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CMI Approved and Registered Centre Handbook FEBRUARY 2020 V17 This document is based on Crown Copyright © 2015
CMI Approved and Registered Centre
Handbook FEBRUARY 2020 V17
This document is based on Crown Copyright © 2015
Page | 1
Page | 2 Contents
INTRODUCTION 4
CMI MEMBERSHIP 6
CMI MARKETING SUPPORT 9
LEARNER REGISTRATION AND CERTIFICATION 9
AMENDING LEARNER DETAILS 13
LEARNER AND CENTRE FEES 15
QUALITY ASSURANCE 16
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CENTRE 21
CMI CENTRE TEAM MEMBERS 27
LEARNER INDUCTION 31
ASSESSMENT 33
INTERNAL VERIFICATION OF CMI QUALIFICATIONS 39
CMI MODERATION 44
CMI STANDARDISATION 45
QUALIFICATIONS 47
APPRENTICESHIPS 52
THE REGISTRATION AND MONITORING OF A SATELLITE SITE AND MULTI CENTRE 53
POLICY AND PROCEDURES 57
MAINTENANCE OF INFORMATION ON THE CMI HUB 58
ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FOR SCOTTISH CENTRES 58
APPENDIX 1 SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS 58
APPENDIX 2 GLOSSARY 59
APPENDIX 3 SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS 63
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History Page No. Chapter Title Amendments Made Date Amended
Whole handbook Whole document Thorough review and update
04/02/2020
Whole handbook Whole document Thorough review and update
12/11/18
Page 44 Qualifications RPL wording added 10/07/17 Page 22 Roles &
Responsibilities New wording 06/07/17
Whole handbook Whole document Thorough review and update
27/03/2017
Page | 4 INTRODUCTION
About CMI CMI is the professional home of Managers and Leaders and the only Chartered Awarding Organisation of
Management and Leadership qualifications, we offer you a respected and recognised brand with a portfolio of high quality, internationally recognised, research led, future ready qualifications, programmes and endorsement.
Our partnership approach and renowned customer care means that we are here to support you and your Learners with a comprehensive range of value adding and support services that make it easy to do business with us and enhance your credibility in the marketplace.
CMI Values PROFESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE PASSIONATE PRACTICAL CMI Strategic Objectives The strategic objectives set by the Board of Trustees are to:
● Grow partnerships to increase the number of Chartered and qualified managers ● Create the right integration of products, propositions and channels for our customers ● Build the CMI brand as thought leaders in management practice ● Be the professional home for management & leadership ● Develop global mindset and presence (correct at October 2018)
CMI and its role as an Awarding Body
CMI is a specialist Awarding Body that offers a wide range of qualifications in Management and Leadership, Coaching and Mentoring, and Professional Consulting. CMI has four regulators:
● Ofqual in England ● Qualifications Wales ● Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) in Scotland ● CEA Regulation in Northern Ireland.
CMI is regulated as an organisation as a whole and is monitored on areas such as governance, safeguards on
change of control, conflicts of interest, availability of adequate resources and arrangements, identification and management of risks, management of incidents, malpractice and maladministration and its arrangements with its Centres. Centres need to provide the Awarding Organisation and the regulatory authorities access to premises, people and records as required, and fully co-operate with their monitoring activities, including (but not limited to) providing access to any premises used (including Satellite Centres).
CMI is also regulated on how it designs and develops its portfolio of qualifications. It develops and awards a
wide range of qualifications; these qualifications are delivered and assessed via approximately 600 of our Centres. As all delivery and assessment is devolved to our Centres, CMI has a quality assurance model which monitors and maintains our standards for the delivery and assessment of CMI qualifications.
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Page | 6 CMI MEMBERSHIP
CMI membership benefits Membership of the CMI is designed to work for you and your learners. We will work with you to inspire your learners to unleash their potential and become skilled, confident and successful managers and leaders. There are many benefits of membership including tailored study support via www.managers.org.uk/practical-support/study-support which enables quick and easy access to information automatically tailored to the individual units in each relevant CMI qualification. This means that you can spend less time looking for the information you need to deliver the qualification and ensure that your learners have access to 1000s of resources to complete their next assignment. More and more managers are turning to CMI for practical, no-nonsense support that helps them make better, faster and smarter decisions. See CMI website for details on the following:
● Management Direct ● Mentoring ● Chartered Manager ● Continuing Professional Development
CMI Learner membership All CMI learners are automatically provided with free Affiliate membership of the CMI until the completion of their studies. On completion of a qualification Some learners register for more than one qualification. Only when all qualifications that the learner is registered for have been completed will they be advised about continuing their membership. Learners who have completed an Institute of Consulting (IC) qualification receive a letter directing them to the IC website for further information about IC membership and benefits
Learner induction to CMI CMI requires all Centres to provide learners on CMI qualifications with a full induction to CMI. This induction must include the following:
● Information about CMI including member benefits such as online study support through ManagementDirect
● CMI membership details and how to register ● The CMI Community including the opportunity to network with other managers from a wide range of
industries, regional and online events and the opportunity to be mentored by industry leaders and to mentor others.
CMI Centres Engagement and Relationship Managers may be available to support learner and staff inductions.
Page | 7 CMI Roles and Responsibilities
The service level Agreement for Customer Service, External Assessment, the Quality Assurance and Product Development team can be found in the Appendix.
Customer Services Team
The role of the Customer Services Team is to:
● provide first class customer service and support to any call or email in relation to Centre
enquiries, Centre approval, additional qualification approval, Learner registration, certification, invoicing and support on the HUB.
● Develop functions as above, ensuring that operational processes meet relevant regulatory requirements.
Name Telephone l General contact 01536 207496 [email protected]
External Assessment Team
The role of the External Assessment Team is to:
● administer CMI's qualification assessments, to agreed customer service standards ● provide first class customer service to all of our Centres ● provide guidance to CMI’s Markers, Moderators and Lead Moderators
The External Assessment Team can help with External Assessment and Moderation enquiries and is the main
point of contact for EA invoice enquiries.
Name Telephone Email General Contact 01536 207453 [email protected]
Quality Team
The role of the Quality Team is to:
● undertake quality assurance Centre visits in line with regulatory requirements ● manage Centre quality issues ● assist with the implementation of risk management and the operations of Approved and
Registered Centres ● develop, review and maintain internal and external departmental quality systems ● develop and manage the quality assurance team’s processes and practices, to meet CMI quality
requirements ● approve new Centres and maintain approval of existing Centres
The Quality Managers can help with Centre staff approval, Centre visits, moderation and quality issues.
Name Job title Email
Allison Jay Head of Awarding Body and Compliance
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Elly Philpott Senior Quality Manager
Anne Buchanan Quality Auditor – Dormant Centres
Helen Carney Quality Manager – EP, Police and MoD
Nick Evans Quality Manager [email protected]
James Reynolds Quality Manager [email protected]
Mark Wallington Quality Manager [email protected]
Product Development Team
The role of the Product Development Team is to:
● maximise the potential of the Awarding Body’s qualifications portfolio by developing and maintaining existing, revised and new qualifications, in accordance with the Institute’s strategy and the requirements of the Regulatory Bodies
● identify opportunities for new qualifications development and new qualification partners
Name Telephone Email Ruth Ding, Head of Product and Customer Proposition
01536 207490
Nicola Harvey, Qualification Development Manager
01536 207495
Lynn Monteith, Qualifications Development Officer
01536 207320
Kat Cleaver, Assessment Development Manager
01536 207424
Jocelyn Simmons, Quality Manager Apprenticeships
07917 452246 [email protected]
The Product Development Team can help with:
● qualifications ● frameworks ● credit transfer ● feedback on qualifications ● flexible assessment
Page | 9 CMI MARKETING SUPPORT
CMI Brand Guidelines CMI has ambitions to achieve amazing things for our members and partners. CMI is ethically driven and still
believes that achievement is measured by results. If we had to describe ourselves, we would say that CMI is: professional, passionate, progressive and practical. We want people to understand this when they see our brand. The clearer our brand, the easier it is for people
to understand who we are, what we do and what is important to us. It’s one way to help us build relationships and grow in stature as an organisation.
To make this happen we need a look, feel and tone to our communications that reflects our personality. Our
logo, colours, typefaces and tone of voice helps us to do just that.
Dedicated marketing support for Centres
We understand that attracting and recruiting Learners can be a tough task, this is why as a CMI Centre, you will be fully equipped from the outset with our free multi-channel promotional toolkit giving you the opportunity to ‘piggyback’ off our own extensive activity and outshine the competition.
The CMI Centre toolkit includes; free marketing collateral, digital templates that can be co-branded, posters,
banners and a suite of different materials targeting both organisations and individuals. This will support you to actively promote your Centre and qualifications.
All requests for marketing support should be addressed to: [email protected]
Page | 10 LEARNER REGISTRATION AND CERTIFICATION
Registration of Learners CMI requires our Centres to register all their Learners on the HUB within 6 weeks of the start of a CMI
qualification (regardless of the Centre’s funding arrangements and/or how a Learner makes available their fees). CMI charges a registration fee for each qualification that a Learner is registered for. For current fees, please contact your dedicated Relationship Manager.
For guidance on how to register Learners on the HUB you can log in to the HUB and refer to the ‘help’ button
in the top right hand corner where there are guidance notes and videos on manual and batch registration processes.
A Centre:
● Must register a Learner with the CMI within 6 weeks of commencing a qualification, using the appropriate template, via the HUB providing the mandatory information.
● May register a Learner intending to take the full qualification for the mandatory units only, but must register the Learner’s optional units as soon as they are known.
● Must ensure that each Learner taking a CMI qualification is registered in a way that permits the Learner to be clearly and uniquely identified.
● Must take full responsibility for registering Learners correctly and should take all steps to avoid submitting any duplicate data on to the HUB
● Must register Learners on the correct qualification. CMI will:
● Acknowledge receipt of a Learner’s registration, in the form of an invoice listing all Learners and their membership number, which will be sent to the Centre within 5 working days of CMI processing the Learner registrations.
The Learner registration fee covers:
● Registration (for the duration of the qualification and up to a maximum of 3 years on the larger qualifications, and up to 5 years for Learners on dual accredited programmes at HE partners).
● CMI Affiliate membership for the duration of their studies ● Sampling and moderation of Learner work ● Certification.
An additional marking fee is charged where CMI undertakes the marking of the Centre’s assessments. For
further information, please refer to the fees guidance. Learner Fees
Centres should charge Learner fees that incorporate the CMI registration fee (and marking fee if applicable). It is good practice to ensure that the Learner fee is paid in full at the start of the programme. Please note that all CMI fees are payable at registration. Some Centres may allow Learners to pay their fees in instalments, but the Centre should ensure that the final fee is paid at least 6 weeks prior to the end of the programme. CMI learner registration fees for learners are payable at point of registration. It is not good practice for Centres to hold onto Learners’ CMI certificates while chasing payments from them.
