Quality Assurance Parameters for Certification, Affiliation ......Dr Gargi Keeni TCS Vice President...

Quality Assurance Parameters for Certification, Affiliation, Accreditation

IT-ITeS Sector Skills Council NASSCOM

IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM Page 1 of 158

PROJECT AND ADVISORY BOARD

Project Board: The Project Board is responsible for developing the concept, approach, and methodology used in developing the recommendations. The Project Board will also review the document and provide comments for improvements. The following table lists the members of the Project and Advisory.

Table 1: Project Board Advisory Board: In addition to the Project Board, there is an Advisory Board. The Advisory Board is responsible for sharing the best practices and current framework in the field of certification and accreditation. The following table lists the members of the Advisory Board.

Table 2: Advisory Board

Name Company Designation

Mr. Nilaya Varma Accenture Pvt Ltd Managing Director, H&PS, India

Mr.Partha Kundu PwC Executive Director

Mr. Anil Menon IBM Executive Director Marketing, Geo Expansion & GB IBM Software, India/ South Asia

Mr.Srikantan Moorthy Infosys Global Head HR

Ms.Vani Bhambri Arora NABCB, QCI Assistant Director

Mr.Vidyut Nevalkar TCS Deputy Head - Global Learning & Development

Dr Sandhya Chintala IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM Executive Director SSC NASSCOM & VP NASSCOM

Mr.Dilip Chenoy NSDC CEO/MD

Mr.Vivek Nicholas Joseph EXIN Country Manager

Name Company Designation

Mr. Anil Jauhri NABCB(QCI) CEO

Dr D.K. Paliwal NBA Member Secretary

Dr Gargi Keeni TCS Vice President (Rtd)

Mr.Basab Banerjee NSDC Head Standards & QA

Mr Rajiv Mathur NSDC Principal - Standards and QA


SCOPE OF THE DOCUMENT

This document describes frameworks for creation and implementation of standards for the

Certification,

Accreditation,

and, Quality Assurance

of Occupational Standards and Qualification Packs in India

It describes practices followed globally and recommends processes for defining and deploying these

systems in India.

The document is divided into 2 sections:

– Section 1: Frameworks for certification, accreditation, and quality assurance processes for the

creation of standards

– Section 2- Quality Assurance Procedure for deployment of occupational standards / Qualification

Packs


TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROJECT AND ADVISORY BOARD ................................................................................................................................ 1

SCOPE OF THE DOCUMENT ......................................................................................................................................... 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................................................................. 3

TABLE OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................................... 5

GLOSSARY................................................................................................................................................................... 6

1. PROLOGUE .................................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

2. FOREWORD ...................................................................................................................................................... 10

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................... 12

3.1. BRIDGING THE SKILL GAP IN INDIA ......................................................................................................................... 12 3.2. IT-ITES SSC NASSCOM INITIATIVE ...................................................................................................................... 12 3.3. AUDIENCE FOR THE DOCUMENT ............................................................................................................................ 13 3.4. CERTIFICATION, AFFILIATION, AND THE ACCREDITATION ECOSYSTEM ............................................................................ 14 3.5. INTRODUCTION TO ACCREDITATION ........................................................................................................................ 15 3.6. INTRODUCTION TO AFFILIATION ............................................................................................................................. 15 3.7. INTRODUCTION TO CERTIFICATION ......................................................................................................................... 15 3.8. A COMPARATIVE VIEW OF ACCREDITATION, AFFILIATION, AND CERTIFICATION ............................................................... 16 3.9. ACCREDITATION PROCESS ..................................................................................................................................... 17 3.10. AFFILIATION PROCESS .......................................................................................................................................... 20

SECTION 1: FRAMEWORKS FOR CERTIFICATION, ACCREDITATION, AND QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCESSES FOR THE CREATION OF STANDARDS ........................................................................................................................................ 21

4. GLOBAL FRAMEWORK FOR SETTING STANDARDS ............................................................................................ 22

4.1.1. ACCREDITATION MODELS ..................................................................................................................................... 23 4.1.2. ACCREDITATION BODIES ....................................................................................................................................... 24 4.1.2.1. GLOBAL ACCREDITATION AND CERTIFICATION BODIES ........................................................................................... 24 4.1.3. ALIGNMENT OF ACCREDITATION MODELS AND ACCREDITING BODIES ........................................................................... 30 4.1.4. STANDARDS SETTING BODY – ISO ......................................................................................................................... 32 4.1.4.1. WHAT IS ISO? .............................................................................................................................................. 32 4.1.4.2. ISO STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE .................................................................................................................. 33 4.2. ALIGNMENT OF ISO AND ACCREDITATION BODIES: ISO AGREEMENT WITH IEEE – A CASE STUDY ..................................... 34

5. PRESENT INDIAN FRAMEWORK FOR CERTIFICATION AND ACCREDITATION ..................................................... 35

5.1. PRESENT INDIAN FRAMEWORK FOR AFFILIATION, CERTIFICATION, AND ACCREDITATION ................................................... 35 5.1.1. CURRENT ACCREDITATION BODIES ......................................................................................................................... 35

6. RECOMMENDATIONS: AFFILIATION, CERTIFICATION, AND ACCREDITATION STANDARDS ................................ 38

STANDARDS FOR STANDARD SETTING BODY: SECTOR SKILLS COUNCIL (SSC) ................................................................................ 38 6.1. STANDARDS FOR THE STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT BODY: SSC ..................................................................................... 39 6.1.1. INTRODUCTION TO SECTOR SKILLS COUNCIL ............................................................................................................. 39 6.1.2. ROLE OF SECTOR SKILLS COUNCIL INTERNATIONALLY ................................................................................................. 39 6.1.3. SECTOR SKILLS COUNCILS IN INDIA ......................................................................................................................... 40 6.1.3.1. ROLE OF SECTOR SKILLS COUNCIL IN INDIA .......................................................................................................... 40 6.1.4. QUALITY ASSURANCE STANDARDS FOR GOVERNANCE AND OPERATIONS OF SSC ............................................................. 41 6.1.4.1. DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION – SECTOR SKILLS COUNCIL..................................................................................... 41 6.1.4.1.1. ABOUT THE STANDARD: ............................................................................................................................. 42 6.1.4.1.2. KEY HIGHLIGHTS: ...................................................................................................................................... 43 STANDARDS–PROCESS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS (OS) & QUALIFICATION PACKS (QP) ............................... 49 6.2. STANDARDS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS (OS) ................................................................... 50


6.2.1. WHAT ARE OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS? ................................................................................................................ 50 6.2.2. QUALITY ASSURANCE PARAMETERS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OS ............................................................................. 51 6.2.2.1. SETTING UP OF THE PROJECT BOARD ................................................................................................................. 51 6.2.2.2. DRAFTING A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) DOCUMENT: ..................................................................................... 51 6.2.2.3. VENDOR SELECTION PROCESS ........................................................................................................................... 52 6.2.2.4. DRAFTING MOU ............................................................................................................................................ 54 6.2.2.5. INCEPTION REPORT DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................................................... 54 6.2.2.6. IDENTIFICATION OF ECO SYSTEM FOR THE VALIDATION OF OS ................................................................................ 63 6.2.2.7. PROCESS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL STANDARD ............................................................................ 67 STANDARDS FOR PERSONNEL CERTIFICATION .......................................................................................................................... 72 STANDARDS FOR CERTIFICATIONS AND AUDITORS .................................................................................................................... 72 6.3. STANDARDS FOR PERSONNEL CERTIFICATION............................................................................................................ 73 6.3.1. ROLE OF CERTIFICATION BODIES AND ASSESSORS ...................................................................................................... 73 6.3.2. PROCESS OF ASSESSMENT FOLLOWED BY THE CERTIFICATION BODY .............................................................................. 73 6.3.3. QUALITY ASSURANCE PARAMETERS TO BE FOLLOWED BY CERTIFICATION BODY .............................................................. 74 6.3.3.1. ABOUT THE STANDARD - ISO17024 ................................................................................................................. 74 6.3.3.2. KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF STANDARD – ISO17024 ..................................................................................................... 74 6.3.3.3. REQUIREMENTS OF CERTIFICATION BODIES ......................................................................................................... 75 6.3.3.4. REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONS EMPLOYED OR CONTRACTED BY A CERTIFICATION BODY ............................................... 77 6.3.4. QUALITY ASSURANCE PARAMETERS FOR AUDITORS ................................................................................................... 79 6.3.4.1. GENERIC PARAMETERS FOR AUDITORS ............................................................................................................... 79 6.3.4.2. PARAMETERS DEFINED BY ISO 19011:2002 AND ISO 17021:2011 ..................................................................... 80 6.3.4.3. INDUSTRY SPECIFIC PARAMETERS ...................................................................................................................... 80 6.4. STANDARDS FOR AFFILIATION OF LICENSE TRAINING PROVIDERS (LTPS) ........................................................................ 81 6.4.1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 82 6.4.2. INTRODUCTION TO AFFILIATION OF LTPS ................................................................................................................. 82 6.4.3. BENEFITS OF ACCREDITATION OF LTPS .................................................................................................................... 82 6.4.4. QUALITY ASSURANCE PARAMETERS FOR INFORMAL LTPS AS PER ISO STANDARDS 29990 ................................................ 84 6.4.4.1. THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE LEARNING SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE: ........................................................................... 84 6.4.4.2. MANAGEMENT OF THE LEARNING SERVICE PROVIDERS .......................................................................................... 86 6.4.5. QUALITY ASSURANCE PARAMETERS FOR FORMAL LTPS .............................................................................................. 89 6.4.6. PROCESS FOR AFFILIATION OF LTPS ........................................................................................................................ 93 6.4.7. PROCESS FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF TRAINERS OF LTPS ............................................................................................ 94 STANDARDS FOR ACCREDITATION OF COURSES ....................................................................................................................... 95 6.5. STANDARDS FOR ACCREDITATION OF COURSES W.R.T OS ........................................................................................... 96 6.5.1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 96 6.5.2. QUALITY ASSURANCE PARAMETERS FOR THE INPUTS TO THE ACCREDITATION COURSE ..................................................... 96 6.5.3. PROCESS FOR THE ACCREDITATION OF COURSES ....................................................................................................... 99 STANDARDS FOR CERTIFICATION BODIES FOR CERTIFICATION OF TRAINING PROVIDERS ................................................................. 101 6.6. STANDARDS FOR CERTIFICATION BODIES ............................................................................................................... 102 6.6.1. ROLE OF CERTIFICATION BODIES .......................................................................................................................... 102 6.6.2. QUALITY ASSURANCE PARAMETERS FOR CERTIFICATION BODIES ................................................................................ 102 6.6.3. DETAILED QUALITY ASSURANCE PARAMETERS FOR CERTIFICATION BODIES .................................................................. 103 6.6.3.1. ABOUT THE STANDARD ISO 17021 ................................................................................................................ 103 6.6.3.2. KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF STANDARD ISO 17021 ..................................................................................................... 104 6.6.4. CONCLUSION: .................................................................................................................................................. 106

ANNEXURE TO SECTION 1 ........................................................................................................................................ 107

7. ANNEXURE TO SECTION 1 ............................................................................................................................... 108

7.1. REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................................... 108 7.2. DOCUMENT CONVENTIONS................................................................................................................................. 110 7.3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................................. 111 7.4. LANGUAGE STRATEGY ........................................................................................................................................ 112

SECTION 2: QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCEDURE FOR DEPLOYMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS / QUALIFICATION PACKS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 113


TABLE OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1: THE ‘SECTOR SKILL COUNCIL 'CONTEXT: BRIDGING THE SKILL GAP ............................................................................................ 12 FIGURE 2:ITES SSC – NASSCOM INITIATIVE .......................................................................................................................................... 13 FIGURE 3: AUDIENCE OF THE DOCUMENT ................................................................................................................................................. 13 FIGURE 4: CERTIFICATION, AFFILIATION AND ACCREDITATION ECOSYSTEM ................................................................................................ 14 FIGURE 5: ACCREDITATION PROCESS AS APPLICABLE TO EDUCATION .......................................................................................................... 17 FIGURE 6: AFFILIATION PROCESS ............................................................................................................................................................. 20 FIGURE 7: GLOBAL FRAMEWORK FOR SETTING STANDARDS ...................................................................................................................... 22 FIGURE 8: GLOBAL ACCREDITATION MODELS ........................................................................................................................................... 23 FIGURE 9: SPREAD OF GLOBAL ACCREDITATION AND CERTIFICATION BODIES ............................................................................................. 24 FIGURE 10: ACCREDITATION MODEL APPLICABILITY TREND ...................................................................................................................... 31 FIGURE 11: ACCREDITATION MODELS APPLICABILITY IN COUNTRIES ......................................................................................................... 32 FIGURE 12: ISO STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE ...................................................................................................................................... 33 FIGURE 13: INDIAN CERTIFICATION AND ACCREDITATION FRAMEWORK .................................................................................................... 35 FIGURE 15: ROLE OF SECTOR SKILL COUNCIL IN INDIA .............................................................................................................................. 41 FIGURE 16: STANDARDS SETTING ORGANIZATION REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................................... 42 FIGURE 17: STANDARD SETTING ORGANIZATION REQUIREMENTS REFERENCE ........................................................................................... 43 FIGURE 18: STRUCTURE OF NSDC – PARENT BODY OF SECTOR SKILLS COUNCILS INDIA ............................................................................ 44 FIGURE 19: 32 PROPOSED SECTOR SKILL COUNCIL STRUCTURE INDIA ....................................................................................................... 45 FIGURE 20: RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS FOR STANDARD SETTING ORGANIZATION ..................................................................................... 45 FIGURE 21: IT-ITES SECTOR SKILLS COUNCIL NASSCOM STRUCTURE INDIA ............................................................................................ 46 FIGURE 22: PROCESS TO ENSURE QUALITY IN OS DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................................. 50 FIGURE 23: MOU DESCRIPTION .............................................................................................................................................................. 54 FIGURE 24: PROCESS STEPS OF OS DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP................................................................................................................ 56 FIGURE 25: KEY COMPONENTS OF AN OS ................................................................................................................................................ 57 FIGURE 26: TEMPLATE FOR PRESENTING SECTOR LEVEL FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS. ....................................................................................... 60 FIGURE 27: TEMPLATE FOR SUB-SECTOR LEVEL FUNCTIONAL MAP IN EXCEL FORMAT ............................................................................... 61 FIGURE 28: TEMPLATE FOR JOB ROLE LEVEL FUNCTIONAL MAP ................................................................................................................ 61 FIGURE 29: TEMPLATE FOR OCCUPATIONAL MAP .................................................................................................................................... 62 FIGURE 30: TEMPLATE FOR OCCUPATIONAL MAP DETAILED IN EXCEL FORMAT ......................................................................................... 63 FIGURE 31: OS COLLECTION AND VALIDATION PROCESS .......................................................................................................................... 64 FIGURE 32: VALIDATION GROUPS FOR OS ............................................................................................................................................... 66 FIGURE 34: DETAILED OS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS .................................................................................................................................. 69 FIGURE 35: CERTIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION PROCESS......................................................................................................................... 73 FIGURE 36: REQUIREMENTS OF CERTIFICATION BODY .............................................................................................................................. 75 FIGURE 37: FORMAL AND INFORMAL LTPS DEFINITION ............................................................................................................................ 82 FIGURE 38: REQUIREMENTS FOR LEARNING SERVICE PROVIDERS .............................................................................................................. 84 FIGURE 39: MANAGEMENT OF LEARNING SERVICE PROVIDERS ................................................................................................................. 86 FIGURE 40: ROLE OF CERTIFICATION BODY ............................................................................................................................................ 102


GLOSSARY

Term Meaning

Accreditation

Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented. It is the act of granting credit or recognition (especially with respect to educational institutions) that maintains suitable standards.

Third-party attestation related to a conformity assessment body conveying formal tasks – ISO 17000 (as applicable to conformity assessment).

Accreditation Body: An external body that makes decisions on quality standards and evaluates an educational institution and its courses (higher education institution) with reference to the approved quality standards (as applicable to education).

Affiliation

To ‘affiliate’ means to attach oneself or bring into close association or connection. All colleges in India need to be affiliated to a University to be able to award degrees under the brand name of that University unless otherwise constituted.

Certification

Certification is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project, or product. The purpose of a certification is to provide a measurement rather than to express an opinion about the fairness of statements or quality of performance.

Quality certifications are performed to verify conformance to standards through review of objective evidence.

A system of quality certifications may verify the effectiveness of a quality management system. This is a part of certifications such as ISO 9001. Quality certifications are essential a) to verify the existence of objective evidence showing conformance to the required processes, b) to assess how successfully processes have been implemented, c)to judge the effectiveness of achieving any defined target levels, d) to provide evidence concerning reduction and, e) to eliminate problem areas and are a hands-on management tool for achieving continual improvement.

Quality certifications not only report non-conformance and corrective actions but also highlight areas of good practice and provide evidence of conformance, enhancing continual improvement.

An operations certification is an examination that thoroughly examines the efficiency, effectiveness, and economy of the operations with which the management of the entity (client) is achieving its objective. Operational certifications cover any matters which may be commercially unsound. The objective of operational certification is to examine]:

• Effectiveness – doing the right things with least wastage of resources

• Efficiency – performing work in least possible time

• Economy – balance between benefits and costs to run the operations.


OS Occupational Standard

ISO International Organization for Standardization

ABET Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology

ACQUIN Accreditation, Certification, and Quality Assurance Institute

NBA National Board of Accreditation

HLC Higher Learning Commission

ATMAE Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering

IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

ACICS Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools

IOE Institute of Engineers

ACCET Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training

EUR-ACE Framework Standards for Accreditation of Engineering Programs

TSI Trading Standards Institute


1. PROLOGUE

Evolution of Sector Skills Bodies: Occupational training and skills development play a vital role in the development of a nation and positively impact its economic transformation. Education offers a nation the financial capability and prosperity that helps its citizens, organizations within, and its government at large. Developed countries like USA, UK, Australia, France, Germany etc. have an evolved and ongoing skill development mechanism that helps position them as the world leaders of today. Occupational training supports employer requirements in the face of shrinking labour markets and growing international competition. Hence, industrialised economies have introduced and nurtured sector bodies to scale quality capacity and high performance outcomes through benchmarked standards via specialised job-related training and general skills development. Thus, sector bodies work to modernize vocational / occupational education and training systems by bringing together industry and other stakeholders, formally bridging the gap between education provision, vocational training, and the labour market. International Context: Cultural and historical factors affect international perceptions regarding the role of sector bodies. In Australia and China, for example, sector bodies are concerned with protecting the rights of their members, but this role in China is influenced by their remit of undertaking Government-prescribed activities. In Canada, skills policy within Sector Councils is viewed within the broad context of community work - which means that their remit may be less narrowly defined than elsewhere. In the United States, the Occupational Information Network uses live databases of vacancies and job seekers together with their skills profile to develop labour market information that can be analysed nationally, regionally, locally, or w.r.t. sectors. Sector bodies can then tailor this national information and refine it according to their own sector, which avoids duplication and wastage, and encourages comparability. Hence, in the coming years the role of sector bodies in collating and disseminating labour market information will not exist. Technology is changing the way in which data is collected and manipulated, and allows for central management of the system in countries like USA. In certain areas, the activities of sector bodies can cross over into the areas of other organizations, leaving them open to criticism. In Australia, for example, interested parties have argued that Industry Skills Councils’ production of training and assessment materials competes directly with the materials of publishers and training providers. They argued that it is inappropriate for publicly funded organizations. This has led the Education, Employment, and Workplace Relations References Committee to recommend that the Industry Skills Councils that work in qualifications oversight and strategy receives primary focus, and that this work remain separated from the work of development and training strategy. Of the varied roles and remits of sector bodies, Canada stands out as one of the few to act as a bridge between companies in the same sector to help coordinate a collaborative and collective skills strategy. Given the wealth of literature suggesting that collaborative sectoral working linked to employer networks, is an important driver behind both innovation and the incidence of employee training, perhaps, this is an ambition to which, more countries with sectoral approaches should ascribe.


