AMAP for Fire and Rescue Services Industry Training Organisation [Ref: 0039]

 

Review of Fire and Rescue Services Industry Training Organisation AMAP

 

The Fire and Rescue Services Industry Training Organisation (FRSITO) has completed the review of the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) above.

 

Date new version published                        November 2006

 

The next AMAP review is planned to take place during 2010.

 

Summary of review and consultation process

 

The FRSITOAMAP[Ref: 0039] has been reviewed to remove overlaps between generic and industry specific accreditation requirements, focus moderation processes on external national moderation and reflect recommendations made in the FRSITO audit.

 

Consultation, feedback and endorsement have been made through industry moderators and the FRSITO Quality Management Advisory Group.

 

Compliance with new requirements

 

Accreditation requirements will apply with effect from December 2006.  While it is not considered likely that the split of requirements into generic and industry specific criteria will impact on the progress of applicant organisations through the accreditation process the timing has been aligned with the implementation on the moderation action plan for consistency.

 

Moderation system requirements will apply with effect from December 2006.  This is to allow time for the negotiation of moderation agreements with accredited organisations prior to the 2007 calendar year.

 

Accredited organisations will be audited for compliance with AMAP requirements from January 2007 onwards.

 

Main changes resulting from the review

 

ACCREDITATION INFORMATION (AI)

 

While the participation, accreditation options and areas of shared responsibility remain unchanged two additional visit waiver conditions have been added.

·        when the applicant's history of teaching and assessment against other unit standards of a similar nature is well established and known to FRSITO and a letter of support is provided by the SSB responsible for those standards;

·        other special reasons agreed on a case-by-case basis between the applicant organisation and FRSITO.  Such as, when the applicant organisation has been audited and has met the NZQA Quality Assurance Standard for PTEs, GTEs and Wānanga.

 

Version 3 of the AMAP had industry or sector-specific requirements for accreditation that overlapped with the general requirements for accreditation.  The overlapping requirements have been removed and requirements within each criterion have been bullet pointed to more clearly identify components.

 

MODERATION INFORMATION (MI)

 

Moderation System

 

The national moderation system has been refocused to provide an activity driven, external moderation system.  There are considerable differences in the scope and activity of accredited organisations within the external moderation system.  To be consistent nationally but appropriate individually the National Moderator will work in collaborative partnership with the accredited organisation to develop moderation agreements.  These agreements will specify the requirements for both post-assessment moderation and any pre-assessment moderation.  This agreement will be formalised in writing, signed by both parties and will be known as the Moderation Agreement for that year.

 

Removing compulsory participation in moderation meetings and tailoring moderation requirements to meet the anticipated situation, while allowing for flexibility to change during the agreement, is designed to complement the nature, structures and partnership of accredited organisations, industry sectors and FRSITO.

 

Reporting

 

The National Moderator will provide a written report to all participating organisations following moderation activities and publish an annual moderation report outlining the moderation activities which have taken place during the period covered.

 

FRSITO will use information in its database, and financial management system, together with moderation reports, to meet its annual reporting responsibilities to NZQA and Tertiary Education Commission.

 

Funding

 

A portion of the dollar-per-credit NZQA fee for unit standard credits will be used to partially fund the development, implementation and administration of the national external moderation system.

 

Non-compliance with moderation requirements

 

Fees for ongoing non-compliance have been introduced, and will be used to fund the management of non-compliance with the national external moderation system.

 

Appeals

 

The appeals procedure has been updated from the internally focused 'disputes' process in version 3 to an externally focused 'appeals' process in version 4.