Getting systems into place
What is sampling?
Sampling is the practice of regular monitoring of candidate evidence and the confirmation of quality assessment procedures. An ITQ Internal Verifier needs to record and report when sampling is carried out.
Poor practice is when Internal Verifiers view a portfolio of evidence at the final completion stage - rather than using a formative approach and carrying out checks throughout the process.
Good practice therefore means not to check 100% of every assessment decision an assessor makes but to create a sampling pattern and consider selected Units - to sample or refer to a selection rather than the whole. Many Verifiers validate the Mandatory Unit as a benchmark.
Nevertheless, it is highly recommended that ITQ Internal Verifiers view and validate all the decisions made by trainee assessors (achieving the A1) or those assessors who might be experienced at assessing yet new to ITQ. Internal Verifiers also need to monitor and support newly appointed assessors regardless of whether they are experienced. 
Listen to Linda Richardson talk about how she samples candidates' evidence. 
Linda Richardson refers to a matrix (as seen above). A simple spreadsheet or table structure can help organise where verifying needs to take place.
Over a period of time, the following must have been assessed by an ITQ Internal Verifier:
* all assessors responsible to the Internal Verifier
* all Units
* All centres where assessment occurs
* All assessment methods
So what are Rules of Evidence?
The general rules of evidence are the rules against which all evidence must be measured. A candidate's evidence must adhere to the rules of evidence.
It must be:
Valid - the evidence must be relevant against the standards that it is being matched to. If it cannot be mapped to any of the standards then it is not valid.
Authentic - the evidence must be the candidate's own and this must be proved to the assessor. Candidates can sign and date each piece of evidence, however if electronic evidence is being collated a statement from a line manager/supervisor could be provided to confirm that the evidence is the candidate's own work and has been achieved within the workplace.
Current - the evidence must be recent, and up-to-date. Evidence should normally not be more than two years old.
Sufficient - there must be enough evidence to prove the candidate's ability, and there must be at least two different types of evidence used in each unit. For example, work product and a record of oral questioning. Remember that a good piece of evidence may prove competence in more than one area.
ITQ Internal Verifiers must not assume that assessors are checking these rules of evidence - they must monitor and ensure that the procedure is rigorously put into practice.
The NVQ Code of Practice state new rules; they detail the requirement to fully authenticate candidate evidence. A written and signed declaration that evidence is authentic is recommended. 
As an ITQ Internal Verifier do you have?
* good planning skills to keep regular records
* good monitoring skills to see how candidates are progressing
* sufficient time to carry out formative verification
* An authenticity statement in place for candidates to sign on completion. 
City and Guilds produce an excellent resource for ITQ Internal Verifiers. The 'Guidance on Internal Verification of N/SNVQs' recommends certain approaches to sampling and verification. An extract (below) shows an example of an IV Sampling Plan and Record taken from page 49 of the Guide.
'IV Sampling Plan and Record' (PDF file - 64 Kb) 
The standardisation process
Another part of monitoring the quality of assessor performance is to carry out standardisation procedures or cross-marking. The purpose of the standardisation meeting is provide an opportunity for the ITQ Assessor Team to get together to compare, discuss and agree on assessment decisions and to raise any issues concerning assessment of candidates.
Standardisation meetings needed to be called regularly by the ITQ Internal Verifier. Subject to the number of ITQ candidates and subsequent assessment, it might mean that a standardisation meeting should be held at least once every 8 weeks. It is certainly good practice to consider 3 standardisation meetings within a one-year period.
Attendance is essential for all ITQ assessors. It provides an ideal opportunity, not only to bring candidate evidence to the table in order to discuss standard approach to assessing and giving feedback, but it also should provide a time to carry out activities of professional development for the assessor team. The ITQ Internal Verifier needs to build in activities to address any training needs or use the opportunity to advise and update the Assessor Team about changing policies or future developments.
What about online standardisation meetings- can they work?
Fundamentally, yes they can. It is certainly a possible solution to take to address the difficulty of gathering together a team of assessors in one physical place at the same time.
The online place needs to be a secure environment that can allow for the uploading of candidate evidence and assessor reports linked to that evidence. It also requires a forum or tool to enable assessor discussion about the assessment decisions or issues relating to that evidence.
A forum could also provide the opportunity for the ITQ Internal Verifier to talk about CPD elements or to engage in a relevant professional discussion. 
Some learning platforms could provide this type of online standardisation area. Moodle, for example, is one such environment as the structure allows for restricted or confidential password-protected areas, and it offers functions such as Forums and a simple uploading facility to address the meetings' requirements.
Working with your External Verifier - and the Awarding Body
ITQ External Verifiers are experienced senior practitioners in the area of the standards they verify. Their role is to approve the quality of assessment and internal verification at each ITQ Centre. They are appointed by the Awarding Body. The External Verifier is the main link between the ITQ Centre and the Awarding Body and it is recommended that a good relationship is forged between the Internal and External ITQ Verifier. 
Listen to Linda Richardson from Bibshop Auckland College talk about how she works with her External Verifier.
Last modified: 16 Nov 2007