India Context – Rational to Establish SSCs In 2006, the World Bank identified the challenges of India’s vocational education system as ‘changing realities’ (globalisation, competitiveness, and the knowledge economy) and ‘established realities’ (demographic pressures and financial constraints). The key challenges was to create a skilled workforce. In the current system, there was no clear way in which industry and education could communicate their needs; in short, supply and demand had no mechanism through which they could be matched. Since then initiatives have been taken by the government of India to manage the increasing skill gap challenges. The 12th Five Year Plan represents the potential for real change and improvement.. Uniquely, the 12th Five Year Plan developed in consultation with a number of policy and industry influencers has enabled the identification of not only the challenges, but the solutions for skills development in India. One of the most important initiatives taken by Government of India is to establish NSDC – a parent body providing oversight to all Sector Skills Councils (SSC). These SSC(s) have been created by NSDC in partnership with MHRD so that each SSC can focus on overcoming the skill gap challenges for its own industry sector. India Context – Need to Improve on the Vocational Education Quality: According to the World Bank, the overall educational attainment in India is low compared to other countries. Prospects for graduates are also inconsistent: years after graduation, over 60% are still underemployed or unemployed. Two-thirds of apprentices are reportedly not employed in the trade in which they qualified; reasons for this include being trained in obsolete trades and the ongoing mismatch between supply and demand. There are no significant differences in outcomes for private institution graduates over public institution graduates. Lack of soft skills for graduates is a key issue for employers. According to NSDC, the employability of graduates is a serious issue. Moreover, with no participation in international benchmarking or quality assurance processes, there is no reliable way with which the quality level of India’s educational output can be assessed. Hence, IT-ITeS Sector Skills Council NASSCOM has initiated the establishment and implementation of quality assurance parameters by way of certification and accreditation w.r.t global best practices and ISO standards in the following areas: • Standards for Standard Setting Organizations like Sector Skills Councils (SSC ) • Standards for the Development of Occupational Standards (OS) and Qualification Packs (QP) • Standards for Personal Certification Bodies for certification of professionals w.r.t. OS and QP • Standards for Affiliation of Licensed Training Providers(LTPs) • Standards for Certification Bodies for certifying Training Organizations • Standards for endorsement of conformity of courses w.r.t to OS and QP Refer to the appendix for details about the Evolution of SSC in other countries, vision, and mission of

SSC NASSCOM, and the detailed purpose and objective of this document.


2. FOREWORD

Skills and knowledge are the driving forces of economic growth and social development in any country. Countries with higher and better levels of skills adjust more effectively to the challenges and opportunities of globalization. Shortages in skills, with reference to the requisite quality mapped to global industry norms, have already emerged in a number of sectors in our country. This constitutes a major impediment to growth. However, as India develops as a knowledge-centric country and competes internationally, it is faced with the realization that our base of skill and knowledge workers is commoditized and has much to learn. To address the emerging knowledge economy, various measures have to be developed and executed in parallel. An effective education ecosystem espousing global quality standards is a key prerequisite for the socio-economic development of this country. For a national vision towards educational programmes that encompass functional literacy, a globally employable workforce, and world class infrastructure to become a global hub of knowledge creation, it is essential to set standards for a value based learner-centric education. For such a scenario to become a reality, an independent accreditation system with consequences for non-performance to identified outcomes gains importance, and is the need of the hour for shaping the future of the Indian educational ecosystem. This document “Quality Assurance Parameters on Certification, Affiliation, and Accreditation” addresses the Higher and Vocational Education system and describes the existing as well as the required trends in certification, affiliation, and accreditation of education in India in conjunction with practices around the globe. It focuses on the development of a comprehensive quality assurance strategy so as to enable both external and internal stakeholders, such as government, industry, and society at large; to participate in outcomes-based education programmes and the continuous total quality management of the same. To bridge the industry ready skill gap, this document also recommends the development of standards for the following: • Standard Setting Organization – Sector Skills Council (SSC) • Development of Occupational Standards (OS) • Standards for Certification Bodies for Training Providers/Organizations

• Certification of professionals, Personnel Certification Bodies and Assessors • Affiliation of Licensed Training Providers (LTPs) • Endorsement of Courses w.r.t to OS-Course Conformity to OS However, as a way forward, it is critical to address the concept of ‘Systems to Scale” with speed and efficiency and without compromising on the requisite quality. This will enable us to be successful in the implementation of the recommendations stated in this document. I take this opportunity to compliment the members of the Project Board and the Advisory Board members for contributing towards the development of this recommendations document, “Quality Assurance Parameters for Certification, Affiliation and Accreditation”.


I must place on record my sincere gratitude for the methodical research and documentation of the proposed framework by Ms Pooja Wadhwani and Mr. Ritesh Arora from Accenture. I am confident that the recommendations will be adopted in its full spirit thus helping the Indian Education &Vocational System to be dynamic and respond to the changing domestic and international requirements; going beyond attaining global standards by setting a new benchmark for others to follow. Dr Sandhya Chintala Executive Director IT-ITeS Sector Skills Council NASSCOM


3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

3.1. Bridging the Skill Gap in India

To bridge the skill gaps, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) along with NSDC have taken the initiative to establish Sector Skills Council (SSC).The role of an SSC is to bring together all the stakeholders, Industry, labour, government, and academia for the common purpose of workforce development of various key industry sectors. This collaborative and structured capacity development effort aims to create a genre of individuals with the requisite skills towards an employable talent pool within and across sectors.

Figure 1: The ‘Sector Skill Council 'Context: Bridging the Skill Gap

3.2. IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM Initiative

In continuation to the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) initiative, IT-ITeS Sector Skills Council NASSCOM (SSC NASSCOM) has established a mission to develop a QA recommendations document on certification, affiliation, and accreditation norms and processes for OS, courses, training institutions, faculty, assessors, certifications, and SSC Governance. This document will set standards to enable the creation of a sustainable program of action to ensure an industry-ready and job-ready talent pipeline.


Figure 2:ITeS SSC – NASSCOM Initiative

3.3. Audience for the Document

The following figure outlines the audience for this document. Please refer to the ‘Appendix’ for the research methodology.

Figure 3: Audience of the Document


3.4. Certification, Affiliation, and the Accreditation Ecosystem

As a first step towards setting the quality assurance standards for the industry, NASSCOM in its role as the IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM is establishing recommendations on: • Common Standards for Standard Setting Organizations. • Standardised Process for the Development of Occupational Standards (OS) • Standards for Personnel Certification Bodies • Standards for Affiliation of Licensed Training Providers(LTPs) • Standards for Endorsement of Courses w.r.t to OS • Standards for Certification Bodies for Training Providers Global accreditation models and bodies are studied for input parameters. Relevant ISO standards are leveraged. The existing accreditation framework in India will also play an important role in determining the future state. With these recommendations IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM can provide direction and insight into the development of Occupational Standards for this industry along with quality parameters for the entire value chain from development of standards to delivery of training w.r.t. to the OS and final bridging of the demand supply gap. The figure given below illustrates the ecosystem of certification, affiliation, and accreditation for India, with inputs from global models and bodies.

Figure 4: Certification, Affiliation and Accreditation Ecosystem


3.5. Introduction to Accreditation

Accreditation is a process in which the certification of competency or credibility is presented. It is also the act of granting credit or recognition (especially with respect to educational institutions) that maintains suitable standards. Accreditation is perceived as a decision of quality standard and evaluation of an educational institution and its courses (higher education institution) by external agencies – often known as Accreditation Bodies. In this revised vocational education system in India, institutions of higher education, and their courses are accredited by these ‘Accreditation Bodies’ Accreditation, as a mark of quality is not awarded forever but as a best practice; it must be reviewed and renewed in a continuous cycle with an average time span of about two to three years. This time span may change based on the policies of the accreditation body and the level of maturity of the educational sector. However, in relation to conformity assessment, ISO has defined accreditation as Third-party attestation related to a conformity assessment body conveying formal demonstration of its competence to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks (source ISO 17000) as applicable to conformity assessment. 3.6. Introduction to Affiliation

To ‘affiliate’ means to attach one-self or bring into close association or connection. Colleges in India need to be affiliated to a University to be able to award degrees under the brand name of that University. In the present scenario, University “Affiliation” is mandatory to offer any degree programme. This means that colleges affiliated to a particular University will follow a prescribed curricula and assessment system that complies with the University’s standards. Individual affiliated colleges do not have the power to modernize the curricula or make it locally relevant. The affiliating system of colleges was originally designed when their number in relation to a university was small and manageable. The university could then effectively oversee the working of the colleges, act as a norm setter and an examining body, and award degrees on their behalf. The system has now become unwieldy and it is becoming increasingly difficult for a university to attend to the varied and changing needs of individual colleges under its care. 3.7. Introduction to Certification

The general definition of a certification is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project, or product. The purpose of a certification is to provide a measurement to ensure conformance rather than to express an opinion about the fairness of statements or quality of performance. Quality certifications are performed to verify conformance to standards through review of objective evidence.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certification


3.8. A Comparative View of Accreditation, Affiliation, and Certification

Table 4: Comparison: Accreditation, Affiliation, and Certification

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accreditation http://www.accreditation.org/benefits.php

http://www.accreditation.org/benefits.php


3.9. Accreditation Process

Accreditation is a continuous process. It broadly consists of the following steps:

Figure 5: Accreditation Process as applicable to education

Source: NBA website, www.nbaind.org

http://www.nbaind.org/


ABET website, www.abet.org

http://www.abet.org/


Illustrative Checklist for Site Visit Used for Accreditation Some common factors that can be assessed during an on-site visit are listed below:

Outcome of the education provided

Quality assurance processes, including internal reviews and grievance handling

Complaints and escalation procedures

Assessment

Activities and work of the students

Entry standards and selection for admission of students

Motivation and enthusiasm of faculty

Qualifications and activities of faculty members

Infrastructure facilities

Laboratory facilities

Library facilities

Industry participation

Organization

Marketing and Promotional material used and fulfilling of those promises Renewal (Ongoing) Process for Accreditation of Course Some key points that need to be considered are:

• If the accreditation of a programme is about to expire, by default, it is assumed that the institute will continue the accreditation. If the institute does not want to continue the accreditation, it has to notify the accreditation bodies at least 5 months before the expiry of the current accreditation. The institute will then undergo further full exercise as applicable for obtaining first accreditation as described above.

• The Institutions not awarded highest statuses are expected to follow the recommendations and

directions of the accrediting agency within the stipulated time and re-apply for accreditation.


3.10. Affiliation Process

The affiliation process broadly consists of the following steps:

Figure 6: Affiliation Process Source:

1. www.ugc.ac.in Note: The process of certification will be covered in later in this document. In the next section, let’s understand the Global Accreditation Framework that has been applied for making recommendations.


SECTION 1: FRAMEWORKS FOR CERTIFICATION, ACCREDITATION, AND QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCESSES FOR THE CREATION OF STANDARDS


4. GLOBAL FRAMEWORK FOR SETTING STANDARDS

There are three main elements in the Global Framework for Setting Standards: 1. Global Accreditation Models

These models are developed by academicians and are followed by different accreditation bodies. Some examples of these models are minimal model, peer review model, and regulatory model.

2. Global Accreditation Bodies These are bodies that provide accreditation to different courses, institutes, and certificates. Some examples of accreditation bodies include ABET, ACQUIN, NBA, EXIN, and EUR-ACE.

3. Standard Setting Body International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a global standards setting body. ISO differentiates between accreditation and certification and decides the standards which need to be followed by accreditation and certification bodies while awarding the accreditation or certification concerned. ISO has also published standards for standards setting bodies although there is no global accreditation system for the same. Some countries like USA and Canada do have a system of accreditation of standards development organizations (SDOs). The diagram given below depicts the three main elements of the Global Framework for Setting Standards.

Figure 7: Global Framework for Setting Standards

Source: www.accreditation.org NAAC website, www.naac.gov.in NBA website, www.nbaind.org Quality Council of India website http://qcin.org/ ISO website, www.iso.org Joining In Manual, ISO ISO and Conformity Assessment, ISO

Quality Council of India has developed accreditation criteria for standards development organization based on the following requirements: a. WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) Annex 3 "Code of good practice for the preparation, adoption, and application of Standards". b. ISO/IEC Guide 59 "Code of good practice for standardization" c. ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004 “Standardization and related activities- General Vocabulary” d. Accreditation of Standards Development Organizations CAN-P-1E, December 2006, Standards Council of Canada

http://qcin.org/

http://www.iso.org/


The recommendations herein are based on the Global Framework for Setting Standards. The best practices from global accreditation bodies and the ISO standards are the inputs to our recommendations. The next section explains each element of the Global Framework for Setting Standards.

4.1.1. Accreditation Models

Accreditation models are the foundation for the whole accreditation process. These models were devised by renowned academicians and are followed by global accreditation bodies. These models help the accreditation bodies decide the approach that needs to be followed based on the maturity of the education sector in the country under consideration. After selecting the correct model to be followed, the accreditation body

can verify and start the process of granting accreditation.

Figure 8: Global Accreditation Models

Source: www.accreditation.org

Refer to the Appendix for more details about accreditation models.

http://www.accreditation.org/


Another model available in the country is accreditation of conformity assessment bodies by NABCB which is a part of an international system of accreditation under the aegis of the International Accreditation Forum and facilitates equivalence of accreditations and certifications. Under the system, any organization or person certified in India can claim international equivalence under a defined set of conditions.

4.1.2. Accreditation Bodies

Organizations that issue accreditation or certify third parties against official standards of accreditation are known as "accreditation bodies". These accreditation bodies ensure that their accreditation practices are globally acceptable. This typically means that they are competent to test and certify third parties, behave ethically, and employ suitable quality assurance practices.

4.1.2.1. Global Accreditation and Certification Bodies

Figure 9: Spread of Global Accreditation and Certification Bodies

Sources: Compiled from the following:

1. Higher Learning Commission - http://www.ncahlc.org/Information-for-Institutions/criteria-and-core-components.html

2. The Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering - http://www.atmae.org/accred/2009%20Accreditation%20Handbook%20web%20No%20Sections%201-4.pdf

3. Institution Of Engineers Singapore, http://www.ies.org.sg/professional/eab/EABMan.pdf 4. EUR-ACE Framework Standards for the Accreditation of Engineering Programmes,

http://www.enaee.eu/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/EUR-ACE_Framework-Standards_2008-11-0511.pdf

http://www.ncahlc.org/Information-for-Institutions/criteria-and-core-components.html


http://www.atmae.org/accred/2009%20Accreditation%20Handbook%20web%20No%20Sections%201-4.pdf


http://www.ies.org.sg/professional/eab/EABMan.pdf




5. European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education, http://www.enaee.eu/eur-ace-system/eur-ace-framework-standards

6. Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET), http://docs.accet.org/downloads/docs/doc2.pdf

7. National Board of Accreditation – Manual of Accreditation- January 2013 8. European Quality Improvement System website www.efmd.org/accreditation-main/equis 9. ABET Evaluation Criteria 10. ABET website-http://www.abet.org 11. EAB website - http://www.engab.org.uk 12. Engineers Australia website-http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au 13. NAAC website- http://www.naac.gov.in 14. Board of Engineers Malaysia website - www.bem.org.my 15. JABEE website - www.jabee.org/english 16. EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2005 17. Defining Quality in Education, UNESCO paper 18. TSI www.tradingstandards.gov.uk 19. www.qaa.ac.uk

The following table provides an introduction to the global Accreditation and Certification bodies referred to in our recommendations:

http://www.enaee.eu/eur-ace-system/eur-ace-framework-standards


http://docs.accet.org/downloads/docs/doc2.pdf

http://www.efmd.org/accreditation-main/equis


http://www.engab.org.uk/

http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/

http://www.naac.gov.in/

http://www.bem.org.my/

http://www.jabee.org/english


Sl. No

Name of the Organization

Accreditation/Certification Type

Objectives

Americas

1 ABET Course Accreditation

ABET founded in 1932 in the U.S. is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that accredits college and university programs in the disciplines of applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. ABET accredits over 3,100 programs at more than 670 colleges and universities in 24 countries.

2 Higher Learning Commission

Institute / Course Accreditation

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation and one of the two commission members of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). It accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the North Central region.

3 ATMAE Course Accreditation

The Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering (ATMAE) sets standards for academic program accreditation, personal certification, and professional development for educators and industry professionals involved in integrating technology, leadership, and design.

4 ACICS Course Accreditation

Founded in 1912, Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) is the largest national accrediting organization of degree-granting institutions. ACICS accredits professional, technical, and occupational programs, and is one of the two national accreditors recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

5 ACCET Course Accreditation

ACCET was founded in 1974 for the purpose of improving continuing education and training. In 1998, ACCET became the only recognized accrediting agency to be certified as an ISO 9001:2008-Quality Management System, under the international standards established by the International Organization for Standardization, and continues to hold that unique status.

6 IEEE Institute Accreditation

IEEE is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. IEEE and its members inspire a global community through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities.


Sl. No



Objectives

7 National Commission for Certifying Agencies, ICE

Certificate Accreditation

ICE’s accrediting body, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), evaluates the certification organization for compliance with the NCCA Standards for Accreditation of Certification Programs. NCCA's Standards exceed the requirements set forth by the American Psychological Association and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

8 ANSI Certificate Accreditation

ANSI facilitates the development of American National Standards (ANS) by accrediting the procedures of standards developing organizations (SDOs).

9 CHEA Institute Accreditation

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is a United States organization of degree-granting colleges and universities. It identifies its purpose as providing national advocacy for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation to certify the quality of higher education accrediting organizations, including regional, faith-based, private, career, and programmatic accrediting organizations.

10 ACCSC Institute Accreditation

The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) is an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. ACCSC has continually demonstrated that it is a valid and reliable authority on the assessment of education quality.

11 NEASC Institute Accreditation

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) provides accreditation services for more than 2000 public and private institutions in the six state region - Pre-K through university.

12 MSCHE Institute Accreditation

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) is the unit of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools that accredits degree-granting colleges and universities in the Middle States region.

APAC

13 Institution of Engineers, Singapore

Course Accreditation

Institution of Engineers, Singapore is affiliated to the Engineering Accreditation Board (EAB) and is made up of all the Professional Engineering Institutions (PEIs) that are licensed by the Engineering Council to accredit academic programmes for both Chartered Engineer and Incorporated Engineer status.


Sl. No



Objectives

14 Standards Certification Council (SCC)


Standards Certification Council Pvt. Ltd. (SCC) is an independent Certification Body that specializes in providing committed, cost-effective, professional, and globally recognized assessment and registration services in compliance with the requirements of various National and International standards.

15 EXIN Course Accreditation

EXIN is a “Not for Profit”, independent knowledge organization and accredits and certifies organizations and individuals in the Information Technology space. It operates according to ISO 17024 and EN 45011. In the past 30 years, EXIN has certified more than 2 million professionals and has more than 1000 accredited partners. It has customers in 125+ countries in 20 different languages.

16 EUR-ACE Course Accreditation

The EUR-ACE® label is issued by national accreditation agencies authorized by the European Network for the Accreditation of Engineering Education (ENAEE).

17 GABCT Certificate Accreditation

Global Accreditation Body for Certification and Trainings (GABCT) is instituted as "Not for Profit Organization" with focus on providing Accreditation Services for the Management System, Training, Product Testing, and Personnel Certification services globally.

18 The South African Qualifications Authority

Assessor Certification

The objectives of the South African Qualification Authority is to: Create a single integrated national framework for learning achievements Facilitate access to and provide mobility and progression within education, training, and career paths Enhance the quality of education and training Accelerate the redress of past unfair discrimination in education, training, and employment opportunities


Table 5: Global Accreditation and Certification Bodies Sources:







7. National Board of Accreditation – Manual of Accreditation- January 2013 8. European Quality Improvement System website www.efmd.org/accreditation-main/equis 9. ABET Evaluation Criteria 10. ABET website-http://www.abet.org 11. EAB website - http://www.engab.org.uk

Sl. No



Objectives

21

Trading Standard Institute


The Trading Standards Institute is a professional membership association formed in 1881. It represents trading standards professionals in the UK and overseas - in local authorities, the business and consumer sectors and in central government. It exists to promote and protect the success of a modern vibrant economy, and to safeguard the health, safety, and wellbeing of citizens by enhancing the professionalism of members in support of empowering consumers, encouraging honest business and targeting rogue traders.

22 (QAA) Quality Assurance and Certification Body

QAA offers advice, guidance, and support to help UK universities, colleges, and other institutions provide the best possible student experience of higher education. QAA also conducts reviews of institutions and publish reports detailing the findings.















12. Engineers Australia website-http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au 13. NAAC website- http://www.naac.gov.in 14. Board of Engineers Malaysia website - www.bem.org.my 15. JABEE website - www.jabee.org/english 16. EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2005 17. Defining Quality in Education, UNESCO paper 18. TSI www.tradingstandards.gov.uk 19. www.qaa.ac.uk/

Refer to the ‘Appendix’ for details about International Accreditation and Certification Bodies, their objectives, and the source of information for each body.