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Invoices Centres are responsible for collecting Learner registration fees on behalf of CMI. CMI will not accept direct
payment of registration fees from Learners or from Satellite Centres. Only the CMI Centre will be invoiced for Learner registration fees, at the point of registration:
● All invoices will be addressed to the Centre’s named Programme Director; ● In the event that a Learner is registered on the wrong qualification and CMI is required to
transfer the Learner due to a Centre registration error, then
o where a Learner transfers to a more expensive qualification, the Centre will be charged an additional fee which represents the cost difference between the qualifications.
o where a Learner transfers to a less expensive qualification, no extra charge will be
made and no refund will be given. CMI reserves the right to suspend Centres from Learner registration if a Centre fails to pay Learner
registration or Centre fees or accrues other bad debt with CMI. Moderation Once a Learner’s assessment is complete, the Centre’s Internal Verifier (or nominee) will enter the Learner’s
results on the HUB via Assessment Sampling. This will then be moderated by CMI and signed off. For guidance on how to upload work to be moderated and have results signed off, please see the video at the
link here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12w9-19eT-Q&feature=youtu.be Learner amendments It is the responsibility of the Centre to notify CMI ([email protected]) as soon as is practicably
possible of any errors or changes to a Learner’s details, in relation to:
● Name ● Address ● Contact details ● Date of birth ● Qualification ● Unit choices
HE Partners should notify changes to [email protected]. Issue of Learner certificates
● All original Learner certificates will be sent to the Programme Director at the CMI Centre. CMI does not issue original certificates directly to Learners or Satellite Centres (unless there is a specific agreement with CMI to do so).
Certificates will:
● Be dispatched within 10 working days of the result(s) being verified by the Moderator ● Be sent to the CMI Centre Programme Director for distribution to the Learner(s)
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● Have a list attached containing the name(s) of the Learner(s) receiving certificates. Issue of replacement certificates CMI will issue replacement certificates in the case of non-receipt, duplicate certificates and for amendments.
However please see below the procedure for each case and the service levels that CMI will adhere to. Non-receipt
● A replacement certificate will only be issued in the case of non-receipt of the original certificate. Notification of non-receipt must be made in writing to [email protected] within 12 months of a Learner completing his/her qualification.
The replacement certificate will be dispatched within 10 working days of written notification of non-receipt.
Duplicate Certificates ● CMI will issue a duplicate certificate when the original has been lost, stolen or destroyed. A
duplicate certificate will be issued when the completed form and administration fee have been forwarded to [email protected] The form will ask that the Learner provides a copy of their ID and signs a Statement of Authenticity. A certificate endorsed 'duplicate' will be issued within 10 working days of receipt of the completed form and administration fee to the Learner or Centre (depending on who has been invoiced).
Amendments after completion Notification of an amendment must be made in writing to [email protected] within 3 months of a
Learner completing his/her qualification. It is the Centre’s responsibility to ensure that the Learner’s details are correct:
● Where the error lies with a Centre, for example the spelling of the Learner’s name is incorrect, an administration fee will be charged for the re-issue of a certificate.
● The original certificate must be returned by recorded post to: Customer Services, CMI, Management House, Cottingham road, Corby, NN17 1TT with written confirmation of the correct details.
A replacement certificate will then be dispatched within 10 working days of receipt of the original certificate.
The Centre will be invoiced for the administration fee.
Please note: amendments will not be made to names in the case of marriage. All certificates will remain in the person’s name at the time of completion.
In exceptional circumstances, CMI will make a decision on a case by case basis.
Page | 13 AMENDING LEARNER DETAILS
Change of Learner details Any change of Learner details must be forwarded to [email protected]. These changes will be
put into effect within 10 working days Learner withdrawal from a qualification/centre Notification of Learner withdrawal from a qualification must be given in writing by the Centre, to
● The withdrawal will be made within 10 working days of receipt of the written confirmation of withdrawal from the Centre
● The qualification registration fee is non-refundable
Exiting a Learner with existing credit Notification of Learner exit from a qualification, with less credit than originally intended, must be given in
writing by the Centre, to [email protected]
● The exit will be made within 10 working days of receipt of the written confirmation of exit from the qualification. This will involve amendment to the Learners PAR to allow exit with credit.
● The qualification registration fee is non-refundable
Transfer of a Learner to another CMI Centre Learners can transfer from one Centre to another, but CMI would need written agreement from both Centres.
In the case where a CMI Centre has closed or withdrawn from CMI approval, or merged with another Centre, the Learner(s) can be transferred but CMI would need written confirmation from the Centre that the Learner is transferring to. CMI will not transfer any Learner where there is evidence of plagiarism or malpractice.
A letter agreeing the transfer must be provided to [email protected] from the:
● Centre releasing the Learner ● Centre the Learner is transferring to ● The transfer will be made as soon as is practical upon receipt of the correspondence and will be
confirmed to both Centre’s Programme Directors, in writing, within 10 working days. Learner transfer to a different qualification Notification that a Learner is transferring to a different qualification must be given, in writing, to
● The transfer will be made within 10 working days, upon receipt of written notification. ● Where a Learner transfers to a more expensive qualification, the Centre will be charged an
additional fee which represents the cost difference between the qualifications.
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● Where a Learner transfers to a less expensive qualification, no extra charge will be made and no refund will be given.
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LEARNER AND CENTRE FEES
Details on Fees can be found in the CMI Fees Guide which is located in the document library section of the website: https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/document-library
Registration fees CMI charges a registration fee for each qualification that a Learner is registered for. Learner registration is for the period of the qualification, or for a maximum of three years (or five years in the
case of dual accredited programmes at HE Partners). Re-registration fee A Learner exceeding the registration period will incur a re-registration fee:
● Centres can identify lapse dates of Learners via the Learner Details report in the Reports section of the HUB.
● CMI will re-register Learners within 5 working days of receipt of a written request from the Centre.
● An invoice will be forwarded to the Centre within 5 working days of the re-registration. Annual Centre fee Each year, Centres are charged a Centre fee covering the following 12 months. An invoice for the Centre fee will be raised each year on the anniversary of Approval. Payment is due
immediately. Satellite Centre fee A Satellite Centre registration fee is charged. The Approved Centre will be invoiced for this registration fee.
CMI will not invoice Satellite Centres direct.
Page | 16 QUALITY ASSURANCE
All of the CMI quality assurance policies and procedures can be found on the website at:
https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/policies-and-procedures There are a number of different types of CMI Centre approval. Only approved and registered Centres are
entitled to offer CMI qualifications. Recognised status shows that a Centre’s programmes are endorsed by CMI but the Centre is unable to offer CMI qualifications without further quality assurance.
In order that CMI can safeguard the award of its qualifications, there is continual quality assurance of
CMI-approved Centres. CMI has planned, systematic activities that ensure compliance with quality requirements. The systematic measurement, comparison of CMI standards, and monitoring of processes and feedback from Centres all ensure the prevention of risk against the award of CMI qualifications.
CMI measures the quality assurance of its Centres through the following activities:
● Centre approval applications ● Centre Visits (announced and unannounced) ● Monitoring exercises ● CMI desktop audits ● Review of online documentation on the HUB ● Centre staff approval ● Additional qualification approval ● Moderation ● CMI marking ● Financial controls ● Standardisation of the assessment and moderation teams
There are a number of full time Quality Managers/Auditors responsible for the quality assurance of CMI
Centres. Centre approval The CMI quality assurance process for its qualifications starts when a Centre wishes to become approved or
registered. During this approval process, the Quality Manager reviews the potential Centre’s policies, processes, staff and documentation. If the Quality Manager is satisfied that the potential Centre meets CMI’s quality requirements they will sign off that they have met CMI standards. During the journey towards being a CMI Centre, the Quality Manager/Auditor will engage with the Centre for qualifications and staff approvals.
Centres that are dormant and wish to become live will need to apply formally to CMI and a centre visit will be
conducted to establish that tutors (and assessors /IVs) have the requisite qualifications and experience. Checks will also be made on current policies and procedures commensurate with current centre requirements.
Centre visits A Centre that delivers CMI qualifications, either directly or by dual accreditation, and has current Learners, will
be visited by a CMI Quality Manager. The frequency and mode of visit (face to face or virtual) will depend on the number of registered Learners and other risk factors.
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Page | 18 An Example of CMI Centre Journey After the initial Centre Approval the Centre may deliver, assess and internally verify (depending on level of approval). Additional aspects of the Centre journey may include:
1. CMI QA Centre visit / Audit 2. Additional Staff Approval 3. Additional Qualification Approval
If during the journey to becoming a CMI Centre or following approval, the Quality Manager/Auditor comes across an aspect of the Centre’s activities that is not in line with CMI standards, they will work with the Centre to ensure the activity is brought in line with CMI standards. This process will always be conducted in a supportive manner and in line with the CMI Sanctions Policy.
Moderation Process Moderation is another means by which we quality assure. Each Quality Manager manages, and is supported
by, a team of Moderators, Markers and a Lead Moderator.
Figure 1 organisation chart
Approved Centres
The Moderators will give feedback to the Centre, on the assessor decisions, IV processes and decisions,
assignment briefs and the Learner work. The Moderator will only sign off Learner results for certification if they are happy that all assessment decisions meet CMI standards. The Quality Manager has sight of all Centre documentation and Moderator feedback. Some CMI Centres will send in one unit per qualification for the CMI External Assessment team to mark as a quality stamp of approval. The Centre can then use this as a basis to standardise their internal marking on this unit.
Registered Centres
CMI Markers are responsible for marking Learners assignments that are sent to CMI for External Assessment. This can occur when a Centre does not have an Assessor and/or Internal Verifier infrastructure within the Centre.
The Lead Moderator is responsible for standardisation within their region. The Lead Moderator will sample
each Moderator/Marker’s work to ensure that the moderation and marking is standardised and the
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feedback to the Centre is in a consistent manner. The Lead Moderators will each produce a Lead Moderator report on a quarterly basis. This report is reviewed by the Quality Manager. This report will also be used for qualification feedback, regulatory requirements and ensuring each unit is sampled over time.
The Lead Moderators meet on a quarterly basis to ensure standardisation throughout the regions and also
nationally and arrange twice-yearly standardisation activities for CMI markers and moderators. If a Centre has a batch of moderation that is returned to the Centre as not up to standard, or marking is
referred, the Quality Manager has sight of this and will build this into the Centre visit. There are different levels of moderation sampling, taking into account risks, records of previous marking
and/or moderation, number of Learners, level of qualification and other factors.
