SQA Accreditation: our role, our involvement with National

Occupational Standards and the Credit Rating of qualifications for

the SCQF

18 November 2015

SQA - Remit

• Maintain Quality & Standards of Qualifications offered in Scotland

• Delivered in 2 ways– Accreditation – Awarding

• Complementary yet separate functions

Maintenance of StandardsNational Qualifications

(Advanced Highers, Highers, etc)

Higher National CertificatesHigher National Diplomas

Scottish Vocational Qualifications

Sector specific qualifications required by regulation eg Security sector

Domain of SQA Awarding Body

41 approved awarding bodies offering •Scottish Vocational Qualifications•sector specific qualifications required by regulation •other vocational qualifications

Unknown number of awarding bodies and qualifications operating in Scotland

Domain of SQA Accreditation

Established by StatuteEstablished by Statute

• Function set out in section 3 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1996

• Statutory requirement for Accreditation Committee

• Separate Governance mechanisms– Directly through Accreditation Committee

to Government– Reports directly to Chief Executive

• Separate Grant-in-Aid

SQA Accreditation

Role of Accreditation

• Scottish Government approved extension to function (November 2008)– Encourage awarding bodies to seek accreditation for other

qualifications delivered in Scotland– Wherever possible, credit rate what we accredit

• Regulate awarding bodies for:– Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQ) and alternative

Competence Based Qualifications (included in Modern Apprenticeships)

– Qualifications required by other regulators (licence trade, security sector, first aid etc)

– Other qualifications submitted by awarding bodies (voluntary accreditation)

Scope of Activity

• Approved 40 awarding bodies

– Range from large multi-sector awarding bodies (City & Guilds etc) to small specialist awarding bodies (ITC First Aid etc)

• All Industry Sectors

– Qualifications span all sectors

• Three qualification “types” (1042 accredited qualifications)

– Scottish Vocational Qualifications (and alternative Competence Based Qualifications for use in Modern Apprenticeship Frameworks)

– Regulatory and Licensing Qualifications

– Other Qualifications

Maintaining Standards of Accredited Qualifications

• Approve Awarding Bodies (ABs)• Audit and monitor ABs against regulatory principles

to ensure standards continue to be met• Approve National Occupational Standards (NOS)• Approve SVQ structures, assessment strategies and

Core Skills Signposting• Approve other qualification structures where required

eg CBQs for MAs• Accredit qualifications• Seek to maintain and improve quality of qualifications

awarded in Scotland

• Regulate against Principles rather than prescriptive criteria

• 3 year rolling cycle of awarding body audits based on risk profiling

• Provider monitoring of a sample of each awarding body’s centres on an annual basis

• A stream-lined model of accreditation, which includes credit rating (where possible), of accredited qualifications

How we Accredit and Regulate

National Occupational Standards (NOS)

•Funded by the 4 UK Governments•Used by employers and stakeholders across the UK as a free public resource•National – they apply to the whole of the UK•Occupational – they define the key functions someone should be able to carry out in an occupation•Standards – they cover the outcomes that must be achieved

National Occupational Standards (NOS)

What are NOS?

•NOS are benchmarks of good practice.

•The standard of performance an individual must achieve when carrying out a function in the workplace, together with the relevant underpinning knowledge and understanding.

How can NOS be used?

Often used to inform the content of qualifications and training programmes. They can also be used for all types of human resource management and development, for example:

•Workforce planning•Performance appraisal and development systems•Job descriptions•Workplace coaching•Reflective practice and continuing professional development

Competent in a Work Role

NOS describe occupational competence covering technical requirements of a work role and embracing wider dimensions that employers value in their staff such as:

teamwork, communication, customer service, the ability to organise their work, make judgements, deal with contingencies and improve work processes.