4.1.3. Alignment of Accreditation Models and Accrediting Bodies

One of the prime activities of an accreditation body is to develop effective and well-structured evaluation criteria for accrediting institutes, courses, and/or certificates. Development of the evaluation criteria by accreditation bodies is based on global accreditation models. Global accreditation bodies follow one or more of these models to provide recommendations and standards to be followed while granting the accreditation. The choice of model taken by an accreditation body depends on the maturity of the education sector, national priorities of the country, and the overall requirements of the industry. The graph given below depicts the trend of global accreditation model applied by global accreditation bodies.






Figure 10: Accreditation Model Applicability Trend

The effectiveness of each approach depends on the overall maturity and the readiness of the education system of the country as shown in the figure given below:


Figure 11: Accreditation Models Applicability in Countries

Sources:

1. www.accreditation.org

2. Higher education accreditation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia

Overall, the global trend has been to follow a combination of regulatory and outcome-based accreditation approach. In an outcome-based model, a fair amount of flexibility is provided to the institution/program to customize the ‘inputs’ to get to the desired outcomes. However, a mixed approach is best-suited for a country like India. 4.1.4. Standards Setting Body – ISO

4.1.4.1. What is ISO?

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world’s largest developer of voluntary International Standards. International Standards provide state-of-the-art specifications for products, services, and best practices to make the industry more efficient and effective. Developed through global consensus, it helps to break

down barriers to international trade. ISO develops International Standards. Founded in 1947, ISO has published more than 19000 International Standards covering almost all aspects of technology and business.


4.1.4.2. ISO Structure and Governance

Figure 12: ISO Structure and Governance

Sources:

1. QCI 2. ISO website, www.iso.org 3. Joining In Manual, ISO 4. ISO and Conformity Assessment, ISO

Refer to the Appendix for more details about ISO member bodies and the process of ‘Standard’ development. The Appendix also includes the sources from which the information is compiled.

Note: Text in blue signifies participation of India.

http://www.iso.org/


4.2. Alignment of ISO and Accreditation Bodies:

ISO Agreement with IEEE – A Case Study

IAF / ILAC has signed an MoU with ISO for use of the standards. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a professional association incorporated under the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law of the state of New York in the United States. IEEE is the largest of the 30 professional societies that comprise ABET, Inc., the accrediting agency for engineering, computing, technology, and applied science degree programs in the United States. It is one of the world’s biggest organizations for engineers having a worldwide network with more than 4000,000 members in 160 countries. Purpose: It is a scientific and educational organization directed towards the advancement of the theory and practice of Electrical, Electronics, Communications, and Computer Engineering, as well as Computer Science, the allied branches of engineering, and its related arts and sciences. IEEE Activities:

• A major publisher of scientific journals, IEEE releases about 30% of the world’s technical literature in electrical engineering, computer science, and electronics.

• An Organizer of conferences, workshops, and symposia (many of which have associated published proceedings), IEEE sponsors or co-sponsors more than 1300 conferences each year with over 100,000 technical professionals attending these conferences. A

leading standards development organization for the development of industrial standards in a broad range of disciplines, including electric power and energy, biomedical technology and healthcare, information technology, information assurance, telecommunications, consumer electronics, transportation, aerospace, and nanotechnology. IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) is in charge of the standardization activities of IEEE and has a portfolio of more than 1,500 standards and projects under development.

• IEEE accredits academic programs in institutes of higher learning.

• IEEE provides technical certifications to industry professionals and students.

• IEEE recognizes contributions that advance the fields of its interest through its Awards Program, such as IEEE Biomedical Engineering Award, IEEE Robert N. Noyce Medal (for microelectronics), etc.

IEEE and ISO Partnership: ISO and IEEE have an agreement in place to increase their cooperation in developing international standards. The ISO/IEEE Partner Standards Development Organization (PSDO) Cooperation Agreement facilitates processes for the joint development of standards and for the adoption of standards. The agreement currently focuses on technical areas, such as ISO/TC 204 - Intelligent Transportation Systems, ISO/TC 215 - Health Informatics, ISO/IEC JTC 1 – Information Technology, etc.

Refer to the Appendix for details around IEEE.

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5. PRESENT INDIAN FRAMEWORK FOR CERTIFICATION AND ACCREDITATION

5.1. Present Indian Framework for Affiliation, Certification, and Accreditation

5.1.1. Current Accreditation Bodies

Figure 13: Indian Certification and Accreditation Framework

Sources:

1. NAAC website- http://www.naac.gov.in 2. NBA 3. QCI

Presently, there are only a few bodies in India that work towards ensuring high quality in education. It is important to understand the history, objectives, and scope of work of each of these bodies: National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC): NAAC is an autonomous body established by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India to assess and accredit institutions of higher education in the country. It is an outcome of the recommendations of the National Policy in Education (1986) that laid special emphasis on upholding the quality of higher education in India. Guided by its vision and striving to achieve its mission, NAAC primarily assesses the quality of institutions of higher education that volunteer for the process through an internationally accepted methodology.


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National Board of Accreditation (NBA): NBA came into existence as an autonomous body with effect from 7th January 2010, under the aegis of AICTE. The key objective of NBA is assurance of quality and relevance of education, especially in technical disciplines, such as Engineering and Technology, Management, Architecture, Pharmacy, Hospitality and Mass Communication, through the mechanism of accreditation of programs offered by technical institutions. Indian Board of Accreditation (IBA): IBA is a new agency that will be set up under AICTE that will accredit institutions in the fields of engineering, architecture, pharmacy, hotel management, applied arts and craft. This agency will function parallel to the existing system. The way of functioning will be fully online. National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET): The National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET) is responsible for registration of consulting organizations and educational institutions like schools and ITIs and training programmes as per its own standards. It provides registration schemes for consulting organizations, educational institutions, and training courses for Quality, Environment, Food safety, Information security, Environment Impact Assessment, Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems, and Laboratory quality management systems among others. National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB): The National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) under QCI is responsible for providing national accreditation system for conformity assessment bodies (CABs) like Certification Bodies (CBs) and Inspection Bodies (IBs) in the country. Such accreditation is based on international standards like ISO/IEC 17021 for Quality/Environment Management Systems (ISO 9001/14001) Certification Bodies, ISO/IEC Guide 65 (now ISO 17065) for Product certification bodies, and ISO/IEC 17020 for Inspection bodies. NABCB has been operating accreditation for ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 Certification bodies since Mar 2000, Inspection Bodies since Jan 2006, Food Safety Management Systems Certification Bodies since May 2006 Product Certification Bodies since June 2006 and Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems certification and Information Security Management Systems certification as per ISO 27001 since Nov 2010. It proposes to introduce accreditation for Personnel certification bodies, Energy Management Systems certification bodies, and GHG validation and verification bodies for keeping pace with developments around the world soon. __________________________________________________________________________________ NABCB represents India in the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), the International Association of Accreditation bodies, and the Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC), a regional body of APEC economies.

NABCB is a signatory to the IAF and Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC) Multilateral Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MLA) for ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 certifications which gives international acceptability to NABCB’s accreditations and ISO 9000/ISO 14000 certificates issued by any NABCB-accredited certification body would be recognized worldwide. NABCB has recently secured international equivalence for its accreditation program for Product certification bodies and has already applied for equivalence of its Inspection Bodies and Food safety management systems certification bodies. NABCB is also helping regulators like the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board and Food Safety and

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Standards Authority of India in developing frameworks and/or providing accreditation support for checking compliance to their regulations. Directorate General of Employment & Training (DGE&T): Ministry of Labor is the apex organization for development and coordination at the National level for vocational training programs including Women's Vocational Training and Employment Services. Employment service is operated through a countrywide network of Employment Exchanges. Industrial Training Institutes are under the administrative and financial control of State Governments or Union Territory Administrations. DGE&T also operates Vocational Training Schemes e.g. NCVT and SCVT in some of the specialized areas through field institutes under its direct control. Development of these programs at national level, particularly in the area concerning common policies, common standards and a procedure, training of instructors and trade testing is the responsibility of the DGE&T. However, day-to-day administration of employment Exchanges and Industrial Training Institutes rests with the State Governments/ Union Territories Administrations. Distribution of responsibilities between Central Govt., State Govts and Industry has been shown in the table Tasks and Responsibilities. The National Council of Vocational Training: This aims at creating opportunities for low cost, market- oriented professional training with maximum practical exposure. The following are the highlights of the project:

1. Central government recognized certificate courses 2. Monetary support from central and state government 3. Franchising with NGOs all over the state to impart training to unprivileged youth

State Council for Technical Education & Vocational Training: This runs diplomas in colleges in the state that include polytechnic, Diploma institutes, and ITI institutes, prevailing under this board, which produces skilled laborers and techno-entrepreneurial workforces for State SMEs industry.

Refer to Appendix to know the objectives of these bodies.

Since all of the above mentioned organizations are contributing in the area of accreditation of various institutes, certifications, courses, assessors, and Certification bodies in India, we have looked at the accreditation/certification process being followed by each of these organizations. This exercise has helped us to gauge the maturity of the process and best practices being followed by these organizations in the Indian certification and accreditation eco system. While arriving at our recommendations in different areas, we have referred to the existing processes followed by these organizations and have capitalized on the best practices and standards.

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6. RECOMMENDATIONS: AFFILIATION, CERTIFICATION, AND ACCREDITATION STANDARDS

Standards for Standard Setting Body: Sector Skills Council (SSC)

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6.1. Standards for the Standards Development Body: SSC

6.1.1. Introduction to Sector Skills Council

Sector bodies work to modernize vocational education and training systems by bringing together industry representatives with other stakeholders, formally bridging the gap between education provision, vocational training, and the labour market’. Sector bodies can be ‘national consensus-based partnerships’ between business and education stakeholders in economic sectors that serve the following outcomes:

− identify and address human resource and skills issues in a collective, collaborative, and sustained manner,

− have responsibility for setting national skills standards,

− providing information and advice, arranging for the delivery of training and the assessment of trainees and quality assurance

− oversee the development of relevant qualifications;

− and, ‘create the conditions’ for increased employer investment in skills which will drive enterprise and create jobs and sustained economic growth.

6.1.2. Role of Sector Skills Council Internationally

The role of sector bodies is to foster skills development and workforce development within different industry sectors; a more recent concern in some sectoral systems has been economic development. They are known as Sector Skills Councils in the United Kingdom, Knowledge Centres in the Netherlands, Industry Skills Councils in Australia, Sector Education and Training Authorities in South Africa, Industry Training Organizations in New Zealand, and Sector Councils in Canada. The exact role of sector bodies varies by country and in many cases varies by the individual body. The table below outlines some of the main activities of different countries sector bodies.

Comparative Analysis of Sector Skill Council Responsibilities in Different Countries

Activity AU CA NL NZ SA UK

Research

Gathering labour market information (LMI)

Identification of skill gaps

Skills forecasting

Survey

Guidance

Development of Occupational/Competency Standards

Development of Qualifications

Curriculum development

Communication of careers and training advise to learners

Training advice to employers

Strategic advice to the government

Strategic advice to the industry

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Accreditation, Certification, and Administration

Accreditation of qualifications and competency standards

Award of qualifications and competency standards

Accreditation of Training providers/employers offering training

Designation of Training places

Arranging training for employers

Funding

Direct training funding

AU – Australia, CA – Canada, NL – Netherlands, NZ- New Zealand, SA – South Africa, UK- United Kingdom

Source: A global study to get India world Ready - Building sector skills bodies for India

6.1.3. Sector Skills Councils in India

6.1.3.1. Role of Sector Skills Council in India

In India, the concept of sector skill bodies is new. The Government of India has launched a coordinated action for skill development which is envisioned to be a major initiative for inclusive growth and development. It consists of a conglomeration of programs and appropriate structures, of which National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is an important part. Government and Indian industry bodies like CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, and NASSCOM have teamed together as the industry partners to set up NSDC. Indian industry holds 51% stake and Indian Government holds 49% stake. NSDC has been mandated by the Indian Government to “catalyse” (advocate, create, fund, facilitate, and incentivize) skill development in India. Forums evaluate how industry could participate in skill development initiatives. NSDC has SSCs to complement the existing vocational education system for the Indian Industry Sector in meeting the entire value chain’s requirements of appropriately trained manpower in quantity and quality across all levels on a sustained and evolving basis. Sector Skill Councils are national partnership organizations that bring together all the stakeholders – industry, labour, and the academia. SSCs will operate as an autonomous body. It could be registered as a Sec 25 Co., or Public Limited Co. Funding is initially done by the Government of India. As it evolves, SSCs need to become self-funded, for-profit organizations. A similar initiative has already been adopted by a few leading economies, such as Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands and South Africa. In consequence, these countries have been successful in addressing their country’s human resource development needs. Indian SSCs will aim to strive and complement the existing vocational education system for the Indian Industry Sector in meeting the entire value chain’s requirements of appropriately trained manpower in quantity and quality across all levels on a sustained and evolving basis. Thus, SSCs of every Industry sector must have the active support of all the major players of that sectorto be successful in its role. SSCs propose to complement the existing vocational education system and address the skill gaps through the following activities:

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Figure 15: Role of Sector Skill Council in India

Source: NSDC website

6.1.4. Quality Assurance Standards for Governance and Operations of SSC

6.1.4.1. Development Organization – Sector Skills Council

It has been recognized that Sector Skills council is an occupational standards setting organization. Quality Council of India also defines the following requirements for a standards development organization based on international norms:

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Figure 16: Standards Setting Organization Requirements Sources: Information from QCI and the following sources:

• WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement

• ISO/IEC Guide 59

• Accreditation of Standards Development Organizations. Quality Council of India has developed accreditation criteria for accreditation of standards development organizations.

• ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004

6.1.4.1.1. About the Standard:

SSO requirements are detailed later in the document in consideration of the following references:

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Figure 17: Standard Setting Organization Requirements Reference

Source: Compiled information from QCI

6.1.4.1.2. Key Highlights:

I. General Requirements

The Standards Development Organization (SDO) shall be a legal entity in India. This can also be a transnational company with a legal entity in India.

The SDO shall be so constituted to provide a reasonable assurance of continuity of operation in the production and maintenance of standards.

The SDO shall be national in character with relevance on a broad geographical basis.

The SDO shall identify the manner in which national interests are reflected in arriving at decisions throughout the stages in the evolution of a standard, ranging from the decision to prepare the standard to the decision for its approval and promulgation.

The SDO shall afford sympathetic consideration to and provide adequate opportunity for consultation regarding representations made with respect to compliance to this document by other SDOs who have accepted this document.

II. Structure and Governance Requirements for Standards Setting Body i.e., SSCs in India The figure below shows the high-level structure of NSDC – A parent organization for SSC in India.

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Figure 18: Structure of NSDC – Parent Body of Sector Skills Councils India

Source: NSDC website Under NSDC, there are 32 SSC(s) proposed for each industry. The current status of SSC is depicted below in the diagram.

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Figure 19: 32 Proposed Sector Skill Council Structure India

Source: NSDC website Quality Council of India defines the following requirements related to the structure and resource for a Standards Setting Organization (SSO).

a. Structural Requirements: Standards setting and development organizations should make available to those concerned, their organizational structure, and their established procedures that concern the development of standards. National interest and international benchmarks shall be considered at all stages of development of the standards.

b. Resource Requirements: The standards development organization shall have staff knowledgeable about standardization, including related matters of philosophy, policies, and techniques together with appropriate facilities for the development of standards. The standards development organization shall:

Figure 20: Resource Requirements for Standard Setting Organization

Sources: Compiled information from QCI

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The standards development organization shall have the ability to provide adequate secretarial support. The standards development organization shall describe the current or proposed capability for providing secretarial support, identifying administrative and technical expertise. For the purpose of this document, the governance structure of IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM in India is shown below as an example. This governance structure can be used as an example to create or replicate governance structure for other SSCs.

Figure 21: IT-ITeS Sector Skills Council NASSCOM Structure India

Source: IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM

III. Process Requirements

SDO shall have well-defined procedures for preparation, review, publication, and distribution of standards including user notification procedures when a standard is withdrawn, abandoned, or significantly altered. This procedure shall identify at least one level of review and approval beyond the technical development level.

Technical Committees: SDO shall constitute a committee of experts to oversee the standards development work, howsoever named.

For the purpose of formulation of standards within any technical area, technical committees of experts may be constituted which may include sub-committees and panels and ad hoc expert groups, howsoever named. The formally constituted committees shall be reconstituted once every three years while the ad hoc groups may have tenure as decided by the committees that set them up.

Committees shall have a defined scope of work.

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Committees shall have a lead/chairman besides members representing all interested parties. It shall be ensured that balance of interest is maintained and no single interest predominates. Committees may co-opt experts to assist them in their work.

SDO shall ensure that membership on voluntary standards preparation committees will be open to all concerned interests, subject to maintenance of a reasonable balance and size of committee and shall identify the organization's procedures which support this criterion.

SDO shall be prepared, and shall confirm willingness to make provision for public examination of all relevant documents and rosters etc. on request.

IV. Complaints

Authorities Responsible to Manage Complaints: 1. An established committee structure, when it exists in a viable form; or 2. An ad hoc group of experts convened by the top management of SDO. Requirements for Making a Complaint: 1. At the time of making a complaint, the complainant shall be provided with a copy of the particular

SDO’s procedures for the development of standards. 2. SDO shall keep records of all complaints received as well as their handling and disposition. Complaint Responding and Closure Timelines 1. The time to respond to a complaint shall not exceed 60 calendar days for any step. 2. An SDO officer shall attempt to resolve the complaint within 15 calendar days through discussions

with concerned parties. 3. Failing resolution as above, the SDO shall render a written decision within a further 15 calendar

days. Appeal of Decision 1. This decision may be appealed against to the SDO’s highest standards governance body within one

month. 2. SDO shall provide a final written decision within 60 days of the appeal. 3. Any decision on a technical matter may be appealed against to the next higher committee level. 4. Complaints concerning the procedures used to prepare a standard shall be made to an SDO officer

involved with the administration of the SDO's highest committee. 5. SDO shall apprise the complainants of any further avenues of appeal.

Table 7: Recommendations: Compliant Management Process for Standard Development Organization

1. 2. Source: 3. Quality Council of India

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4. V. Coordination and Information

SDO shall make every effort to avoid duplication of, or overlap with the work of other SDOs in India or with the work of relevant international or regional standardizing bodies. They shall also make every effort to achieve a national consensus on the ‘Standards’ they develop.

Refer to the ‘Appendix’ for more details about the standards for Standard Development Organization related to documentation, records, process, and advancement of trade.

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Standards–Process for Development of Occupational Standards (OS) & Qualification Packs (QP)

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6.2. Standards for the Development of Occupational Standards (OS)

6.2.1. What are Occupational Standards?

Occupational Standards (OS) are statements of the standards of performance individuals must achieve when carrying out functions in the workplace, together with specifications of the underpinning knowledge and understanding. Occupational Standards (OS) describe what an individual needs to do, know, and understand to carry out a particular task related to a job role or function. As discussed above, occupational standards are an essential part of the functions of SSCs which have been developed to change the scheme of things for skilling the human resources necessary for the industry in the country. SSCs are mandated to develop the OS for their respective sectors with financial support from NSDC. The OS development process is shown in the figure below.

Figure 22: Process to Ensure Quality in OS Development

5. Source: 6. IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM

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7. 6.2.2. Quality Assurance Parameters for the Development of OS

6.2.2.1. Setting Up of the Project Board The Project Board is a body responsible for providing guidance and for verifying that the standards developed are representative of the entire industry. Small, medium, and large players should be included in the Project Board. The contribution of the Project Board will be crucial in the following areas:

• Approve all the necessary steps and processes undertaken in developing the OS & QP in Figure 22

• Identification of industry players and input providers

• Verification of standards

• Promotion and market awareness of the final occupational standards

Case in Point: IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM has set up a Project Board with 70% representation from the IT-ITeS industry to ensure the quality and acceptance of OS&QP across the industry. This Project Board ensured:

• Quality assurance in every step of the development and validation of OS& QPs

• Expertise and industry knowledge to ensure that the work being done is in line with industry norms, market forces, and catered to the overall requirement.

Multiple reviews with the Project Board owing to diversity of reviewers brings in an additional layer of checks and balances which is very important for such national level projects. With this in view, the quality assurance parameters for setting up the Project Board are summarized below:

6.2.2.2. Drafting a Request for Proposal (RFP) Document: Another quality parameter in this area is to ensure that the RFP document contains all the essential information requested for and it helps bring forth the strengths of each vendor. The document must ascertain a definite level of standardization in the key information needed to make the necessary comparisons across vendors. From a vendor perspective, stating clear terms and conditions helps set the benchmark for performance, timelines, and client expectations in terms of deliverables. An effective RFP should have the following information:

• Definitions and explanations of key terms

• Code of conduct guidelines

• Pre-qualification criteria (if any)

The Project Board members should be selected carefully to ensure 70% to 100% participation.

