Occupational Standards, Quality Assurance and Accreditation Performance Criteria

Prof. Tariq Mahmood Faculty Consultant CPSC, Manila, Philippines

1. INTRODUCTION

The occupational standards specify the standards of performance that people are expected to achieve in their work, and knowledge and skills they need to perform effectively. They can be seen as benchmarks against which the actual performance of individuals can be compared and assessed as competent or not competent. The occupational standards are also used as a template against which a number of human resource development strategies and practices such as training and learning programs, establishing job descriptions, curriculum development, improving physical facilities can be referenced.

An effective, skilled and adaptable work force is necessary to gain competitive edge and commercial and business success. They play an important role in enabling the organizations to respond to the rapidly changing market demands and emerging technologies, which characterize today's business environment. Hence they should be multi-skilled to increase flexibility and efficiency of operation, inventive to support continuous improvement strategies, possess general business awareness to underpin campaign for improved customer service and competent to perform range of activities and transfer skills and knowledge to new work situations.

Comprehensive programs to develop the competence of the work force are therefore necessary but such programs must be cost-effective and geared towards achieving identified, verifiable targets. In other words, universally agreed and independently assessed occupational standards are must for any nation to progress and compete in this world.

That is why many developed countries of the world took initiatives for the development of occupational standards to meet the domestic industrial needs and compete for the global and demographically squeezing markets.

With increase of activities in the occupational standard development, and then on the basis of these standards, development of national vocational qualification frameworks and accreditation of the programs and institutions by the specialized agencies and bodies, the quality assurance in occupational standards development has become of prime importance.

This paper looks in to the policies, programs and procedures of occupational standard development and quality assurance in TVET in some of the developed countries and underpins the quality assurance aspect of these standards for skills and competencies recognition and accreditation.

2. NEED FOR OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS

Standards make an enormous contribution to most aspects of our lives. Without standards it would not have been possible to compare, judge and use many of the products and services worlds over. It is only the absence of standards when its importance is realized. When products meet our expectations, we tend to take this for granted. We are usually unaware of the role played by standards in raising levels of quality, safety, reliability, efficiency and interchangeability - as well as in providing such benefits at an economical cost.

Occupational standards describe the skills and knowledge needed to perform competently in the workplace. Occupational standards help companies, institutions and individuals plan their skills development and maintain their competencies. Although occupational standards are voluntary, their introduction to the workplace greatly benefits to industry, employers and employees.

Occupational standards help industries to define and achieve the following goals:

	recruit, develop and maintain a skilled workforce;
	ensure that occupational requirements are equitable;
	increase competitiveness and productivity;
	facilitate mobility of labor within the country and abroad;
	identify and communicate human resources and training needs;
	create instructional programs;
	upgrade employee skills;
	design assessment and evaluation guidelines;
	develop accreditation/ certification process;
	And enhance corporate image.

The occupational standards help employees in the following ways:

	Identify skills and knowledge needed for occupations;
	Provide a reference to assess ability and training needs;
	Identify and support clear career paths;
	Provide guidelines for certification/accreditation;
	Increase mobility within industries; and
	Act as a benchmark for rewarding experience, knowledge and competence.

They also help the employers in the following ways:

	Increase productivity;
	Improve quality of goods and services;
	Reduce costs for recruitment by facilitating the selection of new employees;
	Provide a means for better human resources planning;
	Help effective skills upgrading.

3. OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE

The occupational standards form the basis of qualifications which certificate the achievement of competence specified by the occupational standards on which these qualifications are based. These national qualifications, competencies and skills are accredited by the special bodies, councils and agencies at the national and international levels. These bodies are established by mutual consensus by the governments, industries, training institutions, employers and all concerned.

Hence, employers and employees working together through the committees, groups and councils develop occupational standards. These committees, groups and councils select small groups of practitioners to develop a draft occupational analysis for its validation nationally. The analysis becomes an occupational standard when it is endorsed by industry and the accrediting agencies.

There are several approaches and methods that have been used to develop occupational standards and quality frameworks. Various countries have adopted various practices with certain commonalities in planning and producing the occupational standards and ensuring the quality. Following are some of the practices by the developed countries.

