Proposed interfaces between Ofqual and QCDA on qualifications and related areas of work
On September 26th 2007 the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCFS) announced that the regulatory functions of QCA were to become statutorily independent. The new regulator will report to Parliament rather than to Ministers. A new interim regulator, the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual), was established on 8 April 2008 to oversee the summer 2008 tests and exams and other regulatory functions, until legislation has been passed to establish Ofqual as a statutory body.
The Ofqual / QCDA interfaces project was set up to help clarify these arrangements, and this report represents the outcome of the first phase of work, undertaken between May and September 2008. The aim of this work was to ensure:
- QCDA and Ofqual will have principles in place on which they can base future business process
- QCDA and Ofqual staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities, the areas of interaction between the two organisations and how information should be shared between them
- The other qualification regulators and key stakeholders understand the roles and responsibilities of the two organisations
- There is a clear division of working arrangements between the two organisations and staff are not carrying out conflicting roles.
The protocols in this document reflect the internal agreements reached between QCDA and Ofqual. These agreements represent the initial thinking of the two organisations and are presented here as a working draft to support further discussions with partners. The engagement of awarding organisations, sector skills councils (SSCs) and other stakeholders is ongoing and will ensure that the protocols are robust and fit for purpose.