Introduction to the online training materials

Introduction to the online training materials These materials are intended for college staff who have been designated the role of facilitator for the Summative review stage of QAA's Integrated quality and enhancement review Northern Ireland (IQER NI). We recognise that, although you may have been on one of QAA's IQER NI training events, you will have other responsibilities within your institution and may need a reminder of what happens during the IQER process and why, when and with whom. The materials are designed to enable you to refresh your memory regarding the key stages in the review process and the role and responsibilities of the facilitator. The materials are divided into three sections: Before the visit The visit After the visit The content is based on the assumption that you have a copy of the IQER NI training manual and we have referenced key sections and training activities within the manual. However the main reference point is The handbook for Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review Northern Ireland (the Handbook), which includes a summary of the facilitator s role in Annex G, page 93. Help is also available from your appointed member of the Review Support Team at QAA, from your review support officer (RSO) and from your coordinating reviewer (CR). Good luck with your preparations! Barbara Edwards Method Coordinator 01452 557190 bea.edwards@qaa.ac.uk

Before the visit The Summative review takes place between 18 months and two years after the Developmental engagement. Preparation for the Summative review is likely to start about 26 weeks before the Summative review visit. This preparation will include a range of activities. You will have an interim discussion. You will produce a self-evaluation. Your students may produce a student written submission. You will have a preparatory meeting with your coordinating reviewer. This will lead to some follow-up work before the visit. The interim discussion The self-evaluation The student written submission The preparatory meeting After the preparatory meeting

The interim discussion It is helpful for the coordinator and the college to have a discussion about 20 weeks before the Summative review. This discussion is usually by telephone. What is it? Why have it and when? How is it set up? What might you do?

What is it? The interim discussion is held with the coordinator and usually takes the form of a telephone discussion. Information on the interim discussion is contained in The Handbook for Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review (the handbook), paragraph 79. The discussion allows the college to refresh its understanding of the IQER NI method. It gives an opportunity to discuss with the coordinator what is needed for the self-evaluation and the student written submission.

Why have it and when? The interim discussion takes place before the self-evaluation and student written submission are developed. The college should decide whether a discussion is needed and, if so, contact the coordinator. The interim discussion is arranged about 20 weeks before the visit (once the coordinator and facilitator have been confirmed). There are no pre-set criteria for having an interim discussion. The reasons will reflect the differing circumstances, experiences and concerns of individual colleges. A discussion might be useful where you are not clear about what is required to prepare effectively for the Summative review. Typically, you might have concerns because: - there has been a long gap between the Developmental engagement and the Progress review - there have been changes in college organisation or staffing, for example, the Developmental engagement nominees and/or facilitator - the outcomes of the Developmental engagement and Progress review required a lot of work by the college.

How is it set up? The interim discussion is not a mandatory feature of the review process but it is considered to be helpful. The interim discussion is usually arranged by the coordinator. If the interim discussion requires the coordinator to visit the college, this will need to be formally approved by QAA.

What might you do? As the facilitator, you will be involved in the interim discussion. Ask, when you first start to plan for the Summative review, whether the college is clear about the IQER NI method and what will be needed. Consider what form a discussion might take: - do you need a visit by the coordinator? - could any issues be resolved through a telephone call or conference? - what about an exchange of emails? Consider: - have we had significant changes in college organisation or key staff? - did the Developmental engagement and Progress review action plans require us to do a lot of work? Will all key actions be in place for the Summative review? - do we have questions about the IQER NI method, particularly what we need to do to prepare for the Summative review? - having checked this online material and the Handbook, am I still unclear about what is needed for preparing the self-evaluation or the student written submission? And remember, before or after the interim disscussion, you can still discuss any aspect of your review preparation with your coordinator or the QAA officer supporting your review.

The self-evaluation Along with other staff, as the facilitator you will normally have a central role in producing the self-evaluation. The self-evaluation is a key document for the Summative review. Reflection on how it was used in the training you went to would be useful and will help you to guide colleagues What do you already know? What is it? What s it for? What might you do? What other help is available?

