Questions and answers about qualifications reviews

What do you expect the new reviews to do?

• Reviews ensure that qualifications remain relevant, current and fit for purpose.
• Reviews provide an opportunity for qualification developers to work together to look strategically at their sector’s needs to ensure the range of qualifications meet those needs.
• Reviews will reduce the duplication and proliferation of qualifications that has made the New Zealand system difficult to understand.
• Reviews will result in qualifications that are structured in the same way in alignment with the requirements for listing on the NZQF. This will make it easier to understand and compare qualifications, nationally and internationally.

How is this review different from previous qualification reviews?

What is different is that qualifications are being reviewed in groups/clusters of similar qualifications. Stakeholders from different parts of a sector, industry or community are coming together to review the range of qualifications in their sector to ensure they meet the requirements of their workforce, industry or community. The review will propose a suite of qualifications that meet those needs.

NZQA will work with qualification developers to ensure the groups of qualifications being reviewed together are appropriate and comprehensive.

What is the purpose of clusters?

Organising reviews in clusters enables those involved to take a strategic look at the workforce requirements of their sector or industry and the qualifications required to meet those needs.

What if I think my qualification is in the wrong cluster?

Contact NZQA at nzqfquestions@nzqa.govt.nz. NZQA seeks feedback from qualification developers and providers to ensure groups or clusters of qualifications being reviewed are appropriate, comprehensive and a good fit with overarching sector objectives. This feedback should be provided before a review schedule is finalised.

How has the review schedule been developed?

All qualifications have been scheduled for review in clusters of similar qualifications. Where possible, the timing of each review has been linked to any review dates for national qualifications included in the cluster. However, some areas of high proliferation, that is where there are lots of similar qualifications, such as hospitality and tourism, have also been scheduled for early review in 2011.

How flexible is the review schedule?

All review times are provisional until agreed with NZQA. Changes can be made before the schedule is finalised and a date for the finalisation of each annual schedule will be well publicised. Feedback on the provisional 2012 Schedule, for example, resulted in the review of food processing qualifications being moved from 2012 to 2013.

The 2012 Schedule (XLS, 299KB) is now final but the schedules for 2013-14 are still provisional and may be changed.

My qualification is on the schedule for 2011 but I haven’t done anything? What should I do?

The 2011 Qualifications Review Schedule has now been set following its provisional publication. You don’t have to do anything until you hear that your review has been triggered.

What if the timing that is proposed for the review of my qualification doesn’t suit me?

The schedule for 2012-2014 is still provisional. In the first instance, liaise with others in your cluster about the proposed timing or contact NZQA via email at nzqfquestions@nzqa.govt.nz

The industry training organisation wants to start the review early, but that doesn’t suit me as I am involved in several reviews. What should I do?

A review can only start earlier than its scheduled time if all parties to the review agree.

I don’t want to be involved with the review process. What are the consequences of that?

It is best be involved. If you can’t participate for any reason, you may nominate someone to be involved for you as your delegate. If you don’t participate you will have to abide by the approved review recommendations.

Can I review my qualification on my own?

No. Reviews are being conducted in groups with similar qualifications being reviewed together to ensure there is a clear alignment between qualifications and the workforce requirements of any sector or industry.

Can I review one qualification at a time?

No. Reviews are being conducted in groups, with similar qualifications being reviewed together to ensure there is a clear alignment between qualifications and the workforce requirements of any sector or industry.

How can I be smart and efficient in my approach to a qualification review?

Look at the guidelines and familiarise yourself with the process. If you have several qualifications being reviewed, choose which reviews you want to be involved with and appoint a delegate for the others.

How long is a review expected to take?

A plan for the review has to be lodged with NZQA within three months of a review being triggered. The actual review and the report of the review results is expected to take another three months. Following NZQA’s approval of the review recommendations, implementation of the changes to qualifications and development of new qualifications will get underway. A timeframe for this will then be agreed. This may take another six months or longer.

What resources or support are available to help with the review?

NZQA has developed resources and made support available to help those involved in reviews. In the first instance, have a look at the detailed Guidelines for the review of qualifications at levels 1-6 on the NZQF (PDF, 1.6MB). The guidelines have been developed to support the review process. The review guidelines are expected to evolve as experience grows of the review process. NZQA, therefore, welcomes any advice about further information that could helpfully be included.