The invitation to be become a Project Board member must be authorized by the ultimate authority such as the Governing Council (GC) of the SSC.

The selected Project Board member should be allowed to send in a nominee as his/her representation as SME (Subject Matter Expert) when required.

Quality Assurance Parameters

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• Guidelines for preparing the proposal

• Process of submission and evaluation

• Negotiation details

• Project deliverables, payment terms, and schedule

• Additional forms, formats, and templates Case in Point: IT ITeS SSC NASSCOM (SSC NASSCOM) had set terms and conditions to ensure standard responses to RFPs concerned. There were also defined guidelines provided to submit the proposal in a standard format. Therefore, SSC NASSCOM ensured that it set the standards for expected performance, overall project approach, and timelines. The invitation for the development of occupational standards through an open tender provided the managing body or SSC NASSCOM with adequate choices to make a wise and informed vendor selection decision. A limited tender alone may not result in the selection of the best vendor. There are chances of biases creeping in, which might affect the final output.

With this in view, the quality assurance parameters drafting a Request for Proposal (RFP) are summarized below:

6.2.2.3. Vendor Selection Process Vendor selection process is defined as the process of evaluating the proposals of all the interested parties against the pre-released request for proposal and request for quotation documents. Based on the outcome of the evaluation exercise, the contract negotiation happens and the final contract is awarded to the selected vendor. Case in Point: IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM has set the level of objectivity and transparency in the vendor selection process; thereby, giving each vendor an equal chance to participate in the selection process. The

The RFP should be crisp and clear.

A concept note must accompany the RFP so as to minimize the interpretations of deliverables.

The selection process must be identified as a process and indicated in the RFP.

Clarity must be provided in the RFP regarding the weightage for the Technical and the Financial component of the RFP for purpose of evaluation.

Templates for recording the information from the vendor RFPs and the process for formally evaluating the same must be readily available.

All the relevant documents must be documented and available when require


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proposal submitted was evaluated on two fronts – Technical evaluation and Financial/Commercial evaluation that had weightages of 70:30 respectively. The financial evaluation was based on a pre-defined formula. Technical evaluation was done on the basis of the content of the documentary evidence in the proposal submitted by the vendors and a formal presentation/discussion. An example of the same is shared below:

Criterion Weightage

Resource commitment for the project – No: of consultants, their qualifications, and experience

20%

Past experience in similar consultancy work 30%

Proposed approach suggested for implementation of the solution

30%

Commitment of the head of the organization 20%

Table 8: Vendor Evaluation Criteria

Source: IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM With this in view, the quality assurance parameters for Vendor Selection are summarized as given below.

The process of vendor selection should be rigorous with multiple rounds of presentations/discussions with the Project Board. Some of the possible vendor selection criteria can be: Specific experience of the vendor relevant to the assignment

Adequacy and quality of the proposed methodology

Existing clients in the relevant industry

Skills and experience of the proposed team for the project


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6.2.2.4. Drafting MoU

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a signed obligating and legally binding document between alliance members. It describes the following points:

Figure 23: MoU Description

Case in Point: IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM established the following key areas covered as part of the MoU between its vendor. IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM includes the following:

• Objectives of Agreement

• Engagement of ‘Service Agreement’/’Agreement’

• Scope

• Delivery Formats and Outputs

• Period of ‘Agreement’

• Responsibility of NASSCOM / SSC NASSCOM

• Responsibility of Vendor

• Trademark

• Intellectual Proprietary rights in NASSCOM/ SSC NASSCOM material

• Existing Materials

• Ownership of Work Product and Data Collected

• Use of Contract Documents and Information

• General Terms

• Severability

• Liability Limitation

• Compliance and Indemnity

• Escalation Procedure

• Jurisdiction Arbitration

• Termination

Table 9: Contents of MoU Source: NASSCOM/Accenture MoU Document

6.2.2.5. Inception Report Development The Inception Report for the Occupational Standards development project elaborates the approach, methodology, and workplan to be deployed to deliver the project. The report clearly explainsthe tasks within each phase, the information that is needed, the providers of the information and its utilization, and the validation process for each phase of the project.

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Case in Point: IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM established the following key areas covered as part of the inception report:

• Stakeholders identified and their respective roles

• Detailed Project Plan highlighting activities under each deliverable phase and timelines

• Detailed communication plan

• List of companies for primary research

• Demand side questionnaire

• Templates to capture data, meeting minutes, sign-offs etc.

• Support required from NASSCOM

• Potential risks and mitigation plans The inception report specifies forms and formats for data capture and presentation during each stage of the project in addition to clearly spelling out language guidelines that need to be followed while writing OS.

1. Language Guidelines Using the right language achieves a fit-for-purpose OS. OS are real products that employers, practitioners, awarding organizations, or training providers use, making it imperative that the final product must be readable and unambiguous. It is important to keep the following tips in mind while writing:

a. Functional Analysis

Statements should be short but descriptive of what the person is able to do.

Each statement should begin with a verb and should also contain one or more objects for the verb. Some good examples are

Communicate information regularly to meet aspirations of the customer Lead efforts towards development of SOPs Assess and provide advice on the energy performance of buildings

As in the above examples, it is essential to ensure that statements also contain context or condition.

Avoid using qualifiers (adverbs) that describe how a verb is carried out. E.g. “effectively”, “promptly”, etc.

b. Occupational Standards

• Check for the following mandatory components that every OS must have:

Unique Reference Number

Title

Overview

Performance Criteria

Knowledge and Understanding

Technical Data

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• Some SSCs and other standards-setting organizations may add some other components which are considered important by employers in their sector. These will vary according to the sector concerned , but may include:

Elements

Scope/Range

Behaviours

Values

Glossary

Links to Other NOS / External Links

• Language Guidelines to write OS

Sentences should not exceed 15 – 20 words on average.

Techniques to break up complicated text, such as vertical lists and tables, should be employed.

Simple words that readers are likely to understand must be used.

Language must be consistent across the document; synonyms should be avoided when describing key stakeholders/ behaviours.

Abbreviations and acronyms should be avoided unless listed clearly in the Appendix section.

Refer to the ‘Appendix ‘<NOS-quality-guide-for-developers Pg: 55> for more tips on OS writing.

2. Forms and Workshops OS are developed in consensus with all key stakeholders to ensure that the standards meet the needs of employers, businesses, employees, and individuals within the sector. This can be done through OS development workshops to identify the tasks and standards of performance required at entry-level roles in each specialist domain. For entry level roles, the inputs are sought from skip level supervisors (Managers with 8-10 years of experience). The following is the generic process followed in OS development workshops:

Figure 24: Process Steps of OS Development Workshop

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Title of OS

Performance


Skills

Scope

Source: INSSO The output of the group work is captured, analyzed, and aligned to match the structure of the OS as shown in the schematic below. Each component is described in the following pages.

Figure 25: Key Components of an OS

Source: INSSO

a. Title of OS

OS title should describe (in one sentence only) an activity in the workplace that leads to an outcome that is useful to the employer. It should be an accurate description of the OS content. Example: ‘Deal remotely with basic IT service requests and incidents’

b. Performance Criteria This sets the standard of performance. Performance Criteria should give someone who knows about the task a way to decide whether the person’s performance is “good enough‟ or “not yet good enough‟. It is important to note that Performance Criteria focus on what the person does and what is essential to meet the standard. An example of Performance Criteria is listed below.

c. Knowledge and Understanding and Skills

Knowledge and Understanding and Skills within the OS usually cover three main areas: Facts: For example, different types of equipment, different types of customer needs

To be competent, the user must be able to: 1. Confirm to the customer that he/she has received the service

request/incident report, empathizing with the difficulties caused 2. Obtain sufficient information from the customer to understand the nature of

the problem and make an initial diagnosis 3. Support the customer remotely to test potential solutions 4. Provide the customer with a reasonable estimate of resolution time, if any

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Principles/ Rationale: For example, the reasons why personal information must be kept confidential; why helpdesks need to be promptly responsive Methods: For example, how to organize employee data, how to analyze feedback An example of this component in an OS is listed below.


A. Organizational Context (Knowledge of the company and its processes)

The user needs to know and understand: 1. Relevant legislation, standards, policies, and procedures

followed in the company 2. How to engage with both internal and external specialists for

support to resolve incidents and service requests 3. Service request procedures, tools, and techniques

B. Technical Knowledge

The user needs to know and understand: 1. How to receive and make phone calls, including call forwarding,

call hold, and call mute 2. How to send and receive e-mails 3. Typical problems raised by customers and their solutions,

including workaround solutions 4. Typical response times and service times for problems 5. Help desk systems and procedures

Generic Skills

A. Writing Skills

The user needs to know and understand how to: 1. Document task lists, schedules, and workloads with co-workers 2. Prepare status/progress reports to customers 3. Record items discussed with customers notes and log entries

B. Reading Skills

The user needs to know and understand: 1. New products and services in organization forums such as

brochures, websites, and product information sheets 2. Comments, suggestions, and responses to frequently asked

questions posted on helpdesk

C. Oral Communication (Listening and speaking skills)

The user needs to know and understand: 1. Task lists, schedules, and workloads with co-workers 2. How to manage relationships with customers who may be

stressed, frustrated, confused, or angry 3. How to question customers to understand the nature of

problem and form a diagnosis 4. How to give clear instructions to customers remotely 5. The importance of keeping customers informed about progress

Professional Skills

A. Decision Making

The user needs to know and understand: 1. How to make decisions pertaining to the area of work

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Service requests and incidents reported via: • Voice call • E-mail • The Internet

Customers (which parties reach out to the service desk- internal/external or both): • Internal • External

Specialists (subject matter experts): • Internal • External

Problems about: • networking/connectivity • operating system/software • account maintenance/access rights • voice/telephone • video call

B. Plan and Organize

The user needs to know and understand: 1. How to plan and organize service feedback files/documents

C. Problem Solving

The user needs to know and understand: 1. How to think through the problem, evaluate possible solutions,

and suggest optimum solution 2. How to encounter clients lacking the technical background

needed to understand commonly-used acronyms and information technology jargon

3. How to identify solutions to resolve delays and establish new timelines

D. Analytical Thinking

The user needs to know and understand: 1. How to evaluate the adequacy of the existing service helpdesk

feedback systems and suggest improvements

Table 10: OS Component Example Source: INSSO

d. Scope Scope takes into account the fact that the real world contains many variables that OS should cover these. In doing so, it helps to broaden the individual’s understanding of the task at hand. OS example ‘Scope’ it can be presented the following format:

Source: INSSO

3. Format and Templates OS are derived from several levels of inputs and analysis on the data concerned. OS can be presented in any number of visual models. Some examples of formats used to create OS are shown below:

Functional Analysis Formats

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Functional analysis is used to define the nature of an occupational sector and the functions performed within it. Besides its primary use, a detailed functional analysis also allowed us to:

Establish the unique contribution of each occupational area w.r.t both primary and secondary functions.

Detail specific activities that in turn help define occupational competencies from Occupational Standards.

Listed below are some examples of the different ways in which functional analysis can be represented:

Figure 26: Template for Presenting Sector Level Functional Analysis.

Source: INSSO

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Figure 27: Template for Sub-Sector Level Functional Map in Excel Format

Source: INSSO

Figure 28: Template for Job Role Level Functional Map

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Source: INSSO Occupational Maps Formats

An Occupational Map describes the key characteristics of a sector and sub-sector highlighting the types of occupations, unique job roles, and career paths.

This analysis provides a solid research base and helps OS developers to:

Develop an internal or external business case for OS development and/or review

Identify a representative sample of employers and other key stakeholders to develop/ review OS

Develop a sector/occupation analysis – size, key trends, opportunities, etc. Listed below are some examples of Occupational Maps:

Figure 29: Template for Occupational Map Source: SSC NASSCOM

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Figure 30: Template for Occupational Map Detailed in Excel Format Source: SSC NASSCOM

6.2.2.6. Identification of Eco System for the Validation of OS

Once developed, the draft of an OS must be reviewed and validated by a broad group of representative stakeholders. To ensure that this exercise is meaningful, it is important to select the relevant stakeholders and an appropriate method to obtain feedback (E.g. focus groups, surveys, meetings, written feedback, etc.) and provide stakeholders with enough time to review and respond. Case in Point: IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM used a multi-pronged validation methodology where exercises were conducted through various media including in-person meetings, teleconferencing, online meetings, and online inputs. These inputs were received from ~100 SMEs across over 50 leading organizations in the Indian IT-ITeS Industry. The following process (as shown in the figure below) was used to gather relevant information from the industry stakeholders and validate the Occupational Maps:

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Figure 31: OS Collection and Validation Process

Source: SSC NASSCOM Step 1: Identification of organizations to be researched so as to have a fair representation of the respective sub-sectors With an aim to create an efficient and effective process of validation, the project team applied the Pareto Principle to identify the number of organizations that would together form a fair representation of the industry.

A set of companies was identified for the primary research. The selection of companies was based on the following criteria:

• Operation in the four sub-sectors

• Presence in industry forum/councils

• Representation of around 80 % of the total annual hiring for the IT-ITeS Industry

The sample has been chosen basis the illustrative sampling plan as shown below. The formula assumes a sample population with a 95% confidence level.

1

4

3

2

5

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Substituting these given values in the formula, we get:

Having thus established a sample size of 80, inputs were received from different categories (Multi-National, Small and Medium Enterprises, Global in-house centres), different cities, and through several media (online, face to face, etc.)

With N= 5000 (As per latest report from The Economic Times, there are 5000 IT-ITeS

companies in India, which form the universe size for the Occupational Mapping

research)

P= 70% (A variance assumption among various companies)

Z= 1.96 (For 95% confidence level)

R= 1 (Assuming we will get responses from each of the companies we approach)

A= 10% (Standard precision rate for most exercises)

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In addition to industry representatives, the validation team consisted of the following groups:

Figure 32: Validation Groups for OS

Source: NASSCOM Considering the multi-pronged validation inputs throughout the Occupational Mapping exercise, there has been feedback from ~100 SMEs across over 50 leading organizations in the Indian IT-ITeS Industry. Inputs for the Occupational Analysis have been received from over 300 organizations over an on-line survey and in-person meetings/workshops. Step 2: Establish contact with the Organizations/Subject Matter Experts and introduce the project A two-pronged approach was followed to contact the companies in the IT-ITeS industry:

• All companies in the IT-ITeS industry who are members of NASSCOM On-line survey shared with NASSCOM and non-NASSCOM members

• Large companies representing 90 percent of the IT-ITeS workforce Interviews over meetings/tele-conferences

The companies reached out to, represented all NASSCOM members and more than 500 non-NASSCOM members. Step 3: Gather Information for Occupational Analysis The following is a summary of the key information needed for Occupational Analysis and the sources for the same:

Information Needed Sources Utilized to Obtain the Information

Understanding of Job families 1. Personal interviews 2. On-line survey

Understanding of Job-roles within the organization/job families

1. Personal Interviews 2. Secondary research over job portals and social networking sites 3. On-line survey

Talent Trends 1. NASSCOM and other published reports 2. Personal interviews

Table 11: Occupational Analysis Source of Information

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Source: SSC NASSCOM/Accenture Critical inputs helped identify the typical job roles at the entry, middle, and leadership levels and the possible vertical and horizontal career paths within the specified sub-sector or occupation. A questionnaire was used to conduct all meetings and ensure that the relevant information is collected from the SMEs. Step 4: Process information collected –Create Occupational Maps and Career Paths Based on the discussions with the industry, a matrix for all sub-sectors that captures the occupations (horizontals) and industry verticals was created. Subsequently, critical inputs were used to identify the typical job roles at the entry, middle, and leadership levels roles in different occupations. These inputs were collated and analyzed, and the draft Occupational maps were revised. Step 5: Validate Occupational Maps

The prepared Occupational Maps were sent for validation to the respective companies, which had provided inputs.

Validation inputs were received in-person and over e-mail from all stakeholders who provided us inputs and members of the sub-sector councils.

Nearly 100 SMEs across ~50 organizations validated the Occupational Maps for the four sub-sectors.

6.2.2.7. Process for the Development of Occupational Standard The approach for the development of occupational standards should be holistic wherein continuous improvement is the focus. While developing standards, it is very important that the output is acceptable by all stakeholders. To achieve the desirable output, certain steps must be followed. As a benchmark, the ISO Standards development process should be kept in mind while developing OS. ISO standards are developed using a structured process involving all members. Typically, a standard is proposed by a committee, which is shared with ISO members across the world for their inputs. A voting exercise is carried out, which decides the fate of the standard. The key points from the entire ISO standards development process (For details, refer to the section on ISO Standards) include:

• Technical expertise and research is the foundation for the first draft backed by a clear need (business or otherwise) for the standard.

• Multiple inputs are the best way to validate a standard and ensure global recognition.

• Review and approval of the standard should be done at various stages – internal (Committee Stage) and external (Enquiry Stage).

Every attempt should be made to align the OS development process with the ISO standards development process. This will serve as the quality parameter and ensure symmetry in the way any OS is developed. Based on the below analysis, the OS development process followed 70% of the ISO development process. The key gaps identified are as follows:

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Figure 33: ISO Standard Development Process vs. OS Development Process

Source: Information compiled and analysed by Accenture

ISO asks its participating members to vote on the standards under consideration. The outcome of the voting is the most important checkpoint for the standard at each stage. ISO process clearly states that unless the standard gets two-third majority at each voting stage, it cannot move to the next stage of evaluation. The reason behind this is that unless two-third of the participating members agree to the outcome of the step, the standard cannot be accepted as a globally accepted industry standard. The process of creation of Occupational Standard by IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM follows the similar process of creation of ISO standards nationally. However, it does not involve any international voting from the concerned stakeholders including industry representatives, academic representatives, and the government. Thus, the absence of international voting in the OS creation process is the major gap area between the process of creation of ISO standards and Occupational Standards by SSC NASSCOM.

Refer to the ‘Appendix’ for detailed ISO standard development process.

A deep dive into the OS development process followed by SSC NASSCOM describes the necessary quality assurance parameters followed for each step:

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Figure 34: Detailed OS Development Process

Source: Information compiled by SSC NASSCOM and Accenture from INSSO, NSDC

Each step in the OS development process has a quality assurance parameter. The checklist below describes the quality assurance parameters at each stage: Step 1: Occupational Analysis and Mapping The OS development process starts with research/analysis and hence, our recommendation is to ensure that the data collection process is dynamic and efficient so that the research/analysis process at any stage can represent a true picture of the requirements of the industry and the modifications in the OS at a

later stage depict the correct industry requirements. Refer to the following checklist to complete the research and collection of data:

The size and profile of its sector/occupation, sub-sectors and geographical location of organizations and workers

The link between the sector/occupation and other sectors/occupations

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Key trends, developments, and drivers within the sector/ occupation

The types of occupations within the sector and anticipated changes in employment patterns

Opportunities for progression and typical career routes

Learning opportunities and qualifications within the sector/occupation

Step 2: Identification of Job Roles and Mobility at all Levels The jobs and roles across sectors are identified. These roles are identified at the entry level and then their career path is established and hence the mobility across jobs and sectors is defined. Each role is valuated and then accepted by the Project Board before moving to next step. Step 3: Functional Analysis In functional analysis, the key task for a particular occupation is identified and it is broken into various functions and sub-functions and tasks. The possible OS for a task belonging to a function are defined at this stage itself. The requisite competencies (both technical and generic) are also listed. This is also validated by the Project Board before moving to the next step. Step 4: Identification of Existing OS The whole process of OS development is lengthy and requires a lot of time and research from the project team. It is always advisable to capitalize on the information on the existing OS. Hence, our recommendations are as follows:

Search for any existing OS before the fresh OS development process begins.

Use the existing information to modify or improve it to create the new OS.

Step 5: Development of OS Developing OS is a crucial task. It is important to ensure that the language standards are maintained while writing OS. The way an OS is written is the key to its acceptability across sectors and geographies. The language should be

easy, unambiguous, and objective. Use of relative terms should be avoided. Example: Skill required by an IT Helpdesk Attendant – Communication Bad Example: The incumbent should be able to communicate effectively. Good Example: The incumbent should be able to read, write, and speak in English and Hindi. The ultimate aim of a ‘standard’ is its overall acceptability so that there is standardization and objectivity in the related area. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that the way a standard is interpreted is the same across all geographies, industries, or markets. If the standard is liable to have different connotations to different sets of people, the purpose of a ‘standard’ is defeated. Hence, our recommendation is to

Standardize the use of language in the development of OS so that similar set of words are used by different people to convey the same message.