3.1 Occupational Standard Development Process in Canada

In Canada the occupational standard development process was developed to provide industry and other concerned organizations with a simple, general and proven approach to help clarify the steps involved in the development of occupational standards and related training and certificate programs.
The process consists of five phases as per detail given below:

3.1.1 Phase-I: Planning the Process

The planning phase consists of the following three activities:

	Planning for Standards Development: This activity mainly includes identification of human resource needs, developing the purpose of standards development, identification or formulation of committees comprising members from all concerned agencies including industry and the institutions, defining the scope of the occupation or skills set, and adopting appropriate methods for standards development.
	Selecting an Occupational Analysis Facilitator: This activity consists of actions like identifying people and experts of the particular skills for hiring them in the committees as professional co-opted members.
	Selecting Industry participants for the Occupational Analysis Workshop: This activity is the practical involvement of experienced people in the occupation field from the industry and all other concerned agencies, so that updated input is obtained from them.

3.1.2 Phase-II: Producing the Standards

Producing the standards phase consists of the following five main activities:

	Occupational Analysis Workshop: This activity is important as the participants of the workshops are apprised by the facilitator about the purpose of the meeting, standards to be developed and potential uses of the standards. Also the facilitator has to ask the participants of the workshop to identify the tasks, sub-tasks which may lead to the development of the required skills and knowledge required. On the basis of input, an "essential skills" profile can be developed.
	Documentation of the Analysis: On the basis of the input received from the workshop, draft occupational standards are prepared in an approved structure and format for providing it to the approving committees.
	Validating the Occupational Analysis: This activity is to get the wider publication and circulation of the draft standards for comments from the validation or focused groups and incorporation of the comments in the draft standards.
	Finalization and Acceptance of the Standards: This activity is the finalization of the occupational standards after incorporation of the comments, careful proof reading and editing and final submission of the standards to the committee for approval.
	Printing and Distribution of the Standards: This activity involves printing and publication of the approved standards for wide distribution and use by the industries and the institutions.

3.1.3 Phase-III: Establishing Approved Training Programs

This phase consists of the following 2 main activities:

Developing a Curriculum and Training Program: This activity involves the following essential steps:

Involving the appropriate people in the curriculum development process e.g. curriculum developers/ designers, college instructors, industry employers etc.) Select or formulate the curriculum development committee Determine client population needs Consider delivery mechanisms Analyze existing courses Consider how learners will be assessed Develop a project plan Requests proposals and issue contract Evaluate and/or test the developed material, incorporate recommended changes Approve the final product

	Delivering the Training Program: This activity involve the delivery of the developed curriculum and training program through:
	Training of industrial trainers Educational institutions Distance learning Self study

3.1.4 Phase-IV: Certifying and Accrediting

	Assessment and Certification of Individuals: This activities involve the following main actions:
	Determine who will assess individuals for certification Determine the potential for revenue generation from certification Develop assessment methods for certification Promote the certification program Assess individuals for certification Award certificates Maintain registry of certified practitioners

	Accrediting the Training Program: This activity involves the following actions:
	Determine who will be responsible for accrediting the training programs Develop criteria for assessing training program Evaluate the training program against established criteria Review assessments and select programs for accreditation Award and publicize accreditation Assessing the competency of graduates will provide the ultimate test of the effectiveness of the program

3.1.5 Phase-V: Continuous Improvement Loop

This phase consists of the following 2 main activities:

	Monitoring and Measuring Effectiveness: This activity involves the following actions:
	Establish performance measures for the standards, training and certification program Identify what will be measured and how Determine who will monitor the program Determine reporting procedures Monitor the program

Improving Processes: This activity involves improving and modifying processes which have been identified as needing change through monitoring.

3.2 National Occupational Standards (NOS), UK

The UK National Occupational Standards (NOS) are agreed statements of competence, which describe the work outcomes required for an individual to achieve the standard expected of them in work. They are a specification of good performance both in terms of skills and knowledge for a given area of work. They can therefore help define performance for authorities and be used as the benchmark against which performance may be assessed. They have been agreed by employers and employees representatives and approaved by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

The appraoch for the devlopemnt of UK NOS started the government tasked the manpower services commission to work with industry to facilitate the identification of industry standards which could be embodied in new National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (NVQs and SVQs). Later the successors of the manpower commissions were Employment Department's Training, Enterprise and Education Directorate (TEED) which was entrusted the task in collaboration with other bodies. Around 80 bodies known as "Industry Leads Bodies" (ILBs) from industry and other sectors of the society undertook the task.