NZQA has appointed a sector relationship manager (SRM) to every review. If you have questions, after having looked at the guidelines,you can email nzqfquestions@nzqa.govt.nz

Workshops have also been developed to assist qualification developers with the review process. Please contact NZQA if you would like to have a workshop

What is NZQA’s role?

NZQA’s role is to maintain oversight of the review process and its outcomes. It also provides support for qualification developers to understand and meet the new requirements for listing qualification at levels 1-6 on the NZQF.

How do we work out who is going to lead the review?

Your cluster of qualification developers will work out who will lead the review. The leader can be an industry training organisation (ITO), an industry body, a provider or a group of providers, an independent facilitator or any mix of the above. NZQA can assist with determining an appropriate facilitator if necessary.

How do you know who needs to be involved in the review?

The guidelines provide information on stakeholder selection and participation. It is worthwhile taking time to get this right. Reviews need people who are of good standing and can contribute a sector-wide, future-looking view.

I am not a qualification owner but I deliver the qualification and want to be involved in the review. How can I do that?

Contact the qualification owner or the ITO to let them know of your interest. You have an interest in the future of the qualification and as such are a stakeholder in the review.

What is involved in making the review process work well?

Many reviews will have people from a range of backgrounds, accustomed to working with particular types of qualifications. It is important that partisan interests are put aside to look at the big picture needs of the sector and how the different qualifications go together to meet those needs. What is important is the purpose of each qualification and the learning it offers.

The review leader/facilitator should ensure an approach that is inclusive, with all parties collaborating equally. All views are valued and must be considered

Differences of opinion should be fully discussed. There is no set view on how many qualifications are required. There may be multiple qualifications as long as there are distinct differences between them.

All parties need to agree with the proposed suite of qualifications for their cluster and no one should sign off on this unless they are satisfied.

I am involved in a review and I don’t feel that my point of view about the purpose and value of my qualification is being heard. What should I do?

Focus on the differences between qualifications and the needs they meet. The place of a qualification on the NZQF is determined in the first instance by there being a need for it. There is no set view on how many qualifications are required. There may be more than one qualification of a type (e.g. a level 5 certificate) as long as there are distinct differences between them. Don’t sign off on the proposed suite of qualifications unless you are satisfied that they are right.

It is important to remember that we are looking for suites of qualifications that meet the assessed needs of any sector or industry. The focus must be on the need for the qualification and not its historical ownership. New qualifications belong to everyone – they exist in the public domain.

One organisation is dominating our review. What can be done about that?

The review leader/facilitator should ensure a collaborative approach which encourages the full range of views to be considered. All parties need to agree with the proposed suite of qualifications for their cluster and no one should sign off on this unless they are satisfied. If you feel the review is really getting stuck, contact the NZQA sector relationship manager appointed to liaise with your review.

You say we need to agree on a new set of qualifications. Does this mean existing qualifications will go?

New qualifications will be developed as a result of the review to meet the criteria for listing on the NZQF – even though the content of some of the existing qualifications may be similar to some of the proposed new qualifications. This will ensure that every qualification clearly articulates the purpose of the qualification and the profile of graduates: the skills, knowledge and attributes graduates should have.

Existing qualifications will be phased out over time. There will be a transition phase to allow adequate time for learners to complete existing qualifications.

How will the shift from the old to the new qualification happen?

Following the listing of a new qualification, existing qualifications need to have their status changed from current to expiring or discontinued. When approval for a new qualification is sought, the application needs to include both signed permission from each of the existing qualification owners on this change of status and signed agreement to the new suite of qualifications. The date when change is to take place also needs to be included.

What happens to the ownership of qualifications after the review?

Qualifications are in the public domain. They are public property – owned by everyone.

What is the role of the qualification developer?

Qualification developers are responsible for ensuring that qualifications are relevant, current and fit for purpose. To this end, they will ensure that the qualification is reviewed regularly. Periodic review is a requirement of listing on the NZQF. Qualification developers are also responsible for managing consistency.

What cost is involved in a review?

Qualification developers, in conjunction with stakeholders, are responsible for identifying and managing the costs associated with reviews. It is expected these will be shared.

We were planning to review our qualifications this year and our review is in our work programme. But our qualifications are not on the NZQA 2011 Review Schedule.

We suggest you delay reviewing your qualifications until you can look at them in relationship to other qualifications in the sector. The purpose of qualification reviews is to ensure the range of available qualifications in any sector meets the needs of that sector without duplication. That can only be done in a cross-sector review.

