Quality assurance and registration of unit standards
The information in this section is designed to assist standard setting bodies (SSBs) with the Framework Registration quality assurance process for unit standards. You can skip to a specific section by selecting one of the following headings.
- Registration Criteria
- Documentation requirements
- Resources
- Framework Registration Style Guide
- Guidance and Examples for NQF Unit Standards
- Macrons in unit standard documents
Registration Criteria
SSBs are responsible for the quality of standards submitted for registration on the NQF. The Framework Registration quality assurance process involves an evaluation of the standards against the registration criteria and a compliance check to ensure that any issues raised in the evaluation have been addressed.
The Registration Criteria for National Qualifications Framework Unit Standards focus on standards being fit for purpose, assessable, and capable of consistent interpretation, as well as general editorial and formatting matters.
| Registration Criteria for National Qualifications Framework Unit Standards (Version 2, NZQA, October 2005) | |
|---|---|
| Download | MS Word  or Adobe PDF  |
Documentation requirements
Applications for registration must include documents that provide evidence of SSB endorsement, consultation, and quality assurance of the new or changed standards.
The following forms, templates, and guidelines may be downloaded from here. These are the templates for the four types of document you will need to send to Framework Registration (FR) depending on the type of submission – see Quick guide for different types of submission.
Please ensure that you download the latest versions of templates and guidelines each time you develop new standards or change existing ones.
| Application form | ||
|---|---|---|
| Application for registration of new unit standards and/or for changes to existing unit standards on the NQF | |
|
| Unit standard template and formatting guide | ||
|---|---|---|
| Electronic copies of the unit standards using this template – each standard must be on a separate document
See formatting guide below |
|
|
| Formatting guide for unit standards | |
|
| Checklist | ||
|---|---|---|
| Checklist for the evaluation of unit standards – this is the SSB's confirmation that it has quality assured the standards against the registration criteria | |
|
| Change report | ||
|---|---|---|
| Electronic copy of a completed change report using this template ( optional for new standards )
See formatting and content guidelines below |
|
|
| Formatting and content guideline for unit standards change report | |
|
Quick guide for different types of submission
The documentation requirements depend on the type of submission. The table below shows the requirements. Electronic copies must be submitted of all documents - hard copy submission is optional.
| New unit standards |
|---|
| Unit standard documents |
| Completed application form |
| Checklist for the evaluation of unit standards |
| Completed change report (optional) |
| Reviewed and revised unit standards – new standards or new versions to be placed on NQF |
|---|
| Unit standard documents |
| Completed application form |
| Completed checklist for the evaluation of unit standards |
| Completed change report |
| Copies of the registered versions of the unit standards annotated (by hand or electronically) to indicate the changes. If tracked changes have been used, please submit 'original showing markup' |
| Reviewed unit standards – expiring standards Changes to expiry date of expiring and expired standards Reinstatement of expired standards |
|---|
| Completed application form |
| Completed change report |
| Unit standard rollovers |
|---|
| Completed application form |
| Completed change report |
Resources
Framework Registration Style Guide
This style guide deals with matters of punctuation and expression and has been provided here to assist in the writing of unit standards and associated reports and documents.
| Framework Registration Style Guide | ||
|---|---|---|
| Download | MS Word or Adobe PDF |
|
Guidance and Examples for NQF Unit Standards
This publication provides guidance and examples for compiling and presenting the contents of unit standards.
The sections set out in this publication correspond to the same sections in the Registration Criteria for National Qualifications Framework Unit Standards.
Each section contains
- an extract of the registration criteria that apply - the criteria appear in the grey boxes
- guidance on applying the registration criteria in practice, and
- examples of acceptable expression, format, and composition.
| Guidance and Examples for NQF Unit Standards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Download | MS Word or Adobe PDF |
|
Macrons in unit standard documents
SSBs that need to include macrons in unit standards can download a Māori Keyboard driver from the downloads section of the Microsoft New Zealand website.
Framework Registration maintains the documents available from these pages and SSBs are encouraged to download up-to-date documentation as required. Please email Framework Registration for hard copies.
If you cannot find what you are looking for on these pages please contact us on telephone 04 463 3267 or email Framework Registration.
Page updated: 15 September 2009