Figure 2- Moderation process
Centre Visits Centre visits can be face to face or virtual using Google Hangouts and the frequency will be determined by a
risk assessment of the Centre’s Learner numbers, moderation/marking history and other factors. All Centre visits in Northern Ireland will be face to face. Each Centre will be contacted to agree a date and time for a proposed Centre visit/audit. When contacted,
Centres will be asked to provide relevant information and to check that their HUB documentation is up to date.
On the day of the visit/audit, the Quality Manager/Auditor will meet/speak with the Programme Director and
any relevant members of the Centre quality management team and/or members of the delivery and assessment team. They may also wish to meet with any CMI Learners, or review feedback from Learners.
The visit will focus on the following key areas:
● Approved Centre details ● Centre management and systems ● Centre staffing resources and monitoring ● Equality, diversity, health and safety, data protection ● Learner support ● Assessment and verification ● Comments, actions and risks
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Centre Sanctions
If CMI finds that a CMI Centre is not maintaining the standards required, CMI will provide support and feedback and assist in a process of continuous improvement. These action points will be recorded on the Centre Visit Report Action Plan and, depending on the level of the non-compliance, and the risk level, a sanction will be applied. The Quality Manager/Auditor and the CMI Centre will agree a date by when the actions should be implemented and this date will be recorded on the Centre Visit Report Action Plan. Any corrective action should be implemented within a maximum of 3 months of the Centre Visit Report Action Plan being issued, or further actions and/or sanctions of a higher nature will be issued. In accordance with CMI Moderation Rules, CMI can at any time impose a 100% moderation requirement against a Centre. This can be in conjunction with any of the below sanctions.
Sanction Levels
Risk Level Sanction
Maximum Allowable Timeframe
0 Good practice points suggested Next Visit
Level 1 Action Plan - Action points to be completed by agreed deadline 3 Months
Level 2 Suspension of Registration - Action points to be completed by agreed deadline 3 Months
Level 3 Suspension of Registration and Certification - Action points to be completed by agreed deadline 3 Months
Level 4 Removal of approval for specific qualification(s) - Action points to be completed by agreed deadline 3 Months
Level 5 Withdrawal of Centre Approval. The regulator will be informed Immediate
Level 6 Dormancy N/A CMI will monitor and evaluate the progress that a Centre has made regarding any sanctions that have been
set. Where the non-compliance has been addressed then the Risk level will be reviewed accordingly. Where non-compliance has not been addressed or if further concerns are identified then the Risk Level could be increased. Where there is continued refusal by a Centre to address non-compliance then this can lead to Withdrawal of Centre Approval through a Level 5 sanction.
The CMI sanctions policy can be found at: https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/policies-and-procedures
Centre Withdrawal
In the event that a CMI Centre should close down or approval cease, the Centre is responsible for ensuring the safe transfer of the Learners to an existing CMI Centre. However in the circumstances where the
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Centre is unwilling to or unable to take these actions, then CMI will take steps to support the Learners and perform CMI’s duty of care.
CMI will contact other CMI Centres within the same geographical area to identify the scope for learner transfers. CMI will then communicate in writing to the affected learners providing instructions on which Centres that they can approach to continue their learning. Learners will be requested to confirm their intentions of either where to resume their studies or should they wish to withdraw from the course.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CENTRE The role of the Centre CMI Centres are responsible for delivery, assessment (fully approved Centres only) and internal quality
assurance of CMI qualifications. The Centre is also responsible for: ● Marketing of CMI qualifications. ● Reviewing the quality and consistency of delivery, assessment (if relevant) and internal quality
assurance practices and decisions. These will be undertaken, recorded and provided upon request to the Quality Manager.
● Providing CMI with the information it requires. ● Ensuring that there are sufficient qualified staff and resources for the administration,
management, delivery, assessment and internal quality assurance of CMI qualifications. ● Ensuring that any changes to staffing are notified immediately and seeking staff approval via
the hub prior to starting delivery/assessment/internal verification on a CMI programme The role of the Programme Director Each CMI Centre must nominate a Programme Director. This person will be the Centre’s main point of contact
for CMI quality assurance purposes. CMI Centre Programme Directors may be the Centre’s Internal Quality Assurer or another person with responsibility for the administration or quality assurance functions. No specific qualifications are needed for the role of Programme Director, although experience of management and leadership qualifications are preferred. The Programme Director must be a person in a senior position or have decision-making responsibilities for the CMI course delivery. It is the responsibility of the Programme Director to ensure that all individuals involved with CMI qualifications are kept up to date with information from CMI and are aware of CMI requirements and regulations.
The Programme Director has responsibility to CMI for the following:
● Overseeing the delivery, assessment and internal quality assurance of CMI qualifications. ● Ensuring that the delivery and award of CMI qualifications are in accordance with the Centre’s
regulatory agreement. ● Ensuring internal quality assurance meets CMI requirements. ● Maintaining accurate records at all times and ensuring that these are retained by the Centre for
three years. ● Ensuring all Centre Staff receive relevant CMI communications. ● Ensuring Learner registrations are undertaken within six weeks of the start of the programme. ● Collecting CMI Learner registration fees. ● Checking and distributing Learner certificates in a timely manner. ● Informing CMI of any changes to Learner details. ● Informing CMI of Learner withdrawals or changes of qualification or other changes to Learner
status. ● Managing Learner requests for exemption, RPL, appeals and complaints.
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● Managing and seeking approval for additional Learner assessment requirements. ● Informing CMI of Centre staff changes in a timely manner. ● Informing CMI of Satellite Centre, Multi Centre or any third party arrangements as soon as they
arise. ● Reporting any case of suspected malpractice immediately to CMI. ● Informing CMI of any changes to Centre details or circumstances, including change of
ownership, contact details and any financial difficulties. ● Informing CMI formally of any institutional changes e.g., mergers with other organisations,
take-overs, bankruptcy. Staff Requirements Staff Approval Centres must:
● Ensure that there are sufficient qualified staff for the administration, management, delivery, assessment and internal verification of CMI qualifications.
● Ensure that all staff are approved by the Quality Manager prior to starting delivery/assessment/internal verification of CMI qualifications. This approval is conducted via the HUB and CVs must be supplied for any staff involved in delivery or assessment.
● Ensure that any changes to staffing are notified immediately and seek staff approval prior to starting delivery/assessment/Internal verification on qualification.
Occupational competence requirements Deliverers/Lecturers/Tutors/Assessors/Internal Verifiers must demonstrate that they:
● Have current, credible expertise in management and leadership relevant to the level(s)/units they are delivering, assessing or verifying.
● Have current and credible expertise where relevant in delivery, assessment or internal quality assurance.
● Maintain their knowledge and keep themselves up to date with developments in management and leadership practice, delivery and or assessment i.e., can provide evidence of CPD.
● Have a thorough understanding of the qualification units at the level(s) they are delivering, assessing or verifying.
. Evidence of occupational competence Centre Deliverers/Lecturers/Tutors/Assessors/Internal Verifiers are required as a team to have a combination of appropriate competences in learning, assessment and internal quality assurance methodologies. This must be underpinned by knowledge and experience of management, leadership and team skills within operational sectors. This should be relevant to the qualification being delivered and the Learners undertaking them. Centre staff will be expected to meet a range of the evidence indicators. The table below shows the generic occupational competence requirements of Deliverers/Lecturers/Tutors/Assessors/Internal Verifiers. This is the criteria that CMI will use to decide whether new staff members are competent to deliver and or assess CMI qualifications. Deliverer/Lecturer/Tutor occupational competence requirements
Evidence indicators
Page | 23 Relevant and sufficient occupational experience appropriate to the level and breadth of subject areas of the qualification units for which the Centre is approved. NB – We expect staff delivering a unit to be competent in the content of the unit.
● Minimum of three years’ occupational competence and experience appropriate to the level and breadth of subject areas of the qualification units for which the Centre has been approved
A thorough knowledge and understanding of the subject areas appropriate to the level, breadth and content of the qualification units for which the Centre is approved.
● A relevant and sufficient qualification appropriate to the subject areas of the qualification units for which the Centre is approved, that must be equal to or higher than the approved qualification OR
● Substantial experience, knowledge and understanding of the subject areas of the qualification units at the level for which the Centre is approved.
Continuing Professional Development ● Evidence of participation over the past three years in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) appropriate to the level and subject area of the qualification units
● Desirable but not essential to have membership of a professional institute or association appropriate to the level and subject area of the qualification.
Knowledge, understanding and application of a range of teaching and learning methodologies relevant to the level and subject area of the qualification units for which the Centre is approved.
● Hold a valid and recognised Deliverer/Lecturer/Tutor qualification OR
● Show evidence of current (within the last three years) experience of delivering training appropriate and relevant to the level and subject area of the qualification units.
Knowledge of CMI learning and assessment processes.
● Previous experience of delivery of CMI qualification(s) appropriate to the level and subject area of the qualification or
● Knowledge of the RQF (or QCF) level descriptors appropriate to the level of the qualification, or HE standards within Universities. OR
● Completion of an induction programme to gain knowledge of CMI qualification(s) appropriate to the level and subject area of the qualification
For MoD Centres MOD / Civilian instructors on military courses to meet the role requirements as stated on military job descriptions, with associated pre-requisite courses and site-specific induction completed as per local standing orders/SOPs.
● JPA Assignment Order from MCM DIv Glasgow.
● DTTT, DTS, DTM
For Police Centres Police trainers to meet role requirements as stated in the ‘Trainer Standard’
● College of Policing Police Sector Standard for the Training of Trainers ‘Trainer Standard’
Page | 24 Assessor occupational competence requirements
Evidence indicators
Relevant and sufficient occupational experience appropriate to the level and breadth of subject areas of the qualification units for which the Centre is approved
● A minimum of three years’ experience, appropriate to the level and breadth of subject areas of the qualification units for which the Centre has been approved.
A thorough knowledge and understanding of the subject areas appropriate to the level, breadth and content of the qualification units for which the Centre is approved.
● A relevant and sufficient qualification appropriate to the subject areas of the qualification units for which the Centre is approved, that must be equal to or higher than the approved qualification OR
● 3 years experience of the subject areas of the qualification units at the level for which the Centre is approved.
Continuing Professional Development ● Evidence of participation over the past three years in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) appropriate to the level and subject area of the qualification units
● Desirable but not essential to have membership of a professional institute or association appropriate to the level and subject area of the qualification.
Knowledge, understanding and application of a range of teaching, learning and assessment methodologies relevant to the level and subject area of the qualification units for which the Centre is approved.
