1. Kate Fairweather CMCAust Marketing QAC Assessor & IQA
Assessing NVQs
Kate Fairweather
CMCAust Marketing QAC
Assessor & IQA
25/04/16
CMCAust Marketing

2. Objectives of the Session
Ensure we all understand what assessors do
Give assessors tools and techniques for successful assessment
Give assessors the information they need to support the Internal Quality Assurance process
25/04/16
CMCAust Marketing

3. Just as a start …..
NVQ National Vocational Qualification – assessment of competence against agreed national standards
The Assessor runs the process with the learner and is the one who says the learner has achieved – a trust based process, the Internal Quality Assurer samples your work
As a Trainer you are the Driving Instructor – as an Assessor you are the Driving Examiner: So you cannot coach or lead the learner during the assessment of their evidence – but you can do so after the assessment so they can re-present better evidence to your next session
25/04/16
CMCAust Marketing

4. NVQ Structure Made up of Units covering key work areas
Specify the things the learner must be able to do in their job on a regular basis (competence in performance – performance criteria)
Specify the things the learner must know to do their job (underpinning knowledge – knowledge criteria)
The units are not separate, they are different views of the same job, so one piece of evidence will cover lots of criteria
You can start with whichever units you want to
Research the NVQ structure see the OCR Assessor Award Suite Handbook and Units, NCFE Level 2 NVQ Certificate in Contact Centre Operations
25/04/16
CMCAust Marketing

5. What do Assessors do?
Plan assessment sessions where learners will produce evidence using a range of assessment methods – written plans see Assessment Feedback and Action Plan sheet
Produce some evidence for the learner – observation, oral questions, questioning witnesses, professional discussion
Assess the evidence the learner has produced and give oral and written feedback on what they have and have not achieved – written feedback see Assessment Feedback and Action Plan sheet
Review and update Assessment Plans and agree the next assessment actions – written review see Assessment Feedback and Action Plan sheet and examples
Assist the learner to put their portfolio together
Assist the learner with cross referencing their evidence – see Evidence Record Sheet and Example Unit ERS sign off sheet
Complete sign off sheets and overall learner achievement sheets – see Evidence Record and Record of Achievement sheet
Track learner achievement across all candidates – see Tracking sheet
25/04/16
CMCAust Marketing

6. How to manage the assessment process
Look at the units and prepare an outline assessment plan detailing what you can observe, what documentary evidence the learner can produce, where you may need the learner to produce examples from the last 2 years, where you will need to ask questions
Before you write the Plan look at the Evidence Requirements at the back of the units to check the level of observation, documentary evidence needed
Start by discussing with learners which units they can do easily and that you can observe, group units together where the evidence is similar so that the same evidence can apply to all
Check with the learner if they have a qualification covering any of the units – you can recognise prior learning if they qualification is still current or was completed in the last 2 years, you will need to check that it covers exactly the same criteria
Ensure you have in your mind how you will manage the learner through evidence collection so that they collect sufficient evidence not loads of it!
Plan some “doing” units first and arrange an observation – this should cover a range of activities to provide evidence for most units (holistic assessment )
Assess the evidence collected from your first visit by tracking it to all the units – give detailed feedback on what they have covered, which units have the most criteria covered and what additional evidence they need to complete those first units
Sign off units as they are completed on the Unit Evidence Record Sheet and example and complete the Record of Achievement
Update Assessment Feedback and Action Plan sheet and examples at each visit
Keep copies of Assessment Feedback and Action Plan sheets
Note your learners’ progress on your Tracking sheet after each assessment so you have a check on all candidates’ progress
25/04/16
CMCAust Marketing

7. Assessment Methods
Observation – needed for at least some units, very cost-effective method
Products of work – things the learner produces during work (Plans, Meeting notes, Reports, Appraisals, Training Certificates*) – useful if supported by witnesses or case studies/reflective accounts
Written questions, oral questions – ask for real examples in the answers
Professional discussion – a guided discussion covering knowledge of an area
Witness statements or you can question witnesses and get them to sign and date – witnesses must give statements about specific instances, ask for real examples with dates, use to support case studies or products
Learner statements
Case studies covering examples of real things that the learner has done that you can authenticate, support with witness statement or product
Personal statements – learner writes up what they know, how they would deal with a situation, reflect on situations and how they feel about it and how they will change what they do in future
Recognition of prior learning – a current qualification that covers exactly the same criteria can be used to cover part or all of a unit, always check with your IQA
Aim to use three or four forms of evidence for each unit, you will almost always need a set of questions to cover all knowledge requirements
NB Copies of documents produced by other people e.g. training notes, complaints procedures are not admissible as evidence unless the learner adds a note of how they used it, how they apply it, how they changed their practice as a result
* Ask learners to write on the back of certificates “What I learned on this course & how I have applied it in my job
25/04/16
CMCAust Marketing

