TAAASS501A Lead and coordinate assessment systems and services

Monitor assessment practice

Figure 9 Monitor assessment system and services

Quality assure assessment systems and services

Reading 3, from Guide 10: Quality assurance guide for assessment (DETYA, 2001d), provides detailed information on 20 strategies that may be used for quality assuring key components of the assessment system. These are:

• Assessment plan;
• Assessment policy;
• Assessment system procedures;
• Assessment tools;
• Benchmarking;
• Partnership assessment arrangements;
• Evidence collection;
• Exemplars and benchmarks;
• Internal audit;
• Third-party evidence;
• Information for assessors;
• Information for candidates;
• Professional judgment;
• Professional development of assessors;
• Record keeping;
• RTO self-assessment;
• Selection and training of assessors;
• Simulated assessment;
• Team assessments;
• Validation strategies.

Reading 3

Department of Employment, Training & Youth Affairs (DETYA) (2001d), 'Part 4 QA Strategies', Quality Assurance guide for assessors, Guide 10 of the Training Package Assessment Guides, DETYA, ANTA, and VETASSESS. Available online at http://resourcegenerator.gov.au/Resource.asp?View={868F4732-25D4-4756-ABCB-2B1B217D81EA}

The following table drawn from 'Establishing a quality assessment process' (DETYA 2001e), provides an overview of the 20 strategies. For ease of reference, the strategies are listed alphabetically. Each strategy is mapped against the component of the assessment system to which it relates. For example, the quality assurance requirements of the assessment process could be addressed through the use of a number of different strategies, including:

• Assessment plans;
• Assessment policies;
• Assessment tools;
• Exemplar and benchmark materials (DETYA, 2001a:18).

Table 6 Strategies for the quality assurance of assessment

Quality assurance strategy	Assessment system	Assessment process	Assessors	Evidence	Assessment judgment
Assessment plan		•	•	•	•
Assessment policy	•	•	•
Assessment system procedures	•	•	•
Assessment tools		•	•	•	•
Benchmarking	•
Evidence collection guidelines			•	•
Exemplar and benchmark materials		•	•	•	•
Guidelines for gathering third-party evidence			•	•	•
Information for assessors			•	•	•
Information for candidates		•		•
Internal audit	•	•	•	•	•
Mechanisms to support professional judgment		•	•	•	•
Partnership assessment arrangements			•	•	•
Professional development of assessors			•
Record keeping	•	•	•
RTO self-assessment	•	•	•
Selection and training of assessors			•
Simulated assessment guidelines			•	•	•
Team assessments		•	•	•	•
Validation strategies	•	•	•	•	•

Identify which strategies to use

RTOs are not expected to implement all of the strategies identified in the chart. However, it should be a goal for all RTOs to implement quality assurance strategies that both engender confidence in the organisation's assessment process and are consistent with the organisation's structure and scope of operations.

Assure service quality and support improved assessor practices

The RTO is obliged to collect, document and review assessment services. These include:

• How client/candidate needs are being met;
• How effectively and accurately the designated competency standards are being interpreted by assessors as the benchmarks for assessment;
• How the principles of assessment are being applied in assessment practice;
• Assessors' application of assessment methods and assessment tools;
• How the rules of evidence are being applied in gathering evidence;
• Whether assessment is being conducted in accordance with the policies and procedures of the organisation's assessment system;
• Whether organisational/legal/ethical requirements are being met.

The ongoing monitoring and management of quality must include direct guidance and support to assessors. This can ensure that assessment practices are improved and individual assessor competencies continue to be developed. Specific strategies for developing an assessor's professional competence are covered in the topics under TAAENV501A Maintain and enhance professional practice.

Activity 9

Use the following template to review a current assessment service.

Quality assurance strategy	Outcome of review activities	Follow-up action for continuous improvement
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Filing details:

Assessment records analysed to ensure legal/organisational/ ethical requirements met and appropriate advice provided to improve record-keeping arrangements where issues arise

Under the AQTF and Standard 4, RTOs must evidence 'effective administrative and records management procedures' ( http://www.anta.gov.au/aqtfElectronic4.asp ).

The maintenance of records is an important component of any national reform system that aims to promote mobility in the workforce.

For any organisation internal records on competency attainment can serve as an excellent indicator of the impact that competency-based training (CBT) has had on performance. If performance criteria and range statements relate directly to outcome indicators they can be linked into business plans or company strategic plans. Thus a valuable tool can be added to the way enterprises evaluate the contribution that training dollars make to team, unit and company performance.

The individual training record/assessment instruments form the basis for overall assessment and record keeping for an individual. New trainees and existing employees who undertake training will build a 'skill passport' that indicates not only competencies attained, but also credits towards formal qualifications.

At the enterprise-level record keeping may include records for:

• A trainee's progress;
• Coaching and mentoring skills available;
• Availability of internal and external 'experts' or trainers;
• Budgets;
• Training materials and resources inventory;
• Training programs/courses available within the company and provided by other providers;
• Administrative procedures; and
• Training schedules.

Training records may be compiled to form individual, team, job and company profiles.

The following reading provides a more structured approach to how RTOs can keep records and provide feedback.

Reading 4

DETYA (2001e), 'Records and Feedback', Chapter 7, in Training Package assessment materials kit , AGPS: Canberra. Sourced November 2004, at http://resourcegenerator.gov.au/loadpage.asp?page=TPAGGuide01.htm .

Activity 10

Complete Reading 4 and answer the following questions.

• Identify a competency/ies from a current training package.
• Use one of the suggested templates and develop a tool for reporting assessment outcomes against the competencies identified in question 1.
• Reflect on how the tool may be used to capture the reported information electronically.
• Could the tool be developed so that it could be used only in electronic form; for instance on a handheld computing device?
• How could the data be accessed by different users once in an IT system? Consider different users such as the trainee, the assessor, the leader of the assessment process, and the auditor of the RTO's quality system.

AVETMISS and national records

AVETMISS is the Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information Statistical Standard.

AVETMISS was established by the Australian Committee for Vocational Education and Training Statistics to enable the government to collect and analyse training data. Of particular importance was the recording of:

• The competencies delivered;
• The industry area (by alignment with ANSZIC-Australian and New Zealand Standard Industry Classifications);
• The alignment with occupations (by alignment with ASCO -Australian Standard Classification of Occupations);
• Qualifications gained;
• Language of trainees and instruction;
• Residential location of candidates;
• Field and discipline related to the occupation;
• Employer type; and
• Funding type (AVETMISS, Vol. 4 May 1995).

Reporting and recording vocational education and training information has become even more critical in the national training framework. As government becomes a funder and purchaser of training services to meet demand, performance measurement and reporting of training outcomes becomes more essential. Working together using a single information collection and analysis system permits the Australian National Training Authority and State Training Authorities to determine the cost and return on investment achieved through funded vocational education and training.

Activity 11

Audit and report on a competency-based assessment system

Due Date: TBC

Length: 2,500-4,000 words, including the assessment tool

Complete an audit of an assessment system against key RTO standards under the AQTF. This can be conducted on an existing or simulated training provider (organisation, business unit, training team, private trainer/assessor). Audit must at least refer to the RTO Standards 8.1, 8.2 and 4. The report must cover findings, provide evidence of findings and define the boundaries and scope of the assessment system (e.g. copies of code of conduct, tools, processes or procedures as specified and if available).

Alternative projects may be chosen where agreed by facilitator.