Provide all the details about OS in its description in a clear, concise, and precise way.

Step 6: Approval of OS Approval of an OS by industry, job-seekers, and training institutions is useful since it indicates that the particular OS meets its objective of increasing employability. Therefore, the process of approval becomes a quality parameter. The approval should come from credible persons/bodies that will benefit from the development of the OS. Hence, our recommendation is to:

Get the developed OS verified by the participating members before publishing it.

The verification by the participating members will act as an approval that the developed OS clearly states their requirement and it does not leave out any critical data point or information.

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Step 7: Maintain Relevance and Currency of OS The Indian business industry is continuously evolving. There are always new ways of working, technological innovations, technology platforms, or machines. With the evolution of these, the industry requirements w.r.t. a job role will also change. A job role applicable today might not exist tomorrow or a specification of a role today will drastically change tomorrow. If OS is not updated continuously to reflect the current industry trends and requirements, it will be void to the participating members. Hence, our recommendations are as follows:

Compulsory review of all the developed OS should be conducted every 2-3 years. This review will ensure that OS, which are not applicable anymore, are scrapped.

Each modification in the old OS, small or large, or new OS should be verified by an approval committee for correctness and completeness. This will ensure that the changes are accurate and reflect the new available information.

Each OS modification, small or large, or new OS shall be approved by the participating members. This approval will again act as a quality assurance stamp to certify that the OS captures all the information applicable for the role and it does not leave out any details required by industry.

Step 8: Promotion and Support for OS One of the objectives of the OS is to make it applicable across the industry. OS needs to be used by as many stakeholders as possible. Our recommendation is as follows:

Promote OS to as many stakeholders as possible.

All the participating members will use OS for their hiring but other Sectors Skills Council, sectors, non-participants, and non-members shall also start using OS to make it an industry wide success. If OS becomes one of the most important and used criteria for hiring, then the content developers, training and certification providers, and curriculum designers will also start using it for their business. Step 9: Evaluation of OS What cannot be measured cannot be managed. Hence, an important quality parameter is the measurement or a basic analysis on the usage pattern of OS, its impact on up-skilling / employment, and feedback from industry/training institutions. Our recommendations are as follows:

Gather all information related to the utilization of OS and the purpose for the same. This will help to track the usage of OS given that OS becomes more successful when it is adopted by as many stakeholders as possible.

Garner feedback from all the stakeholders who are using the OS for their usage. Their feedback will help to improve the OS and develop a better and accurate OS.

Track the impact of OS on the skilling and employment front. This is significant because if the OS is not serving its core- purpose, then the entire idea of hiring based on the OS fails.

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Standards for Personnel Certification

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6.3. Standards for Personnel Certification

6.3.1. Role of Certification Bodies and Assessors

The role of certification bodies and assessors is to:

• Conduct secure competency/skill based assessments w.r.t to OS leading to QPs.

• Assess an individual’s competency based on skills, knowledge, and education w.r.t OS and ensure QP/job readiness.

• Certify an Individual as job ready, accepted both nationally and internationally as required.

6.3.2. Process of Assessment Followed by the Certification Body

The flow chart details out the process:

Figure 35: Certification and Certification Process

Source: Information has been created based on an interview with QCI

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The certification process followed is explained as follows: Application: The certification body shall provide on request a current detailed description of the certification process including the syllabus and the evaluation mechanism, appropriate to each certification scheme (including fees). Evaluation: The certification body shall examine competence, based on requirements of the scheme, by

written, oral, practical, observable, or other means. The certification body shall adopt reporting procedures that ensure performance and results of the

evaluation are documented in an appropriate and comprehensible manner, including the performance and results of examinations.

The mode of evaluation, which is communicated during the application process, can be online or practical and would depend on the skill requirement of the job.

Decision on Certification: The decision on certification of a candidate shall be made solely by the certification body on the

basis of information gathered during the certification process. The certification body shall provide a digital certificate to all certified persons.

Surveillance and Recertification: The certification body shall define a proactive surveillance process to monitor certificates for

compliance with relevant provisions of the certification scheme, wherever relevant. The certification body shall define recertification requirements according to the competence

standard and other relevant documents.

6.3.3. Quality Assurance Parameters to be Followed by Certification Body

These Quality Assurance Parameters are based on the Standard ISO17024 – Conformity Assessment – General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification of Persons.

6.3.3.1. About the Standard - ISO17024

This Standard was adopted by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on the recommendations of the National Mirror Committee of CASCO and approval of the Director General, BIS. This Standard specifies the requirement of a body certifying persons against specific requirements. Certification of persons is one way of providing assurance that a certified person meets the requirements of the certification scheme. Confidence in the respective certification process is achieved by means of a globally accepted process of assessment, subsequent surveillance, and periodic re-assessments of the competence of the certified persons. It is to be implemented by any organization desirous to be a Personnel Certification Body and used by NABCB as basis for its accreditation.

6.3.3.2. Key Highlights of Standard – ISO17024

The standards can be categorized into two: 1. Requirements of Certification Bodies 2. Requirements of Persons Employed or Contracted by a Certification Body

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6.3.3.3. Requirements of Certification Bodies

The key requirements defined for certification bodies are under the following headings:

Figure 36: Requirements of Certification Body Source: ISO:17024

I. Certification Body:

The policies and procedures of the certification body and their administration shall be related to the criteria in which certification is sought and shall be fair and equitable among all candidates.

The certification body shall confine its requirements, evaluation, and decision on certification to those matters specifically related to the scope of the desired certification.

II. Organizational Structure:

The certification body shall be structured in a way that it is impartial and independent in relation to its applicants, candidates, and certified persons.

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The certification body shall identify the management group which will have the responsibility of evaluation, certification, and surveillance as defined in the Standard.

The certification body shall have documents establishing it as a legal entity or part of a legal entity.

The certification body shall appoint a scheme committee, which shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of the certification scheme. This will include the scheme of exams, exam development, and quality assurance of exams and prevention of frauds.

The certification body shall have the financial resources necessary for the operation of a certification system.

The certification body shall not offer or provide training or aid others in the preparation of such services. However, the certification body can conduct “Train the Trainer” sessions and awareness campaigns to make aware of its standards to its partners.

The certification body shall employ or contract enough people with the necessary education, training, technical knowledge, and experience to perform certification functions.

The certification body shall define policies and procedures for the resolution of appeals and complaints received from applicants, candidates, certified persons, their employers, and other parties.

The certification body shall accredit partners and provide the necessary means and support to take the certifications to all parts of the country.

III. Development and Maintenance of a Certification Scheme:

The certification body shall define the methods and mechanisms to be used to evaluate the competence of candidates.

The criteria against which the competence of a person is evaluated shall be those defined by the certification body in accordance with this Standard and other relevant documents.

Certification shall not be restricted on the grounds of undue financial or limiting conditions, such as membership of an association or a group.

The certification body shall evaluate the methods of examination of candidates. Examinations shall be fair, reliable, valid, and appropriate for the qualification in question. Appropriate methodology and procedures shall be defined to reaffirm, at least annually, the fairness, validity, reliability, and general performance of each examination and all identified deficiencies corrected.

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The certification body will define time intervals by which the certification scheme is re-evaluated. The certification body will also define the time intervals for updating and upgrading the certifications based on technological progress.

IV. Management System: The certification body shall have document control and internal audit and

management review systems, including provisions for continual improvement, complaint handling, escalation mechanisms, fraud detection, and corrective and preventive actions.

V. Sub-contracting:

When a certification body decides to sub-contract work related to certification to an external body, a properly documented agreement covering the arrangement, including confidentiality and prevention of a conflict of interest, shall be drafted.

VI. Records: The certification body shall maintain a record system appropriate to its particular

circumstances and to comply with regulations. The certification body shall also have a record retention policy for all documents, especially the certifications results.

VII. Confidentiality and Security:

The certification body shall maintain confidentiality of all information obtained in the process of its activities through legally enforceable commitments.

All examinations and related items shall be maintained in a secure environment by the certification body and will be made accessible only to authorized individuals and organizations.

The integrity of the documents and the certificates are guaranteed by the certifying body. Privacy: The certification body shall have a clearly defined privacy policy and shall share user data based on the agreement other than where it is required by law.

6.3.3.4. Requirements for Persons Employed or Contracted by a Certification Body

The certification process shall define the competence requirements for employed or contracted persons involved in the certification process.

Clearly documented instructions shall be available to the employed or contracted persons describing their duties and responsibilities along with non-disclosure agreements.

The certification body shall establish and maintain current documentation on the relevant qualifications of each individual.

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Examiners shall meet the requirements of the certification body based on applicable competence standards and other relevant documents.

Examiners shall undergo periodic evaluation and shall constantly upgrade their knowledge to be relevant.

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6.3.4. Quality Assurance Parameters for Auditors

Quality assurance parameters can be divided into three: 1. Generic Parameters 2. Parameters defined by ISO 19011:2002 and ISO 17021:2011 3. Industry Specific Parameters

6.3.4.1. Generic Parameters for Auditors

Generic Parameters Description

Relevant Education The assessor should have completed formal education. He/she should have specialized in the area of assessment by undergoing special training programs or graduate/undergraduate studies.

Work Experience The assessor should have worked extensively in the area of assessment; the assessor should know all the new and global best practices in the assessment area. The auditor should also have a fair amount of knowledge in the other relevant areas.

Work Experience Verification The auditor should produce all the relevant work experience certificates, details of contact person for the work experience verification.

Training Classroom and Hands on

Assessor should undergo the specialized training program of assessment area by the accreditation provider to follow the standards while assessing the respective areas.

Audit After completing the classroom training program and hand on exercise, the audit should undergo the assessment carried out by the accreditation provider. Once the assessor completes the assessment, he/she should be awarded the accreditation certificate. The audit can be in the form of an interview, a written test to evaluate the subject knowledge and verification of credentials. It can also be a combination of all of the above.

Understanding of OS Auditor should understand the OS and how it can be applied in audit.

Table 1: Requirements of Auditors/Evaluators Source: http://www.dofe.org/media/viewfile.ashx?filetype=4&filepath=resourcezone/Training/Process%20maps%20for%20EAAS.pdf

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6.3.4.2. Parameters Defined by ISO 19011:2002 and ISO 17021:2011

Auditors/Evaluators should be:

Be open minded and mature and willing to consider alternative ideas or points of view.

Possess sound judgment, analytical skills, and tenacity.

Have the ability to perceive situations in a realistic way to understand complex operations from a broad perspective and to understand the role of individual units within an organization.

Be able to distinguish crucial or essential points from less important ones.

Be ethical – fair, truthful, sincere, honest and discreet.

Be diplomatic – tactful in dealing with people.

Be observant – actively aware of physical surroundings and activities and habits.

Be tenacious – persistent, focused on achieving objectives.

Be decisive – reaches timely conclusions based on logical reasoning and analysis.

Be self-reliant – acts and functions independently while interacting effectively with others.

6.3.4.3. Industry Specific Parameters

Industry specific parameters will depend on the type of functional skills required for assessment e.g. C++ skills vs plumbing skills. This is currently kept out of scope for this document.

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Standards for Affiliation of License Training Providers (LTPs)

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6.4. Standards for Affiliation of License Training Providers (LTPs)

6.4.1. Introduction

Licensed Training Provider (LTP) is a company or individual that is an independent business, certified by the relevant national supervisory authority to provide training courses to outside companies, organizations, or individuals. For our research, we have divided the licensed training provider into two categories:

Figure 37: Formal and Informal LTPs Definition

Source: NASSCOM

6.4.2. Introduction to Affiliation of LTPs

Affiliation can be done by the scheme owner directly if LTP applies to them or through the process described in this chapter. Affiliation is a method of quality assurance used by LTPs of all types serving all ages of students. Affiliation to recognized body is seen as the finishing touch of the quality assurance system that engages the academic community in meeting high quality standards, implementing a continuous improvement process and engaging in quality assurance through internal and external review.

6.4.3. Benefits of Accreditation of LTPs

Accreditation of LTPs is a necessary step that brings with it several benefits. Some key benefits of accreditation are listed below.

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Risk Reduction

The achievement of excellence via competence reduces the likelihood of risk Confidence in the Marketplace

Training Participants, Students, employers and members of the public have greater confidence in an institution and course which have been accredited against international standards of quality.

Due Diligence

Using an established accrediting body to carry out an independent evaluation helps demonstrate due diligence.

Reputation of Continuous Improvement

As a process, accreditation reflects the fact that in achieving recognition by the accrediting body, the institution is committed to self-examination and external review. It seeks not only to meet standards but seeks ways in which to enhance the quality of education and training provided on a continuous basis.

Advice and Development

The accrediting body is a superb source of impartial advice and knowledge transfer which may, in turn, lead to development opportunities and promotion of best practices in training provision.

Table 13: Benefits of LTPs

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6.4.4. Quality Assurance Parameters for informal LTPs as per ISO Standards 29990

6.4.4.1. The requirements for the Learning Service Providers are:

Figure 38: Requirements for Learning Service Providers

Source ISO 29990 The details of the requirements of the learning services providers are shared below:

I. Determining Learning Needs

Prior to offering learning services, in order to orientate these effectively, the learning service providers (LSPs) shall ensure that a learning needs analysis is conducted.

In terms of a qualification analysis, information is obtained about learner’s relevant education and training history and prior learning, including qualifications and credentials awarded to them, and that this information is obtained and used with legitimate consent.

An agreement is reached and recorded with the sponsor on the learning service to be provided.

The learning methods and materials to be used are appropriate, accurate in terms of their content, and sufficient to meet the stated goals.

The learning content and process take into account learning outcomes. I. Design of the Learning Services

The LSP shall ensure that the scope, specific aims, and planned outcomes of the learning service that is selected to meet the needs of interested parties, as well as the learning

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methods to be used, are clearly specified and communicated to relevant interested parties.

The LSP shall consider relevant interested parties when determining and planning the ways in which learning will be facilitated and supported so as to ensure that the transfer of learning is assessed, monitored, evaluated, and documented appropriately. The accrediting body shall provide guidelines and evaluate the effectiveness of transferring this knowledge and the methods used.

The LSP shall develop and document a curriculum and means of evaluation that reflect and are appropriate to the aims and learning outcomes specified.

II. Provision of the Learning Services

Commencing with, or prior to, delivery of the learning service, the LSP shall notify the learners and the sponsors and when appropriate check their understanding of format and content of the learning service being provided, learners’ commitments and responsibilities, LSP’s commitments and responsibilities to the learner, procedures in case of disagreement, support for learning, methods, and schedule for evaluation, any prerequisites technical or otherwise.

The LSP shall ensure all resources as defined in the curriculum are available and these resources are accessible to the learners.

If the LSP is responsible for providing or selecting the learning environment, the LSP shall ensure that it is conducive to learning. If the LSP does not have control over the learning environment, the LSP shall specify the minimum requirements for it.

III. Monitoring the Delivery of the Learning Services

The LSP shall ensure that feedback is requested from learners on the methods and resources used, as well as their effectiveness in achieving the agreed learning outcomes.

IV. Evaluation Carried Out by Learning Service Providers

The LSP shall describe general and specific goals and the assumed scope of the evaluation.

The LSP shall ensure all evaluation methods and means are recorded with their schedule and rationale.

The LSP shall ensure that the evaluation is conducted legally and ethically.

The LSP shall ensure that the access to results of the LSP evaluation is given only to those with established legitimate consent to view the information and that individual learners with difficulties can be referred to experts in the relevant field.

The LSP shall ensure that the interested parties involved, or affected by, the evaluation are identified and the persons conducting the evaluation are competent and objective.

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The LSP shall ensure that the evaluation reports are transparent and the context in which the learning service is provided is examined in detail to enable likely influences on the learning service to be provided.

6.4.4.2. Management of the Learning Service Providers

Figure 39: Management of Learning Service Providers

Source ISO Standards 29990 The details of the management of Learning Service Providers are shared below:

I. General Management Requirements

A commitment to this International Standard shall be demonstrated at the highest level of leadership within the LSP.

The LSP shall establish and document a management system and ensure that it is understood, implemented, maintained, and reviewed. The LSP shall designate a member of the management team to be responsible for the management system.

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The LSP shall establish procedures for retaining records for a period consistent with contractual and legal obligations. Access to these records shall be consistent with the confidentiality arrangements established by the LSP.

II. Strategy and Business Management

In implementing the International Standard, the LSP shall draw up and document a business plan in accordance with generally accepted business planning practices. The business plan shall include a strategy and business objectives as well as a description of management structures, key processes and the LSP’s quality policy.

III. Management Review

The LSP shall establish procedures to review its management system at planned intervals to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness including the stated policies and objectives related to the fulfillment of the International Standard. Those reviews shall be conducted at intervals appropriate to the context.

IV. Preventive Actions and Corrective Actions

The LSP shall establish procedures for identifying and managing non-conformities in the management system, e.g. the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle. The LSP shall also, where necessary, take actions to eliminate the causes of non-conformities to prevent recurrence. Preventive actions shall be sufficient to eliminate the causes of potential nonconformities. Corrective actions shall be appropriate to the impact of the problems encountered.

V. Financial Management and Risk Management

The LSP shall have in place and shall document the appropriate financial management system and a system for identifying, assessing, and managing risk to ensure business continuity.

VI. Human Resource Management

The LSP shall ensure that any staff and associates have the core competencies needed to carry out the processes and LSP shall provide the job descriptions that refer to the core competencies, which shall be reviewed at regular intervals.

The LSP shall ensure that each member of the staff or associate are assessed or reviewed in relation to their job description and that systems are developed to appraise and provide feedback on the performance of the staff.

The LSP shall ensure that the evaluation procedures are reliable and valid and all the processes are consistent with the relevant legislation.

VII. Communication Management

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The LSP shall where appropriate implement procedures to inform and consult with staff and associates on issues which may have a direct impact on them, and shall facilitate two-way communication.

The LSP shall provide opportunities for communication amongst staff and associates.

VIII. Allocation of Resources

The LSP shall ensure that the necessary staff and associates and learning resources are selected and deployed, taking into account any specific needs and the learning resources are maintained.

IX. Internal Audits

The LSP shall establish procedures for internal audits to verify that it complies with this International Standard and that the management system is effectively implemented and maintained.

An audit programme shall be planned and it shall cover all the processes over, at most, a period of 36 months.

X. Feedback from Interested Parties

The LSP shall have in place and shall utilize systems for gathering feedback from interested parties on the learning services provided, and for analyzing, responding to, and where appropriate acting upon it.

The LSP shall have in place a system for handling complaints and appeals, and shall make this known to its interested parties.

The Affiliation protocol document in Appendix 1 can shed more light in the areas of requirements for LTPs

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6.4.5. Quality Assurance Parameters for Formal LTPs

A licensed training provider who is looking to accredit a training program needs to consider various parameters to ensure that the affiliation of the training institute will ultimately support the common objective of quality excellence in higher education. Standards for Formal LTPs

Area Details

Management and Compliance

Legal Status 1. The formal or non-formal institution has all the legal approval, certificates and proof of incorporation mandated by the state and central governments.

2. The institution shall also be legally authorized in each of the states, or jurisdictions in which it operates to:

a. Award Degrees/ diplomas b. Offer educational programs c. Conduct activities as a licensed training provider

Management and Administration Board

The training provider must ensure smooth and streamlined management and administration. The management must ensure the following: 1. Facilitate the accomplishment of its mission and purposes and support

institute’s effectiveness and integrity. 2. Create and sustain an environment that encourages teaching, learning, service,

scholarship, and where appropriate research and creative activity. 3. Assure the provision of support adequate for the appropriate functioning of

each organizational component 4. Have sufficient number of managers and administrative employees to support

the school’s operations, student services, and educational programs; and appropriate administrative and operational policies and procedures to which the school adheres to and reviews and updates as needed.

The members of school management and administrative employees must participate in on-going development and training activities that support their particular roles in the school. The continuity of management and administrative capacity shall be ensured through the reasonable retention of management and administrative staff.

Quality of Education and Faculty

Educational Programs and Quality of Education

To impart quality education, the training provider must have: 1. Appropriate educational programs matching the requirements of OS. 2. Each course must employ effective teaching processes. 3. Mode of teaching must be appropriate for the OS and should be designed

and implemented so as to facilitate and encourage learning. 4. Practical skills must be developed through lab work.

To be recognized, the accrediting organization provides evidence that it has:

A clear description of academic quality it wishes to achieve;

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Standards or policies that the licensed training provider will have processes to determine whether quality standards are being met;

Standards or policies that focus on educational quality while respecting the institution’s responsibility to set priorities and to control how the institution or program is structured and operates, and incorporate an awareness of how programs function within the broader purposes of the institution; and

Standards or policies designed to foster desired or needed student achievement and that refer to resources only to the extent required for students to emerge from institutions or programs application.