What do you already know? You may wish to refer to the training material, Module C1, session 1, first presentation, slide 8; and Module C3, session 1, first presentation, slide 7. You may find it useful to refresh your memory about how the self-evaluation is used by the Summative review team by reflecting on the training you went to involving Lough Neagh College. You will remember how all the core themes were given equal importance. Different modes of study and awarding bodies were considered in detail. Lough Neagh College produced a self-evaluation highlighting the strengths of the College and the challenges it faced. You will have already had experience of producing a self-evaluation for the Developmental engagement.

What is it? The self-evaluation tells the Summative review team about how the college manages its higher education. It is evaluative and so it states: What the college does Why it does it How well it does it How it knows how well it does it Additional guidance on production of a self-evaluation is provided in the Handbook, pages 46-53. This guidance indicates the key role of a portfolio of evidence in supporting the analysis in the self-evaluation commentary.

What's it for? As facilitator, you need to be aware of the critical importance of the self-evaluation and the associated evidence. The team use the self-evaluation and the associated portfolio of evidence as a very important source of information about the provision and will refer to it throughout the review. The self-evaluation is the first evidence that the reviewers read and comment upon. Its nature will partly determine the success of the preparatory meeting. The self-evaluation is also a vital document for staff attending meetings with the team, as it may be referred to extensively.

What might you do? Facilitators may have a key role in the production and distribution of the self-evaluation. If you are involved, here are a few priorities. Refresh your memory about how the self-evaluation is used by the Summative review team by reflecting on the training you went to involving Lough Neagh College. You will remember how all the core themes were given equal importance. Different modes of study and awarding bodies were considered in detail. Lough Neagh College produced a self-evaluation highlighting the strengths of the College and the challenges it faced. Make sure that your college's self-evaluation is a properly referenced analysis of its higher education provision, reflecting its strengths and the challenges it faces. Make sure that the form detailing college and awarding body responsibilities have been completed. Ensure that the self-evaluation and its associated evidence is sent to QAA on the first day of the designated week. Make arrangements for sending out the self-evaluation and associated evidence to the reviewers when asked to do so by QAA, after the initial consideration by the coordinator and the review support officer. Be ready to coordinate changes to the self-evaluation if the initial consideration indicates significant omissions. Make sure that staff likely to meet the team have received a copy of the self-evaluation. Consider sharing the self-evaluation with the students who are preparing the student written submission.

What other help is available? There are several additional sources of help for facilitators in producing and distributing the self-evaluation and its associated evidence. Consideration of IQER reports from other colleges gives a good idea of the scope of what the team have to report on and hence helps the development of the self-evaluation. Visit www.qaa.ac.uk/institutionreports/pages/default.aspx to view college IQER Summative review reports. The interim discussion with your coordinator provides an excellent opportunity to seek guidance during the development of the self-evaluation. The review support officer and your coordinator, who are identified in a letter early in the Summative review process, are always happy to help. Queries about the information that has to be sent to QAA on the date for submission (for example, number of copies) and the college's responsibility for sending out the information to reviewers can be referred to your contact in the QAA Review Support Team identified in communications you have received.

The student written submission The student written submission (SWS) provides the review team with a summary of the views of current students in advance of the review visit. The SWS is not compulsory, but it is a valuable source of evidence. It also gives assurance that the college has the means of allowing its HE students to express their views about the education they are receiving. What do you already know? What s in it? How is it produced? How is it used? What might you do?

What do you already know? Please refer to training materials Module C3, session 1, first presentation, slide 8. You may already have a mechanism for producing the student written submission as a consequence of your Developmental engagement.

