National Occupational Standards provides a framework for the fair and safe assessment of individuals' performance. Where individuals consistently perform to the standards required, it may be appropriate to recognise this through confirming the workers in their posts, regrading them, providing financial rewards, or a combination of these. The way competent performance is recognised depends on each particular organisation's policy.

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), however, provide national recognition of individuals' performance and offer assurance to employers that the holder of the NVQ will be able to perform the activity competently after any necessary induction into the organisation's particular policies, procedures and work methods.