● Have a relevant qualification in teaching and assessment OR
● Demonstrate clear and sufficient evidence of a minimum of three years’ experience of teaching and assessment relevant to the level and subject area of the qualification.
Knowledge of CMI learning and assessment processes.
● Previous experience of assessing of CMI qualification(s) appropriate to the level and subject area of the qualification OR
● Knowledge of the RQF (or QCF) level descriptors appropriate to the level of the qualification.
For MoD Centres MOD / Civilian assessors on military courses to meet the role requirements as stated on military job descriptions, with associated pre-requisite courses and site-specific induction completed as per local standing orders/SOPs.
● JPA Assignment Order from MCM DIv Glasgow.
● DTTT, DTS, DTM
For Police Centres Police assessors to meet role requirements as stated in the ‘Assessor Standard’
● College of Policing Police Sector Standard for the Training of Assessors - ‘Assessor Standard’
Page | 25 Internal Quality Assurer occupational competence requirements
Evidence indicators
Relevant and sufficient occupational experience appropriate to the level and breadth of subject areas of the qualification units for which the Centre is approved.
● Minimum of three years’ experience appropriate to the level and breadth of subject areas of the qualification units for which the Centre has been approved.
A thorough knowledge and understanding of the subject areas appropriate to the level, breadth and content of the qualification units for which the Centre is approved.
● A relevant and sufficient qualification appropriate to the subject areas of the qualification units for which the Centre is approved, that must be equal to or higher than the approved qualification OR
● Substantial experience, knowledge and understanding of the subject areas of the qualification units at the level for which the Centre is approved.
Continuing Professional Development ● Evidence of participation over the past three years in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) appropriate to the level and subject area of the qualification units
● Desirable but not essential to have membership of a professional institute or association appropriate to the level and subject area of the qualification.
Knowledge, understanding and application of a range of teaching, learning, assessment and internal quality assurance methodologies relevant to the level and subject area of the qualification units for which the Centre is approved.
● Have a relevant qualification in teaching and learning and internal quality assurance OR
● Minimum of three years’ experience in quality assuring regulated qualifications or Higher Education programmes
Knowledge of CMI learning and assessment and internal quality assurance processes.
● Previous experience of delivery of CMI qualification(s) appropriate to the level and subject area of the qualification or
● Knowledge of the RQF (or QCF) level descriptors appropriate to the level of the qualification or HE standards within Universities.
For MoD Centres MOD / Civilian Internal Quality Assurers on military courses to meet the role requirements as stated on military job description, with associated pre-requisite courses and site-specific induction completed as per local standing orders/SOPs.
● JPA Assignment Order from MCM DIv Glasgow.
● DTTT, DTS, DTM
For Police Centres Police internal verifiers to meet role requirements as stated in the ‘Internal Verifier Standard’
● College of Policing Police Sector Standard for the Training of Internal Verifiers -‘Internal Verifier Standard’
CMI recognises that Centres will not necessarily have the capability to employ full time dedicated staff for all the
above roles. In these Centres it is acceptable for staff to be appointed on a part time/fractional/freelance/ contractor basis. However CMI will apply the same rigorous approach to staff approvals for any such staff that
Page | 26 the Centre appoints. It is good practice to marry the Centre’s criteria for employment for these roles with those of CMI.
Should a Centre subcontract delivery/assessment/verification to a separate organisation, this will need to be approved in advance by CMI. The Centre will need to complete the ‘Third Party Relationship and Satellite Site Registration Form’. Then CMI will need to approve the staff being used. Team Role Matrix
In order to show who is responsible for key activities within the CMI qualifications an overview can be devised using the Team Role matrix document. Members of the team may have dual roles, for example be an assessor and an IV/IQA but the matrix will offer a clear view of roles and responsibilities. A template team role matrix can be found at: https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/document-library This should be uploaded to section 3.3 of the CMI hub and updated appropriately to reflect any changes in staff. The Role of Deliverer/Lecturer/Tutor
The role of the Deliverer/Lecturer/Tutor is to train, engage and motivate CMI Learners. The Deliverer/Lecturer/Tutor is sometimes required to perform the role of an Assessor. Should this be the case, the roles and requirements of the Assessor are also required to be met.
The role of the Assessor The role of the Assessor is to decide whether a Learner has provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate they
have met the qualification requirements. This is achieved by judging the Learner’s evidence and also knowledge and understanding against all learning outcomes and assessment criteria. It is important that Assessors provide support and guidance concerning sufficiency of evidence and that they ensure Learners clearly demonstrate knowledge and understanding and cross-reference any evidence against the appropriate units, assessment criteria and any other elements in evidence presented for assessment.
The role of the Internal Verifier/Internal Quality Assurer It is the Centre’s responsibility to carry out internal quality assurance within the Centre, thus ensuring and
demonstrating that assessment decisions are valid and consistent, through monitoring and sampling internal assessment decisions and providing appropriate feedback to assessors. A Centre must have an approved Internal Verifier/IQA. Without an approved Internal Verifier/IQA, Centres cannot submit claims for certification. The activity of claiming qualifications for Learners require the submission of evidence that Internal Verification/IQA has taken place. Internal Verifiers/IQAs must not internally verify any evidence which they have themselves assessed.
It is expected that staff allocated as Internal Verifiers/Internal Quality Assurers in an Approved Centre either
have a relevant IQA qualification or experience of the IQA process and that they are familiar with IQA good practice as described in the publication “The City and Guilds Practical Guide to Quality Assurance”.
Therefore, CMI expects the adoption of suitable risk-based sampling strategies by the IV/IQA of the Learner
work and Assessor decisions. This would cover both formative (on programme) sampling as well as summative (end programme) sampling. The IV/IQA is expected to prepare suitable plans and keep appropriate records.
Page | 27 With regards to sampling of batches uploaded to the HUB, CMI does not expect that every batch will have
been sampled, as the sampling plan may not include the Learners submitted in a specific batch. However, as the CMI moderator will sample from every batch uploaded to the HUB, the Centre may wish to adjust the sampling plan to ensure that there is evidence of IV/IQA for every batch submitted. It is not the intention that Centres should delay the submission of batches while the work of the entire cohort is completed i.e. Learners who submit to deadlines should not be penalised by not knowing the external moderation decision due to the late submissions of other Learners.
In every case, the IV/IQA plans and records will need to be submitted for each batch, showing the cohort in
which the Learner is being claimed i.e. the Learner(s) being claimed in every batch must appear in an IV/IQA sampling plan/record, even if the assessment decision of their work has yet to be sampled.
Page | 28 CMI CENTRE TEAM MEMBERS
The approval of a Centre team member Assessing a new team member not only involves the Quality Manager/Auditor considering the individual’s
qualifications, academic and occupational competence, but also the contribution the new team member will make to the overall team profile and expertise.
CMI's Quality Manager/Auditor is responsible for approving new and additional members of staff involved with
the delivery, assessment and internal verification of CMI qualifications, prior to them delivering, assessing or internally verifying CMI qualifications.
To add a new staff member, please go to ‘Our Staff’ on the HUB and upload the relevant details and the new
staff member’s CV to the ‘Add Staff Member’ Section. The application should clearly show the CMI qualification/s that the staff member is involved in and their specific role (delivery, assessment, IV/IQA). Once submitted,the Quality Manager will review the application and either sign it off or return to the Centre for more information.
Please note that Quality Managers/Auditor can withdraw the approval of a member of the Centre team at any
time if they are found to have fallen below the accepted standard. Quality Manager/Auditors will not be involved in the Centre’s recruitment and selection process. CMI is required to collect, record, monitor and provide information regarding Centre staff qualifications and
occupational competence to the regulatory bodies. It is therefore important that the Centre staff records held by CMI are correct and up to date. Centres are able to view their Centre staff information by selecting the Staff Summary report in the Reports section of the HUB.
A new member of the team Centres are advised to first consult with their Quality Manager/Auditor regarding approval for an individual to
be involved with CMI qualifications. The following information must be provided to the Quality Manager/Auditor:
● A completed application in 3.3 on the Approval Section of the HUB along with the staff member’s CV
● In the case of those working towards certification, a clear action plan for achieving the Assessor and/or Internal Verifier/IQA qualifications.
Please note that staff approval applications with CVs are required for staff at satellite centres too.
The withdrawal of a member of the team To ensure that the information supplied to the regulatory bodies is correct, the Quality Manager/Auditor must
be informed of any withdrawals from the Centre team.
● This can be notified to CMI by going into Approvals/Our Staff then clicking on the deletion button for the member of staff who has left/is leaving.
Updating a team member’s details To ensure that the information supplied to the regulators is correct, the Quality Manager/Auditor must be
informed of any changes in staff details:
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● This can be notified to CMI by going into Approvals/Our Staff then clicking on the ‘edit’ button for the member of staff whose details you need to update.
Continuing Professional Development of Centre staff Deliverers/Lecturers/Tutors/Assessors and Internal Verifiers/IQAs must provide evidence of their continuing
professional development to the Quality Manager/Auditor upon request. The evidence must:
● Be properly recorded. ● Cover both personal and professional development. ● Show a clear and specific development plan, which does not include generalisations, but
documents outcomes. Conflict of Interest
The Centre is responsible for identifying and managing conflict of interest in the delivery and assessment of
CMI qualifications. The Centre must ensure that there are no conflicts of interest with:
● Its interests in any activity undertaken by the Centre, on its behalf, or by any member of Centre staff that could have the potential to lead to an act contrary to its interests in the delivery and award of CMI qualifications.
● A person who is connected to the delivery or award of qualifications by the Centre and who has interests in any other activity which has the potential to lead that person to act contrary to his or her interests in that delivery or of CMI qualifications.
Transparency and mitigation are the two key things to remember with Conflicts of Interest. Transparency relates to encouraging staff to disclose conflicts of interest thereby allowing management of such scenarios. Mitigation is about having a clear policy on how conflicts are managed.
For further guidance on conflict of interest see the CMI conflicts of interest policy at:
:(https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/policies-and-procedures) Regular team meetings A standard agenda template should be produced to ensure:
● Standardisation is reviewed for each CMI programme ● New staff are informed/trained on relevant CMI processes ● Regular updates from CMI are shared with teams ● Attendance at supportive CMI events, such as annual CMI Engage Days are encouraged ● Assessment and IV schedules are discussed to ensure the programme adheres to the planned
schedule ● Any quality reviews such as QM visit reports or moderation reports are shared with the team ● Annual QA cycle includes feedback from Learners and the programme reviews identify any
areas for improvement. These should then be used to inform future planning and delivery of programmes. This process should be recorded
● Meetings have recorded minutes which can be viewed by a Quality Manager/Auditor during a visit
● Minutes show any actions needed, who is responsible, clear deadlines, which are reviewed at the next meeting
Page | 30 Complaints The CMI Centre Regulatory Agreement (previously called the Regulatory agreement) requires our Centres to
have their own written complaints procedure.