What s in it? The content of the student written submission (SWS) is not prescribed, as it needs to focus on what students judge to be important. The content may also vary to reflect the nature of the higher education provision and the character of the college. The content should be evaluative and represent the views of current students, agreed by them. It should reflect the widest representation possible, for example awards, curriculum areas, levels, attendance modes, awarding bodies. It should be constructive and objective, not a chance for individuals to express personal views or air grievances! Students might consider how best to relate their comments to the three IQER core themes. It might be helpful for the college to share with students the main points from the self-evaluation. Guidance about what might be included in the SWS is available on the QAA website: www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/informationandguidance/documents/studentguide_ni.pdf www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/informationandguidance/documents/miniguide_iqer_ni.pdf

How is it produced? There is not just one way of producing a good student written submission (SWS). Colleges have found many approaches, some of them really innovative, to support their higher education students in writing a submission. The college will need to provide advice and support, but the SWS should be produced in a way that makes sure it represents the real views of students. It should not be what staff think are the views of students. The SWS should make use of as many student contributions as possible. These should cover the college's range of awards, curriculum areas, levels, attendance modes and awarding bodies. Supporting students in producing the SWS can often help the college to develop or strengthen the sense of a higher education student community. The SWS is best provided at the same time as the self-evaluation, but will be welcomed at any time up to the start of the Summative review visit. Guidance about how to produce the SWS is available in two documents on the QAA website: Mini guide: a brief student guide to IQER NI and Student involvement in Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review (IQER NI): IQER NI and the student written submission. Both documents are available from www.qaa.ac.uk/institutionreports/types-of-review/iqer-ni/pages/default.aspx

How is it used? The student written submission (SWS) is an important source of evidence that will be used by the review team in its preparations and during the visit itself. The SWS will be read by the review team alongside the college's self-evaluation in advance of the review visit. It will be used to help decide the topics to be explored with students and staff during the review visit. It is a source of evidence in its own right that will contribute to the review conclusions. It helps the review team to take proper account of student opinion. It allows the team to see that the college values the views of its higher education students.

What might you do? As facilitator, you are not formally responsible for the student written submission (SWS). However, because you are the point of contact with the IQER NI coordinator, your role can be crucial. You can make sure students are supported and you can monitor the production of the SWS. Check the guidance on the QAA website and make it available to students and others who will support them in writing the SWS. Liaise with students and staff colleagues well in advance to make sure that a clear approach to producing the SWS is agreed, and that it is manageable. Monitor the progress of the SWS along with that of the self-evaluation. Try to make sure the SWS represents the real views of students, not what staff think. Liaise with your IQER NI coordinator and/or your QAA contact.

The preparatory meeting A successful preparatory meeting is crucial to the college and the Summative review. It helps to reduce wasted effort and misunderstandings. The facilitator is vital to its success. What do you already know? What is it and what will happen? What might you do?

What do you already know? Please refer to the training material, Module C3, session 1, slide 9 of the general presentation.

What is it and what will happen? The preparatory meeting is an opportunity to plan the Summative review in detail, discuss early comments from the review team following their reading of the self-evaluation and clarify the need for further evidence. You might refer to the Handbook which gives clear guidance to all participants on the nature and role of the preparatory meeting (see paragraph 81, and Annex C for an indicative agenda). The coordinator, not the whole review team, will attend the preparatory meeting The meeting should be attended by relevant college staff, students, and awarding body representatives if agreed between the partners. The meeting is an opportunity to ask questions about all aspects of the Summative review process. It will contain a presentation to staff by the coordinator on Summative review using QAA slides. It will contain a detailed planning session. Among other things, this planning session will cover: - the production of a detailed timetable for the Summative review where college views on scheduling will be crucial - requests by the coordinator, on behalf on the team, for additional evidence - administrative arrangements, including where the team will work and have meetings and the equipment required - the nature and scope of any student work to be provided. If not undertaken at an interim discussion or fully explained in the self-evaluation, the coordinator, on behalf of the team, will want information about developments since the Developmental engagement that affect the higher education provision, including major organisational changes and changes in key members of staff. The meeting will also agree a date for a possible second visit. While this second visit may not be needed it must be arranged at the preparatory meeting. It is likely to be 10 weeks after the Summative review visit. Please refer to the Handbook, paragraphs 98-101, for more information about this. Following the preparatory meeting the coordinator will send a letter to the college setting out the agreements made at the meeting. The college has the opportunity to have any errors in the letter corrected.

