Moderation within each area will occur as follows:
For assessment where assessment materials can be brought to a meeting.
Assessors and representatives from accredited providers meet with the Group Moderator to:
discuss a sample of the assessment plans before they are used;
discuss the agreed FRSITO assessor assessment guides and learner assessment guides, and unit standards used in assessment;
examine work completed by candidates for assessment since the last meeting (in particular, the work examined will be that done by borderline candidates).
The assessment plans will either be approved at the meeting, or changes will be required in order for the tasks to meet national standards. The assessment plans will not be able to be used for assessment for the award of credit on the National Qualifications Framework until they have been approved.
Recommended changes to FRSITO Learner Assessment Guides and Assessor Assessment Guides, and unit standards will be forwarded to the National Moderator for discussion and action at the national moderation meetings.
The assessment decisions made by assessors will either be verified at the meeting, or assessors will be required to change their future assessment practices in order to meet national standards.
Group Moderators may, from time to time instead of meetings, make other “formal” contact with their assessors to gain the information required for a report, and to keep the assessor up to date.
For assessment which involves special conditions such as the use of machinery or simulations where materials cannot be brought to a meeting, or during an agreed moderation visit to an accredited provider.
The Group Moderator visits assessment centres to:
observe assessors conducting assessments on the worksite or at training centres where equipment is being used;
possibly interview candidates who have been assessed in order to verify that appropriate assessment decisions are being made by the assessor.
In consultation with assessors and representatives from accredited providers in the group, agreement will be reached at each meeting about the moderation requirements for the next meeting of assessors with the Group Moderator. The requirements will include deciding when the next meeting will be held, whether visits by the Group Moderator will be required, and what materials will be required for the meeting (including any materials that will need to be distributed before a meeting and the deadlines for this).
Assessors and representatives from accredited providers will be engaged in moderation meetings or visits 2 or 3 times per year. It is expected that about 5% - 10% of assessment activities in any one period will be moderated. Through the pre-planning of moderation activities, Group Moderators will ensure that, over time, as many unit standards as possible are moderated, and that the frequency with which individual unit standards are moderated is appropriate.
Moderation between regions will occur as follows:
Group Moderators will normally meet twice a year to discuss the activities of each area, at meetings convened by the National Moderator. These meetings will ensure there is consistency of assessor judgement between areas. With time and the development of assessor expertise and confidence, the frequency of these meetings may decrease.
Disputes
In the event of an assessor and a Group Moderator being in a dispute which they are unable to resolve, the case will be referred to the National Moderator of FRSITO. If the National Moderator is unable to resolve the situation, the case will be referred to a meeting of the Quality Management Advisory Group of FRSITO. If this meeting is unable to resolve the matter, the case will be decided by the FRSITO National Manager.
Records
After each area moderation group meeting or moderation visit, the Group Moderator will prepare a report. The report will include:
the titles of the unit standards moderated;
a summary of the moderation activities and their outcomes;
any recommendations for future action.
The Group Moderator will keep a copy of the report, and forward a copy to FRSITO. Individual assessors may also receive a copy of any part of the report that relates to them.
Evaluation
At times to be determined by FRSITO, each Group Moderator will prepare for the ITO a report which evaluates the moderation system, and which allows FRSITO to monitor the effectiveness of the system. Assessors from each regional group will be invited to make written or verbal submissions for these reports. Reports may include recommendations for improvements to the system. Initially, these reports will be required annually, but with time the frequency may be reduced.
Non-compliance with Moderation Procedures
Non-compliance with moderation procedures will be dealt with, initially, on a case by case basis by the Group Moderators who will decide what action should be taken and will advise the National Moderator. A Group Moderator may ask the FRSITO National Moderator to deal with any case of non-compliance. If it is warranted, an assessor may be de-registered by FRSITO. In the case of an accredited provider persistently failing to meet moderation requirements, FRSITO will provide NZQA with full details; in such a situation, the accreditation of the provider may be withdrawn.