This should be a specific document that is able to be uploaded to the HUB (under question 7.7, this may be zipped together with your Appeal Policy and Procedure). It is not enough to have a process written in the commentary area. We understand that some Centres may upload their Learner Handbook which will either contain or have links to the Complaints Procedure.
A Centre can use the CMI Complaints Procedure as a guide when developing their own Complaints Procedure but it should be fully adapted and be clearly referenced as being the Centres own.
Whilst CMI appreciates that many Centres use generic procedures, it does expect signposting to the Awarding Organisations policy and procedure.
The documentary evidence should include:
● Information for Learners on how to and to whom complaints should be reported ● The stages/process of investigation of the complaint, including timescales if appropriate ● How the outcome will be communicated ● Reference to the Centre Appeals Policy if the Learner is dissatisfied with the outcome of a
complaint ● A statement that ensures Learners are made aware that, after having exhausted the Centre’s own
procedure, if they remain dissatisfied; they can contact CMI to escalate the issue by using the CMI Complaints Procedure and a link to CMI Complaints Procedure should be provided in the Centre Complaints Procedure
Guidelines for Centre Appeals Procedures A Learner may appeal against an assessment where a Centre has failed to meet the criteria on which its
approval was based. Examples might be:
● Mistakes in recording a Learner’s achievements or unreasonable delay ● Inadequate facilities, shortage of staff lacking appropriate qualifications ● An insufficient range of assessment methods or use of criteria other than those specified in the
qualification ● Denial of assessment without justifiable cause ● Insufficient or misleading guidance material
A CMI Centre’s registration procedure should include advice to Learners about the Centre’s appeals policy
and procedures. All advice should be in writing and should cover CMI’s review and appeals process. Where a Learner believes that he or she has grounds for appeal, the problem should be brought to the
attention of the Internal Verifier/IQA, who will give written acknowledgment of the appeal; determine whether a case has been established; and give assistance to the Learner. The Centre’s appeals body will consider the appeal and recommend either that the appeal is upheld or that it is not upheld. The Centre’s appeals procedure should give timescales for responding to appeals.
The Learner should be given formal notification of the outcome of his or her appeal. If the appeal was upheld
the Learner should be told of the remedy, such as arrangements for reassessment. If the appeal was not upheld the Learner should be given the reasons and advised about his or her right to request CMI to review. The Centre must record the outcome of the appeal and notify the CMI with copies of the appeal documents.
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If any charges for registering/processing appeals are made by the Centre, a full refund should be made in
respect of a Learner whose appeal is upheld. The CMI will monitor Centres to ensure that appeals are properly processed. LEARNER INDUCTION
Learner Recruitment CMI does not specify entry requirements for its qualifications, but CMI Centres are required to ensure that
Learners registered onto a CMI qualification have sufficient capability at the right level to undertake the learning and assessment.
Learners are recruited with integrity onto appropriate programmes that will:
● Meet their needs ● Enable and facilitate learning and achievement ● Enable progression
In order to achieve this, the CMI Centre will need to:
● Provide relevant programme information, guidance and advice, to enable informed Learner choice
● Publish entry and selection criteria ● Demonstrate that Learners are recruited with integrity ● Carry out a comprehensive Learner induction that
o addresses programme and organisational requirements o explains Learner facilities o identifies Learners’ development needs o develops an Individual Learning Plan
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) assesses all Learners’ English skills. This
includes reading, writing, listening and speaking. CMI Centres are advised that the below guide be used when considering international Learners.
RQF level IELTS band 5 5.5 6 6.0 7 6.5 8 6.5
Learner induction to CMI CMI requires all Centres to provide Learners on CMI qualifications with a full induction to CMI. This induction
must include the following: ● Information regarding CMI such as the web address
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● CMI membership details and how to register ● Learner online support such as ManagementDirect
CMI Centres Engagement and Relationship Managers may be available to support Learner and staff
inductions.
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ASSESSMENT
External Assessment/Marking As part of our dedicated service, CMI offers the opportunity for all Centres to have their Learners’ assignments
Externally Assessed. CMI have external assessment briefs for all units from levels 2 - 7, of the Management and Leadership qualification, levels 3, 5 & 7 of the Coaching and Mentoring qualification, and for all Institute of Consulting (IC) qualifications.
This service provides Centres with a simplistic, professional and cost effective way to get their CMI Learner’s
work assessed and certificated within a six week period. Please note that during busy times, the lead time for marking may be longer than 6 weeks. Centres should also factor in the likelihood of referrals and be mindful that multiple submissions may be needed.
Details on External Marking Fees can be found in the CMI Fees Guide which is located in the document library section of the website: https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/document-library
CMI assessment briefs can be found in the qualification library section of the webpage. (Please note you will be prompted for your CMI Password and User name to view this resource). Learner Authenticity Authenticity declarations are a method of reminding the Learner that it is their own work that must be
submitted for assessment. For registered Centres (where CMI assesses) two levels of authenticity confirmation are required: Learner
authenticity and Centre authenticity (signed by the deliverer/assessor) forms are to be signed and provided.
CMI requires that each Learner signs and dates a written declaration. This is to confirm the work that has
been handed in for assessment is their own and any researched work is correctly referenced. Please refer to the CMI Plagiarism and Collusion Statement. This is aimed at avoiding plagiarism and allowing the Learner to only achieve recognition for their own work. CMI Centres should have a maladministration/malpractice policy in place to inform Learners of Centre expectations.
All CMI policies and procedures can be found at:
(https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/policies-and-procedures) The written declaration can be worded as follows: ‘’ I …………………..confirm that the work submitted is my own and that I am the sole author of this completed
assignment and the following has been checked prior to submission’’
CMI has produced a Statement of Authenticity that should be used by Centres using CMI External
Assessment. This is available on the website – https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/policies-and-procedures An electronic signature that is scanned is acceptable and also where there is a fully automated system of
uploading evidence then a ‘tick-box’ to the statement is also acceptable.
Page | 34 The statement may be added to assignment briefs or given to Learners as a separate document to be handed
in at the same time as the assessments being submitted for marking. This procedure needs to be completed for each piece of work submitted by a Learner.
Where CMI pathways booklets are used, the statement of authenticity may be integral to the booklet and in
this case a separate statement is not required. In addition to a signed Statement of Authenticity for each Learner and each unit, at Centre visits the Centre
may be asked to demonstrate how it checks that the work submitted is that of the Learner submitting it. This may be carried out through one, or a combination of, the following methods: professional discussions, tutorials, formative assessment, feedback and assessor questioning relating to the work submitted. These additional checks must be recorded and the records maintained in accordance with CMI policies and procedures.
If you are delivering CMI qualifications via distance learning please ensure you read CMI’s Distance Learning
Policy and that you meet the additional authenticity requirements. CMI policies and procedures can be found at:
(https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/policies-and-procedures) Evidencing outcomes CMI provides assignment briefs and supporting documents for each unit on the majority of qualifications. These can be accessed through the qualification resource library section of the website: https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/qualification-resource-library In addition to the specific assessment criteria in each unit, the Learner’s work must be:
● Accurate, current and authentic ● Relevant in depth and breadth
and must also show the Learner’s:
● Clear grasp of concepts ● Ability to link theory to practice ● Ability to communicate clearly in the relevant discipline at the expected level for the qualification
Where a Centre is marking it must be made clear as to whether a decision is a pass or refer. A moderator will
expect to see this. Within the CMI qualifications the only grading which exists for assessment criteria (and overall for the unit) is
either Pass or Refer, there is no merit or distinction grades awarded. The moderation of Learners’ work only confirms that the required criteria for achievement have been met. Centres are, however, free to apply their own grade scales, but it must be made clear in all paperwork and therefore to the Learner that these are completely separate from the CMI qualification.
Assessment planning and review When a Learner is registered on a CMI qualification regardless of it being an Award, Certificate or Diploma,
the Centre needs to ensure efficient planning for delivery, assessment and internal verification. In designing the programme, the Centre must consider the appropriate level and size of qualification to be
delivered and assessed. CMI Centres need to ensure that there are sufficient resources available. This could include everything from having teaching staff with appropriate knowledge and qualifications
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through to text books. Delivery can be via lectures or workshops, face to face or online, on its own site or within company premises depending on the needs of the Learners.
The Centre must take care and ensure that they review and then deliver the most current syllabus for the
chosen qualification. These are available on the CMI website in the qualification resource library section:
https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/qualification-resource-library Centres must then choose the most appropriate units to deliver, taking into account Learner and client needs,
teaching resources (staff specialisms) and other resources available for delivery. Particular note must be taken of the rules of combination or any barred units in any qualification to ensure that the delivery ensures that the combination of units is valid.
It is prudent to ensure that an Internal Verifier’s role includes that of checking that the correct units are being
claimed by checking the rules of combination in the syllabus used. Centres should follow the delivery requirements as published in the relevant syllabus.
CMI assignment briefs For most units, the Centre will have an option to use a CMI-written assignment brief. These can be accessed
by logging on to the CMI website and looking for the qualification resources. The scenario may be amended by the Centre to suit the needs of the Learners or cohorts. However, the tasks and assessment criteria must not be changed. Use of the CMI assignment brief, although recommended, is not mandatory.
Centre-designed briefs Where the Centre wishes to amend the tasks or to devise its own assignment brief (either in the case of CMI
qualifications with no pre-written assignment briefs, or to tailor the tasks to a Learner cohort) then there are various considerations.
All adapted or bespoke assignments must be presented to the CMI assessment checking service for approval.
This ensures that the assignment is endorsed and is recognized on the CMI system for moderation purposes. If assignments are altered without approval Learner work may be referred at moderation.
The assessment checking service is currently a free service. If fees are introduced this will be notified to
centres. These checks need to be carried out prior to the assignment being issued to the Learners to ensure
centre-designed briefs are ‘fit for purpose’ and will allow Learners to generate sufficient evidence to meet the assessment criteria. The CMI Awarding Body will provide written agreement to the Centre when the assignment brief has been approved for use.
If the Centre is preparing its own assignment briefs, it is essential that these contain sufficient guidance and
information for the Learners and are fit for purpose. They also should take into account any requirements for the Learner of reasonable adjustment or special consideration.