Occupational Competence

•Technical requirements – the occupational skills and knowledge required for the work•Managing the work process – the ability to manage the overall process e.g. planning work, monitoring quality, solving problems•Working relationships – for example, relationships with customers, team members, colleagues•Managing the work environment – overall considerations such as health and safety, ethics, values and quality

What NOS Look Like

National Occupational Standards include:

•NOS title – clearly indicating the focus and content of the NOS•NOS overview – describing what the NOS is about and who it is for•Performance Criteria – specifying the standard of performance required when carrying out a function

What NOS Look Like

National Occupational Standards include:

•Knowledge and understanding – specifying the knowledge and understanding an individual needs to perform to the required standard•Other components at the discretion of the standards setting organisation – for example, scope statements, behaviours, skills, links to other NOS

How NOS are Developed

National Occupational Standards (NOS) are developed by employers and other stakeholders to describe the competences required in an occupational area.

The Standards Setting Organisation is responsible for working with employers and other stakeholders to develop, maintain and help implement NOS.

NOS Approval Process

Part A

Draft NOS

Part B & Checklist

Final NOS

NOS Approval Stage 3

NOS Approval Stage 4

Welsh NOS

NOS Approval Stage 5

NOS Approval Stage 1

NOS Approval Stage 2

Key: Await Submission Await Review ApprovedUKCES Area

Admin Area

Title Part A Status

Draft NOS Status

Part B Status

Final NOS

Status

Welsh NOS

Status NOS for the

development, implementation and review of NOS

…

What NOS are Not•Courses – do not describe the detailed learning that is required•Training programmes – do not describe the development necessary to become competent•Units – do not describe learning outcomes or assessment requirements, but can be used to inform unit development•Qualifications – are not placed into a qualification structure unless they have informed unit development•Levelled – are not developed according to qualification or other level based approaches

What is the SCQF

• A way of comparing the wide range of Qualifications available in Scotland

• It gives each qualification/unit placed in it a SCQF level and a number of SCQF credit points

• An enabling framework• Some parts are regulated and some are

linked to funding but this is not mandatory• It is owned by the SCQF Partnership

SCQF AIMS

• Assists people of all ages and circumstances to access appropriate education and training over their lifetime to fulfil their personal, social and economic potential

• Enables employers, learners and the public in general to understand the full range of Scottish qualifications, how they relate to each other and how different types of qualifications can contribute to improving the skills of the workforce

Credit Rating

• Act as a third-party credit rater• Have trained SSOs and Awarding Bodies how to allocate level

and credit• For SVQs, the SSO takes the lead on allocation of level and

credit but works with awarding bodies and industry experts• For all other qualifications, the submitting awarding body

allocates level and credit• Credit Rating guidance provided by SQA Accreditation• Accreditation Manager normally attends the credit rating event

SCQF Level Descriptors

• There are 12 SCQF level descriptors ranging from access (Level 1) to doctorate (Level 12)

• The SCQF level descriptors give broad, general but meaningful, indicators of the characteristics of learning outcomes at each SCQF level

• Each level increases with the complexity of learning and demand of the learning outcomes

SCQF Level Characteristics

Each SCQF level descriptor has five characteristics

– Knowledge and Understanding– Practice/Applied Knowledge– Generic Cognitive Skills– Communication/ICT/Numeracy– Autonomy/Working with Others

What are SCQF Credit Points

• One SCQF credit point equals 10 Notional Learning Hours

• The calculation of SCQF Credit is arrived at by estimating the amount of time required by the “average learner” to achieve the outcomes in the unit

• The credit points provide information on the amount of time it has taken the candidate to achieve the unit or qualification

SCQF Level and Credit

• The SCQF level is determined by benchmarking against the SCQF level descriptors

• SCQF credit is determined by subject experts who have an understanding of the qualification and its delivery

• Credit takes into account the time the individual invests in the qualification, not just formal training and assessment time

The education and skills landscape

• Future of NOS

• Devolved nations

Julie CarruthAccreditation Manager

SQA AccreditationJulie.carruth@sqa.org.uk