What might you do? As facilitator, you have a very important role in the preparatory meeting. Much of its success, and consequently the success of the visit, depends on how well you have prepared for the meeting. In consultation with the coordinator, fix the date of the preparatory meeting well in advance allowing plenty of time for arrangements at the college to be finalised. The date chosen should be considered carefully to facilitate the participation of staff and students. Discuss possible attendance at the preparatory meeting with the awarding body representatives. As early as possible, consider the arrangements for ensuring appropriate student attendance. Make sure that the correct mix of staff attend (in the light of the focus of IQER NI on the management of education across all three core themes). Give careful thought to who should attend the meeting at which the visit timetable is planned and the additional information required is identified. Ensure staff are fully briefed on the expected outcomes of the preparatory meeting. Take the opportunity to ask questions of the coordinator; it is better at this early stage than during the review. Encourage staff to seek clarification from the coordinator about the Summative review process and procedures. Give preliminary consideration to the organisation of the Summative review to inform discussions with the coordinator, especially on the timing of meetings with students and employers (see the Handbook, Annex D, for an indicative Summative review timetable). Give consideration to the date of the 'second visit' especially if there are special factors that make its occurrence ten weeks after the Summative review difficult, for example student holidays. Disseminate as widely as possible the outcomes of the preparatory meeting concerning requests for further information and the timetable for the visit. Brief staff about the nature of IQER NI before the preparatory meeting. Experience shows that they will be in a better position to ask questions of the coordinator, for example on the procedures and protocols of IQER NI and the college's use of the Quality Code. Enhance the usefulness of the meeting by giving comprehensive feedback to staff after the meeting, particularly on the timetable that has been agreed for the review visit and the requests by the team for more information.

After the preparatory meeting As the college link with the Summative review team, you will agree with the coordinator any work that needs to be done to follow up the preparatory meeting. You will also need to make sure that staff and students of the college are well informed and supported in preparing for the review visit. What do you already know? What might be needed? When might it be needed? Preparing for the visit What might you do?

What do you already know? During training you were engaged with a range of activities that encouraged you to prepare thoroughly, paying attention to such things as accurate and systematic note taking. You will already have experience of taking actions to follow up the meeting to prepare for the visit after the Developmental engagement.

What might be needed? The work needed to follow up the preparatory meeting will be agreed with the coordinator at the meeting or in correspondence soon afterwards. At the preparatory meeting, the coordinator will discuss with you what is needed in the way of further evidence, as well as any special arrangements for the review visit. Typically, the coordinator might ask you to: - provide additional documentation - offer further comments to support your self-evaluation - confirm the draft visit timetable - arrange extra activities for the visit - send advance attendance lists for the meetings, as agreed with the coordinator - prepare a sample of assessed student work for the review visit - confirm workroom arrangements, including facilities - advise on a convenient local hotel where the team might stay. The coordinator will email you a letter within a week of the preparatory meeting to summarise what has been agreed. Make sure you check the letter carefully and reply to the coordinator, confirming or suggesting changes to what is in the letter.

When might it be needed? For any additional work agreed at the preparatory meeting, you should confirm a clear timescale with the coordinator for when it will be delivered. It is important that you agree a timetable with the coordinator for the provision of additional documents and evidence, and that this is adhered to. You should agree with the coordinator how additional material will be provided, including what might be posted directly to the QAA electronic team folder. It is helpful to keep the coordinator informed about progress by email, including when you are ready to post new material.

Preparing for the visit As the facilitator, you will have agreed the review visit arrangements with the coordinator and should oversee all preparations. Once the visit timetable has been agreed, a range of preparatory work can be undertaken in readiness for the review visit. This might include the following: - arrange an introductory presentation, usually by the principal - provide a briefing for college staff - provide a briefing for students - liaise with awarding bodies about the details of their contribution - decide who should attend meetings with reviewers - arrange rooms, furnishing and facilities - organise the reviewers' workroom - ensure that all relevant documentation is readily available, electronically or in hard copy, as agreed with the coordinator - make domestic arrangements: refreshments, transport between sites where needed, etc.

