National Occupational Standards can be used to assess both the performance of individuals and the extent to which they possess the required knowledge and skills. The assessment may be for a number of different purposes, such as selection, identification of training needs, evaluation of the effectiveness of training, performance management, quality assurance or for NVQ certification.
1. Whether you wish to assess performance or knowledge and skills, you must first identify the units of National Occupational Standards relevant to the work of the individuals being assessed. You should then decide whether the individuals are to be assessed across the whole range of units, or just in selected units.
Tip. It is often useful to prioritise and select just those units which are critical to their performance.
2. Use the performance criteria in each element of the units to assess the individuals' performance. The question you should seek to answer is When carrying out this activity, does the individual consistently meet the performance criteria? For example, in element LLCG.1 in the Local Land Charges and Property Information standards, you would seek to answer the question When accepting official applications for local land and property Searches ,does the individual consistently check that applications are valid?
You would want to see evidence of this happening, which may be
- direct observation of the worker carrying out the activity, either in real or realistically simulated situations
- testimony of colleagues who witnessed the worker carrying out the activity, or of the patients who were the subject of the activity
- inspection of the individuals' work activity
- reflective reports by the worker describing the activities they carried out and their reasoning
- oral questioning of the worker to establish what they did and their reasoning.
Usually, a combination of evidence should be used to make a fair and safe assessment.
3. Use the knowledge and understanding specifications in each unit to assess whether individuals possess the required knowledge and skills. By assessing a number of units together, it may be possible to eliminate duplication of knowledge and skills items that appear in more than one unit. The question you should seek to answer is Does the individual know and understand how to apply the required knowledge and skills? For example, in unit LLCG, you would seek to answer the question Does the worker know and understand how to obtain clarification of ambiguous information from applicants? It may be possible to infer that the individual possesses the required knowledge and skills through the assessment of their performance, or you may wish to supplement this with other assessment methods, such as
- written tests of knowledge
- demonstrations of skills under realistically simulated conditions
- computerised tests and simulations
- oral questioning of the worker to establish their knowledge and the extent of their understanding
