1. NVQ/CRA Project 2008/09 Centre Briefing
NVQ Centre Risk Assessment
NVQ/CRA Project 2008/09 Centre Briefing
Dr C Dublon August 08

2. Nature of CRA Initially developed for BTEC qualifications.
Examines qualification standards and the risk to Edexcel of using this centre.
CRA will assess centre quality systems and standards.
Currently involves all live BTEC centres annually.
Two formats: visit assessment and self assessment.
Assessment takes place within a fixed period.
Assessment judgements recorded in a report.
Action plans monitored and checked.

3. Nature of Risk CRA assures centre meet approval criteria.
CRA monitors quality at both centre and programme levels.
CRA standards = identified risks and controls.
CRA monitors the effective control of identified risks.
Notion of inherent risk: all centres, not bad centres.

4. Nature of Risk Risk controls can change over time.
CRA is developmental and supportive.
CRA eases bureaucracy over time.

5. NVQ/CRA Project 2008/09 Centre Briefing
Project Arrangements

6. NVQ CRA Project Proposal
Runs from September 2008 for one year.
1 CRA assessor and 1 EV visit, a year per centre.
NVQ/CRA focus: centre-wide systems and quality practices in each programme area.
NVQ/CRA sets actions against sanctions appropriately.
EV focus: candidate assessment and sets sanctions appropriately.

7. NVQ CRA Project Proposal
Ofqual briefed and agreed to variations to the Code of Practice for the project.
Project participation will not affect NVQ standards, candidates, certification requirements.
Project uses the same standards within a changed structure of quality monitoring.
No change in added visit and support provision.
No added work for centre staff relating to quality monitoring, but the way of working will differ.

8. Anticipated Benefits
Enables centre-driven quality assurance, in place of Edexcel-driven quality control.
Aids centre improvement and self-management of programmes.
Reduction of the bureaucratic burden on centres.
CRA assesses quality systems at centre, not sector level, which can:
remove quality variations across sectors;
remove quality variations across programme teams;
ensure centre quality systems work at programme level.

9. Project Plan
June - July 2008: Risk Assessor Training & Centre briefings.
July - August 2008: EV briefing.
August 2008: RA allocation.
September - December 2008: NVQ/CRA risk assessments.
January 2009 onwards: EV visit to participating centres.
February 2009: initial evaluation.
July 2009: final evaluation.