The educational programs and quality of education requirements might differ for formal and non-formal training providers depending on the accreditation body.

Learning Resources The training provider must provide resources for learning to the students. Among these are:

1. Secured access to the learning sources and support services necessary to support the learning expected of its students (e.g. research laboratories, libraries, performance spaces, clinical practice sites, museum collections, etc.).

2. Practical training facilities under the supervision of guides and instructors wherever necessary.

3. Instructional and information technology sufficient to support its teaching and learning environment.

4. Appropriate training and support to faculty, staff, and students to make effective use of library and information resources, and instructional and information technology

5. Appropriate access to library and information resources and services for all students regardless of program location or mode of delivery and students use information resources and technology as an integral part of their education, attaining levels of proficiency appropriate to their degree and subject or professional field of study.

Faculty and Other Academic Personnel

The training provider’s instructional, research, and service programs should be devised, developed, monitored, and supported by qualified professionals. Faculty categories (e.g., full-time, part-time, adjunct) are clearly defined by the training provider as is the role of each category in fulfilling the training provider's mission and purposes. The preparation and qualifications of all faculties should be appropriate to the field and level of their assignments. Qualifications should be measured by advanced degrees held, evidence of scholarship, advanced study, creative activities, teaching abilities, and relevant professional experience, training, and credentials. The training provider employs effective procedures for the regular evaluation of faculty appointments, performance, and retention. The evaluative criteria reflect

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the mission and purposes of the training provider and the importance it attaches to the various responsibilities of faculty, e.g., teaching, advising, assessment, scholarship, creative activities, research, and professional and community service. Faculty members accept the responsibility for ensuring that the content and methods of instruction meet generally accepted academic and professional standards and expectations, and that considerations of program improvement are informed by a shared understanding of what and how students are learning in the program. Educational Administration The training provider must have sufficient educational administration to support the program(s) it offers. The key roles for this are:

1. Director of Education: The provider must have at least one on-site person at the campus with appropriate educational administration experience. His/her educational requirements are as below:

a. Non-Formal: Degree equal to or exceeding the maximum credential offered by the training provider.

b. Formal: Degree at least one level higher than the highest degree offered by the training provider.

2. Program Head: Each occupational area that leads to an occupational or academic degree must have a program head on-site. He/she must possess:

a. An educational background equal to or exceeding the maximum credential offered in that program area.

b. The requisite qualifications for teaching in a degree program. c. An ability to administer the occupational components of the

program. For training providers that only offer a program or group of programs in one distinct occupational area, a single individual may fulfil both the director of education and the program head requirements as long as the individual possesses the requisite qualifications for each position. Faculty requirements will also be different for formal and non-formal licensed training providers depending on the qualification criteria set by the accreditation body.

Student Satisfaction

Information to the Students

The licensed training provider should make the following information available to students:

1. Statement of vision mission and values 2. Full descriptions of its program requirements 3. Its requirements for admission to the institution and the particular courses 4. Its policies on acceptance of transfer credit and how it is applied to degree

requirements 5. Clear and accurate information on tuition costs, fees, and other incidentals

and the availability of financial aid

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6. Its policy on refunds 7. Policy on length of study 8. All residency requirements and grievance and complaint procedures 9. Its accreditation status with accreditation agencies including a clear

distinction between Candidate and Accredited status or an intention to seek status.

Further, a licensed training provider should keep in mind the following: 1. Advertising and promotional materials should be truthful and accurate and

should not leave any false or exaggerated impressions with respect to the training provider, its location, name, personnel, training, services, or accredited status.

2. The information published on its website should be sufficient to allow students and prospective students to make informed decisions about their education.

3. The training provider should inform public of the information available about itself and how inquiries can be addressed.

4. The training provider should publish the list of its current faculty, indicating departmental or program affiliation, distinguishing between those who have full- and part-time status, showing degrees held and the training providers granting them.

5. The names and positions of administrative officers and the names and affiliations of the governing board should be published.

The qualification criteria for formal and non-formal training providers will differ based on the requirements of accreditation body. For example: a formal training provider shall be mandated to provide its mission, vision, values, details about its faculty and administrative staff, residential requirement but the non-formal training provider might be required to provide basic information only.

Table 14: Evaluation Criteria for Affiliation of LTPs Source: Compiled by NASSCOM/Accenture from the following:















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7. National Board of Accreditation – Manual of Accreditation- January 2013 8. European Quality Improvement System website www.efmd.org/accreditation-main/equis 9. ABET Evaluation Criteria 10. ABET website-http://www.abet.org 11. EAB website - http://www.engab.org.uk 12. Engineers Australia website-http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au 13. NAAC website- http://www.naac.gov.in 14. Board of Engineers Malaysia website - www.bem.org.my 15. JABEE website - www.jabee.org/english 16. EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2005 17. Defining Quality in Education, UNESCO paper 18. TSI www.tradingstandards.gov.uk 19. www.qaa.ac.uk/ 20. www.exin.com

6.4.6. Process for Affiliation of LTPs

The process followed to affiliate LTPs is probably the most important element in the entire scheme of quality assurance for certification and accreditation. The process should be at par with international standards, publicly available for review and should ensure a thorough evaluation. Refer to the process of affiliation in section 4.4. The selection of an accreditation body and carrying out an on-going certification of an accreditation body is a critical process. This can either be done by an external certification body or internal center of experts within NSDC or a group with both internal and/or external experts constituted by NSDC. Refer to section 7.6 for the standards of Certification Body. Accreditation of LTPs should involve the following, at the minimum after they make their initial application and evaluation of their own systems:

1) Evaluation of the Quality Management Standards of the organization 2) All aspects that are involved in the functioning of the LTPs on a day-to-day basis 3) Grievance redressal mechanism and continuous improvement 4) Advertising and Marketing modes and samples so that the students get the right picture about the

organization, its affiliations and accreditations 5) Course development and improvements 6) Process for “Train the Trainer” to ensure the availability of skilled trainers 7) Process of evaluating and acquiring facilities for training 8) Necessary Infrastructure (Building/Equipment/hardware/software/AV facilities/People) 9) Process of selecting individuals that take care of the “CIA” (Confidentiality/Integrity and

Availability)” of required information







http://www.qaa.ac.uk/

http://www.exin.com/

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6.4.7. Process for the Certification of Trainers of LTPs

Certification of Trainers of an LTP should involve the following, at the minimum: 1) The trainers should be an expert in the area in which they are teaching. They should have a few

years of practical experience (not mandatory) in the area they are teaching. 2) The trainers should have already completed the certification for which they are teaching,

preferably a couple of layers higher than the level they teach. 3) The trainer should provide his/her resume along with all the necessary certifications and two

references. 4) An expert(s) will interview the trainer to evaluate his/her technical skills and soft skills along with

his ability to communicate and convey the knowledge to the students, effectively. 5) The expert(s) will also verify all the documents provided by the trainer for authenticity. 6) A trainer will be awarded the accredited trainer certificate once he/she clears all the above

conditions satisfactorily. 7) The accreditation will be reviewed on a regular basis when there is change in the syllabus of the OS

and any other technological advance.

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Standards for Accreditation of Courses

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6.5. Standards for Accreditation of Courses w.r.t OS

6.5.1. Introduction

Accreditation is the formal recognition of a course by the accrediting body in line with government and industry standards. It means a course is recognised and that a licensed training provider can issue a recognized qualification or Statement of Attainment to its students following its completion. Besides offering formal recognition, accreditation also helps identify areas in need of improvement and provides suggestions on how those improvements could be made, thereby offering benefits to various stakeholders. The key benefits are highlighted below:

Benefits to Students and Community

Assurance that service quality meets or exceeds international standards

Able to expect same level of service quality across all accredited organization/programs Benefits to the Organization being Accredited

Opportunity to improve validation of the work of the organization through feedback from objective, informed, and skilled peers

Improves culture in the organization, improves staff morale, and contributes to good staff-management relations

Improved efficiency and accountability

Helps support requests for funding Benefits to Funding Bodies

Assurance that the organization is well-run and provides good return on investment

Reduction or elimination of the need for regular practice/program certifications by the funding body - accreditation requires only annual audited financial statements

Ongoing program/outcome evaluations providing information on effectiveness, efficiency, and client satisfaction;

Table 15: Benefits of Accreditation of Courses

6.5.2. Quality Assurance Parameters for the Inputs to the Accreditation Course

An organization that is looking to accredit any course/program needs to take into account multiple factors to ensure that the accreditation will ultimately support the common objective of quality excellence in higher education. While the general array of inputs remains the same, a few quality checks will need to be considered by the accreditation agency during the overall accreditation process. These parameters are described below.

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Quality Parameter Quality Parameter Details

Course Quality

Applicability of Course to OS

The course should align to the OS so that the student is job ready after completion of the course.

Course Objectives Published program educational objectives that are consistent with the vision and mission of the institution exist.

Course Curriculum Each course:

• Should cover general and specialized professional content of adequate breadth and depth must employ effective teaching-learning processes.

• Should emphasize practical aspects of learning and implementation

• Should be relevant and applicable for the audience in question

Course Outcomes This aspect measures during the evaluation process by the accrediting agency. Outcomes can be general or specific to a program. While every accreditation body has a list of student outcomes, the basic one is that every program should aim to develop the following in the students:

• An ability to apply the acquired knowledge

• An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams

• An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility

• An ability to communicate effectively

• A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning

• An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern tools necessary for their field of work

Evaluation/ Assessment

The course utilizes appropriate methods of evaluation to ensure that outcomes are consistent with the mission and goals. The institution maintains all required documentation. The details of the evaluation type and methodology should also be published. Sample exams should be provided to the candidates.


Governance, Faculty, and Institute Environment Quality

Governance, Institutional Support, and Financial Resources

• The governance structure of the program must clearly assign authority and responsibility for the formulation and implementation of policies that enable the program to fulfill its mission.

• The program must possess the financial resources necessary to fulfill its mission and program objectives.

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Facilities and Learning Environment - Mandatory

• Classrooms, offices, laboratories, and associated equipment must be adequate to support attainment of the student outcomes and to provide an atmosphere conducive to learning.

• Classrooms and other teaching facilities are furnished adequately to fulfill the program objectives.

• Computing and information technology support systems are in place to support the scholarly activities of both faculty and students.

Course Faculty - Mandatory

The faculty must:

• Be sufficiently staffed.

• Have the competencies to cover all of the curricular areas of the program.

• Be able to accommodate adequate levels of student-faculty interaction, counseling, professional development, and interactions with industrial and professional practitioners.

• The faculty can be freelance trainers who are accredited and have the necessary qualifications.

Quality of Feedback Mechanism and Continuous Improvement

Student Satisfaction

• An open communication to participants and demonstrate responsiveness to student issues must exist.

• Written policies and procedures to regularly assess, document, and validate student satisfaction w.r.t the quality of education and training offered and student services.

• Interim evaluations and a final evaluation upon completion of the term of enrollment are specified components of determining participant satisfaction.

Employer/Sponsor Satisfaction

Written policies and procedures to regularly assess, document, and validate student satisfaction w.r.t to the quality of the education and training services provided.

Placements and Interaction between Educational Institution and Industry - Optional

• The institute ensures adequate industry participation in the development of the curriculum to ensure it is relevant, updated, and meets the needs of the industry.

• The program provides students the opportunity to acquire industrial experience via internships or design projects conducted by professional engineers and faculty members with industrial experience. There exists a form of communication channel between the educational institution and the industry, especially so that the industry could give feedback to the faculty concerning the quality of the teaching-learning process and the relevance of the curriculum content to the global market place.

Table 16: Evaluation Criteria for Accreditations of Courses

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Source: Compiled by NASSCOM/Accenture from the following: 1. Higher Learning Commission - http://www.ncahlc.org/Information-for-Institutions/criteria-and-

core-components.html 2. The Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering -






7. National Board of Accreditation – Manual of Accreditation- January 2013 8. European Quality Improvement System website www.efmd.org/accreditation-main/equis 9. ABET Evaluation Criteria 10. ABET website-http://www.abet.org 11. EAB website - http://www.engab.org.uk 12. Engineers Australia website-http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au 13. NAAC website- http://www.naac.gov.in 14. Board of Engineers Malaysia website - www.bem.org.my 15. JABEE website - www.jabee.org/english 16. EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2005 17. Defining Quality in Education, UNESCO paper 18. TSI www.tradingstandards.gov.uk 19. www.qaa.ac.uk/

6.5.3. Process for the Accreditation of Courses

The process followed to accredit a program is probably the most important element in the entire scheme of quality assurance for certification and accreditation. The process should be at par with international standards, publicly available for review, and ensure a thorough evaluation (Refer to the process of accreditation in section 4.4). Accreditation of courses should involve the following, at the minimum:

1) Evaluation of the courseware that is relevant to the OS 2) Evaluation of the training methodologies 3) Evaluation of the trainers 4) Evaluation of the study material that is provided to the candidates 5) Evaluation of the preparation guide/syllabus with weightage of each topic that is given to the

candidate 6) Evaluation of the sample exams that go with courseware 7) “Train the Trainer” process to ensure the availability of skilled trainers


















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8) The entire Quality Management Standards of the organization that helps in delivering the OS course

The selection of an accreditation body and performing an on-going certification of an accreditation body is a critical process. This can either be done by an external certification body or an internal center of experts within NSDC or a combination of internal and/or external experts constituted by the NSDC. Refer to section 7.6 for the standards of Certification Body.

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Standards for Certification Bodies for Certification of Training Providers

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6.6. Standards for Certification Bodies

6.6.1. Role of Certification Bodies

The role of the certification body is as follows:

Figure 40: Role of Certification Body

Source: NASSCOM

6.6.2. Quality Assurance Parameters for Certification Bodies

On-going audit of certification, accreditation, and affiliation body is a critical process. This can either be done by an external certification body or an internal center of experts within NSDC or a collaboration of internal and/or external expert teams from NSDC and the external world. The Certification bodies should have history of good auditing and accreditation standards in the areas of operation. The following is the detailed list of parameters that are the critical evaluation criteria for selection of a certification body:


Administrative Requirement

The certification body:

• Should be legally identifiable.

• Should have documentation that describes its functions and technical scope of activity.

• Should have independently audited accounts.

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Independence, Impartiality, Integrity


• Is free from commercial, financial and other pressures that might affect its judgment.

• Should ensure confidentiality of information obtained in the course of its certification activities.

Organization and Management


• Has an organization that enables it to maintain the capability to perform its technical functional satisfactorily.

• Defines and documents the responsibilities and reporting structure of the organization.

Quality System The quality system needs to be thoroughly documented in a Quality Manual that contains the information required by the standards defined for the entity, including procedures for feedback and corrective action.

Personnel • There should be sufficient number of personnel with the range of expertise to carry out the functions of the certification body.

• A documented training system should exist to ensure the training of the certification personnel.

Facilities Equipment Adequate facilities and equipment are available to permit all activities associated with the certification and are maintained in accordance with properly documented procedures and instructions.

Documentation The accreditation body maintains a record system of sufficient information to permit satisfactory evaluation in a safe and secure manner.

Complaints and Appeals

• Documented procedures for dealing with complaints received from clients about the certifications carried out exist.

• Records are maintained for all complaints and appeals and of actions taken by the certification body.

Table 17: Quality Assurance Parameters for Certification Bodies

6.6.3. Detailed Quality Assurance Parameters for Certification Bodies

The above quality parameter is based on the standard: ISO17021 – Requirements of bodies providing certifications and certification of management system. The details of the standard are as follows:

6.6.3.1. About the Standard ISO 17021

This is a European Standard that has been adopted by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on the recommendations of the Quality Management Sectional Committee and approval of the Management and Systems Division Council. This Standard specifies the general criteria for the competence of impartial bodies performing certification irrespective of the sector involved.

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6.6.3.2. Key Highlights of Standard ISO 17021

I. Administrative Requirement:

The certification body, or the organization of which it forms a part, shall be legally identifiable.

The certification body shall have documentation that describes its functions and the technical scope of activity for which it is competent.

II. Independence, Impartiality, and Integrity:

The personnel of the certification body shall be free from any commercial, financial, and other pressures which might affect its judgment.

The certification body shall be categorized into a Type A, Type B, or Type C body depending on the conditions detailed out in the Standards document.

III. Confidentiality: The certification body shall ensure confidentiality of information obtained in the

course of its certification activities.

IV. Organization and Management:

The certification body shall define and document the responsibilities and reporting structure of the organization.

The certification body shall have a technical manager who is qualified and experienced in the operation of the certification body.

Each position category affecting the quality of the certification services shall be described.

V. Quality System:

The quality system shall be fully documented and there shall be a Quality Manual.

The certification body shall carry out a system of planned and documented internal quality certifications to verify compliance with the criteria of this Standard.

The certification body shall designate a person who shall have defined authority and responsibility for quality assurance within the certification body.

VI. Personnel:

The staff responsible for certification shall have appropriate qualifications, training, experience, and satisfactory knowledge of certifications to be carried out.

They shall understand the significance of deviations found with regard to the normal use of the products or processes concerned.

The certification body shall establish a documented training system for its personnel.

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Records of academic or other qualifications, training, and experience shall be maintained by the certification body.

The remuneration of persons engaged in certification activities shall not directly depend on the number of certifications carried out and shall not depend on the results of the certification.

VII. Facilities and Equipment:

The certification body shall have the availability of suitable and adequate facilities and equipment to permit all activities with the certification services to be carried out.

The certification body shall have clear rules for the access to and the use of specified facilities and equipment.

VIII. Certification Methods and Procedures:

The certification body shall use the methods and procedures that are defined in the requirements against which conformity is to be determined.

All calculations and data transfers shall be subject to appropriate checks.

IX. Records, Certification Reports, and Certification Certificates:

The certification body shall maintain a record system to suit its particular circumstances and to comply with applicable regulations.

All records shall be safely stored for a specified period, held secure and in confidence to the client, unless otherwise required by law.

Certification reports and certificates shall be signed by authorized staff members only.

X. Sub-contracting:

The certification body is expected to perform the certifications it undertakes.

When sub-contracting occurs, the certification body shall ensure and be able to demonstrate that its sub-contractor is competent enough to perform the certification.

XI. Complaints and Appeals: The certification body shall have documented procedures for dealing with

complaints received from clients or other parties. XII. Cooperation: The certification body is expected to participate in an exchange of experience with other

certification bodies and in the standardization processes as appropriate.

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6.6.4. Conclusion:

In cases of on-going certifications, it is important to understand that: 1. The certification body has established procedures and plans for carrying out periodic surveillance

on-site assessments, or other related activities at sufficiently close intervals. 2. The interval between on-site assessments depends on the proven stability that the entity in

questions has reached.

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ANNEXURE TO SECTION 1

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7. ANNEXURE TO SECTION 1

7.1. References

S.No Topic Name Source(s)

1 Introduction

1. National Board of Accreditation – Manual of Accreditation- January 2013

2. Planning Commission Sub-Committee on Improvement in Accreditation and Certification Systems, 2009

3. Accreditation and the Global Higher Education Market, Paper by International Institute for Educational Planning

4. Skilling India, The Billion People Challenge, Nov 2010, CRISIL Report

5. Accenture Internal Research

2 Global Accreditation Models

1. www.accreditation.org

3 Accreditation Bodies in India in education sector

1. NAAC website, www.naac.gov.in 2. NBA website, www.nbaind.org 3. Quality Council of India website http://qcin.org/nabet

4 ISO Standards 4. ISO website, www.iso.org 5. Joining In Manual, ISO 6. ISO and Conformity Assessment, ISO

5 Process of Accreditation

1. NBA website, www.nbaind.org 2. ABET website, www.abet.org 3. EXIN website www.exin.com

6 Introduction to Accreditation

4. Accreditation and quality assurance in vocational education and training Selected European approaches

6 Accreditation Process and Evaluation Criteria

21. EXIN: www.exin.com 22. Higher Learning Commission -



24. Institution Of Engineers Singapore, http://www.ies.org.sg/professional/eab/EABMan.pdf

25. EUR-ACE Framework Standards for the Accreditation of Engineering Programmes, http://www.enaee.eu/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/EUR-ACE_Framework-Standards_2008-11-0511.pdf

26. European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education,

http://www.accreditation.org/



http://qcin.org/

http://www.iso.org/













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28. National Board of Accreditation – Manual of Accreditation- January 2013

29. European Quality Improvement System website www.efmd.org/accreditation-main/equis

30. ABET Evaluation Criteria 31. ABET website-http://www.abet.org 32. EAB website - http://www.engab.org.uk 33. Engineers Australia website-

http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au 34. NAAC website- http://www.naac.gov.in 35. Board of Engineers Malaysia website - www.bem.org.my 36. JABEE website - www.jabee.org/english 37. EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2005 38. Defining Quality in Education, UNESCO paper

7 Set Standards w.r.t OS

1. NOS Development Approach 2. NOS Quality Criteria 3. OS Project Introduction 4. Conformity Assessment for Standards Writers, ISO

8 Standards for the Assessors and Certifications

1. ISO 17024

9 IEEE Certifications

1. IEEE Accreditation 2. IEEE Position Paper on Academic Accreditation in Engineering 3. Engineering Accreditation Challenges and Opportunities 4. cacet_accreditation_manual_Nov_2009_v9 IEEE’s Approach and

Experience in Global Accreditation 5. IEEE Position Paper on the Role of Technical Standards in the

Curriculum of Academic Programs In Engineering, Technology And Computing

10 Standards for Certification Bodies

1. ISO 17021

11.

