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A Review into Exam Results Issues Concerning the Scottish Qualifications Authority

APPENDIX V - SQA'S ACTIONS TO DATE

Source: Extract from submission by Bill Morton, Interim Chief Executive, SQA to

the Education, Culture and Sport Committee, School Exam Results Inquiry,

1 November 2000

KEY ISSUES

• SQA in future will focus more on meeting the needs and expectations of its customers (candidates) and partners (schools colleges and providers). Key to this will be a restoration of trust based upon open and effective two-way communication.

• Improved customer relations will help define the services and products SQA provides. The extent to which these meet customers’ needs and expectations will determine how well SQA performs.

• Increased attention will be given to planning and preparing for these services and products to be delivered successfully. This will include a better understanding and assessment of risks, together with contingency plans, which can be enacted, if required.

• Charting progress towards successful delivery, and advising customers, partners and stakeholders accordingly, will be via clear and concise management information.

• Investing in people within the SQA will ensure that everybody involved is part of the business and has or can develop the knowledge and skills required for its effective delivery. At the heart of this will be effective internal communications so that everybody understands what customers require and have the information necessary to do their job.

• In responding to customers, SQA will become more flexible and, in many instances introduce entirely new ways of working. For example, management’s role, as well as providing clear direction, will be to enable decisions by those best placed to make them. Allied to this will be greater sharing of knowledge, skill and experience across the organisation as a whole.

• Processes used within SQA will become simpler and more effective. Checks and balances will be introduced to allow stakeholder assurances to be sought and given that each stage is successfully conclude before moving on to the next. This will guarantee, for example that information required to produce results in 2001 is present, complete and accurate prior to actual production.

IMPROVEMENTS AND CHANGES

EARLY ACTION:

• Completing and correcting this year’s results.

• Accommodating and processing an anticipated higher volume of appeals.

• Paying due attention to the vocational side of the business VQ, HNC and HND.

• Appointed an Acting Director of Awards and an Acting Head of Operations

• Increasing communications capacity

• Established a team of Account Managers for Schools and Colleges. The team will be deployed on a geographic basis with named individuals acting as links between Centres and SQA.

• Detailed planning now for 2001

UNDERWAY:

• Installing customer relationship management.

An external communications strategy has been produced and will be further refined. SQA has introduced Account Managers for Schools and Colleges in response to early findings in the internal review that customer liaison had to be improved as a matter of urgency.

An internal communications strategy is under development.

• Restructuring to match core business needs (in simplest terms qualifications development and qualifications assessment and awards).

The detail of deploying and redeploying staff to the new structure is under consideration. This may include plans for recruiting new staff where there are skills shortages. Outstanding personnel issues will be handled through training and development and performance management.

• Staff development to introduce new approach to management and flexible ways of working based on effective sharing of knowledge.

Plans for restructuring will include a redefining of the roles and responsibilities of the Senior Management team to take a strategic overview of the organisation.

Members of the Board have volunteered to review SQA’s committee structures to ensure they are aligned with the emerging organisational structure. Arrangements have been made to undertake this review which will include redesigning committee remits and responsibilities and how often committees will meet. The relationship of Board members to stakeholders, staff and activities within SQA will also be considered.

• Clarifying and simplifying business processes to meet customer needs and expectations — internal and external - and to ensure effectiveness in new ways of working.

SQA has set up a Certification 2001 Planning Group to undertake detailed planning for 2001.

A two-stage action plan has been drawn up looking at issues such as:

• External communication
• Registration
• Entries
• Results
• Appointments
• Examinations timetable
• Key processes and dependencies

Steps are being taken to improve the clarity of information we send to Centres. For example, Centres are being consulted on the desirability of a target submission date for internal assessment results and we have reviewed our procedures and forms for candidate registration and amendment.

Systems controls and checks are being reviewed to ensure data validation and completeness of data. Information on errors with data from Centres is being reviewed for clarity to ensure that Centres are aware of reasons for data rejection. In addition, Centres will be given data confirmation reports showing what has been entered on their behalf.

Working practices and procedures are being simplified within the Operations Unit and additional staffing is being identified to support the work of this Unit.

SQA is currently undertaking a limited review of forms for data capture.

IT has allocated additional resources to enhancing performance and new systems for reporting performance problems are being introduced.

Improved management information reports have been identified by staff and are being considered in terms of priority and in the context of delivery for 2001.

A project manager has been appointed to take a strategic overview of appointees. The purpose of the project is to identify risks, ensure effective interface between Units, plan for contingencies, identify resources and liaise with external stakeholders. This will include a review of remuneration to markers and the administrative processes to support their appointment.

• Examine the feasibility of a single site operation. This will allow greater integration and cohesion across SQA as well as offering gains, both in efficiency and value for money.

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