TAAASS501A Lead and coordinate assessment systems and services
Figure 7 Lead assessment system and services Establish assessment requirements and proceduresUnder the Australian Quality Training Framework, leadership of assessment activities is critical in three particular areas:
Hint The DETYA Kit to Support Assessor Training' (2001a) suggests leaders need to make strategic decisions and set strategies that are compliant with AQTF Standards for RTOs as well as other considerations. These include
Some strategies require considerable effort and/or resources to implement, and might initially be considered to be relatively expensive (for example, conducting team assessments.) This 'cost' must be balanced against the benefits achieved by implementing the strategy. If it is highly effective in terms of increasing confidence or validity, then the cost is warranted. Remember too that while the costs of initiating a strategy may be high (such as a new record-keeping system) the ongoing costs will be covered by the long-term benefits to the organisation. The cost of not pursuing specific strategies may be greater than the cost of implementing them. Ultimately, consideration must be given to the degree of risk involved in getting an assessment judgment wrong. The critical thing is to pick the mix of strategies that will ensure compliance with AQTF and State/Territory requirements, give a sense of confidence in the assessment process and provide the best value for money. Assessment-only pathwaysAssessment only requirements for a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) is established in standard 8, clause 8.1 and 8.2. Note: Standard 8 The RTO's assessments meet the requirements of the endorsed components of training packages and the outcomes specified in accredited courses within the scope of its registration. Clause 8.1 The RTO must ensure that assessments, regardless of whether through a training and assessment pathway or an assessment-only pathway:
Clause 8.2
(Taken from ANTA, 2001, Standards for registered Training Organisations, http://www.anta.gov.au/aqtfelectronic8.asp#other#other ) Assessment-only pathways relate to where competency may be granted without formal learning processes being undertaken. Assessment under these circumstances becomes the only formal 'hurdle' to credit within a qualification, or recognition of a competency. Assessment only pathways can include:
Roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of relevant persons in assessment discussed and confirmedThere is usually a core purpose that dictates why responsibilities and accountabilities are allocated within a training team. Under any quality regime, roles have to be allocated to optimise efficiency and effectiveness of operations and services. This is equally so for those involved in the assessment process. Individuals need to communicate and have a clear sense of their own responsibilities and for what they will be accountable in the assessment process. Communication between all staff involved in the assessment process then can encompass:
Effective assessment teams seem to always have a clear purpose and members who understand the goals that the team has to achieve. Value-adding assessment teams : Are goal driven Are committed to the organisation's goals and purpose Integrate team plan with strategic goals and objectives Have individual performance plans tied to strategic objectives Are capable and competent Are competent to assess in known areas Know the process Understand financial and resource limitations Secure and use resources effectively Are continuously improving Respond to immediate customer needs Anticipate and eliminate problems Link assessment to competency and workplace performance standards Continually improve assessment tools and processes AQTF and organisational requirements relating to the competence of assessors confirmed and documentedIt is a requirement of the AQTF that RTOs adhere to Standard 9.4 whereby an RTO must ensure that the assessors and all support staff are qualified to undertake their duties. Note: Standard 8 9.4 The RTO must have access to the staff, facilities, equipment, training and assessment materials required to provide the training and/or assessment services within its scope of registration and scale of operations, to accommodate client numbers, client needs, delivery methods and assessment requirements (including off-campus and on-line). Systems need to be planned and adopted to ensure that the competencies of all assessors (and trainers) are recorded. The systems, whether electronic or manual, also have to be able to ensure that any assessor allocated to an assessment event is competent and that they meet the requirements outlined in the Training Package and/or by the client. Where required, partnership arrangements initiated and developed setting out identified roles, responsibilities and services to be providedIt is important for any training organisation to formalise agreements with its strategic partners. The following diagram illustrates how agreements can be phased through different stages and achieve different levels of commercial rigour.
Figure 7 Lead assessment system and services This diagram is indicative. Representation of the types of agreements that business and individuals enter into will vary enormously. While the reason for each type of agreement can also vary, typically they move from the simple exchange of letters to legal relationships embedded in joint ventures. While some legal protection can apply to verbal agreements, formal agreements should be codified. For an RTO undertaking assessment activities, partnership arrangements may vary from the simple engagement of a casual assessor by letter and a simple contract, to a partnership between RTOs to form a new venture aimed at providing an assessment service. Equally, the complexity will vary with the number of organisations being served. For instance auspicing a large organisation will involve risk and resource commitments that will need the relevant legal recognition and protection. Within the partnership agreements it is essential that full coverage be given to:
Different agreement will require different approaches to the formation of partnerships. As with all matters in this area, legal advice should be sought before progressing with any level of business partnership arrangement. Leadership skills used to provide clear direction, advice and support to assessorsIt is not the place of this brief section to cover leadership skills. This can be done through completion of relevant Frontline Management or other diploma-level or higher business modules. However, a leader of an assessment team has a choice when seeking to encourage team behaviours that enhance team performance in a given situation. They can be directive or supportive. Directive behaviour relates to downward communication. It is about planning, controlling and supervising what people do, how they do it, where they do it, when they do it. Supportive behaviour is more two-way interpersonal communication. It is about creating meaning, building purpose and commitment, listening to people, providing support and rewarding effort. It is about participative problem-solving and decision-making. While both approaches have their place in the assessment process, the latter approach is far more likely to encourage participative relationships and a more 'service'-oriented assessment system. Directive behaviour would include when a leader:
Supportive behaviour would be when a leader:
Cost of poor team participationIdeally, assessment teams should be composed of members who can contribute a cross-section of ideas and views on the designated process. Individuals will most likely not be competent in the same areas, or to the same level. Working together, team members can share responsibility while still delivering an integrated assessment service. The collective outcome of this cooperation should then extend beyond the sum of the contribution of each individual to form into a higher capacity. In any assessment team both 'training package'-related assessor expertise and inter-personal competencies are desirable. People with low competence in one or more areas should not necessarily be denied membership on the team. Team involvement often serves to raise the awareness and competence of individual workers. Through their involvement, members can be trained in or acquire a basic level of competence in team-building skills such as conflict resolution, reporting procedures and protocol, group dynamics and evaluation. The cost of poor teamwork can be measured in four ways: the loss of customers, staff dissatisfaction, highly variable assessment outcomes and internal operational costs. The overall cost of poor teamwork to the RTO can typically include:
The cost to customers impacted by poor teamwork will be affected by the:
Staff dissatisfaction will translate into costs where it causes:
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Activity 8 
Readings
Supporting
presentation
Knowledge
quiz
Additional resources