Guidance on Assessment Checking and template forms can be found at: https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/policies-and-procedures If the Centre has delivered this unit previously, then feedback from Learners can be used to inform any future
changes. Each Centre is responsible for gaining feedback in relation to Learner satisfaction. Assignment briefs should ensure:
Page | 36
● Accurate unit details ● Accurate qualification details ● Clear deadlines for assessment check ● All relevant grading criteria for the unit(s) covered in the assignment are shown ● Relevant grading criteria targeted against each task are indicated ● The evidence the Learner needs to provide is clearly indicated ● It is likely to generate evidence which is appropriate and sufficient ● Is set at the appropriate level ● A time period of appropriate duration is set ● Suitable vocational language is used ● A clear presentation format
Flexible assessment Assessment methods can include:
● Assignments ● Reports ● Professional Discussion ● Projects ● Presentations ● Case studies ● Integrated work activities ● Time constrained tests ● Examinations
Queries on flexible assessment should be addressed to [email protected]. Any fees that apply will be notified at the time of enquiry. In all cases, the work of the Learner must be sufficient to evidence that they have met each and every assessment criteria in the unit. The key point is whether the ‘Command Verb’ in each criteria has been met. Tutors should make themselves aware of Command Verb definitions and share these definitions with Learners. Definitions can be downloaded from the following link. See: https://www.managers.org.uk/~/media/Files/PolicesProcedures/General/Command-Verb-Definitions.pdf For fully approved Centres, sufficiency of evidence will be judged by the Assessor. A sample will also be verified by the Internal Quality Assurer and the CMI Moderator. For registered Centres, sufficiency of evidence will be judged by the CMI Marker.
Feedback to Learners on assessments Feedback MUST be given against the Assessment Criteria (AC) and not the task.
● All feedback should be about the Learner’s work and not the Learner.
● If it is not asked for in the CMI CAG/Syllabus, do not give feedback about it.
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● Has the command verb been met?
● Use the 3 step feedback process:
1. Indicate Pass/Refer
2. Explain why (e.g. ‘This AC has been referred because...You have not evaluated...’) and include developmental feedback
3. If referred, then explain what the learner needs to do. Feedback should tell the Learner what to do (actions), not how they should do it
● When giving feedback do not just regurgitate the AC but do ensure that the correct command verb is used. CMI command verb word definitions can be used to explain what the Learner needs to do.
● Follow the AC when marking. The ‘Good Practice’ from the Syllabus is guidance only. The work must meet the assessment criteria – not the task. If the AC indicates an answer that is plural, then this means at least two. Where a range is indicated, we are looking for at least two. Where the task asks for different numbers, the AC is to be adhered to, not the task.
● The amount of feedback should typically be 1 - 2 sentences per AC. Remember to use the command verb definitions to help to phrase your feedback.
● If evidence does not appear to be present, ensure you check to see if it has been included elsewhere (some of the briefs do not include criteria sequentially).
● Do not use feedback that is personal opinion or emotional e.g. ‘I think’, ‘I feel’. Keep feedback factual, objective and supportive.
● Ensure that all areas of the mark sheet are completed in full, including the result against each AC and the overall unit grade at the top of the page.
● Feedback should be supportive and encouraging. Avoid using words such as “basic” or “limited”. These can feel very negative to Learners.
● Where you feel the pass is borderline – state this in the feedback, not in the result column. Only “pass” or “refer” are to be used.
● Referencing. Where the Learner uses someone else’s work they must acknowledge the original source. The Learner does not have to use Harvard referencing.
● The Learner does not have to use a bibliography. If there is no bibliography it is not a refer.
● Structure and format – if you do not like the format it is not a refer. You should make a recommendation in the feedback comments.
Referrals by CMI Please ensure that internal planning at the Centre allows for the possibility of referrals (ie. where work is sent back for correction and needs to be resubmitted. )
● There is a colour coded system of feedback which is used by CMI markers which we would encourage all Centre’s that undertake their own marking to adopt:
1. First submission – feedback is in BLACK.
2. Second submission – feedback is in BLUE.
3. Third submission – feedback is in RED.
● Remember with resubmissions to add the new batch number when resubmitting to CMI.
● Learners are required to submit entire assignments, not just the bits they have altered. Partial submissions will be returned if submitted to CMI for remarking.
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● Please ensure work is submitted within CMI word count guidelines”. Check the word count before you mark the work. Work that is over the word count should be returned for editing to the Learner.
● Where the use of English is so unclear to have prevented you from passing a Learner’s work, please insert this phrase:
o “The marker has been unable to award a pass without making assumptions to determine the meaning or intent of the answer. Please edit your work to ensure your answers are clear and we would recommend that the assignment is proof-read to ensure clarity of meaning. Please refer to your tutor for support.”
● If you identify any quality issues, or suspect malpractice of any kind, contact your PD and QM to
discuss.
Guidance for Assessment Appendices Learner work should aim to minimise the amount of unnecessary attachments or appendices. Information that
is essential to the Learners work in order to meet the learning outcomes and assessment criteria should be included within the main body of the report. This applies to work assessed by the Centre and Externally Assessed by CMI.
All use of tables, graphs, diagrams, Gantt chart and flowcharts should be incorporated into the main text of the
assignment, but not included in the word count. Any published secondary information such as annual reports and company literature, should be referenced in the main text of the assignment but not included.
Excessive use of tables, excessive use of embedded pictures or excessive use of words in tables in the main
text may be returned for editing. Please ensure that Learners answer the assessment criteria in their own words and only underpin what they have said with a reference if necessary or appropriate.
When work is externally assessed by CMI, appendices will NOT be marked. When marked work is submitted
to CMI for Sampling, appendices will NOT be moderated.
E-portfolios For moderation of e-portfolios, the CMI Moderator needs to be able to clearly see the evidence without
trawling through the e-portfolio systems. When requesting moderation of an e-portfolio, please provide an evidence locator (signposting) document (with links) clearly stating where the following information can be found:
● Learner work/Assignment with Learner Authenticity statement (sample to be defined by CMI) ● Centre Authenticity statement ● CMI Marksheet completed with feedback against each assessment criteria ● Internal verification form for each Learner that has been internally verified ● Internal verification sampling plan for the cohort being uploaded
If this information is not signposted clearly, the Centre will be asked to resort to uploading this information to
the CMI HUB. Audio and video evidence
Page | 39 Provision of Audio or video evidence should be agreed via prior arrangement with the CMI Quality Manager,
Marker or Moderator. Audio and video files are larger than normally expected so it is imperative that the evidence within the audio or
video file is signposted for efficient locating. Files should be time-stamped and an evidence locator document provided with the submission.
If the evidence is not signposted clearly within the file, the file will be returned to the Centre and the Centre will
be asked to provide a document more closely locating the evidence for marking or moderation purposes. Good practice is to indicate the time location within the file where specific CMI Assessment Criteria (AC) is located.
INTERNAL VERIFICATION OF CMI QUALIFICATIONS
Quality Assurance co-ordination The aim is for Learners to achieve true competence. This enables them to demonstrate skills, knowledge, and
understanding and show an ability to transfer these to a variety of situations. The defined learning outcomes and assessment criteria within the CMI units are used in the assessment of Learners at work and the structure of the qualifications. This then enables the Learner to build units of competence in order to gain a full qualification.
Structure There are specific roles within the QA process between CMI and its Centres. Please see the chart below to
see the whole structure.
Internal Verification The Internal Verifier is responsible for ensuring that the briefs and internal assessment processes at the Centre are fit for purpose. The Internal Verifier must also manage communications in the Centre effectively. Internal verification of assignment briefs CMI assignment briefs can come from either the CMI Centre or are pre-written (as when using a CMI External
Assessment). Either way, the principle reason for an assignment brief is to give clear instruction to the Learner as to what is expected and how the brief matches the Learning outcomes and assessment criteria. CMI Centre assignment briefs should be written by someone who is familiar with the occupational areas being assessed and agreed with the Quality Manager/Auditor.
Page | 40
CMI Centre devised assignment briefs must be internally verified before they are issued, as this will ensure:
● The tasks and evidence produced by the Learner match the learning outcomes and assessment criteria
● Learners’ roles and tasks are vocationally relevant and appropriate to the level of the qualification
● Equal opportunities are incorporated ● CMI Centre assignment briefs are clear and use accessible language
IV checklists can be can be found under the Assessment, Verification and Moderation filter in the document
library section of the website at: https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/document-library Verifying the Assessment Process All CMI Centres should provide robust and objective feedback to Assessors. Verifying is about standardising assessment decisions and processes. This means making sure the
Assessors are assessing in similar ways across all CMI Centres. This means:
● Having a procedure for sampling the work of the Assessors and Learners and following it ● Identifying problem areas and inconsistencies and dealing with them ● Standardising assessors’ judgements and the quality of their documentation ● Ensuring that the requirements of CMI and the appropriate assessment strategy are met, and
submitting Learners’ work for moderation The Internal Verifier/IQA must ensure that their written feedback to Assessors is recorded on the CMI Centre
IV feedback form and the feedback must be directed to each Assessor and should address their assessment practice. The Internal Verifier should avoid generalised statements such as ‘Well done to both of you. Lots of hard work undertaken’.
Precise, focused comments on the assessment undertaken support Assessor development and evidence the
rigor of the verification activity. The Internal Verifier/IQA is required to check the unit(s) identified in the sampling plan. The IV feedback form, internal verifier checklist and assessment tracking matrix can be found under the
Assessment, Verification and Moderation filter in the document library section of the website at: https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/document-library
Internal Verifier/IQA responsibilities The Internal Verifier/IQA works with the Assessor in the following ways:
● Guiding and supporting the Assessors ● Monitoring and assessing Assessors’ development ● Conducting formative and summative verification ● Conducting standardisation meetings ● Answering queries relating to the assessment and verification process ● Supporting Assessors in all ways such as special consideration and simulations ● Meeting CMI requirements
Page | 41
● Ensuring the CMI Centre policies and procedures are adhered to and are monitored and evaluated on a regular basis
● Storing and recording completed assessment for the verification process Internal Verifier/IQA management of the Assessor performance As the person responsible for the quality of assessment, Internal Verifier/IQAs need to actively manage the
performance of their team. This means monitoring what they do as individuals and giving them feedback where necessary.
There are two reasons for this:
● Monitoring performance is a way to ensure the assessment decision is applied consistently, and is a fundamental part of the verification process.
● Giving feedback on performance is part of developing and supporting a team. Appraising
performance on a regular basis and giving positive and negative feedback will enable the Internal Verifier/IQA and Assessors to pinpoint areas for improvement. As a result the Internal Verifier/IQA will be able to formulate and agree development plans with Assessors.