If you are not able to wait, you can continue to review the qualification and then seek approval to develop a new (reviewed) qualification. This involves stakeholder consultation and a clear demonstration of need. Your qualification will still come up for review in the context of other, similar qualifications, but this should be straight-forward if you made a strong case for the need for the qualification.

Questions about this can be sent to nzqfquestions@nzqa.govt.nz or, if you have an urgent enquiry, you can call our Service Delivery Manager, Kathy Maclaren, on 04 463 3000.

I want to revise my National qualification. What should I do?

Revisions to existing national qualifications will only be accepted if there are changes to the standards, and the changes are required to maintain the achievability of qualifications. The following changes will not be acceptable as part of a revision:

• Change to the title and/or level of the qualification
• Change to the purpose of the qualification
• Significant changes to qualification requirements
• Significant changes to the minimum credit value of the qualification.

A qualification review must be undertaken if any changes, beyond changes to standards, are proposed. You can check when a review is scheduled on the Qualifications Review Schedule. If you want to discuss the review date for your cluster of qualifications, please contact NZQA at nzqfquestions@nzqa.govt.nz

I am thinking about developing a new qualification. What should I do?

The first thing to do is check if there are any similar qualifications. If there are similar qualifications, the best thing to do would be to find out when the review of qualifications in your field is scheduled and consider if you can wait until then and get involved with that process. Alternatively, you can commence the process and seek approval to develop a new qualification. Your qualification will still be considered when a review for your sector is scheduled.

I am well advanced with the development of a new qualification. What should I do?

The best thing to do would be to find out when the review of qualifications in your field is scheduled and consider if you can wait until then and get involved with that process. If you are not able to wait, you can continue and seek approval to develop a new qualification. This involves stakeholder consultation and a clear demonstration of need. Your qualification will still come up for review in the context of other, similar qualifications, but this should be straight-forward if you made a strong case for the need for the qualification.

Questions about this can be sent to nzqfquestions@nzqa.govt.nz or, if you have an urgent enquiry, you can call our Service Delivery Manager, Kathy Maclaren, on 04 463 3000

What is the relationship of programmes to qualifications?

Qualifications are quite separate from the programmes that lead to the award of the qualification. Qualifications will specify requirements for programme developers. Education providers will be accredited to deliver a programme that leads to the qualification. New programmes must lead to a qualification listed on the NZQF at the time of approval.

When will programme criteria be released?

The criteria for programmes of study are being updated following consultation. They are expected to be available shortly.

What changes will be required to programmes following a qualification review?

Following a qualification review and the approval of new qualifications, programme owners will need to review their programmes and map the learning outcomes against the qualification outcomes. This is something that will be done as part of a provider’s self-assessment. More details on programme approvals will be released as the qualifications reviews start to be completed.

If unit standards are specified in the qualification, when do they get approved?

Unless they are already listed on the Directory of Assessment Standards, any required standards need to be submitted, using the current standards application process, at the same time as the qualification application.

What’s happening with the new level descriptors?

NZQA has published new level descriptors and qualification type definitions which bring New Zealand into alignment with other international frameworks. The ten levels on the NZQF are described in terms of the knowledge and skills a graduate at any level should have as well as the how that knowledge and skills should be able to be applied, for example under supervision or independently.

The new definitions and descriptors are contained in an updated version of Requirements for listing and maintaining qualifications on the NZQF (PDF, 303KB). (LINK)

All qualifications on the NZQF must be consistent with section 3 of the document, while all new qualifications at levels 1-6 must also meet the specific listing requirements outlined in section 4 of the policy document.

How will consistency be managed?

Consistency arrangements are not dictated. However, all qualifications need to specify arrangements to ensure consistency of outcomes for learners across all programmes leading to the qualification. The Guidelines for listing qualifications on the NZQF provides a framework for addressing consistency. NZQA has also commissioned a discussion paper, Ensuring consistency of qualification outcomes (PDF, 689KB), examining the principles around consistency.

What impact do you expect the qualifications reviews to have on the NZQF?

Over time, new and reviewed qualifications at levels 1-6 listed on the NZQF will have "New Zealand" in the title of the qualification. The use of the term "National" or a provider name in a qualifications title is being phased out as qualifications are reviewed. "National" will be used to distinguish secondary school qualifications at levels 1-3, namely, National Certificates of Educational Achievement.

How will I know when there will be another review?

Future reviews will be scheduled when new qualifications are approved and will be at a maximum interval of five years. All qualifications listed on the NZQF following an initial review will have a future review date.