As a result of sternous work of all related organization the British National Occuipational Standrads were developed. These standards comprise of the following main sections:

	Units of national occupational standards
	Elements
	Perfromance criteria
	Range
	Knowledge, understanding and skills
	Evidence requirements for NVQ and SVQ assessment
	National Vocational Qualifications and Scottish Vocational Qualifications

3.2.1 Units of national occupational standards

National Occupational Standards are divided into units. Each unit describes a key part of someone's job, as shown in these examples:

	Assure your organization delivers quality services
	Develop teams and individuals to enhance performance
	Support and record business meetings
	Contribute to maintaining security and protecting individuals' rights in the custodial environment
	Recognize indications of substance misuse and refer individuals to specialists

Units are often introduced with a summary or commentary, saying what the unit is about, who it is for, how it links to other units and how it fits into the NVQ/SVQ framework.

Grouping together units of occupational standards can specify the full range of performance, knowledge and skills needed for a particular job.

National Occupational Standards form the basis of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs). Awarding Bodies, such as Chartered Management Institute, the Institute of Leadership and Management, City and Guilds Affinity, Edexcel, Oxford and Cambridge and Royal Society of Arts (OCR) and the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), offer NVQs/SVQs through approved centers which may be within employing organizations or in colleges, or private training providers. The awarding bodies also provide quality control systems to make sure that assessment takes place properly.

3.2.2 Elements

Units are usually divided into two or more elements that describe the activities the person has to carry out. For example, in the Drugs and Alcohol National Occupational Standards, Unit AA1 recognize indications of substance misuse and refer individuals to specialists is divided into two elements:

AA1.1 Recognize indications of substance misuse
AA1.2 Refer individuals with indications of substance misuse to specialists

3.2.3 Performance Criteria

Each element contains clear performance criteria that describe what effective workers do and the standards of quality they achieve. For example, in Element AA1.1 there are ten performance criteria:

3.2.4 Range

National Occupational Standards often specify the range of circumstances or situations that might have an important impact on the activity. These can help individuals prepare for the different contexts or contingencies that they could face. For example, the range for Element AA1.1 covers six types of substances:

3.2.5 Knowledge, understanding and skills

Occupational standards also specify the knowledge, understanding and skills that people need to do their jobs effectively. For example Unit AA1 recognize indications of substance misuse and refer individuals to specialists include the following:

3.2.6 Evidence requirements for NVQ and SVQ assessment

Each unit in the National Occupational Standards is usually accompanied by a statement of the evidence that candidates need to submit in order to be assessed as competent for National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs).

NVQs and SVQs show that the holder can carry out the job to the required standard. Candidates need to provide evidence that they

	consistently meet all the performance criteria
	have the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills to work competently with all types of range

Candidates usually have to provide evidence from their work that they cover specific aspects of the range. For other aspects of the range it is sufficient to show they could deal with them competently, if the situation were to arise.

A wide range of assessment methods are available, such as direct observation of the candidate at work, specially-designed simulated activities, inspection of documentary evidence, reports from others who have witnessed the candidate at work, and questioning of the candidate about the way they went about their work. The evidence requirements provide guidance on what type of assessment would be appropriate for the particular unit.

3.2.7

National Vocational Qualifications & Scottish Vocational Qualifications

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) show that those who have achieved these awards actually can do the job to the recognized national standard.

Each NVQ and SVQ consists of a number of units taken from the national occupational standards. Someone taking the NVQ or SVQ has to show they can carry out all the activities covered by the units to the standard described.
NVQs and SVQs are not training courses. Staff may need training, development and practice before they can show they are competent.

Candidates for NVQs/SVQs have to demonstrate to their assessors that their work consistently meets the national occupational standards, and that they possess the knowledge, understanding and skills that underpin competent performance in each unit.

This can be done using the following methods:

	Assessors observing candidates at work (or, in some cases, under realistic simulated conditions).
	Candidates supplying examples of records and documents that show they work to the standard.
	Line managers and supervisors providing statements about the candidate's work.
	Candidates answering questions from their assessors.
	Evidence of the candidate's performance, knowledge, understanding and skills needs to be recorded and examined for quality control purposes. This is often presented in a folder known as a portfolio of evidence.

There are five levels of NVQs and SVQs from Level 1 for those carrying out simple, routine activities, to Level 5 for those with substantial professional or managerial responsibility.

3.3 Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) & Quality Assurance:

Australian States and Territories and the Commonwealth have, over time, enacted a range of legislation to govern the provision of vocational education and training, including Vocational Education and Training Acts, Trade Practices and Consumer Protection legislation and Industrial Relations legislation. During the past decade, through the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), a national system of vocational education and training has developed, under which State and Territory governments have agreed to implement a series of national policies in the interests of an improved outcome for the sector.

