4.
Quality Assurance
Keeping records of all assessments and assessment decisions for each
candidate is very important. The assessor must be able to help the candidate
achieve and therefore needs to be able to pinpoint what still has to be
assessed. It is also wise to keep very clear records in case there is a
complaint, or a candidate questions a decision. The assessor holds all
records for the candidate but the internal or external verifier may ask to see
these to assure themselves that assessment has been properly carried out.
Record keeping is the only way that quality assurance can be upheld at all
times and therefore it is essential that accurate records are kept of candidate
assessments. It has been known for evidence to get lost, damaged or stolen
and in such cases the assessor records of assessments having taken place
and whether or not the candidate achieved could be used as the evidence of
achievement.
Other people may need to see the assessment records and may have an
interest in the candidate achievement. In the workplace this would be the
management and in educational or training establishments the records will be
used for claiming certificates, therefore the internal verifier will need copies.
Centres are expected to keep assessment records for three years. This
means the assessor and internal verifier records. This gives a list of records
that may be expected to be kept:
http://www.citb.co.uk/documents/cskillsawards%20documents/centres/constru
ction/qa%20policies/fact%20sheet%201%20record%20keeping.pdf
Candidates on courses must be registered early as awarding bodies want to
ensure that there is enough time for candidates to be properly verified as
there had been occasions in the early days of NVQs when candidates were
rushed through training programmes without any quality assurance taking
place. If a centre makes a mistake and tries to claim a certificate for a
candidate too early, they will be reprimanded and it will become an action
point for that centre to retrain all staff.
Other areas where records need to be kept are for meetings with assessors
and verifiers, especially where standardisation has taken place. It is a
requirement that assessors do have regular meetings, although this may be
once or twice a year only in small centres. They can then exchange ideas
and help support each other. Part of the internal verifier’s remit is to monitor
assessment decisions and ensure that assessors are updated.
Standardisation is where assessors are asked to agree on the assessment of
a piece of work so that they can all be considered as working to the same
standard level of assessment. As assessors change and Standards are
amended, there is a need to keep aware of the requirements and records of
these meetings can help keep this in mind.
Portfolios themselves are records for quality assurance as they can be
assessed, then internally verified and then checked again by the external
verifier appointed by the awarding body
This Open University booklet describes assessment and portfolios in an easy
to read format and you may find it useful for consolidation.
http://www.open.ac.uk/nvq/pics/d22832.doc