Effective Internal Verifier/IQA feedback Internal Verifier/IQA feedback given to Assessors should follow the same principles as Assessors giving
feedback to the Learners on their performance. Here are some things to keep in mind:
● Don’t just think about giving feedback, encourage the Assessors to ask questions and give you feedback too. Think of it as a two-way process, a partnership where the Internal Verifier/IQA has a common goal of improving the overall quality of assessment
● Remember to include positive feedback. Identifying and sharing areas of good practice is important and you should give credit where it is due
● Let the assessor take the lead in identifying areas for development. Ask them to tell you about o What they feel are their strengths and weakness when it comes to assessment o Any areas where they experience difficulties o Anything they are particularly pleased about or they feel they have done especially well
● Use any observations of performance as the basis for giving feedback. Stick to the facts, what you saw them do particularly when delivering negative feedback
● Keep records of all contacts with the Assessors Identifying inconsistencies Here are some questions to ask when verifying assessments:
● Was the assessment planned in detail with the Learner, so as to maximise their chances of success?
● Has the Assessor made the judgement based on enough evidence to meet the assessment criteria?
● Has the Assessor made best use of the assessment methods available? ● Has the Assessor used the right assessment methods? ● Does the way in which the evidence has been presented make it easy to find and understand? ● Can I be sure that the evidence has been produced by the Learner and only by them? ● Is this a safe judgement on the Assessor’s part?
Page | 42
● Has the Assessor used ‘VAS’ to ensure the assignment brief is:- o Valid; o Authentic; o Sufficient.
You should aim to answer ‘yes’ to all the above questions. If your answer is ‘no’ to any of them, this will alert
you to possible areas of inconsistencies and the need for further action on your part. Managing Communication in the Centre As the Internal Verifier/IQA, part of your role involves managing communications, both with the Assessors and
with the Quality Manager/Auditor. Here are some pointers to help you communicate effectively with all those in the assessment and verification process.
Managing communication is about… This means…
Gaining the support of senior Management and keeping them informed of Centre practice and procedures.
Formally reporting on any changes or modification needed with regard to roles and responsibilities.
Making sure the Assessors and the management team understand all CMI and Centre policies and procedures, and their implications.
Setting out a formal policy for internal verification, including reporting arrangements and your sampling strategy.
Ensuring the Assessors understand their duties to uphold fair assessment policies and practices and what they can do if they have a query or a grievance.
Telling assessors about your policies and procedures at induction.
Keeping in touch with Assessors.
Making time to review with Assessors.
Evaluate assessor satisfaction.
Devising an effective sampling strategy.
Maintaining effective communication with CMI.
Notifying them of any changes to your Centre structure, staffing and resources.
Keeping records of all communication with CMI.
Page | 43 Process Summary
Page | 44
Documentation When selecting the monitoring sample the Internal Verifier/IQA must be aware of safety, confidentiality,
security and any additional organisational requirements which could be affected by their presence. Any issues should be discussed with Assessors before arranging to monitor them.
The quality and accuracy of assessment plans (review and feedback) as well as Assessor records should be
included in the review. The Internal Verifier/IQA should observe the individual Assessor’s assessment and interpersonal skills, with a view to noting any areas which would benefit from advice or further development.
The Internal Verifier/IQA must also note any problematic areas (e.g. within the qualification) which could
create difficulties for other Assessors. The Internal Verifier/IQA should keep a record of this and ensure that it forms part of the Assessor’s individual
development plan. CMI MODERATION
CMI is committed to the provision of duty of care to its Learners and to ensure that moderation undertaken by
CMI allows for effectively determining whether or not: ● The assessment remains fit for purpose ● The criteria against which Learners’ performance is differentiated are being applied accurately
and consistently by Assessors in different CMI Centres, regardless of the identity of the Assessor, Learners, or CMI Centre
Regulations require CMI to conduct a moderation exercise to maintain the integrity of the CMI qualifications.
Regulations also require CMI to: ● Ensure that any such moderation which it undertakes guarantees that it is able to make any
necessary changes to a CMI Centre’s marking of evidence generated by a Learner in an assessment
● Makes such a change wherever it considers it necessary in order to ensure that the assessment remains fit for purpose or that the criteria against Learners’ performance is differentiated and being applied accurately and consistently.
Moderation Guidance CMI requires Centres to upload Learner assessment for moderation via the HUB, CMI’s online system.
However, if the assessment is by portfolio, presentation, role play, or integrated work activities, this will require alternative arrangements. In this instance please contact your Quality Manager/Auditor.
For guidance on how to submit assessment for moderation on the HUB please see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12w9-19eT-Q&feature=youtu.be Further guidance on making claims following CMI moderation online or onsite can be found in the Policies and
Procedures area. See the “Centre Guidance – Uploading a Batch on the Hub” document located: https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/policies-and-procedures
Page | 45 Under exceptional circumstance assignments can be posted to CMI for moderation however, the Centres
must ensure only copies are sent and not the original, these should always be sent recorded delivery. Moderation may also take place by CMI Moderators accessing a Centre’s online data repository of virtual
learning environment. In this instance it is advisable to ensure that IT access is sorted out well in advance of the moderation requirement. In addition to this a Centre must provide an evidence locator document and admin support in case problems are encountered.
Sampling and supporting Assessors The Regulators require CMI to ensure that a sample (and a record of samples) and rationale behind its
selection is in evidence, so that CMI can monitor the characteristics of selected samples over time as well as the effectiveness of the sampling carried out. Over time, the sampling strategy must sample:
● The assessment decisions of all Assessors ● All assessment methods ● All assessment locations ● Learners at different stages of their award ● The decisions and records of all Internal Verifier/IQAs ● Assessment records
CMI must ensure that particular attention is always paid to the decisions of unqualified or inexperienced
Assessors and Internal Verifier/IQAs. In addition, Awarding Bodies must ensure that the selection of Learners, Assessors and Internal Verifier/IQAs for sampling are not left solely to the discretion or convenience of the Centre. The Centre must provide proof that Learners submitted for moderation exist and have completed their
programme. If this cannot be clearly established, CMI must:
● Inform the regulatory authorities ● Suspend the Centre from registering further Learners or claiming certificates ● Start investigative action as agreed with the regulatory authorities
Page | 46 CMI STANDARDISATION
CMI conducts regular standardisation exercises with our own quality team members and our Moderators and
Markers. CMI considers it good practice for Centres to conduct regular standardisation exercises with Assessor and
Internal Verifier staff. CMI and the Approved Centre must ensure confidentially of any real work that may be used for training or
standardisation purposes. CMI Privacy Policy applies. See: https://www.managers.org.uk/policies/privacy-policy
Page | 47 QUALIFICATIONS
CMI qualifications CMI provides a progressive framework that enables Learners to develop and broaden their management
skills. Each qualification progresses onto the next, delivering professional learning that equips Learners with the skills, knowledge and confidence. Within our levels there is the choice of studying for four different sizes of qualification:
Award A concise qualification developing basic skills and knowledge Certificate Building on and broadening the areas covered within the Award Diploma Development of a comprehensive range of skills and knowledge
Some qualifications have: Extended Diploma Building on the Diploma covering an extensive range of skills and knowledge
All CMI qualifications can be found at:
https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/qualification-resource-library Qualification Framework The majority of CMI qualifications that are delivered in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are on the
Regulated Qualification Framework (RQF). In Scotland CMI qualifications are on the Scottish Credit Qualification Framework (SCQF). All of CMI qualifications on framework are recognised on the European Qualification Framework (EQF).
Regulated Qualification Framework (RQF) The framework will help people understand all the qualifications that are regulated by Ofqual and how they
relate to each other. Its intention is to improve consistency around how Awarding Organisations describe the size and challenge, or demand, of the qualifications they offer
Scottish Credit Qualification Framework (SCQF) The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Partnership promotes lifelong learning in Scotland.
Through the Framework (see interactive diagram) you can gain a better understanding of qualifications in Scotland and plan your future learning. The Framework supports everyone in Scotland, including Learners, learning providers and employers, by:
● Helping people of all ages and circumstances to access appropriate education and training so
they can meet their full potential; ● Helping employers, Learners and the general public to understand the full range of Scottish
qualifications, how qualifications relate to each other and to other forms of learning, and how different types of qualification can contribute to improving the skills of the workforce.
What are the benefits?
● The Framework helps you better understand the courses and programmes that lead to qualifications
● It helps you plan your learning and develop 'progression routes' to follow
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● It allows you to make the most of the opportunities to transfer credit points between qualifications thus avoiding repetition of learning
The Framework also provides an extremely important way of recognising different types of learning in a wide
range of settings - for example, learning in the workplace or in the community. How does it work? By using two measures, the level of a qualification or learning programme and the number of Credit
Points awarded, the Framework helps you understand and compare the various Scottish qualifications. The level of a qualification indicates the level of difficulty and the number of credit points indicates the length of time it takes to complete. One SCQF credit point represents an average of 10 hours of learning time.
For further information on the SCQF please click here. Funding CMI qualifications Some of CMI’s qualifications are eligible for government funding and it is important that Centres are able to
access this information. CMI does not have direct influence in the allocation of funding, but we can advise you with any queries you
may have. Some of CMI’s qualifications are eligible for public funding and it is important that Centres are able to access
this information. CMI does not have direct influence in the allocation of funding, but we can advise you with any queries you
may have. England
● Public funding is allocated and regulated by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) ● Level 2 funding is primarily sourced through the “Local Flexibility” provision ● Advanced Learner Loans may be available for learners aged 19+ undertaking a Level 3-6 RQF
qualification ● Information on qualification and apprenticeship funding can be found on the Funding Hub
Scotland
● Scottish Funding Council (SFC) supports funding of colleges and universities in Scotland ● Funding is drawn down by setting out an Outcome Agreement, in line with Ministerial priorities and
SFC’s Strategic Plan ● Funding for students at higher levels is available through Student Awards Agency for Scotland
(SAAS) ● Information can be found on the SFC website
Wales
● Qualifications approved or designated by Qualifications Wales will be eligible for funding by a Local Authority or by Welsh Government
● Funding is for the education provider, not the learner ● Information on approved or designated qualifications can be found on Qualifications in Wales (QiW)
Northern Ireland
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● Public funding is allocated by the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland Note: all funding is subject to eligibility criteria and is also subject to change Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), Exemption and Equivalent Units Guidance on RPL, Exemption and Equivalent Units can be found under the separate Policies for each of these located on the website: https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/policies-and-procedures Review of CMI qualifications All CMI qualifications will have a review date. This review date denotes the date that the qualification could
expire. All CMI qualifications have a last certification date; this date will be one year after the review date on an Award and three years after the review date on a Certificate and Diploma. All qualifications will be reviewed from time to time to ensure that they are current and up to date. A review of a qualification will generally be between three and five years.