What might you do? You are the single point of contact with the review team. Make sure that all requirements are clearly understood and that preparatory arrangements are planned and implemented. You should also make sure that students, staff and the representatives of your awarding bodies understand their roles and contributions. Remember that the Handbook is the definitive guide to the review process. Use your IQER NI training and the materials provided for it as a resource and reference point. Make your own clear record of what has been agreed at the preparatory meeting. Check the letter from the coordinator to confirm that her/his record of the preparatory meeting agrees with yours; suggest changes if necessary. Make sure you have agreed the timescale for providing any additional material. Agree with the coordinator the arrangements for providing supplementary information, including those for posting to the QAA electronic team folder. Take care that you fully understand the review visit timetable negotiated with the coordinator. Plan a schedule to ensure that all work will be completed to time and that all arrangements will be in place. Brief all participants on their roles within the review, including times when they need to attend meetings and other review visit activities. Make arrangements to ensure you are available throughout the review visit. Liaise with your IQER NI coordinator if you have any questions, doubts or concerns. You may find it useful to refer to the Handbook, Annex F, which details the responsibilities of the facilitator.

The visit During the visit the team will engage in the analysis of evidence and will follow up topics arising from this analysis. A critical feature of a visit will be the opportunity to hold meetings of the team, and meetings with staff and students. First team meeting Meetings with staff Meetings with students Final on-site team meeting

First team meeting This is the first occasion when you will get together with the team. What do you already know? What is it and what will happen? What might you do?

What do you already know? In the training Module C3, session 2, you participated in a simulated first team meeting. See the Briefing Notes for trainees as a reminder. If you were a nominee during the Developmental engagement, you will have already participated in a first team meeting, so this will be familiar.

What is it and what will happen? This is the first face-to-face team meeting and sets the tone for the review. During this meeting the coordinator will lead the team in confirming the plan of work for the visit and of team members responsibilities in relation to the various activities. There will be a discussion of the team s prior analyses of the self-evaluation. The Summative review agenda will be updated, and topics will be prioritised. There will be discussion of how and through which activities the agreed matters will be explored. The team will review the evidence provided both in advance and in the workroom.

What might you do? It is important to remember that you do not attend this meeting as a participant. You are there to help the team and the college to make the most of the visit. During the meeting you should: - observe - take notes - act as a conduit between the team and the college - draw the reviewers' attention to evidence relevant to the matters being discussed. You may attend other meetings during the visit (but not the meeting with students). Your role at other team meetings during the review is much as at the first team meeting, but you should additionally be able to note any emerging trends in the progress of the review. You may find it useful to refer to the Handbook, Annex F, which details the responsibilities of the facilitator.

Meetings with staff There will normally be three meetings with staff, to address academic standards, quality of learning opportunities and public information. Different arrangements may sometimes be agreed with the college. What do you already know? What is it and what will happen? What might you do?

What do you already know? You may find it useful to refer to training material, Module C3, sessions 3 and 4, where you took part in a simulated meeting with staff. In particular you might look at the Briefing Notes and at the notes made in your learning log for this session. Additionally, Module B, session 3 contains guidance on skills for meetings.

What is it and what will happen? The Summative review is concerned with the college's delegated responsibilities for the management of its higher education. The meeting will explore the role of college staff in this. The meetings will be used to clarify matters in the self-evaluation and in the evidence provided. The meetings will be used to follow up the reviewers analysis of the self-evaluation in line with the broad agenda shared with the college in advance. Attendees should include those staff who are knowledgeable about, and hence relevant to, the topics on the agenda for the meeting. Many coordinators recommend that a maximum of about 10 staff is most efficient. If an issue arises which staff present cannot address fully, it can be followed up afterwards in a smaller meeting. The participation of the awarding bodies will depend on local agreements. You may find it useful to refer to the Handbook, Section five, paragraph 84.

What might you do? In advance of the meeting: - help staff prepare for meetings by clarifying their role and nature - ensure that the room used for the meeting is suitable, with appropriate seating arrangements. During the meeting: - listen, observe and take notes about any follow-up action which is needed - if it becomes clear that a line of questioning cannot be satisfactorily resolved in the meeting, it would be appropriate for you to suggest, through the chair, additional evidence that could be provided outside the meeting - if you have a leading role in the college s management of higher education, you may need to make a contribution to the meeting in that role. If so, make clear that you are speaking in this role, not as the facilitator. After the meeting the team will normally meet to discuss what has been established and what remains to be clarified. - It is appropriate for you to suggest how issues might be addressed. You may find it useful to refer to the Handbook, Annex F, which details the responsibilities of the facilitator.

