Qualitative Evaluation of Demand-led Skills Solutions: Standards and Frameworks
The standards and framework programme provides funding for the development of National Occupational Standards (NOS) products, apprenticeship framework products and vocational qualification products. This report presents insights from the evaluation of the development of standards and frameworks under the new commissioning model introduced in 2012-13 that was undertaken as part of the Qualitative Evaluation of Demand-Led Skills Solutions.
Published Nov 2013
This report presents insights from the evaluation of the development of standards and frameworks under the new commissioning model introduced in 2012-13 that was undertaken as part of the Qualitative Evaluation of Demand-Led Skills Solutions. There is a fellow report which explores the learning for the investment funds GIF and EIF.
The research found that under the new commissioning model sector bodies are increasingly focusing on revisions to standards and frameworks that relate to high-volume, strategically important qualifications. However, it tends to be more difficult to identify demand for new products (especially National Occupational Standards) than existing products and it is typically articulated as a general need rather than a more specific business case. Regulatory or policy changes commonly provide the basis of the rationale and case for latent demand.
The new commissioning model has directly led to sector bodies innovating approaches to research, consultation and testing. There is a greater focus in many cases on working with employers and stakeholders that can bring intelligent industry insight and technical understanding, and less of a focus on light-touch consultation with a large number of employers.
It is too early to measure take-up and use of the new / revised products in most cases. But, there is early evidence of some new apprenticeship frameworks delivering increased take-up, and anecdotal evidence of individual employers using NOS to inform their own training and development. The wider promotion of NOS is piecemeal and the difficult task of capturing intelligence on the wider use of NOS remains work in progress for most suppliers.
The commissioning model has largely shifted the risk for product development onto suppliers, creating substantial efficiencies for the use of public money. That said, there has been no major shift in thinking about, or planning for, the future sustainability of standards and frameworks products or the possibility of more practical employer contributions to sustainability.
Evidence Report 79 – main report (PDF, 584 Kb)
Evidence Report 79 – executive summary (PDF, 356 Kb)
In addition, the following briefing papers have been developed to draw out the learning and success factors for specific themes. They draw on evidence from across the investment programmes GIF and EIF, and standards and frameworks.
These papers provide ‘food for thought’ and insights on each topic in a way that it can easily be applied by those organisations leading or partnering on the development and delivery of demand-led skills solutions.
