Internal Quality Assurance Strategy and Process
Section 1 Scope of the Internal Quality Assurance Policy
1.1 Scope of IQA Policy
This policy provides the key principles, responsibilities and best practice requirements that the company follows to ensure effective Internal Quality Assurance (IQA).
1.2 Key principles
The key principles of Internal Quality Assurance are to ensure:
- Qualifications that are designed to meet the specifications and rules of accreditation;
- Delivery of the programme must meet the expectations of the learner;
- Assessment must be accurate and consistent;
- Maintenance of a documented audit trail to enable verification, certification and distribution to learners; and
- Monitoring, review and evaluation for continuous improvement.
Section 2 The IQA Policy
2.1 Policy outline
GDP has a minimum of two team members operating and fulfilling the roles of deliverer and assessor or internal verifier and in addition each learner has a named deliverer/assessor and a second person acting as the internal verifier. GDP is committed to the key principles required to deliver an effective internal quality assurance approach including:
- A named person with the overall responsibility and accountability for GDP’s internal quality assurance;
- A stated commitment to recruit and select occupationally qualified team members and the provision for feedback, on – going support and development;
- Detail of the occupational competence, experience and qualification requirements for assessors and internal verifiers(s);
- Outline of the communication process for the policies GDP are responsible for;
- The management and development of assessors;
- A sampling assessment strategy;
- Standardising activities regularly (to be incorporated in the Quality Management System);
- A process for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the delivery and assessment from the perspective of both learners and employers; and
- Documentation and records showing a clear audit trail of assessment and IQA
- Responsibilities.
2.2 Roles and responsibilities
All the staff members and associates as well as contractors of the company have an important role to play in the IQA processes, policy and strategy. The respective responsibilities and key roles of the trainers (deliverers/tutors), assessors and internal verifier (known as internal moderator in South Africa), are listed below:
2.2.1 The role of trainers/deliverers/tutors
The role of the deliverer/tutor is to: ensure that the programme design is fit for purpose and the indicative content of a unit is delivered ensuring the learner can meet all unit learning outcomes and assessment criteria; to engage, motivate and provide key information to learners (for example assessment schedule, assessment and mark sheet, assessment guidance or sufficiency descriptors); and provide formative feedback on assessments.
2.2.2 The role of assessors
The role of the assessor is to decide whether a learner has demonstrated competence by judging the assignment or (portfolio of) evidence of the learner against all the (specific) learning outcomes and assessment criteria of the individual modules. In addition the assessor will offer guidance and support regarding requirements of evidence and issue written feedback when appropriate or required.
2.2.3 The role of the internal verifier
It is further stated that the role of the internal verifier, is key and that he/she has many responsibilities. The internal verifier may not sample any work that they have assessed. The responsibilities of the internal verifier are:
- Plan and prepare internal quality assurance (IQA) activities and sampling of assessor decisions in line with GDP’s risk management strategy
- Check validity and consistency of assessments, taking samples and monitoring processes
- NOTE: Internal quality assurance (IQA) sampling must take place at various stages in the learners’ journey to gain an overall picture of the quality and delivery, on an interim and summative basis.
- Organise standardisation activities with assessors to assist with interpretation of unit specifications, provide guidance and maintain the accuracy, quality and consistency of assessment decisions;
- Provide on-going answering of queries relating to:
- the assessment or verification process,
- interpretation of assessment criteria; and
- special consideration or reasonable adjustment requirements.
- Provide constructive feedback and advice on the performance of individual tutors/delivers/trainers and/or assessors to address any areas for development and maintenance of good practice in regards of observation, sampling and checking accuracy
- Fulfil a role within the internal appeals procedure and adjudicate in assessment disputes or variances. (The assessment decision of the internal verifier will take precedence over the decision of the assessor)
- Understand the legal requirements relating to record keeping; data protection and confidentiality
- The Internal Verifier(s) will be responsible for maintaining all assessment records
- Evaluate equality and diversity needs in connection with assessments evaluation
- Managing communications, both with deliverers/trainers/tutors, assessors, senior management of the company and the External Verifier. The role of the internal verifier and his/her associated responsibilities as indicated above is key to the implementation of GDP’s IQA policy and strategy.
2.3 Sampling guidelines
To maintain and improve standards samples will be taken from time to time. Principles governing the selection of these samples are as follows:
- Sampling learners will take into consideration gender; part and full time employment; special needs etc.
- Sampling assessors will include a cross section and make allowance for representation of experienced and less experienced assessors working with the company.
- Sampling will cover all courses offered by the company
- Written evidence of assignment validity will be required to ensure authenticity
- Records will be kept of all documentation relating to learner feedback
Section 3 Policy review
This policy is reviewed regularly and revisions are made in response to changes in legislation, changes in our practices, actions from our regulatory or external agencies, and / or in response to customer and stakeholder feedback.
Section 4 GDP contact and feedback
If you have any feedback or queries regarding this policy, please contact GDP’s Internal Quality Assessor by email at iqa@gdpglobal.com.
About GDP Global Development Ltd. Policy Documents
As an accredited training centre, GDP Global Ltd (GDP) has policies and procedures in place to fulfil Approval and Regulatory requirements and to provide a route map for GDP staff members, associates and learners.
The policies reflect the internal practice(s) of GDP, the purpose of which is to ensure that the staff and associates of GDP are familiar with their content and the processes involved.
The policies, procedures and guidelines are updated regularly. As an accredited learner Centre, the policy documents of GDP Global are subject to an annual review by accreditation bodies. The purpose of the review is to ascertain whether the policies, procedures and internal procedures are up-to-date and aligned to changes that have been made throughout the year.
This Policy also applies to GDP KnowHow which is a division of GDP Global Development Ltd.
Last reviewed: July 2022