In particular, governments have agreed that to issue an AQF qualification in the vocational education and training sector, the institution or agency must be registered by a State or Territory government recognition authority as a registered training organization (RTO). All RTOs are publicly listed on the Internet via the National Training Information Service (NTIS).

While, as with higher education, quality assurance processes in the vocational education and training sector rely on a robust tradition of self-regulation at institutional level, with the recent introduction of a deregulated training market there is increasing diversity of providers and a corresponding need for more explicit and comprehensive quality assurance procedures and processes.

The Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) national principles, standards and operational protocols are implemented by the State and Territory VET recognition authorities, as part of extensive quality assurance processes in place at the level of the system and institutions.

The quality assurance cycle for registration comprises four elements; initial registration, self-assessment and evaluation, compliance audit and re-registration. Registration may be in respect of training delivery, assessment and issuance of AQF qualifications and Statements of Attainment, or for assessment and issuance services only.

To gain registration, organizations must comply with generic national registration standards, including all relevant legislative and regulatory requirements (e.g. occupational health and safety, anti-discrimination, equal opportunity), quality management of services, product and operations, external monitoring and audit processes, quality financial and records management, and ethical marketing. Registration specific to training services (and assessment-only services) involves compliance with training delivery standards covering staff qualifications and experience, training facilities and client support services to deliver the training and conduct the assessment to the standard required for the qualification. Under mutual recognition arrangements, RTOs operating in more than one state do not need to duplicate registration.

Registration involves compliance with the requirements of Training Packages or, for some qualifications, course accreditation. The development of Training Packages by industry bodies and their endorsement nationally by the National Training Quality Council (NTQC) is a key quality assurance mechanism underpinning the AQF. Training Packages specify the sets of industry competency standards, comprised of units of competency, aligned to relevant AQF qualifications, and include guidelines for assessment to support national consistency. Where the scope of the registration refers to a training area not covered by a training package, a course accreditation process, also guided by national principles, is used to identify sets of competencies to be achieved for each qualification, assessed according to the national guidelines.

Under the AQTF External Review protocol, all providers can expect to be audited within the registration cycle. This audit may occur as part of a regular audit cycle involving re-registration, as part of a random audit or as a specific purpose audit.

National coordination of key aspects of quality assurance processes is taking place through the ANTA Chief Executive Officers' Committee, including collaborative development of an agreed set of reporting procedures and protocols to enable national monitoring, and of a risk assessment model to inform a schedule of national strategic evaluations. Issues of national consistency in training delivery and assessment, as well as issues relating to good practice within the New Apprenticeships scheme, are also addressed by the National Consistency Advisory Committee (NCAC).

As with the higher education and schools sectors, quality has many dimensions related to the priority objectives of the overall national training system in improving the skill levels and productivity of the workforce, including the contribution of the education and training industry itself to Australia's export earnings. The sector is developing a set of key performance measures against which to report to the nation on an annual basis.

It can be seen from the practices and approaches of various countries described above that the main emphasis on occupational standard development surrounds the following points:

	Involvement of all stakeholders in the development of occupational standards.
	Stage by Stage development from planning to finalization and distribution of the approved standards.
	Establishment of the national councils and approving authorities and bodies.
	Quality assurance through all possible checks, controls and continuous improvements.

4. CONCLUSION

Updated and relevant training along with highly motivated personal are pre-requisites for dealing with the market changes, skills changing and the world of work requirements and demands. The demographic squeeze and global marketing and trades would necessitate the movement of manpower from one corner of the globe to the other. To facilitate the movement of manpower from with in the countries and abroad, universally recognized occupational standards are essential. They form the basis of the qualification frameworks and they also can be seen as benchmarks. They are also used for several other purpose like ensuring the quality of training, self assessment, development of learning and training programs, development of curriculum, establishing occupational profiles and job descriptions etc. The Colombo Plan staff College has to play its role in the developing the universally agreed occupational standards and acting as a standard setting institution in the Asia Pacific region to perform its function of promoting and ensuring quality TVET systems in its member countries.

REFERENCES

1. Human Resource Development Canada, Occupational Standards Development Process. Canada: Ministry of Public Works and Government Service, 2000
    
2. Weston W.J. "National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications: the Implications for Engineering Institutions and Higher Education", Engineering Science and Education Journal, October 1993.
    
   
3. http://www.themsc.org 
   
   
4. http://www.lg-employers.gov.uk