Meetings with students At least one meeting will be held with a representative group of students. In order to cover different modes of study it may be necessary to organise more than one meeting. What do you already know? What is it and what will happen? What might you do?

What do you already know? During training, in Module C1, you took part in a role play of a meeting with students during the Developmental engagement. The Summative review student meeting is organised on the same lines. Remind yourself of the issues by looking again at the training materials, including the Guidance notes on meeting skills. Check any notes made in your learning log about this session. You may have already arranged a student meeting for the Developmental engagement. This one has the same functions.

What is it and what will happen? This meeting will enable the review team to gain direct evidence of the student experience and to follow up matters raised in the student written submission, if provided. A representative sample of students should attend this meeting, including different modes of study, sites, age, gender, ethnicity, and a range of subject areas. This will help the team to gain a wide view of the student experience. For large or complex provision, the coordinator may decide that two meetings are required - one in the daytime and one in the evening. You may find it useful to refer to the Handbook, paragraph 86.

What might you do? You will not attend this meeting and, normally, nor will any staff members. However, it is acceptable (and may be essential) for staff who are enrolled on programmes to do so.

Final on-site team meeting Before the team leaves they will hold a meeting to summarise the main evidence and what requires any further confirmation. What do you already know? What is it and what will happen? What might you do?

What do you already know? The final meeting was covered in the training event, Module C3, session 1, first presentation, slide 10. You might find it useful to refer to your training manual.

What is it and what happens? This is the final meeting of the team during the visit and allows the team to take stock of their activities. The team will not discuss recommendations, good practice or judgements. The purpose of the meeting is: - to summarise the progress of the review - to check that all matters on the initial agenda arising from the team s analysis of the self-evaluation have been addressed - to identify and agree any additional evidence that may be required before the provisional judgement meeting.

What might you do? It is important to remember that you do not attend this meeting as a participant. You are there to help the team and the college to make the most of the visit. Make sure that you are clear about: - what the team s thinking is at this stage of the review - what, if anything, remains to be clarified before the team makes its provisional judgements - what additional evidence, if any, needs to be provided and by when - what happens next. At the end of the visit, the coordinator offers a verbal update on the progress of the review to the facilitator. - Take careful notes in your meeting with the coordinator, to enable you to inform the relevant college staff. You may find it useful to refer to the Handbook, Annex F, which details the responsibilities of the facilitator, and the Summative review timeline in Section five.

After the visit You will continue to have an important role to play as a channel of communication between the college and the review team. It is quite likely that the team will seek further information and you will see a pre-publication draft of the report when it is sent to the college. Provisional judgement meeting Action plan Possible second visit

Provisional judgement meeting A week after the visit at an external location, the Summative review team meets to agree summaries of evidence, agree recommendations and good practice, and make provisional judgements. What do you already know? What is it and what will happen? What follows? What might you do?

What do you already know? You might refer to the training manual, Module C3, session 5, where you participated in a simulation of a provisional judgement meeting and the process of reaching provisional judgements; session 6; and the final PowerPoint slide from session 1.

What is it and what will happen? Before the meeting, the review team will have reviewed the evidence that they have gathered during the visit and will have drafted sections of the report. During the meeting the review team will: - confirm summaries of the evidence and review the draft sections. Each reviewer will highlight the points which they consider significant and which will need detailed discussion - identify provisional good practice - make provisional recommendations - agree provisional judgements for core themes one and two, and a provisional conclusion about the reliance that can be placed on the accuracy of the information published by the college (core theme three) - consider any additional evidence submitted by the college.

