Performance indicators for qualifications delivery

Since 2002, awarding bodies offering GCSE and A level qualifications have been required to report to the qualifications regulators against eight performance indicators.  The performance indicators were designed to measure performance in key areas of general qualifications examination system delivery. The data collected from each awarding body has been published annually on the regulators' websites. Publishing such comparisons has encouraged improvements in the areas measured. 

Ofqual, the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) in Wales, and the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessments (CCEA) in Northern Ireland, have recently concluded a consultation to inform a review of how indicators could be used in a broader more generic way to monitor all awarding organisations' service to learners and centres across the full range of accredited qualifications.

One of the regulators' roles is to ensure public confidence in examinations and qualifications. The regulators monitor both qualification standards and qualification delivery, with the performance indicators used to measure awarding bodies' performance against agreed delivery standards.  It is the view of the regulators that the current performance indicators have now outlived their purpose and are too narrowly focused on the delivery of GCSEs and A levels.  After initial consultations with a representative group of awarding organisations there are three proposals:

1. Three indicators will be used to measure awarding organisations' performance These are:
   a. the timely despatch of assessment material to centres;
   b. the timely issuing of results to centres/candidates;
   c. responding to enquiries about results and appeals within deadline.
2. All awarding organisations offering accredited qualifications will be required to report against the performance indicators. This will ensure a consistent monitoring approach to all recognised awarding organisations and help facilitate improvements in all awarding organisations' service to centres and learners. 
3. Reporting against performance indicators will be required as part of the self-assessment process.

The data collected from awarding organisations will be published on the regulators' websites. It is the regulators' intention to encourage high standards of service from all awarding organisations offering accredited qualifications.  At the same time the regulators are committed to keeping the bureaucratic burden of monitoring awarding organisations to a minimum.  This consultation provided an opportunity for stakeholders to give the regulators their views on what information should be requested from awarding organisations and the nature of the performance indicators that could be used in a broader more generic way, in order effectively to monitor the service to learners and centres.

The consultation closed on 10 April 2009. A summary of the responses and our conclusions will be posted on the websites of the three regulators shortly.