What is Contained in an IQA Plan?

Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) aims to ensure that assessments carried out within an organisation are conducted fairly. It’s an important role and requires a detailed plan to ensure legitimacy. In this article, we look at what exactly is contained within an IQA plan.

What is the Internal Quality Assurance Cycle?

The IQA cycle represents the various activities performed by an IQA. These activities ensure that the training and assessment process within an organisation is constantly monitored and improved.

The cycle includes the following activities:

• Identify the product or service
• Planning
• Activity
• Decision and feedback
• Evaluation

The planning step is what we will look at today.

IQAs must produce a plan that arranges what will be monitored, as well as who will be involved and when the monitoring takes place. IQAs must also plan the dates for team meetings and when to observe trainer and assessor performance. 

IQAs must also produce a sampling plan.

What is a sampling plan and what is involved?

IQAs use sampling plans to make judgements about the quality of assessment activities. 

A sampling plan, also known as a sampling strategy, contains a range of appropriate data for use as a sample. A sampling plan must be completed at the beginning of an assessment period. 

There are a few approaches to collecting data for a sampling plan:

Vertical sampling — sample a single unit or learning outcome across multiple assessors or sites.

Horizontal sampling — sample several units or learning outcomes from a single learner.

Diagonal sampling — sample across units and earners to get a wide picture of quality and course delivery.

Thematic sampling — sample based on a specific activity.

A sampling plan can be composed of one or a combination of the above sampling methods.

A copy of every sampling plan must be submitted by the IQA to the centre.

Why become an IQA?

An IQA is valuable to almost every organisation. Ensuring all assessments adhere to best practices and are carried out fairly maintains the integrity of the organisation. 

The skills and experience gained from becoming an IQA can be applied to roles across the board. By becoming an IQA, you’ll be equipped for new opportunities and will become a more appealing candidate when applying for them. As an IQA, you’ll most likely see an increase in your salary, too.

Become an IQA with the online courses at CTC Training. We offer flexible IQA training courses on our online platform. Enrol on a course and you’ll receive access to the 24/7 student portal, where you can view course content and upload assessments at your leisure. You’ll also be assigned a tutor who will offer advice and support throughout your online training.

Browse our courses to find the perfect one for you. Book online For any more information, feel free to contact our team.