2. HN&VQ Operational Update
Fiona Gunn, Quality Strategy Manager

3. Topics Centre Support HN&VQ qualification verification 2016-17
HN&VQ qualification planning for
College systems verification visits
Quality Assurance Management System (QAMS)
QA guidance updates
QA post 2018
Delivery Futures project

4. Sam Scholar Dental Technology
This document is issued to certify that in August 2017
Sam Scholar
attained the
Higher National Certificate
Dental Technology

5. Centre Support
Business as usual – over 150 certification runs per year
Centre data profiles now been issued quarterly to all colleges (workshop today)
Upgrade to SQA Connect
The webshere project was responsible for the upgrade of the SQA Connect portal (which contains candidate services, results services and NQQA) and went live 9 May, further enhancements are planned including moving SQA.net applications (file exchange, navigator) into SQA Connect so they will have a single sign on for all.  
It has resulted in SQA Connect being more stable and 50% faster.
College have also indicated that they are not fans of the look and feel of SQA Connect compared to Navigator so we need to have a think about what we can do when we move Navigator over, planning on getting some college involved in testing so we can get some real user feedback before we launch.

6. Qualification verification 2016-17
Detail in Lessons Learned workshop
Full report will go to College Focus Group
1200 verification activities in Scotland’s Colleges
91% fully compliant
86 event outcomes not fully compliant
Only one SVQ hold in colleges – holds in HN units and graded units
Increase in use of digital evidence used in verification visits
Refer to Digital Evidence Principles and Guidance document – issued through College Focus Group and Quality Managers’ event in Feb and now on the website on the QA qualification verification page. Presentation on digital evidence to follow.

7. Qualification verification planning
Planning meetings to colleges underway
Planning meetings to be completed by end of August
Spreadsheets issued to colleges which are not having a face-to-face meeting this year (to return by 25 August)
Phone or Skype if no visit scheduled this year and want to discuss plans
Selections will be completed by end August
First allocations to verifiers by end September
Spreadsheets issued to colleges (Spreadsheet templates were issued to Colleges we’re not visiting Friday 28th July. For Colleges we’re visiting, they’ll get their template minimum of 1 week before visit)
Planning meetings to colleges underway  (Visiting will commence this week – 2 Colleges this Thurs / Friday)
Visits to be completed by ?? (We’ve asked that the plans are returned and finalised by Friday 25th August. Visits should be complete by end of Aug)
Phone or Skype if no visit scheduled this year and want to discuss plans (Correct – this is in their comms. If centres are desperate for a visit, we will consider)
Selections will be completed by ??? (Hoping for end of August but may slip into first / second week in September – depends on College staff availability)
First allocations to verifiers in (should be end of September / early October but this will be dependent on QAMS2 being available)

8. Qualification verification planning
Work with EVs to avoid end-loading of visits late in the session
Can verify units in first block/semester
HN visit planning example – consider the particular issue of UCAS deadline for students progressing to university – need to resolve any holds on certification
Spreadsheets issued to colleges (Spreadsheet templates were issued to Colleges we’re not visiting Friday 28th July. For Colleges we’re visiting, they’ll get their template minimum of 1 week before visit)
Planning meetings to colleges underway  (Visiting will commence this week – 2 Colleges this Thurs / Friday)
Visits to be completed by ?? (We’ve asked that the plans are returned and finalised by Friday 25th August. Visits should be complete by end of Aug)
Phone or Skype if no visit scheduled this year and want to discuss plans (Correct – this is in their comms. If centres are desperate for a visit, we will consider)
Selections will be completed by ??? (Hoping for end of August but may slip into first / second week in September – depends on College staff availability)
First allocations to verifiers in (should be end of September / early October but this will be dependent on QAMS2 being available)

9. College systems verification visits
14 visits completed
Action plans in place for most
14 visits scheduled
All visits will be completed in December 2017
Will review process and overall outcomes and report to the College Focus Group in early 2018
Developmental support where required

10. QA Management System (QAMS)
Existing QAMS system for managing verification is being upgraded
Interim solution – AOS implementation delayed
Change from strengths and weaknesses outcomes to confidence statements
Improved functionality for verifiers and QA Logistics team
Workflow control – more automated functions and enforcement of service standards
Juliette will cover full detail in the Lessons Learned workshop.

11. Training for QVs in August
QAMS changes and functionality
Communication and feedback to centres
Report-writing
Digital evidence
Juliette will provide full detail in the Lessons Learned workshop.

12. Feedback
Please continue to use the feedback form – on s with reports and on HN&VQ QA webpage.

13. Feedback
We want on-going verbal feedback – but not just anecdotal, need to quantify, get balanced picture.
Will formalise through Lessons Learned exercise and future plans for seeking holistic feedback.

14. QA 2015-18 guidance updates Annual review and updates
Will notify publication of changes in Centre News
Main change is the move to confidence statements (NB this will not change for the remaining college systems verification visits)
Updating IV Toolkit
Role of the SQA Coordinator: pulling together requirements – any feedback on support required?
Malpractice and maladministration definition - already updated in February 2017, but re-emphasise and tie to presentation to come.
Updating particularly criterion 6.1 in line with new data protection legislation coming into force in May 2018 (therefore changes not required to colleges’ procedures before then, during SV visits).
The rest are minor changes and clarifications.
NB ask for feedback from delegates on support required in their roles as SQA Coordinator

15. QA post 2018 Review of current arrangements during this year
Will consult with centres
Not planning major changes next year
Continuous improvement

16. Delivery Futures Delivery Futures work stream
Phase 1: HN&VQ Enterprise Architecture – mapping functions, processes, roles and responsibilities across HN&VQ
Phase 2: challenging assumptions in QA model and identifying quick fix improvements to processes
Phase 3: Longer term planning underway, looking at how we deliver HN&VQ