TAAASS401A

Plan and organise assessment

Unit Descriptor

This unit specifies the competence required to plan and organise the assessment process in a competency‑based assessment system

Competency Field

Assessment

Application of the Unit

This unit addresses the competence of planning the assessment process and making the organisational arrangements which enable assessment to occur. It is applicable in both a learning and assessment pathway and an assessment only pathway.

The critical focus of this unit is on developing an assessment plan that will be used to guide assessor/s in conducting competency‑based assessments. The unit also covers contextualisation of the assessment benchmarks and assessment tools to address the environment in which assessment will take place and organising the human, material and physical resources needed to conduct the assessment.

This competence applies to planning and organising an assessment process which may involve single or multiple candidates being assessed against individual or multiple unit/s of competency in a process that includes a number of assessment events or activities over time.

The planning function in assessment is distinguished as a discrete activity and may be undertaken by the assessor responsible for assessing the candidates reflected in the assessment plan or by another person in the organisation.

This competence may be applied in the context of an existing assessment strategy which documents the overall framework for assessment at a qualification level. In this context, the assessment plan adds further detail relating to the specific organisational arrangements for assessment/s against individual unit/s of competency.

The competence of developing an assessment strategy is separately addressed in two other units of the TAA04 Training and Assessment Training Package: TAADES501A Design and develop learning strategies (in a learning and assessment pathway) and TAAASS501A Lead and co‑ordinate assessment systems and services (in an assessment only pathway).

The achievement of this unit includes interpretation of competency standards, (where competency standards are used as the benchmarks for assessment). TAADES401A Use Training Packages to meet client needs addresses this skill in depth.

The competence specified in this unit is typically required by assessors, workplace supervisors with assessment planning responsibilities, trainers or other assessors responsible for planning assessment.

Element

Performance Criteria

Elements define the critical outcomes of a unit of competency.

The Performance Criteria specify the level of performance required to demonstrate achievement of the Element. Italicised terms are elaborated in the Range Statement.

1.   Determine focus of assessment

1.1

Candidate/s are identified/confirmed and the purpose/s and context of assessment are established/ confirmed with relevant people in accordance with legal/organisational/ethical requirements

1.2

The assessment strategy is accessed and used to guide the development of the assessment plan, where applicable

1.3

The benchmarks for assessment are identified/confirmed and accessed

2.   Prepare the assessment plan

2.1

The assessment benchmarks are interpreted to determine the evidence and types of evidence needed to demonstrate competency in accordance with the rules of evidence

2.2

Where competency standards are used as benchmarks, all component parts of the competency standards, are addressed in defining and documenting the evidence to be collected

2.3

Any related documentation to support planning the assessment process is accessed and interpreted

2.4

Assessment methods and assessment tools are selected/confirmed which address the evidence to be collected in accordance with the principles of assessment

2.5

Specific material and physical resources required to collect evidence are identified and documented

2.6

Roles and responsibilities of all people involved in the assessment process are clarified, agreed and documented

2.7

Timelines and time periods for evidence collection are determined and all information to be included in the assessment plan is documented

2.8

The assessment plan is confirmed with relevant personnel

3.   Contextualise and review assessment plan

3.1

Characteristics of the candidate/s and any allowances for reasonable adjustments and/or specific needs are identified/clarified with relevant people and documented

3.2

Where required, competency standards are contextualised, to reflect the operating environment in which assessment will occur, in accordance with contextualisation guidelines

3.3

Selected assessment methods and assessment tools are examined and adjusted, where required, to ensure continuing applicability taking into account:
-      any contextualisation of competency standards
-      reasonable adjustment/s, where identified
-      integration of assessment activities, where appropriate and practical

-      capacity to support application for recognition of current competence

3.4

Adjusted assessment tools are reviewed to ensure the specifications of the competency standards are still addressed

3.5

The assessment plan is updated, as needed, to reflect ongoing contextualisation needs, any changes in organisational resource requirements or changes in response to the conduct of assessment

3.6

Assessment plan/s are stored and retrieved in accordance with assessment system policies and procedures and legal/organisational/ethical requirements

4.   Organise assessment arrangements

4.1

Identified material and physical resource requirements are arranged in accordance with assessment system policies and procedures and legal/organisational/ethical requirements

4.2

Any specialist support required for assessment is organised and arranged in accordance with organisational/ethical/legal requirements, where required

4.3

Roles and responsibilities of all people involved in the assessment process are organised

4.4

Effective communication strategies are established to encourage regular communication flow and feedback with relevant people involved in the assessment process

4.5

Assessment record keeping and reporting arrangements are confirmed