Overview
A challenge includes the apprentice finishing a major and outlined piece of labor that has an actual enterprise utility and profit. The challenge should begin after the apprentice has gone by way of the gateway. It provides the apprentice the chance to display the KSBs mapped to this evaluation technique.
The challenge should meet the wants of the employer’s enterprise and be related to the apprentice’s occupation and apprenticeship. The EPAO should affirm that it offers the apprentice with the chance to display the KSBs mapped to this evaluation technique to the very best accessible grade. The EPAO should confer with the grading descriptors to make sure that initiatives are pitched appropriately.
This evaluation technique has 2 parts:
- challenge with a challenge output
- query and reply session
Rationale
This evaluation technique is getting used as a result of:
- it permits apprentices to judge an present resilience intervention and make suggestions for enchancment, or suggest a brand new resilience intervention with justification
- it permits apprentices to display information, expertise, and behaviours holistically
- it could possibly produce one thing that’s of real enterprise profit to the apprentice’s employer
Element 1: Challenge with a challenge output
Supply
The analysis challenge report and questions should be structured to present the apprentice the chance to display the KSBs mapped to this evaluation technique to the very best accessible grade.
To make sure the challenge permits the apprentice to fulfill the KSBs mapped to this evaluation technique to the very best accessible grade, the EPAO ought to sign-off the challenge’s title and scope on the gateway to substantiate it’s appropriate.
The challenge output should be within the type of a report.
The apprentice should begin the challenge after the gateway. They have to full and submit the report to the EPAO by the top of week 20 . The employer ought to make sure the apprentice has the time and assets, inside this era, to plan and full their challenge. The apprentice should full their challenge and the manufacturing of its parts unaided.
The apprentice may fit as a part of a staff to finish the challenge which may embody technical inner or exterior assist. Nevertheless, the challenge output should be the apprentice’s personal work and reflective of their very own position and contribution. The apprentice and their employer should affirm that the challenge output is the apprentice’s personal work when it’s submitted.
The apprentice should produce an independently researched and written challenge report. The report should determine an space inside the enterprise’ resilience and emergencies capabilities that wants change and enchancment. For instance, an analysis of the strengths and limitations of an present resilience intervention or course of or a proposal for a brand new resilience intervention or strategy to fill an recognized hole. The apprentice should gather and current proof of the hole in functionality or the necessity for an intervention, proof that justifies advisable adjustments, and the way the advisable adjustments may very well be carried out. The report should embody notification of ethics authorisation and confidentiality restrictions on content material as acceptable.
The challenge report should embody the next:
- scope and context
- goals and aims of the analysis
- overview of the present or proposed resilience intervention
- analysis and analysis strategies
- analysis or justification of the power (capability) of the intervention to mitigate the chance and/or assist response to disruptive occasions, together with a comparability of fashions of danger
- analysis or justification of the governance course of for the intervention
- conclusions and suggestions
As well as, the report ought to embody:
- a canopy web page together with the extent of sensitivity as acceptable
- affirmation of originality signed by the employer and the apprentice
- an govt abstract
- desk of contents
- a whole reference listing
- analysis ethics authorisation
- any related illustrations, diagrams, and appendices
The challenge report has a phrase rely of 8000 phrases. A tolerance of 10% above or beneath the phrase rely is allowed on the apprentice’s discretion. Appendices, references and diagrams are usually not included on this complete. The challenge report should map, in an appendix, the way it evidences the KSBs mapped to this evaluation technique.
Element 2: Query and reply session
Supply
The EPAO should give the apprentice 2 weeks discover of the query and reply session.
Apprentices can be required to reply questions primarily based on their challenge output.
The aim of the unbiased assessor’s questions can be to make clear or add depth to the data included within the report.
The unbiased assessor should have a minimum of 3 weeks to evaluation the challenge and challenge output(s) prematurely of the question- and- reply session to permit them to arrange questions.
The question- and- reply session can be organized by the EPAO in session with the employer and apprentice. The question- and- reply session ought to happen on a one-to-one foundation, both face-to-face or through on-line video conferencing.
The question- and- reply session should final for half-hour. The unbiased assessor can improve the whole time by as much as 10%. This time is to permit the apprentice to finish their final level or reply to a query if crucial. The question- and- reply session should permit the apprentice the chance to display the KSBs on the highest attainable grade.
The unbiased assessor should ask a minimum of 5 questions. They have to use the questions from their EPAO’s query financial institution or create their very own questions in-line with the EPAO’s coaching. Observe up questions are allowed the place clarification is required.
The unbiased assessor should use the complete time accessible for questioning.
These KSBs that the apprentice didn’t have the chance to indicate inside the report can as an alternative be coated by questioning, though these must be stored to a minimal.
The unbiased assessor should make the grading resolution. The challenge parts should be assessed holistically by the unbiased assessor when they’re deciding the grade.
The unbiased assessor should preserve correct information of the evaluation. They have to report:
- the KSBs demonstrated within the report
- the apprentice’s solutions to questions
- the KSBs demonstrated in solutions to questions
- the grade achieved
Evaluation location
The question- and answer- session should happen in an appropriate venue chosen by the EPAO (for instance, the EPAO’s or employer’s premises). The question- and- reply session ought to happen in a quiet room, free from distractions and affect.
The question- and- reply session will be carried out by video conferencing. The EPAO should have processes in place to confirm the identification of the apprentice and make sure the apprentice will not be being aided.
Query and useful resource improvement
The EPAO should develop a purpose-built evaluation specification and query financial institution. It is strongly recommended that is finished in session with employers of this occupation. The EPAO ought to keep the safety and confidentiality of EPA supplies when consulting employers. The evaluation specification and query financial institution should be reviewed a minimum of every year to make sure they continue to be fit-for-purpose.
The evaluation specification should be related to the occupation and display find out how to assess the KSBs mapped to this evaluation technique. The EPAO should be sure that questions are refined and developed to a excessive customary. The questions should be unpredictable. A query financial institution of enough dimension will assist this.
The EPAO should be sure that the apprentice has a special set of questions within the case of re-sits or re-takes.
The EPAO should produce the next supplies to assist the analysis challenge report and questions:
- unbiased assessor EPA supplies which embody:
- coaching supplies
- administration supplies
- moderation and standardisation supplies
- steering supplies
- grading steering
- query financial institution
- EPA steering for the apprentice and the employer
The EPAO should be sure that the EPA supplies are topic to high quality assurance procedures together with standardisation, coaching, and moderation.