What follows? There is a clear sequence of events following the provisional judgement meeting and a strict set of deadlines which must be adhered to. The coordinator will inform the college and its awarding bodies in writing about the outcome of the provisional judgement meeting within one week of the meeting. All judgements, good practice and recommendations remain provisional until the report is finalised. The team drafts its report which is sent to the college for comment on matters of factual accuracy or areas which the college regards as incomplete. Following the response from the college, the team will consider any comments it has made and will confirm the review evaluations and judgements. If the provisional judgements are confirmed as confidence in the case of academic standards and quality of learning opportunities and reliance in the case of public information the college returns the completed action plan to QAA and the report proceeds to publication. If the team is unable to reach judgements, or if the provisional judgements are of limited or no confidence in the case of academic standards and quality of learning opportunities and/or no reliance in the case of public information, a second visit will take place. This will be on the date agreed at the preparatory meeting. After the second visit the coordinator will confirm the judgements. You may find it useful to refer to the Handbook, paragraphs 98-101.

What might you do? You do not attend the provisional judgement meeting. Following the meeting, the coordinator will write to the college principal, with a copy to you, setting out the team's provisional judgements. This will be followed three weeks later by the draft report. You may be involved in coordinating the responses to the report and the preparation of the action plan. Following the debrief at the end of the visit, supply the team with any additional material or evidence requested which will help the team to make their provisional judgments. After the provisional judgement meeting, receive a copy of the letter at the same time as one is sent to the principal and awarding bodies. Coordinate the drafting of the college's response to the invitation to comment on the draft report on matters of factual accuracy. Coordinate the drafting of, and obtain the college's approval for, the action plan. Ensure that the college meets the deadlines for its part in the sequence of events subsequent to the provisional judgement meeting. You may find it useful to refer to the Handbook, Annex F, which details the responsibilities of the facilitator.

Action plan The action plan is completed by the college and describes how it intends to act on the findings of the review. What do you already know? What is it and what is it for? What might you do?

What do you already know? You may already have experience of producing an action plan, if you were involved in the Developmental engagement.

What is it and what is it for? The action plan is completed by the college and describes how it intends to act on the findings of the review. It is published as part of the report. The action plan is drawn up using a template provided by QAA. It is a structured plan for the college to help it monitor its progress against the recommendations and good practice highlighted by the review team. It is a public declaration of how the college will respond to the outcomes of the Summative review. It will be used as evidence in any subsequent reviews. You may find it useful to refer to Annex E Guidance on the action plan.

What might you do? You are not formally responsible for the production of the action plan, however since you have been closely associated with the work of the review team you may be in a good position to assist colleagues in completing the action plan. If you are assisting with the production of the action plan, ensure the appropriate involvement of key staff and stakeholders (for instance, students and awarding bodies). You may find it useful to refer to Annex E Guidance on the action plan.

Possible second visit A second visit is organised in the event of a 'limited' or 'no confidence' judgement or a 'no reliance' conclusion against public information. What do you already know? What is it and what will happen? What might you do?

What do you already know? You may find it useful to refer to the training manual, Module C3, session 1, presentation, slide 19.

What is it? The second visit is an opportunity for the review team to examine evidence that was available at the time of the first visit, or that is the outcome of a process in operation during the first visit. It is intended to help the review team to secure its judgements. The team can only look at evidence that existed at the time of the first visit or that is the outcome of a process or system that was operating at the time of the first visit. It is not an opportunity for the college to present fresh evidence. It is not an opportunity for the team to measure the progress made by a college between visits.

What will happen? The second visit will follow the same pattern as the first. There will be a mixture of meetings with appropriate staff and students and sessions when the review team will be scrutinising evidence. The visit will focus primarily on those areas which have led the review team to form their judgements of 'limited' or 'no confidence' or 'no reliance'. Thus those areas where the judgements are 'confidence' or 'reliance' may well not receive much attention. At the end of the second day there will be a judgements meeting at which the team will reach its judgement followed by an oral report to the college. You may find it useful to refer to the Handbook, paragraphs 98-101, and the diagram on page 28 and the timeline for a second review visit on pages 34-35.

What might you do? You will carry out exactly the same functions as you did at the time of the initial visit and will attend all meetings except the final judgement meeting on the second day. You may find it useful to refer to the Handbook, Annex F, which details the responsibilities of the facilitator.

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