The standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations 2012 states that:
Assessment means the process of collecting evidence and making judgements on whether competency has been achieved, to confirm that an individual can perform to the standard expected in the workplace, as expressed by the relevant endorsed industry/enterprise competency standards of a Training Package or by the learning outcomes of a VET accredited course.
The question is often asked when should you contextualize your assessment resources? Well the answer is simple; You may have purchased some commercially available assessment resources, or you are using generic materials developed for your RTO for use across a range of settings. Or you may have a need to adjust a resource that was developed for a specific setting, or industry.
Talk to your clients.
Assessment resources must be contextualised to reflect the workplace policies, standard procedures, regulatory requirements, equipment, infrastructure, safety strategies to be used in the setting you plan to use it in.
The contextualization make the resources more meaningful to candidates and assessors and ensures that candidates deemed as competent are job ready to work in that context.
When planning to contextualize your resources firstly focus on the practices of the organisation itself and the way that it manages its systems in undertaking its business. Secondly, you may consider the specific job role and review ways in which these requirements may be incorporated into the assessment.
Remember to consult with key personnel in the organisation concerned. Dependent on the specific context, this may include training staff, work teams, team leaders, supervisors, operational managers, and HR managers.
Then you will need to identify the existing assessment resources to be used and the associated units of competence. (Make sure you check the units are the latest version from the training package and map to the RTOs scope.)
Using the information gathered from your conversations with the workplace, ascertain the sources of information that describe how performance and knowledge must be demonstrated when completing the identified workplace activities.
Modify the components to reflect the local outcome required by the student. Care must be taken
to maintain the integrity of the links to all requirements of the units of competency….. Make sure you map back to the unit once contextualized.
Lastly trial the contextualised assessment resources, monitoring its successes and any weaknesses, initiating any required quality improvements and record your changes.