Evolution of education sector in UK, USA, and Australia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_education_in_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_education_in_England http://www.aussieeducator.org.au/education/other/history.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Australia

12. Industry Certifications

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capability_Maturity_Model_Integration http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Sigma











http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_education_in_the_United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_education_in_the_United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_education_in_England

http://www.aussieeducator.org.au/education/other/history.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Australia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capability_Maturity_Model_Integration

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Sigma

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13 Accreditation Protocol Document Affiliation Protocol

Document - Master Re

Table 18: Source of Information 7.2. Document Conventions

The following conventions are used in this guide to distinguish various elements of text.

Sl NO Convention Use

1 Bold

Lays emphases on the point

2 Italic

Is used for introducing new terms and for emphasis in the text.

3 ALL CAPITALS

Indicates the names of keys, key sequences, and key combinations

5

Represents extra information available in appendix

6

Indicates the important points

Table 19: Document Conventions

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7.3. Research Methodology

The research methodology for this report can be classified under two headings: 1. Primary Research: This includes one-on-one interview with heads of accreditation bodies in

India (e.g. NBA, QCI), Industry experts (e.g. TCS), and Academics (e.g. NAAC, UGC, BITES, and AICTE).

2. Secondary Research: This includes study and fact findings through Internet, other published papers in the field of Certification and Accreditation, reaching out to international bodies (e.g. ISO, ABET, ACQUIN, Institution of Engineers etc...) for documentations on accreditations.

The table below describes the focus of the research:

Method Focus

Primary Research • Industry QA practices

• Current accreditation practices and models being followed

• Current challenges in the education and skilling sector

• Quality parameters for accreditation

• Governance mechanism

• Best practices of EXIN from www.exin.com

Secondary Research • Global accreditation models and trends

• Working model of standard setting bodies such as ISO

• Certification models and trends

• Evaluation criteria for accreditation

Table 2: Focus of Research The methodology that was adopted for the development of this point of view is summarized below:

Validation and Finalization

Recommendations Data Collation Design

3 weeks 4 weeks 3 weeks 2 weeks

• Develop questionnaire for interview with key stakeholders

• Conduct one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders

• Conduct secondary research

• Define and agree with the scope of work

• Set up meetings with key stakeholders

• Create and manage project plan

• Define and agree the template

• Collate inputs from stakeholders and update research document

• Coordinate with Marketing team for last mile plan

• Publish and launch research paper formally

• Collate and analyze information

• Suggest recommendations in identified areas

• Review draft recommendations with key stakeholders


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7.4. Language Strategy

English is the language for the documentation of the findings and recommendations in this report.

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SECTION 2: QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCEDURE FOR DEPLOYMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS / QUALIFICATION PACKS

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Table of Contents for Section 2

SECTION 2: QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCEDURE FOR DEPLOYMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS / QUALIFICATION PACKS ...................................................................................................................................... 113

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................. 116

STEP 0: QP/JOB ROLES DEVELOPMENT AND THEIR AVAILABILITY ...................................................................... 119

STEP 1: DEVELOPMENT OF COURSEWARE AND COURSE CONFORMITY ............................................................. 120

1.1. OBJECTIVE .................................................................................................................................................. 120 1.2. PROCESS FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE OF COURSEWARE ......................................................................................... 121 1.3. GUIDELINES FOR COURSE CONFORMITY ........................................................................................................... 123 1.4. ADVANTAGES OF QA GUIDELINES FOR COURSE DEVELOPMENT AND CONFORMITY ................................................... 124 1.5. GOVERNANCE PLAN ..................................................................................................................................... 124 1.6. APPLICABLE STANDARDS................................................................................................................................ 124

STEP 2: IDENTIFICATION AND AFFILIATION/CERTIFICATION OF RELEVANT TRAINERS AND TRAINING INSTITUTIONS .................................................................................................................................................... 125

2.1. OBJECTIVE ......................................................................................................................................................... 125 2.2. PROCESS FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE OF CERTIFICATION/AFFILIATION OF TRAINERS AND TRAINING INSTITUTIONS ................... 126 2.3. GUIDELINES FOR AFFILIATION/CERTIFICATION OF TRAINING PROVIDERS ......................................................................... 127 2.4. ADVANTAGES OF HAVING QA PROCESS FOR ACCREDITATION/CERTIFICATION OF TRAINING PROVIDERS ................................. 128 2.5. GOVERNANCE PLAN ............................................................................................................................................ 128 2.6. APPLICABLE STANDARDS ....................................................................................................................................... 128

STEP 3: CERTIFICATION OF ASSESORS AND THEIR PROFICIENCY REGARDING QP AND NOS ............................... 130

3.1. OBJECTIVE ......................................................................................................................................................... 130 3.2 PROCESS FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE OF ASSESSMENT OF PROFICIENCY ............................................................................ 131 3.3 GUIDELINES FOR THE ASSESSMENTS PROCESS ............................................................................................................ 132 3.4 ADVANTAGES OF A QA PROCESS FOR ASSESSMENTS.................................................................................................... 133 3.5. GOVERNANCE PLAN ............................................................................................................................................. 134 3.6. APPLICABLE STANDARDS ....................................................................................................................................... 134

STEP 4: MAINTENANCE OF INFORMATION ON SSC WEBSITE ............................................................................. 135

4.1. OBJECTIVE ......................................................................................................................................................... 135 4.2 PROCESS FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE FOR MAINTENANCE OF INFORMATION ON SSC WEBSITE .............................................. 136 4.3. GUIDELINES FOR MAINTENANCE OF INFORMATION ON SSC WEBSITE ............................................................................ 137 4.4. ADVANTAGES OF MAINTENANCE OF INFORMATION ON SSC WEBSITE ........................................................................... 137 4.5. GOVERNANCE PLAN ............................................................................................................................................. 137 4.6. APPLICABLE STANDARDS ............................................................................................................................... 137

OVERALL PROCESS FOR ACCREDITATION AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ........................................................ 138

FINANCIALS........................................................................................................................................................ 139

ANNEXURE TO SECTION 2 .................................................................................................................................. 140

ANNEXURE A: CHECKLIST FOR TRAINING PROVIDERS – STAR PROGRAM .............................................................................. 141 ANNEXURE B: QUALIFICATION PACKS COURSEWARE / ASSESSMENT PROVIDER ...................................................................... 147 ANNEXURE C: SAMPLE ASSESSMENT TEMPLATE ............................................................................................................... 150

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ANNEXURE D: GLOBAL ACCREDITATION BODIES ............................................................................................................... 153

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INTRODUCTION

Development of NOS and Qualifications Packs is a critical exercise and the foundation of a robust process that focuses on Skills Development and establishing a currency for Global mobility. To ensure that it is utilized effectively by all stakeholders – Industry, Academia, Training Providers, and Certifying body, it is important that it is deployed effectively as well. This outlines the need for an efficient system and process for Quality Assurance of the downstream activities. To summarize, QP creation follows an exhaustive process of Quality Assurance as follows:

A similar system must be established for Deployment of QPs to ensure end-to-end Quality Assurance process. We define the Deployment process as the “systemic process of Quality Assurance to ensure quality deployment of QPs” A robust deployment process fulfils the following objectives:

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It must be highlighted that none of this is expected to happen in the short term, but in an global industry like IT, where two third of the jobs are international in nature, there is more and more need to create standards that are robust, quality assured, transnational, and achieve the outcome of making the workforce employable. This process is a step in that direction and we foresee this coming to light in the medium term (next 2-5 yrs.) This process is explained in the subsequent sections.

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STEP 0: QP/JOB ROLES DEVELOPMENT AND THEIR AVAILABILITY

QPs are a collection of OS relevant for a specific job role. Each QP contains a set of NOS each of which represents a task as per the job responsibilities. OS are statements of the standards of performance individuals must achieve when carrying out functions in the workplace, together with specifications of the underpinning knowledge and understanding. Occupational Standards (OS) describe what an individual needs to do, know, and understand to carry out a particular task related to a job role or function. As described in Section 1, QP and OS were developed using a robust process that was validated internationally. The following is a summary of the process followed.

For the subsequent processes (1-4) to be successful, it is essential that the developed QPs are made available and are acceptable to the industry. It is of utmost importance that these QPs are endorsed by the as these will then form the base for the processes of Courseware Development, Training Delivery, and Conformity Assessments.

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STEP 1: DEVELOPMENT OF COURSEWARE AND COURSE CONFORMITY

1.1. Objective Each QP will be associated with a set of courseware. The key objective that the courseware development focuses on is the “Development of competency in the individual to showcase his/her ability to perform optimally as per the Laid down QP for the job concerned”. The key points to note in the objective above are: Competency – Having only courseware/training programs is not critical. The courseware and an effective delivery must ensure development of competence for the individual. Perform optimally –The candidate must be able to successfully deliver as per the expectations of the job. For this, the key is to establish linkages between the course outcomes and the Performance Criteria identifies in each of the applicable NOS units/QPs. Job concerned – Each QP is mapped to a job role. Further, each task performed in the job role has an associated NOS unit mapped to it. The courseware should be developed per NOS unit. A combination of these “chapters” would map to the job role in totality.

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1.2. Process for Quality Assurance of Courseware

No

Empanel Course Certifying body

Develop Courseware

Submit courseware to QCI (with a note to SSC)

Assign Technical Committee to review

courseware

Conduct review as per parameters laid down by

SSC

Does the course meet criteria?

Issue Certificate of Conformity

Issue letter of non-conformity

SSC

Training Provider/Individual/Academic Institute

Training Provider/Individual/Academic Institute

QCI/NABCB

Technical Committee

QCI/NABCB

QCI/NABCB

Yes

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It must be noted that QCI is a member of PAC which in turn is a member of IFA. Thus a certificate of course conformity does not just give national but international recognition to the courseware

International Accreditation Forum (IAF)

Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (Regional Body)

National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB)

Quality Council of India (QCI)

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1.3. Guidelines for Course Conformity

To ensure that the developed courses are compliant and adhere to national and international quality standards, each courseware should constitute the following: Outcome-based Framework (OBF) – Each course should be developed and an OBF with outcomes mapped against the Performance Criteria highlighted in the relevant NOS units. Time plan – The courseware should clearly articulate the time proposed to be allocated to each module. Teaching Methodology – Teaching methodology should be clearly highlighted as part of the courseware. Details around whether the courseware is to be delivered as part of CBTs, online modules, simulations, activity based is critical to ensure that the learning outcomes are achieved. Infrastructure requirements – In case technology is required as a medium for delivering the courseware, the same must be annexed with details of infrastructure required to deliver the same. Students Handbook and Trainers manual – Each courseware must be provided with a student handbook and trainers manual. The trainers’ manual explains the factors described in the points above as well as additional pointers to help explain the faculty the objectives of each course and the expected time allocation doer modules and sub-modules. The students’ handbook should cover pre-reading material and illustrative/practice exercises relevant to the courseware.

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1.4. Advantages of QA Guidelines for Course Development and Conformity Different stakeholders will be involved in the development of courseware. These may include individuals with expertise in the respective subject matter, formal and non-formal academic institutions or the training institutes themselves. While all these will be based on the common standard of the Qualifications Packs, it is important to ensure that the quality of courseware from all these mediums is consistent and in-line with quality standards expected and prescribed by NSDC and the SSC. Secondly with consistent standards and courses, scalability will be much easier. The QPs will be updated on a periodic basis. If the courseware is developed using a set of consistent guidelines, refinement of such courseware will be relatively easier as and when required.

1.5. Governance Plan The following will be the key stakeholders responsible in ensuring quality assurance of developed courseware. The role of each stakeholder in the quality assurance process is summarized in the table given below:

Stakeholder Role

NSDC Issue Guidelines for Certification process and development and delivery of courseware

SSC Develop quality standards Empanel Certification body Track and ensure adherence to timelines for process steps

QCI Prescribe standards for compliance Establish Technical Committee Ensure review by Technical Committee

Technical Committee Review the courseware as per prescribed standards Submit feedback on the courseware to QCI

Instructional Designer Develop courseware Incorporate feedback, if any, from the Technical committee

1.6. Applicable standards None.

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STEP 2: IDENTIFICATION AND AFFILIATION/CERTIFICATION OF RELEVANT TRAINERS AND TRAINING INSTITUTIONS

2.1. Objective

Affiliation defines a process of establishing competence of any institution/individual/training provider desiring to deliver vocational training based on QPs/NOS created by a Sector Skill Council (SSC) constituted by NSDC. Certification defines the process of accreditation or formalizing the affiliation by means of a document to validate/substantiate the affiliation. In the context of Quality Assurance of the deployment process, the affiliating body is SSC and the Certifying body is QCI/NABCB. Any Education Body/Training provider (TP)/Individual can seek affiliation from a Sector Skill Council to deliver the requisite elements of a NOS-based vocational training. The affiliation process conducted by an SSC will carry out evaluation of competence and availability of the desired infrastructure/ capability of creating the desired infrastructure matching the needs/requirements of delivering NOS-based training. The alignment of an SSC and a VTP/ Education Body through the process of Affiliation will focus on learning and development of the learners so that they are easily employable in the sector. The process is also expected to encourage VTP/Education Body to pursue continual excellence so that they are always in tune with the requirements of the sector. Thus, the purpose of Affiliation is to maintain high standards of quality in delivering NOS-based vocational training. The core objectives of an affiliation/certification process are:

• To assess TP institutions/Education bodies/Individuals and their programs that meet defined quality standards set up by the SSC in delivering NOS-based training.

• To foster excellence in TP institutions building effectiveness in delivering NOS-based or competency-based training.

• To establish a framework for continuous improvement and provide an opportunity to benchmark with other institutions in India and abroad.

• To facilitate developing the professional competency of the learners in tune with the requirements of the sector.

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2.2. Process for Quality Assurance of Certification/Affiliation of Trainers and Training Institutions

Issue guidelines for affiliation of training providers as per courseware

guidelines

Submits application for affiliation for a NOS-based course to SSC

Affiliation Due-Diligence by the SSC

SSC submits it to QCI for evaluation of certification

Assign certification evaluation to appropriate Certifying body (CB)

as per 17204

Assign certification evaluation to appropriate Personnel Certifying

body (PCB) as per 17201

Is the request for affiliation of individual or

institution?

Send copy of affiliation of training institute to NSDC

Evaluate training institute as per NSDC norms

Evaluate trainer as per NSDC norms Personnel Certifying body (PCB) as

per 17201

Issue certificate of conformity and submit to QCI

Issue certificate of conformity and submit to Personnel Certifying body

(PCB) as per 17201

Notify SSC of accreditation conformity of the training provider

NSDC

Training Provider

SSC

SSC

QCI/NABCB

QCI/NABCB

CB

PCB

CB PCB

QCI

SSC

QCI/NABCB

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2.3. Guidelines for Affiliation/Certification of Training Providers

The core objective of Affiliation/Certification program is to set and maintain high standards of quality in terms of the training provided and hence the level of competence of the candidates. Whether the training provider is an academic institute, training institute, or an individual it must comply with the requirements laid down as part of the developed courseware for the following areas:

• Faculty –- The faculty must be competent as per the standards identified as part of the courseware. It must have the faculty in the right numbers and with appropriate competence in terms of qualifications and experience.

• Hardware – Relevant equipment, apparatus, teaching aids etc. must be available with the provider. This too should be compliant with the requirements outlined as part of the courseware.

• Support staff – If required for courseware, the requisite support staff should be available with the training provider.

• Financials – The training provider should be financially sound to bear and sustain the training costs. Bad financials may have an impact on the quality of training and sustainability.

• Technology Infrastructure – The training provider must be able to provide the requisite training infrastructure for multimedia lessons, courseware, simulations etc. as required for the successful delivery of the courseware.

Who can Apply for Affiliation/Certification? The following types of institutes/individuals can apply for and get affiliated to the SSC for delivering trainings based on SSC accredited courseware:

1. Training Organizations/Institutions set up by NSDC funding

2. Training Institutions set up/affiliated by Government of India a. ITIs/ITCs affiliated to NCVT b. Institutions approved by Councils under Central Government like AICTE c. College/ Institutes affiliated to a University set by Central or State/ UT Government or

recognized by UGC d. Schools / Institutes approved by Central or State Boards of Secondary Education (or equivalent)

or Boards of Technical Education e. Any other institute set up by Central or State/ UT government

3. Private Training Institutions independently operating in Vocational Space

4. Training institutions set up by private companies to meet the skilled manpower requirement for in-

house needs or for the sector

5. Company/Firm/Society/Trust - Any of the above fulfilling any of the following criteria: a. An organization providing training under Apprentices Act, 1961 for last one year from the date

of submission of the application

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b. An organization registered in India, conducting business in the domain of skill development and training, having Permanent Income Tax Account Number (PAN) and Service Tax Registration Number and audited accounts of statements at least for last one year.

2.4. Advantages of having QA process for accreditation/certification of training providers

SSCs by way of affiliation will give access to the affiliating partners to a variety of benefits, such as:

• Alignment of training to NVEQF/NVQF/NSQF leading to equivalence with educational degrees, diplomas, and certifications

• Ratification of NOS-based curriculum

• Access to Master Trainers of the SSC and certification of the trainers of the affiliating training provider

• Facilitate On-the-Job-Training (OJT) and/or Placements of the affiliating partner trainees

• Assessment of trainees on NOS-based curriculum

• Industry recognized certification of the successful trainees

• Participation in Government led programs at institutional and state level, aligned to NVEQF/ NVQF/ NSQF

• Access to the reports on the Sectoral Researches conducted by the SSC

• Participation in the various Sector Specific Seminars

• Access to International bodies available in similar space

2.5. Governance Plan

The following will be the key stakeholders responsible in ensuring quality assurance of affiliation/certification of training providers. The role of each stakeholder in the process is summarized in the table given below:

Stakeholder Role

NSDC Issue guidelines for Affiliating

SSC Affiliating body Due diligence and accountability

QCI Registers CBS and PCBs Issues the certificate of accreditation

Certifying Body (CB) Evaluate the training institutes/academic institutes

Personnel Certifying Body (PCB)

Evaluate training personnel

2.6. Applicable Standards

• ISO 17201- Used by NABCB to accredit certification bodies as per ISO 17021 for certifying training providers based on ISO 29990

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• ISO 17204- Used by NABCB to accredit personnel certification bodies as per ISO 17024 for certifying training providers based on ISO 29990

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STEP 3: CERTIFICATION OF ASSESORS AND THEIR PROFICIENCY REGARDING QP AND NOS

3.1. Objective

Assessment process aims at establishing clear benchmarks of learning outcomes and, classifying and executing criteria for success against the QP. Additionally, assessments serve the following core objectives:

• Conduct secure competency/skill based assessments w.r.t to OS leading to QPs

• Assess an individual’s competency based on skills, knowledge, and education w.r.t OSs and ensure QP/job readiness

• Certify an Individual as job ready, accepted both nationally and internationally as relevant In the context of successful deployment of Qualifications Packs, assessments process would include the following:

• Assessors

• Assessments procedure

• Assessments outcomes and certification of proficiency

The result of the assessment process will be the certification of a candidate to be qualified/otherwise for a QP.

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3.2 Process for Quality Assurance of Assessment of Proficiency

Issue guidelines for assessments

Confirm to SSC about the commencement of training batch

Share details of candidates enrolled with SSC

Create criteria for assessments for each QP/NOS

Contact training provider for logistics and conducts assessments as per agreed upon guidelines in the

courseware

Provide results of assessment to the assessment agency

Consolidate and validate results and share with SSC

Issue certificates to passed candidates for the relevant QPs in collaboration

SSC

SSC /NSDC

SSC

Training Provider

Training Provider

Assessment Agency/Assessor

Assessor

Assessment Agency

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3.3 Guidelines for the Assessments Process

To ensure that the assessments procedure is compliant and that the certification is true to the nature of establishing standards of competence, it must follow the following guidelines:

• Assessors/Assessment agency should proactively co-ordinate and liaise with training partners to get information about commencement of training batches.

