Education and training services

Tender description

The aim of this tender is to commission awarding bodies to develop a suite of Health and Social Care and Childcare qualifications (the New Qualifications) to meet the needs of learners in Wales from age 14 upwards and to address the issues raised in the Qualifications Wales' sector review. http://qualificationswales.org/media/1904/hsc-report-2016-e.pdf These qualifications must be ready for first teaching in schools, colleges and work-based learning environments from September 2019. Only awarding bodies recognised by Qualifications Wales will be able to deliver this contract therefore bidders must either already be recognised awarding bodies or achieve recognition by Qualifications Wales within three months of the notification of intention to award a contract. Conditions of Recognition are available at: http://qualificationswales.org/regulation/awarding-body-recognition/?lang=en In scope In order to develop the New Qualifications, Qualifications Wales will require the successful bidder(s) to (and achieve these outputs): Compliance 1. Comply with Qualifications Wales' Conditions of Recognition and other regulatory requirements throughout the development, assessment and award of the New Qualifications Qualification development 2. Develop all of the New Qualifications within one or more of the lots of qualifications as detailed in the contract specification, including the finalisation of draft subject content developed by Qualifications Wales and sector bodies with input from other stakeholders, qualification structure, assessment arrangements and quality assurance. Materials and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) 3. Develop and simultaneously publish appropriate bilingual (Welsh and English) qualification materials and resources. 4. Develop and publish appropriate bilingual CPD materials and training courses for assessors and tutors. Centre support 5. Provide holistic bilingual support to centres in person, and through the Internet and other channels that enables them to effectively manage the delivery of the New Qualifications and access support in all aspects of their delivery and assessment. Quality assurance 6. Recruit and pay assessment personnel. 7. Set and enforce requirements for centres to ensure that qualification assessment strategies are properly and consistently implemented. 8. Provide a high quality external quality assurance service to centres, including a regular programme of centre visits. Change management 9. Provide reasonable and appropriate communications and engagement with learners, providers, employers and universities to gain reasonable understanding of and support for the New Qualifications. 10. Provide adequate support, including training and materials, to enable centres to be ready to deliver the New Qualifications from 1 September 2019. This includes approval of centres not currently approved by the successful bidders. 11. Where appropriate, provide suitable training and continued support for centres in using online systems for recording learner data and/or evidence. Continuous improvement 12. Evaluate and update the New Qualifications to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of learners throughout their delivery. Qualification award 13. Set clear and reasonable minimum standards of competence and requirements for assessors of each new qualification. Data 14. Provide data to Qualifications Wales, the parameters of which are to be agreed during the dialogue stage of the bidding process, for the purpose of enabling it to fulfil its regulatory functions and to monitor the performance of the new qualifications and the contract. Efficiency and value for money 15. Ensure that the New Qualifications are developed and are able to be delivered efficiently whilst also representing demonstrable value for money. In scope In order to develop the New Qualifications, Qualifications Wales will require the successful bidder(s) to (and achieve these outputs): Compliance 1. Comply with Qualifications Wales' Conditions of Recognition and other regulatory requirements throughout the development, assessment and award of the New Qualifications Qualification development 2. Develop all of the New Qualifications within one or more of the lots of qualifications as detailed in the contract specification, including the finalisation of draft subject content developed by Qualifications Wales and sector bodies with input from other stakeholders, qualification structure, assessment arrangements and quality assurance. Materials and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) 3. Develop and simultaneously publish appropriate bilingual (Welsh and English) qualification materials and resources. 4. Develop and publish appropriate bilingual CPD materials and training courses for assessors and tutors. Centre support 5. Provide holistic bilingual support to centres in person, and through the Internet and other channels that enables them to effectively manage the delivery of the New Qualifications and access support in all aspects of their delivery and assessment. Quality assurance 6. Recruit and pay assessment personnel. 7. Set and enforce requirements for centres to ensure that qualification assessment strategies are properly and consistently implemented. 8. Provide a high quality external quality assurance service to centres, including a regular programme of centre visits. Change management 9. Provide reasonable and appropriate communications and engagement with learners, providers, employers and universities to gain reasonable understanding of and support for the New Qualifications. 10. Provide adequate support, including training and materials, to enable centres to be ready to deliver the New Qualifications from 1 September 2019. This includes approval of centres not currently approved by the successful bidders. 11. Where appropriate, provide suitable training and continued support for centres in using online systems for recording learner data and/or evidence. Continuous improvement 12. Evaluate and update the New Qualifications to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of learners throughout their delivery. Qualification award 13. Set clear and reasonable minimum standards of competence and requirements for assessors of each new qualification. Data 14. Provide data to Qualifications Wales, the parameters of which are to be agreed during the dialogue stage of the bidding process, for the purpose of enabling it to fulfil its regulatory functions and to monitor the performance of the new qualifications and the contract. Efficiency and value for money 15. Ensure that the New Qualifications are developed and are able to be delivered efficiently whilst also representing demonstrable value for money. In scope In order to develop the New Qualifications, Qualifications Wales will require the successful bidder(s) to (and achieve these outputs): Compliance 1. Comply with Qualifications Wales' Conditions of Recognition and other regulatory requirements throughout the development, assessment and award of the New Qualifications Qualification development 2. Develop all of the New Qualifications within one or more of the lots of qualifications as detailed in the contract specification, including the finalisation of draft subject content developed by Qualifications Wales and sector bodies with input from other stakeholders, qualification structure, assessment arrangements and quality assurance. Materials and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) 3. Develop and simultaneously publish appropriate bilingual (Welsh and English) qualification materials and resources. 4. Develop and publish appropriate bilingual CPD materials and training courses for assessors and tutors. Centre support 5. Provide holistic bilingual support to centres in person, and through the Internet and other channels that enables them to effectively manage the delivery of the New Qualifications and access support in all aspects of their delivery and assessment. Quality assurance 6. Recruit and pay assessment personnel. 7. Set and enforce requirements for centres to ensure that qualification assessment strategies are properly and consistently implemented. 8. Provide a high quality external quality assurance service to centres, including a regular programme of centre visits. Change management 9. Provide reasonable and appropriate communications and engagement with learners, providers, employers and universities to gain reasonable understanding of and support for the New Qualifications. 10. Provide adequate support, including training and materials, to enable centres to be ready to deliver the New Qualifications from 1.9.2019. This includes approval of centres not currently approved by the successful bidders. 11. Where appropriate, provide suitable training and continued support for centres in using online systems for recording learner data and/or evidence. Continuous improvement 12. Evaluate and update the New Qualifications to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of learners throughout their delivery. Qualification award 13. Set clear and reasonable minimum standards of competence and requirements for assessors of each new qualification. Data 14. Provide data to Qualifications Wales, the parameters of which are to be agreed during the dialogue stage of the bidding process, for the purpose of enabling it to fulfil its regulatory functions and to monitor the performance of the new qualifications and the contract. Efficiency and value for money 15. Ensure that the New Qualifications are developed and are able to be delivered efficiently whilst also representing demonstrable value for money.