skills and knowledge being assessed, and that assessment must
meet the national standard.
Moderation Process
Moderation will occur in two phases as follows:
1. Assessment Plans
Organisations with consent to assess must submit an assessment plan to the
Moderation Panel by September for courses commencing in the following year. The
assessment plan must show:
 the identification number and title of the standards to be assessed against
 a brief statement on the nature of the assessment(s) to be conducted for each
standard
 an indication of the time of year when each assessment is likely to be undertaken
and where it will take place
 a list of any assessment material the organisation has developed.
2. Moderation Schedule
The Moderation Panel will consider the assessment plans submitted by organisations
with consent to assess and through the National Moderator will determine a
moderation schedule for the national external moderation of these organisations.
The moderation schedule will be communicated to these organisations in January of
each year and will specify:
 the standards to be moderated
 the process for the moderation of each of the standards to be moderated (as in
section 3 following)
 the timetable for moderation activities
 due dates for submission of assessment materials.
FSTT will moderate between 10-25% of their standards each calendar year and will
select the standards taking account of the following criteria:
 High-risk standards.
 High-use standards.
 Standards where there has been low achievement.
 New or recently reviewed standards.
Pre-assessment Moderation
Organisations with consent to assess must submit all self-developed assessment
material by the due dates specified in the moderation schedule. Assessment
material will consist of assessment tasks and schedules. The Moderation Panel will
check the material for consistency with the national standard. The Moderation Panel
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will prepare a report on the outcomes of the moderation. A copy of the report will be
sent to the organisation and a copy filed by the FSTT. The Panel may require
changes to be made to the assessment material and subsequent resubmission
before it is approved for assessment.
Charges for pre-assessment moderation will be $75 per hour plus GST. This will
include the initial pre-assessment moderation and any changes required by the
moderation process.
Post-assessment Moderation
Theoretical Assessments
Following assessment against the selected standards, organisations with consent to
assess will submit to the Moderation Panel a sample of assessed student evidence
by the due dates specified in the moderation schedule. The sample will consist of
the work of two students who have been judged as clearly competent, two students
who have been judged as border-line competent and two students who have been
judged as not yet competent.
The Moderation Panel will verify whether the assessment decisions are consistent
with the national standard, whether the assessment task and schedule are valid, and
whether the student evidence has been assessed fairly and consistently. The
Moderation Panel will prepare a report on the outcomes of the moderation. The
report may include recommended changes that the organisation needs to make to
subsequent assessment practice. A copy of the report will be sent to the
organisation and a copy will be filed by FSTT.
Practical Assessments
For moderation of practical assessments, the Moderation Panel may arrange for a
suitably qualified person or persons (visiting moderator or moderators) to visit one or
more sites where practical assessments are in progress as specified in the
moderation schedule. During a moderation visit, the visiting moderator will witness
practical assessments being undertaken to ensure that the requirements of the
standards are met, and that assessor decisions are fair and consistent.
After each visit, the visiting moderator will prepare a report on the outcomes of this
moderation. The report may recommend changes that the organisation may need to
make to assessment practice. The report will be sent to, and considered by, the
Moderation Panel, and then sent to the organisation. A copy of the report will be filed
by FSTT. This process should be completed within two weeks of the visit.
The charge for on-site visits will include actual and reasonable expenses where
travel and/or overnight accommodation are necessary, plus $75 plus GST per hour
per person with a maximum of three people on the panel, for the time actually spent
on-site by the visiting moderator(s).
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Practical Examination
Embalming standards 8353, 8354, 8355, 8356, 8357, 8358, 8359, and 8360 will be
assessed against using a final national practical examination. The examination is
conducted by national examiners nominated by the New Zealand Embalmers
Association and approved by FSTT. Organisations with consent to assess contract
the examiners to carry out the practical examination.
After the completion of all practical examinations, the FSTT moderator will provide a
moderation report on the outcomes of the examination. The report may recommend
changes that the organisation may need to make to the examination process. The
moderation report will be sent to the organisation and copied to the Moderation Panel
for its consideration and a copy of the report will be filed by the FSTT. This process
should be completed within two weeks of the practical examinations.
Reporting
The FSTT is responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of its national external
moderation system, and for providing an annual report to NZQA.
The regular communication between the Moderation Panel and FSTT will allow FSTT
to monitor the moderation process and see that it remains effective. FSTT invites
organisations with consent to assess to participate in the process by providing FSTT
with an annual report highlighting successes and challenges of the moderation
system as it is operating for them, and any recommendations for improvement.
Funding
Moderation activities are funded by the National Moderation Transfer from NZQA,
industry contributions of time, and charges to organisations with consent to assess
for pre-assessment moderation, practical assessment moderation visits or for visits
resulting from non-compliance with moderation requirements.
Charges for pre-assessment moderation will be $75 per hour plus GST. This will
include the initial pre-assessment moderation and any changes required by the
moderation process.
Charges will be for actual and reasonable expenses where travel and/or overnight
accommodation are necessary, plus $75 plus GST per hour per person with a
maximum of three people on the panel, for the time actually spent on-site by the
Moderator or Moderation Panel.
Non-compliance with moderation requirements
Non-compliance in meeting the requirements of this moderation system will result in
further action by the FSTT. Ongoing unresolved non-compliance will be referred to
the appropriate QAB (NZQA or CUAP). Ultimately the QAB may withdraw consent to
assess.
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Non-compliance with moderation requirements is dealt with, initially, on a case-bycase basis by an appointed moderator through a visit. Upon completion of the visit, a
report will be provided to the organisation with consent to assess and the FSTT
Moderation Panel outlining any further compliance actions that are required and a
timeframe for compliance.
In cases of continued non-compliance, the Moderation Panel will advise the Chair of
FSTT, who will provide details in writing to the organisation. Necessary corrective
action will be identified and a timeframe given for compliance.
FSTT reserves the right to charge organisations with consent to assess for ongoing
non-compliance with moderation as set out in the funding section.
Appeals
Where organisations with consent to assess believe they have grounds for appeal
against a moderation decision they should do so in the following manner:

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


Appeal in writing to the Moderation Panel, FSTT, within 14 days of receiving the
moderation report.
The National Moderator will acknowledge the appeal immediately and provide a
response within 14 days.
If the organisation with consent to assess is not satisfied with the response, they
may appeal to the Chair of FSTT in writing, within 7 days. The Chair will
acknowledge the appeal immediately and provide a response within 14 days.
The Chair will take all documentation into account.
The Chair’s findings will be final.
DAS Registration Information
Process
Registration
Revision
Revision
Review
Review
Version
1
2
3
4
5
Date
November 1996
September 2002
June 2005
April 2008
February 2014
The next CMR review is planned to take place during 2018.
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