8. How to observe
NB you must complete an observation to achieve the Assessor Award
Read through your standards and ensure you have in your mind what you are looking for across NVQ, produce an observation checklist
Ensure you remind your learner what you need to observe and ensure you have the client’s permission to attend
Sit out of your learner’s eyeline, be unobtrusive
Record what you see the learner do and how they do it – you can always add things you see but don’t immediately note down at a later date, use the Recorded Evidence Record Sheet to track to units)
You can video or audio record the observation for the portfolio and track the timing when specific performance criteria were covered after the observation is completed, but note key events on your checklist as you go
If you cannot feedback fully after the observation, at least give the learner positive feedback and anything that was obviously missing straight away
25/04/16
CMCAust Marketing

9. Assessment checklist
Assessment methods must be valid, reliable, safe and manageable, suitable to the needs of the candidate
Evidence must be authentic, the learner’s own work - check anything that the learner has produced, do they understand it, can their manager agree it, have witnesses signed and are they people you know? If you have observed then that is completely reliable
Evidence must show consistency over a period of time, so check dates, you need two examples from different occasions (usually need to be at least 2-4 weeks apart)
Evidence must be sufficient – two ticks on each column of the Evidence Record sheet and example for performance, one for knowledge
25/04/16
CMCAust Marketing

10. Judging Evidence
Take your time to assess each piece of evidence produced, you will need a few hours between assessment discussions with your learner to review evidence, track it to the units and decide if it fully covers the criteria or if some amendments or additional work is needed
Assess each piece of evidence, allocate an Evidence Number and fill in the number and title on the Index of Evidence Sheet, note the Evidence Number and that the action is complete on the Assessment Feedback and Action Plan sheet – tick answers to questions and sign them, sign that you have authenticated evidence like witness statements
Note on observations and reports of professional discussion the reference of performance criteria and knowledge they apply to (encourage candidates to do this for reports etc.)
Check the performance criteria, range and knowledge as you cross reference on the Evidence Record Sheet and example, ensure there are two ticks per column for performance
Write your feedback down, what is complete and what is now needed in the Review section of the Assessment Feedback and Action Plan sheet and examples
25/04/16
CMCAust Marketing

11. At the Feedback session
This is a confidential meeting (so away from the desk) or phone call
Give your learner positive verbal feedback about the evidence they have produced – be constructive
Tell your candidate if they have enough evidence, where there are gaps
Go through your written feedback about where there is enough evidence, where there are gaps and what new evidence the candidate needs to produce
Discuss with your learner what evidence they can produce to cover the gaps
Ask questions or complete a Professional Discussion to complete specific criteria or expand evidence to cover more
Note activity completed in the Activity section of the Assessment Feedback and Action Plan sheet and examples
Use the Assessment Plan section of the Assessment Feedback and Action Plan sheet and examples to note new evidence needed and agree the date for production
If there is enough evidence sign off Unit Evidence Record Sheets and example and Record of Achievement, update your tracking sheet, ensure you & your candidate sign and date all evidence
25/04/16
CMCAust Marketing

12. Supporting Internal Quality Assurance
Internal Quality Assurance (completed by an Internal Quality Assurer – IQA - also called Internal Moderator or Internal Verifier) describes methods to ensure that you as an Assessor are planning, judging evidence and feeding back to learners fairly and consistently
The IQA also ensures that all assessors are operating to the same standards
IQA methods include sampling assessment decisions, interviewing learners, observing assessors at work and holding standardisation meetings to compare the level of assessment decisions so that learners are treated fairly
IQA also provides the first port of call for learners who feel they are being treated unfairly
25/04/16
CMCAust Marketing

13. Actions
Trainee Assessors to research what being an assessor is about and their role and responsibilities using the NCFE Dream Assessor Document plus the OCR Assessor Award Suite Handbook and Units, the 2006 NVQ Code of Practice and the NCFE Level 2 NVQ Contact Centre Operations
Check the worked example for one Unit of Call Centre Operations NVQ 2, Assessment Planning and Feedback, Evidence Record Sheet
Trainee Assessors to answer written questions and to Kate Fairweather at and arrange a phone feedback appointment
25/04/16
CMCAust Marketing