Our latest calendar will be in the post before Christmas. The photos used are all our own work and they’re so good the one we’re currently showing on our homepage didn’t make the cut! (Actually, mainly because we needed landscape rather than portrait photos). If you haven’t received your calendar by Christmas and would like one, just e-mail kristy@stratagia.co.uk or use the Contact form on the website.

That New Year saying of ‘out with the old and in with the new’ is pertinent for Awarding Bodies in 2013. It’s time to ditch that tatty, well-thumbed and much loved purple Conditions book that you’ve spent the last two years avidly fondly annotating – and replace it with the spanking new green book! Yes we’re talking about Ofqual’s newly published General Conditions of Recognition, November 2012 (which replaces the May 2011 publication). You can download it from www.ofqual.gov.uk/files/2012-11-20-general-conditions-of-recognition-november-2012.pdf .

The new conditions come into effect at 12.01am on Monday 18th February 2013, so there’s plenty of time to add this to that New Year “to do” list. And at first sight, the task won’t be too onerous, as there are only a few updates and additions. Most significantly there are three new conditions specified (A1.3, G4.2 and G.4.3). However, we also notice that G9 Delivering the Assessment has been added to the November 2012 version (and was not included in the May 2011 version)

What do new requirements cover?

In summary A1.3 requires AOs to ensure it either submits or awards a qualification at least every two years, to avoid becoming “inactive”. G4.2 requires AOs to ensure confidentiality in qualification training or training materials and G4.3 requires AOs to ensure that there is no disclosure of confidential information about assessment or content of assessments. G.9 states that AOs must ensure that the delivery and content of every assessment is effective and efficient (e.g. is fit for purpose, permits Reasonable Adjustments, generates authenticated evidence, is attainable at the level, allows assessors to differentiate attainment, is appropriate to the assessment method and is consistent with the qualification specification).

And there’s more!

Ofqual have also published a 35 page document with the snappy title:

Guidance to the General Conditions of Recognition: Referring to General Conditions of Recognition November 2012 For Awarding Organisations

So it’s also time to spring clean that folder containing the old FAQs on General Conditions and mull over the implications of this new Guidance document. This new Guidance document clarifies what compliance looks like, and includes examples of ‘positive and negative indicators’. These should help AO’s to quality review their current levels of compliance, evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, identify risks and strengthen their Contingency Plans.

If you need help with any of this you know where we are!