1. National Panel Briefings for External Authenticators
February 2019

2. The FESS team (www.fess.ie)
Name
Location
Role
Miriam O’ Donoghue
CDETB
Manager of FESS
Finola Butler
Support Officer for Dublin, Louth and Meath
Catherine Crowley
CETB
Support Officer for Cork, Clare, Kerry and Limerick
Siobhan Magee
CMETB
Support Officer for Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Monaghan, Sligo, Westmeath
Mary Sheehy
KWETB
Support Officer for Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow
Jenny Whelan
TETB
Support Officer for Galway, Laois, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary
©2019, Further Education Support Service

3. FESS Input
“The role of the external authenticator is to provide independent confirmation of fair and consistent assessment of learners in line with QQI requirements and to ensure consistency of assessment results with national standards”
Quality Assuring Assessment, Guidelines for Providers, Revised 2013 (Version 2 - revised 2018*), p.26
Overview information – National Framework of Qualifications, QQI awards and FET programmes
The external authentication process within a quality assuring assessment process
The role of the external authenticator
External authenticator training – what might it involve?
©2019, Further Education Support Service

4. The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ)
The single, nationally and internationally accepted entity, through which all learning achievements may be measured and related to each other in a coherent way and which defines the relationship between all education and training awards
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5. NFQ Grid Of Level Indicators
Knowledge Breadth
Knowledge Kind
Know-How & Skill Range
Know-How & Skill Selectivity
Competence Context
Competence Role
Competence Learning to Learn
Competence Insight
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6. NFQ award classes Major award Minor award Special Purpose award
Principal class of award
Significant volume of learning
Combination of minor awards (components)
Minor award
Derived from, and links to, at least one compound award
Smaller than its parent award(s)
May be referred to as a component
Special Purpose award
Learning that is relatively narrow or purpose-specific
Comprises one or more minor awards (components)
Supplemental award
Recognises learning that involves updating/up-skilling and/or continuing education and training with specific regard to occupations
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7. QQI awards and ETB programmes
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8. QQI and the QQI Award For Further Education and Training (FET) awards:
QQI determines the standards of knowledge, skill and competence for an award
The standards may be expressed as learning outcomes in:
award specifications (Common Awards System)
professional award type descriptors (Apprenticeships)
Standards will be in line with the National Framework of Qualifications grid of level indicator statements
The QQI Award is the quality-assured qualification awarded for further education and training in Ireland
©2019, Further Education Support Service

9. QQI awards currently made in ETB Sector in FET
Major award:
Certificate (levels 1-5)
Advanced Certificate (level 6)
Apprenticeship Award (level 5 up)
Minor award:
Component Certificate (levels 1-6)
Special Purpose award:
Specific Purpose Certificate (levels 3-6)
Supplemental award:
Supplemental Certificate (level 6)
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10. Relationship Between Awards and Programmes
Award (Destination)
Determined and made by QQI
A statement of standards, i.e. what needs to be acquired, and where appropriate demonstrated, by a learner in order to achieve QQI certification
Programme (Journey)
Developed by the provider (ETB)
The process by which a learner acquires the required standard of the award
Comprises the learning package offered by the provider (ETB) which enables the learner to reach the standards of knowledge, skill and competence of the award
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11. ETB Validated Programmes
Further education programmes
Originally developed by VECs/ETBs
Maintained by ETB validated to offer the programme
Training programmes
Developed by FÁS
Apprenticeship programmes
New activity for the ETB sector (post-2016 apprenticeships)
Developed by ETB(s)
Maintained by a Co-ordinating Provider
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12. The External Authentication Process within a Quality Assuring Assessment Process

13. Key Stages in the Quality Assuring Assessment Process
Results Approval Process (RAP)
Requesting Certification
Authentication Process
Internal verification (IV)
External authentication (EA)
Appeals Process
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14. Key Stages in the Quality Assuring Assessment Process
Internal Verification:
Application of assessment procedures verified
Assessment results monitored on a sample basis
Internal verification report produced
External Authentication:
Assessment of learners consistent with national standards confirmed
Assessment of learners in line with QQI requirements confirmed
External authentication report produced
Learners assessed by the assessor, in line with quality assurance policy and procedures
Portfolio of assessment work produced by the learner
Portfolio marked and graded by the assessor
Assessment result recorded
Documentation provided to the authentication process
Results approval panel established by the provider
IV and EA reports considered
Results reviewed, approved and signed off
Issuing of results to learners agreed
Submission of results to QQI agreed
Results approval panel report produced
Quality assured assessment results submitted to QQI by provider/centre within the provider
Certification requested by the provider from QQI
Assessment
Results Approval Process (RAP)
Requesting Certification
Learners facilitated by the provider to appeal a result and/or the assessment process
Authentication Process
Internal verification (IV)
External authentication (EA)
Appeals Process
©2019, Further Education Support Service

15. The External Authentication Process
Provides independent confirmation of:
Fair and consistent assessment of learners in line with QQI requirements
Consistency of assessment results with national standards
Undertaken through the assignment by the provider of an external authenticator who:
Has technical/subject matter expertise in award area/field of learning
Has experience of programme delivery or assessment or work in the industry/field
Is trained and available to the provider
Is independent of the assigned centre
Has good communication skills (report writing, interaction with learners, assessors, management, QA team, etc.)
Has necessary IT skills (for example, , word processing (report writing), skype)
©2019, Further Education Support Service

16. The Role of the External Authenticator
To provide independent confirmation of fair and consistent assessment of learners in line with QQI requirements and consistency of assessment results with national standards by:
Reviewing and authenticating the Internal Verification Report(s)
Applying the provider’s sampling strategy to identify learner portfolios to be moderated
Moderating the learner evidence
Being available to meet with appropriate staff and learners
Producing an external authentication report
Participating in/available to the Results Approval Process, if requested
Operating within relevant code(s) of practice
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17. Training for External Authenticators
Draft Agenda for External Authenticator Training
Unpacking the role of the ETBs in the external authentication process
Ensuring an understanding of the standard (levels 1-6)
Learning about QQI awards
Exploring ETB programmes (FE programmes, training programmes and apprenticeship programmes)
Considering the expected workload and time commitment
Teasing out the external authentication process, including moderation
Making the judgement – sampling learner portfolios
Report writing
Case studies – scenarios and “What-Ifs”
Questions and answer session
Proposed from early April/May
One to two days initial training
Training to cover authenticating in FE programmes, training programmes and post-2016 apprenticeship programmes
Subsequent follow up CPD sessions
Draft agenda agreed
©2019, Further Education Support Service

18. In Summary… ETBs are quality assured providers
There is great diversity in context and settings so many opportunities
Professionalism, integrity and objectivity are cornerstones of the role of external authenticator
External authenticators will have to use their professional judgement, a common sense approach, problem solving and communication skills in their role
Training provided to external authenticators will prepare them for the role and provide necessary information and support
©2019, Further Education Support Service

19. Useful Hyperlinks Interactive NFQ: http://www.nfq-qqi.com/
Grid of Level Indicators:
©2019, Further Education Support Service