Evaluating the responsiveness of VQs: report on pilot study

This report relates to the pilot study on evaluating the responsiveness of vocational qualifications (VQs) conducted in 2004 by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) for the Vocational Qualifications Research Group (VQRG). The VQRG had proposed an evaluation of VQ responsiveness based on four indicators: (1) trends in the numbers and categories of qualifications achieved by people; (2) the proportion of all training that is VQ related in a sample of contexts; (3) the attitude of stakeholders toward the value of VQs for different uses; and (4) the responsiveness of VQs to innovation. The aim of the pilot study was to investigate the practicality of undertaking a proposed full evaluation of VQ responsiveness based on these four indicators. The pilot study was required to investigate data supply issues for the indicators, propose data collection methodologies and consider the range of potential drivers of change in the VQ environment to facilitate later discussion of variables that are not part of the four indicators. The methodology used was a combination of discussions with stakeholders and investigation of potential data sources, including those suggested by the interviewees. The report examines the range of sources of evidence available for the indicators, some of them being potentially useful for more than one indicator, and then considers each of the indicators in turn. The project identified a number of issues which require resolution.

This report relates to the pilot study on evaluating the responsiveness of vocational qualifications (VQs) conducted in 2004 by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) for the Vocational Qualifications Research Group (VQRG). The VQRG had proposed an evaluation of VQ responsiveness based on four indicators: (1) trends in the numbers and categories of qualifications achieved by people; (2) the proportion of all training that is VQ related in a sample of contexts; (3) the attitude of stakeholders toward the value of VQs for different uses; and (4) the responsiveness of VQs to ...  [+] Show more