deliverable committee. Each project has its own deliverable committee. There are no standing members across all the deliverable committees.
Maintenance of occupational standards
While TPQI has not yet needed to review any occupational standards, qualifications and assessment tools as part of a regular three year review cycle, it has, or will have, committees for all occupational standards to oversee this process. These committees will be appointed by TPQI. It is planned that these committees will meet at least twice a year and will consider which occupational standards, professional qualifications and assessment tools are to be reviewed and revised.
TPQI has previously advised that the committees will indicate the time-frames for the revision work. The committees will also have the responsibility of consulting with stakeholders and assessment centres in their own occupations to identify ways to improve qualifications and the assessment process.
A three-year refreshment policy for all units of competency has considerable logistical, financial and candidate engagement implications. NZQA has previously advised TPQI to take a cautious and pragmatic approach to the consideration and implementation of any strategic policy that may cause disincentives to employees and employers engaging in the professional qualifications system.
TPQF level descriptors and qualification design rules
NZQA has previously recommended that TPQI consider revising the TPQF level descriptors and qualification design rules to make them fit-for-purpose and address issues of complexity and internal consistency. NZQA also recommended that it would be timely to do this, and apply the revised descriptors to a review of occupational standards and qualifications across all sectors, once the initial round of development is complete.
TPQI is still considering an approach to the revision of the TPQF level descriptors.
TPQI self-assessment
TPQI staff identified the following unresolved concerns, and issues arising from implementation, including:
• the process of, and consistency in, assigning TPQF levels of standards and qualifications
• opportunities for the project manager to provide advice to the endorsement committee when this differed from that of the consultant
• pressure on project managers to ensure project timelines were being met and the subsequent impact on product quality
• assessment tool development
- timeframe – 185 days to develop, evaluate, pilot, review and revise assessment tools, and complete reporting requirements
- process – assessment validity issues arising from design mismatch between the requirements of the standard and the developed assessment tool;
- lack of a standard template or guidelines for developing assessment tools - leading to inconsistency in the type of tools chosen to assess particular skills
- examiner capability – due to the newness of the standards
- budget – over-expenditure in piloting assessments in those technical occupations requiring more expenditure equipment and materials