• Assessment agency should ensure that certified assessors are sent to training locations/sites within the specified date and time.

• Assessment agency should ensure that all assessments conform to assessment guidelines and that these are undertaken as per the pre-defined format and in accordance with each of the performance criteria outlined in the respective qualification packs.

• The assessment exercise should happen within the stipulated timeline and on-site visits should be conducted by the agency to cross-check for quality and transparency of assessment exercises.

• The Assessor should provide the results of the assessment along with the original assessment sheet (physically and electronically) to the assessment agency within two working days of the completion of the assessments.

• Assessment agency should ensure that copies of the original assessment papers are properly documented, collated, and filed as per SSC norms.

• SSCs will validate the results of the assessment undertaken by assessors as per the qualification packs and share the results.

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3.4 Advantages of a QA process for Assessments A well-defined Quality process serves as a benchmark for governance of training providers. It should establish parameters for an outcomes-driven approach leading to high quality and consistency in skill development efforts across all vendors. Additionally, it serves as a base for effective channelling and management of government funding and subsidies for skill development in the sector. The following are some more advantages of having a Quality Assured Assessments process:

Risk Reduction

The achievement of excellence via competence reduces the likelihood of risk. Confidence in the marketplace

Training participants, students, employers, and members of the public have greater confidence in an institution and course which is assessed on quality assured norms.

Due Diligence

Using an established assessor/assessment agency to carry out an independent evaluation helps demonstrate due diligence.

Scalability

A Quality Assured process ensures increase in scale when required. Unbiased mechanism

Using a robust and well-documented process will ensure that no agency is biased towards its own goals

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Stakeholder Role

NSDC • Issue guidelines for assessment process and affiliation

SSC • Issue guidelines for assessments for the sector

• Create criteria for assessments based on the QP

• Issue certificate with SSC logo and endorsement

Assessment Agency • Take accountability for assessment infrastructure

• Ensure compliance to assessment guidelines

Assessment Agency/Assessor

• Conduct assessments as per laid down guidelines in the courseware


These Quality Assurance Parameters for Assessments are based on the Standard ISO17024 – Conformity Assessment – General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification of Persons. This Standard was adopted by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on the recommendations of the National Mirror Committee of CASCO and approval of the Director General, BIS. This Standard specifies the requirement of a body certifying persons against specific requirements. Certification of persons is one means of providing assurance that the certified person meets the requirements of the certification scheme. Confidence in the respective certification process is achieved by means of a globally accepted process of assessment, subsequent surveillance, and periodic re-assessments of the competence of certified persons. It is to be implemented by any organization desirous to be Personnel Certification Body and used by NABCB as the basis for its accreditation.

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STEP 4: MAINTENANCE OF INFORMATION ON SSC WEBSITE

4.1. Objective

Given the scope of the program, it is estimated that the number of courseware developers, training providers, trainers, and assessment agencies will increase year on year. Consequently, efforts must be made to ensure that the database of these stakeholders is updated periodically. This will serve the following objectives: Maintain single source of truth – An online repository of all stakeholders will keep track and control

misuse of SSC and NSDC brand name

Track expiring licenses/empanelment – The data on the website can drive automatic reminders to stakeholders whose licenses are expiring and needs to be renewed.

Performance monitoring and analysis – Single source of updated data will enable analysis of and monitoring performance of SSC in terms of achieving skilling targets.

Monitor performance of stakeholders – Updated information will be used to track performance of courseware developers, training providers, trainers, and assessors. Data w.r.t. assessment results and scores will be used for performance monitoring.

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4.2 Process for Quality Assurance for Maintenance of Information on SSC website Store all data for registered/affiliated

courseware/training providers. /assessment agencies per QP/job-role

Gather data for new courseware certified for the months from NABCB

Gather data for registered training providers from NSDC

Gather data for certified training providers from NABCB

Gather data for assessment agencies from NABCB

Consolidate data and contact all stakeholders to refresh data on

courseware/trainings/assessment scores etc.

Publish data on the website

SSC

SSC

SSC

SSC

SSC

SSC/ Stakeholders

Stakeholders

SSC

Send for approvals to NSDC/NASSCOM

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4.3. Guidelines for Maintenance of Information on SSC Website The stakeholders must provide the following information for maintenance on a periodic basis:

• Financial and management details

• Details of empaneled vendors/contactors for training/assessments

• Accreditation status and recent date of renewal

• Numbers of courseware developed/trainings conducted/assessments done

• Payments accrued and realized

This data must be shared in the prescribed format duly signed/authorized by the designated point of contact from the stakeholder. 4.4. Advantages of Maintenance of Information on SSC Website

This process is critical from the perspective of on-going data management. Information on the website will ensure transparency and data accessibility to all key stakeholders. Additionally, information management offers the following advantages:

1. Tracking data relevance and refreshing from time to time 2. Analysis and analytics on stored information 3. Automatic updates to training and other data if linked dynamically with provider database 4. Getting requisite information for applying for accreditation and other processes


Stakeholder Role

SSC • Own and maintain information on the website

• Gather information from different stakeholders

• Ensure validity of information

Stakeholders ( Courseware developers/Training Providers/ Trainers/ Assessors)

• Provide relevant information as per defined norms and timelines


None

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OVERALL PROCESS FOR ACCREDITATION AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Sign MoU with NABCB

Submit application to

NPBCB

Assign CB/ PCB

Evaluation of application as

per Standards

Issue evaluation report and

send to SSC

Does the course/plan

meet criteria?

Issue Certificate

SSC

Course Developer / Trainer/ Training Provider/ Assessor

NABCB

CB/ PCB

NABCB

Collect payment from

Developers/ Trainers/

Training Providers

Issue Certificate

Send fee per certificate to

SSC NASSCOM

Stakeholder

CB/ PCB

SSC

CB/PCB

Yes

Re-apply if needed after

cooling off period

No

CB/PCB

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FINANCIALS

Sr. No.

Accreditation Process (Step) Financials involved

1 SSC signs MoU with NABCB Clarify payment terms as per standards:

• Application Fee

• Man-days

• Certification Fee

2 Course Developer / Trainer/ Training Provider/ Assessor applies to NPBCB

Payment of Application Fee to NABCB and appropriate amount to SSC

3 NPBCB assigns CB/ PCB

4 Assessment of application as per Application Standard

5 Issuance of assessment result and send it to the SSC

6 Issuance of Certificate by NPBCB CB/PCB collects payment for working days /man-days and provides an appropriate amount to NPBCB/ NABCB

7 Collection of payments from Developers/ Trainers/ Training Providers by CB/ PCB

CB/PCB collects Certification Fee

8 Send fee per Certificate to SSC NASSCOM

CB/PCB sends payment to SSC on a case to case basis. This may be consolidated monthly if needed

9 Issuance of Certificate by SSC

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ANNEXURE TO SECTION 2

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Annexure A: Checklist for Training Providers – STAR Program

STAR Program - Training Provider Information Form

Name of the Training Provider

Background of Training Provider (TP)

Address

CEO / MD / Director Name

Phone Number / Mobile Number E-Mail ID:

Single Point of Contact Person Name

Phone Number / Mobile Number E-Mail ID:

Number of years in existence as a TP Less than One year Less than Two years Less than Five years More than Five year

Annual Sales Revenue Current Year Previous Year

Number of Employees

Company Website

Registered with *Please mention the Membership / Registration Number.

NSDC ____________

NASSCOM

___________

Government

_______________

Others

______________

If NSDC/Government, please provide the background based on which you have become partner:

Membership Active since: 1. 2.

Qualification Packs /Job Roles

Sub-sector Qualification Pack(s)

Select the STAR Qualification Pack(s) that you plan to deploy

IT Services (ITS) 1. Domestic IT Helpdesk Attendant SSC/Q0110

Business Process 2. Domestic Voice

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Management (BPM)

3. 4. 5. 6.

SSC/Q2210 Domestic Non-Voice SSC/Q2211 Domestic Data Entry Operator SSC/Q2212 Domestic Biometric Data Operator SSC/Q2213 Collections Executive SSC/Q2214

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Documents Required by IT-ITeS SSC NASSCOM*

S. No. List of Documents Yes/No Remarks

1. STAR Program-Training Provider Information Form – Identifying the training provider and Qualification Packs details (included in this doc Page 2)

2. Company Validation Form for the validating companies for the Qualification Pack(s) validation

a) Via E-Mails: validating the identified Qualification Packs

b) Via Forms: validating the identified Qualification Packs (Provided to you)

3. Award Number Excel Sheet (Provided to you)

*Note: Please complete the Demand Side columns.

4. Curricula Framework – Outcomes Based Framework (OBFs) for the identified Qualification Pack(s)

*Note: Please include the completed OBF form(s) that was/were provided to you.

5. Availability of the Student Handbook and Faculty Guide w.r.t the identified Qualification Pack(s) (Self declaration)

6. Star Program Document Checklist *Note: Please complete and include this checklist as part of the documents being couriered to us

7. Covering Letter from the appropriate TP signatory

The Cover Letter must clearly indicate that the training provider’s interest to participate in the STAR program along with the documents enclosed.

Please forward this along with the documents being couriered to us

*Note: Cover Letter addressed to: Dr. Sandhya Chintala Executive Director IT-ITeS Sector Skills Council NASSCOM 4E-Vandana Building (4th Floor)

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11, Tolstoy Marg Connaught Place New Delhi – 110001, India

*Note: All documents must be sent in soft copy as well as in hard copy. All documents must be stamped and signed by the Training Provider’s authorised signatory.

Documents required by NSDC as Part of the On-line Application Form for Affiliation

S. No.

List of Documents Yes/No If Yes, Please mention

Page/Annexure/Section Remarks

1. List of Branches/Training Centers

2. PAN and IT Return of the concerned Training Provider

3. Registration Certificate of Trust/ Society of the Training Provider

4. Copy of Recognition and or Affiliation Certificate with Government, NSDC, or any other agency/organization

5. Details of Trainer Trainings (at all branches of the Training Provider)

6. Details of Grants received in last 3 years of the Training Provider

7. Lease Agreement (Applicable to all branches)

8. Staff Particulars (Applicable to all branches)

9. Drinking Water (Applicable to all branches)

10. Health and Sanitary Conditions (Applicable to all branches)

11. Fire Safety (Applicable to all branches)

12. Bus Service details (Applicable to all branches)

Note: These documents and the information within is as requested in the On-Line Application Form for the purpose

of affiliation to a Sector Skills Council for the STAR Program, as identified by NSDC, must be complete in all aspects;

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Post due diligence w.r.t. the information in the documents concerned, award of affiliation to the SSC NASSCOM and the allocation and release of “Award Numbers” will be at the discretion of the SSC NASSCOM;

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For IT-ITeS SSC - Internal Use Only Are all the documents in provided: Yes/No If No, then list the missing documents: 1. ___________________________ 2. ___________________________ 3. ___________________________ 4. ___________________________ 5. ___________________________ Concerned Training Provider notified: Yes/No If No, please mention reason: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ If Yes, then please mention details: Contact Person: __________________________ Date: ____________________

Verified by: _________________________ Date: ____________________

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Annexure B: Qualification Packs Courseware / Assessment Provider

Expression of Interest

Company Information

Name of the Assessment Provider

Background of Assessment Provider (Please write a brief on your company.)

Address

Contact Person Name

Phone Number E-Mail ID

Number of years in existence Less than One year Less than Two years Less than Five years More than Five year

Annual Sales Revenue Current Year (As of the Current Date)

Number of Employees

Company Website

Registered with NSDC

NASSCOM

If NSDC, please provide the background on which

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you have become partner with NSDC:

Membership Number (NASSCOM or NSDC, or both)

___________________ _____________________ (NASSCOM) (NSDC)

Membership Active since:

Type of membership

Sector IT-ITeS

Sub-sector: Choose one or more sub-sectors for which you have the courseware

IT Services (ITS) Software Products (SPD) Business Process Management (BPM) Engineering & R&D (ERD)

Courses & Assessments Availability w.r.t Qualification Packs/Job Roles& National Occupational Standards

1. Course(s ) available for identified Qualification Packs QPs/Job Role(s)/ National Occupational Standards

Name of the Qualification Pack (QP) & No: QP Name:___________QP NO____ _____________________________ _____________________________ QP Name:___________QP NO____

NOS No w.r.t. QP: NOS __________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ NOS __________________________

2. Certification(s) available for identified Qualification Packs QPs/Job Role(s)/ National Occupational Standards

Name of the Qualification Pack & No _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

NOS No w.r.t. QP: _____________________________ _____________________________

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_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Assessment Body for Certification and Contact Details

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Annexure C: Sample Assessment template

ASSESSMENT FORM (SAMPLE)

( To be filled by Assessor for Each Trainee)

Job Role

Field Sales Executive (FSE)

Trainee Name

UID Number

Qualification Pack

Training Partner

Date

Sector Skill Council Telecom

Marks Allocation

Total Mark (500) Out Of Theory

Skills Practical

1. TEL/N0200 (Pre-sales preparation)

PC1. organize self by organizational grooming guidelines/standards

100

15 5 10

PC2. split monthly sales target (revenue, new activations etc.) into weekly and daily sales target 15 0 15

PC3. obtain and design action plan to achieve daily sales objective from TSM/Area Manager 15 0 15

PC4. update self about latest retailer schemes/ offers 15 15 0

PC5. collect merchandise from distributor point 15 0 15

PC6. calculate MTD sales achieved against monthly target 15 0 15

PC7. proceed per pre-defined Route and Beat Plan 10 0 10

Total 100 20 80

2. TEL/N0201 (Increase customer base and revenue)

PC1. arrange merchandise in retail outlets like posters, danglers etc., to create brand visibility

100 10 5 5

PC2. draw retailer’s attention 5 2 3

PC3. monitor retailer 10 0 10

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card/register for secondary/tertiary sales

PC4. perform BHR check on retailer’s secondary/tertiary sales records 10 0 10

PC5. observe outlet physically, to check stock availability 10 5 5

PC6. ask questions to identify exact need of the retailer 10 5 5

PC7. influence retailer by comparing products with competition and demonstrate benefit to retailers 5 2 3

PC8. quote high selling retailer’s sales achievement, to motivate others 10 0 10

PC9. offer range of products/services to retailers 5 2 3

PC10. provide agreed quantity of stock to retailers 5 0 5

PC11. collect payment from retailers against delivered stock 10 0 10

PC12. educate retailers about utility of all products/services 5 2 3

PC13. organize and execute road shows 5 2 3

100 25 75

3. TEL/N0202 (Increase distribution width)

PC1. locate retail outlets with high footfall, to increase width of distribution

100

10 5 5

PC2. identify decision maker and seek permission to discuss value proposition 20 10 10

PC3. explain ROI to retailers by highlighting minimal investment and high inventory turns 10 0 10

PC4. propose/pitch range of products/services and demonstrate various associated processes 10 0 10

PC5. educate retailers about 20 15 5

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enrolment formalities

PC6. create brand visibility at the outlet by displaying merchandising material 20 5 15

PC7. provide retailer/demo SIM card and collect documents 10 5 5

100 30 70

4. TEL/N0203 (Process compliance)

PC1. educate retailers on mobile number activation process, MNP, recharge and recharge reversal, KYC norms, TRAI guidelines etc.

100

25 15 10

PC2. validate customer enrollment forms for any discrepancies like use of whitener, signature mismatch, address mismatch 25 15 10

PC3. collect and process documents for activation of mobile numbers 25 15 10

PC4. respond to retailer issues and complaints 25 20 5

100 65 35

5. TEL/N0110 (Data expertise)

PC1. resolve customer’s data related issues

100 50 30 20

PC2. reduce repeat walk-in/interactions of customers with data related queries 50 30 20

100 60 40

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Annexure D: Global Accreditation bodies

The following table provides an introduction to the global accreditation and Certification bodies which have been referred to in our recommendations:

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Sl. No



Objectives

Americas

1 ABET Course Accreditation

ABET, founded in 1932 in the U.S. is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that accredits college and university programs in the disciplines of applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. ABET accredits over 3,100 programs at more than 670 colleges and universities in 24 countries.

2 Higher Learning Commission

Institute / Course Accreditation

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation and one of the two commission members of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). It accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the North Central region.

3 ATMAE Course Accreditation

The Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering (ATMAE) sets standards for academic program accreditation, personal certification, and professional development for educators and industry professionals involved in integrating technology, leadership, and design.

4 ACICS Course Accreditation

Founded in 1912, Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) is the largest national accrediting organization of degree-granting institutions. ACICS accredits professional, technical and occupational programs, and is one of the two national accreditors recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

5 ACCET Course Accreditation

ACCET was founded in 1974 for the purpose of improving continuing education and training. In 1998, ACCET became the only recognized accrediting agency to be certified as an ISO 9001:2008-Quality Management System, under the international standards established by the International Organization for Standardization, and continues to hold that unique status.

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Sl. No



Objectives

6 IEEE Institute Accreditation

IEEE is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. IEEE and its members inspire a global community through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities.

7 National Commission for Certifying Agencies, ICE


ICE’s accrediting body, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), evaluates the certification organization for compliance with the NCCA Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs. NCCA's Standards exceed the requirements set forth by the American Psychological Association and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

8 ANSI Certificate Accreditation

ANSI facilitates the development of American National Standards (ANS) by accrediting the procedures of standards developing organizations (SDOs).

9 CHEA Institute Accreditation

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is a United States organization of degree-granting colleges and universities. It identifies its purpose as providing national advocacy for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation to certify the quality of higher education accrediting organizations, including regional, faith-based, private, career, and programmatic accrediting organizations.

10 ACCSC Institute Accreditation

The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) is an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, ACCSC has continually demonstrated that it is a valid and reliable authority on the assessment of education quality.

11 NEASC Institute Accreditation

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) provides accreditation services for more than 2000 public and private institutions in the six state region - Pre-K through university.

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Sl. No



Objectives

12 MSCHE Institute Accreditation

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) is the unit of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools that accredits degree-granting colleges and universities in the Middle States region.

APAC

13 Institution of Engineers, Singapore

Course Accreditation

Institution of Engineers, Singapore is affiliated to the Engineering Accreditation Board (EAB) and is made up of all the Professional Engineering Institutions (PEIs) that are licensed by the Engineering Council to accredit academic programmes for both Chartered Engineer and Incorporated Engineer status.

14 Standards Certification Council (SCC)


Standards Certification Council Pvt. Ltd. (SCC) is an independent Certification Body that specializes in providing committed, cost effective, professional and globally recognized assessment and registration services in compliance with the requirements of various National and International standards.

15 EXIN Course Accreditation

EXIN is a “not for profit”, independent knowledge organization and accredits and certifies organizations and individuals in the Information Technology space. It operates according to ISO 17024 and EN 45011. In the past 30 years, EXIN has certified more than 2 million professionals and has more than 1000 accredited partners. It has customers in 125+ countries in 20 different languages.

16 EUR-ACE Course Accreditation

The EUR-ACE® label is issued by national accreditation agencies authorised by the European Network for the Accreditation of Engineering Education (ENAEE).

17 GABCT Certificate Accreditation

Global Accreditation Body for Certification and Trainings (GABCT) is instituted as "Not for Profit Organization" with focus on providing Accreditation Services for the Management System, Training, Product Testing and Personnel Certification services globally.

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Sl. No



Objectives

18 The South African Qualifications Authority


The objectives of the South African Qualification Authority is to: Create a single integrated national framework for learning achievements Facilitate access to and provide mobility and progression within education, training and career paths Enhance the quality of education and training. Accelerate the redress of past unfair discrimination in education, training, and employment opportunities.

21

Trading Standard Institute


The Trading Standards Institute is a professional membership association formed in 1881. It represents trading standards professionals in the UK and overseas - in local authorities, the business and consumer sectors and in central government. It exists to promote and protect the success of a modern vibrant economy, and to safeguard the health, safety, and wellbeing of citizens by enhancing the professionalism of members in support of empowering consumers, encouraging honest business and targeting rogue traders.

22 (QAA) Quality Assurance and Certification Body

QAA offers advice; guidance and support to help UK universities, colleges and other institutions provide the best possible student experience of higher education. QAA also conducts reviews of institutions and publish reports detailing the findings.

Quality Assurance Parameters for Certification, Affiliation ......Dr Gargi Keeni TCS Vice President...

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