Unit 401
Understanding the Principles and Practices of Internally Assuring the Quality of Assessment
Unit 401 - Understanding the Principles and Practices of Internally Assuring the Quality of Assessment
1.1
The internal verifier is at the heartof quality assurance in N/SVQ’s, both within the national framework and within the quality and management systems of each approved centre. The role, in terms of managing assessment so that it consistently meets national standards, is central to maintaining public confidence in each and every N/SVQ issued. Therefore internal verification is a key factor in managing ‘risk’ and ensuring that when certificates are claimed for candidates the requirements of the national standards have been reliably met.
There are four main aspects of the internal verifier role:
• operate and evaluate internal assessment and quality assurance systems
• supporting assessors
• monitor the quality of assessor performance
• meet external quality assurance requirements
Dedicated internal verifiers will ensure and provide support for that a professional learning and assessment process is taking place, resulting in certification of learners and underpinning the employer’s or Centres professionalism.
Features of a dedicated approach are the following
• Organisations perceive an explicit link between internal verification and quality assurance
• They regard internal verification as a training/management function, with verifiers facilitating training and development among assessors
• Verifiers regularly visit assessors but are also available ‘on demand’. This level of support is facilitated by the organisation and is perceived as a benefit by assessors.
• Verifiers’ principal responsibility is towards centres’ assessors (and candidates) rather than to awarding bodies.
• Verifiers are able to play an intermediary role.
References: Guidance on internal verification of N/SVQs – www. Cityandguilds.com Joint awarding bodies guide on internal verification – QCA/Edexcel/Cityandguilds