Review - Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research

Monitoring activities include:
• scoped audit
• full audit
• data systems audit.
Finally, for Germany the process is less clear given that training organisations can use various forms
of quality assurance instruments.
Other approaches
A review of each nation’s approach to ongoing monitoring also elicited additional approaches.
The AQTF 2007 Essential Standards for Registration has included a set of quality indicators which
have a focus on continuous improvement. It is proposed that the quality indicators will provide data
for training organisations to identify areas for improvement in providing training and assessment
services. This data is to be also used by registering bodies as part of their monitoring function and will
inform the organisation’s risk profile to assist in the scheduling and scope of audits. The three quality
indicators include:
• employer satisfaction (competency development, and training and assessment quality)
• learner satisfaction (learner engagement and competency development)
• competency completion rate.
In Ontario, the pubic training organisations (colleges of applied arts and technology) annually submit
data on:
• graduate employment
• graduate satisfaction
• employer satisfaction
• student satisfaction
• graduation rate.
The private training sector colleges are also required to provide data on student satisfaction,
graduation rate and employer satisfaction, however these have not yet been implemented.
In New Zealand, training organisations assessing against unit standards must carry out internal
moderation and engage with external moderation. Training organisations that are assessing learners
using unit standards are moderated by NZQA or by industry training organisations (ITOs) which are
responsible for industry unit standards. The actual process of moderation differs between ITOs and
NZQA. However, all involve checking assessment tasks and assessor judgements against the
particular unit standard. NZQA carries out the moderation process post-assessment. Standards are
grouped into ‘moderation systems’ and NZQA selects standards for moderation, based on a three-year
cycle. For each moderation system chosen for moderation, 10 per cent of the standards are selected.
In the UK, the use of internal and external verification processes is a major strategy for supporting the
integrity and consistency of the occupational standards in the award. The National Vocational
Qualifications Code 0f Practice (2006) specifies that centres must undertake internal verification
processes. Centres must appoint internal verifiers who are responsible for implementation and have
the required competencies. The code also specifies that the awarding body must monitor these internal
processes, and include external verifier visits to centres as an integral part of their quality assurance
strategy. It advises that the minimum frequency of external verification visits to centres is usually two
a year (a total of two days a year) depending on the centre’s performance and taking account of:
• number of assessment sites
• number and throughput of candidates
• number and turnover of assessors
• number and turnover of internal verifiers.
Comparisons of international quality assurance in vocational education and training Page 44 of 115