Following a review of a CMI qualification one of the below actions will be taken:
● Qualification will be extended ● Qualification will be amended ● Qualification will be withdrawn
Qualification extension If a qualification has been reviewed and it is still deemed to be current and meets the sector, employers and
Learner requirements, then the qualification will be extended. CMI will write to all Centres to communicate the extension and give details of the new review and last certification date.
Amendments to Qualifications If a qualification is amended CMI will give Centres 12 months notification. CMI Centres that wish to start using
the amended qualification can do so at any time within the 12 month transition but all Centres must adopt the amendments after the 12 month period. CMI will write to all Centres to communicate the amendments and give details of the transition period.
Withdrawal of a qualification In the event of a qualification being withdrawn, CMI will take all steps to communicate with Centres and to
protect the interest of Learners in relation to the qualification. Qualifications may be withdrawn following an annual review of validity, due to low/no uptake and/or at the end
of their lifecycle. Centres will be notified of any intention to withdraw a qualification, with the following information:
● Reason for withdrawal ● Registration end date ● Certification end date ● Replacement qualification (if applicable)
Page | 50 To ensure minimal impact on Centres, a period of transition of 24 months is generally given. After which no
further registrations are accepted. Where this is not possible, CMI will seek to give as much notice as possible. Where a qualification has experienced no uptake, a shorter withdrawal period is permissible due to the decreased risk to Learners.
A reminder of a last certification date will be sent to Centres to inform them of an upcoming end date. Centres
should take all steps to ensure Learners are assessed, internally verified and externally verified – or externally marked - before the last certification date.
Once the last certification date has lapsed, no Learners can be certified for a withdrawn qualification. After a CMI qualification is withdrawn, CMI Centres will not be able to:
● Register Learners for the qualification; ● Deliver the qualification to Learners; ● Advertise the qualification to Learners.
The Centre qualification approval will be withdrawn. How to advertise CMI qualifications CMI Centres are required to ensure that all CMI qualifications are advertised using the full title as it appears
on the Register and that the qualifications are not misleading to Learners. Centres should ensure that they accurately advertise the delivery mode for each qualification so that learners can make informed selections of Centres to study with Centres must take all reasonable steps to ensure that any person connected with it does not make any statement that would be likely to lead users of qualifications to believe that a qualification it makes available is a regulated qualification when it is not a regulated qualification.
CMI will check the Centres website to monitor how Centres advertise CMI qualifications. Centres using the Dual Accreditation model should not advertise award/certificate/diploma but merely the
level of the qualification. This is due to all qualifications being moderation- dependent and outcomes for individual Learners may change depending on the individual evidence available.
Centre Issuing Certificates
If a Centre delivers over and above the content of the qualification, then the Centre can issue the Learner with
an additional certificate to recognise the additional learning. If a Centre wishes to issue a Learner with an attendance certificate then they may do so. However a Centre issued certificate should never:
● Make any reference to a CMI qualification ● Contain a CMI logo ● Contain any regulator logos
Qualification Feedback CMI are required to ensure that each qualification which CMI makes available is fit for purpose and that it
secures the requirements of:
● Validity ● Reliability
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● Comparability ● Manageability ● Minimising Bias
All of CMI qualifications are developed by consulting with sector experts, Learners. Centres and employers to
ensure that they secure the above requirements. If you at any time wish to feedback regarding CMI qualifications please email [email protected]
Page | 52 APPRENTICESHIPS
As the only Chartered Body dedicated to creating better led and managed organisations, CMI is the ideal partner to support Employers, Apprentices and Learning Providers in the delivery of Leadership and Management Apprenticeships.
Working closely with Employers and Providers, CMI, as the professional body for management and leadership, has helped shape a new suite of apprenticeships to provide a progression pathway for the development of both new and existing managers. There are four types of Apprenticeship currently available:
● Team Leader/Supervisor (Level 3) ● Operations/Department Manager (Level 5) ● Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (Level 6) ● Senior Leader’s Masters Degree Apprenticeship (Level 7)
Unlike with CMI qualifications, CMI is not the awarding body for Apprenticeships. The Institute for Apprenticeships
and Technical Education (IfATE) has this role. CMI’s role in Apprenticeships is End Point Assessment (EPA). CMI is a registered EPA organisation. All CMI
Independent Assessors for Apprenticeships (IAAs) who deliver EPA are fully trained and standardised using similar processes to that applied for CMI qualifications. IAAs undergo a workshop, online training and observation before they are allowed to undertake EPA.
Some Centres offering Apprenticeships choose to embed a CMI qualification in their apprenticeship programme. In
this instance, all quality assurance processes described in this document remain the same. CMI will quality assure the delivery and assessment of its qualifications but not the delivery and assessment of the programme which meets the apprenticeship standard.
The CMI Awarding Body that quality assures our qualifications sits separately to the Apprenticeships division which
provides End Point Assessment. For further information on Apprenticeship End Point Assessment and CMI support in this area see:
https://www.managers.org.uk/apprenticeships-and-epa Apprenticeship queries can be addressed to:
Apprenticeship queries – Please contact your dedicated Relationship Manager End Point Assessment queries – [email protected] or call 01536 207 357 Apprenticeship standards mapping - [email protected]
Page | 53 THE REGISTRATION AND MONITORING OF A SATELLITE SITE AND MULTI CENTRE
Introduction A Satellite arrangement allows an organisation to access CMI qualifications without gaining approval as a
Centre in its own right. However, the main Centre remains responsible and accountable for the quality of delivery and assessment within the Satellite.
A Satellite Site's Assessors, Deliverers, Lecturers, Tutors and/or Internal Verifier/IQA(s) must be part of the
Centre’s team, participating in all team meetings. It is the responsibility of the Centre’s Internal Verifier to organise and record such meetings. The Centre’s Internal Verifier/IQA is the Lead Internal Verifier and is responsible for the overall quality assurance within the Centre and all Satellite Sites.
The Centre is responsible for ensuring and monitoring that effective internal quality procedures are in place
and that consistency of assessment is operated at all assessment locations. Therefore, Centres must seek agreement in advance from their Quality Manager to operate a Satellite Site. Failure to inform CMI of Satellite arrangements may result in Centre approval being suspended or withdrawn.
A Satellite Site may not publicise that it is a CMI Approved Centre. Any publicity must clearly indicate that the
Satellite Site is operating as a Satellite Site of the CMI Approved Centre. A newly approved Centre may not seek to operate a Satellite Site until it has had CMI approval for a period of
at least 12 months. Satellite Sites A Satellite Centre is defined as one which operates from within a different organisation and/or geography and
is independently controlled and managed from the main Centre. In most cases it will be governed by a business or third party agreement between the organisations. Please note that all third party relationships for delivery are considered Satellite Sites.
Satellite Sites can vary in relation to how much responsibility has been devolved from the Centre:
● A Satellite Site might have its own Assessors and/or Deliverers/Lecturers/Tutors but must use the Centre for internal verification as well as Learner registration and certification.
● A Satellite Site may have devolved responsibility for both assessment and internal verification, but use the Centre for Learner registration and certification. In this case the Centre must have a lead Internal Verifier who takes responsibility for overall quality assurance within the Centre and the Satellite Site.
Multi Centres
A Centre that operates in multiple locations all under the same ownership/management with all business
development, marketing, administration, delivery, assessment and verification undertaken by staff that are directly employed by the Primary Centre. Please note that a Multi Centre operating overseas (i.e. a branch) will be considered as a Satellite Site.
● The Centre must make an application to operate multi Centre(s) through their Quality Manager. ● All accountability and responsibility of quality assurance, delivery and administration is directed
through the original Centre.
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● A Quality Manager audit/visit will only be to the original Centre (as all operations will be the same at the other Centre)
● There will be no additional charge to the Centre for the operation of a multi Centre in the UK
Prior to seeking Satellite Site registration All Satellite Sites must be registered with CMI. However, prior to registration the Centre should:
● Conduct a detailed audit of the Satellite Site ● Ensure a contractual Regulatory agreement between the Centre and the Satellite Site ● Outline procedures for communicating with the Satellite Site ● Outline procedures for ensuring quality assurance of assessment decisions ● Make the Satellite Site aware of CMI’s requirement to conduct yearly Centre visits
Centre responsibility to Audit Satellite Sites The CMI Approved Centre is responsible for the quality of the operation of the CMI qualifications at the
Satellite site. This is achieved in part by the Centre undertaking a detailed and rigorous audit of a Satellite Site prior to seeking CMI registration. The audit should cover the following:
● The nature and type of organisation ● The person who has responsibility for communication with the Centre ● The qualifications the Satellite Site wishes to offer (the Centre must be approved for all of
these) ● The number of Learners over a three year period ● Full CVs for all Assessors (and Internal Verifier/IQAs if relevant), including occupational
competence and qualification achievement ● Full CVs for Deliverers/Lecturers/Tutors, including academic competence and qualifications; ● Training and development plans for any Assessor (and Internal Verifier/IQAs) who have not yet
achieved the relevant qualifications required ● Support for Learners ● The availability of resources to support assessment
Where a Satellite site operates outside of the UK the following will be required: a trading licence, two
testimonials. Contract between the main Centre and the Satellite There should be in place an agreement (contract) between the Centre and any Satellite Site. The agreement
should be signed prior to seeking registration, by the senior manager of both the Centre and the Satellite Site and should be available to the Quality Manager/Auditor upon request. The agreement should contain, as a minimum, the following:
● the key responsibilities of the Centre and the Satellite Site ● a clear definition of the division of resources ● a clear definition of the division of activities to support the student’s learning ● a description of the communication process ● agreement in relation to access to the Satellite Site by the Centre and by the Quality Manager ● signatures of agreement from senior managers from both the Centre and the Satellite Site. ● agreement in relation to access to the Satellite Site by the Centre and the Quality Manager ● signatures of agreement from senior managers from the Centre and the Satellite Site.
The division of accountability between the Centre and the Satellite Site should include the words “ultimate
accountability for Learner registration, assessment, internal verification and certification rests with the Centre and not the Satellite Site”.
Page | 55 Communication It is the responsibility of the Centre to ensure Satellite Site(s) are kept up to date with information relating to
the qualifications and the CMI Awarding Body. Centres should ensure a communication process is agreed through the agreement. Communication should include both written and face to face contact, with the format and regularity as agreed between the parties. Monthly contact is recommended as a minimum and meetings should be recorded.
All correspondence between the Satellite Site and CMI, from student registrations and invoicing through to the
issue of certificates, will be routed via the Centre only. Quality Assurance It is the responsibility of the Centre to monitor and quality assure the standard assessment decisions within
the Satellite Site through rigorous internal verification. Where internal verification is devolved to the Satellite Site, systems must be in place for monitoring assessment and verification decisions within the Satellite Centre through the lead Internal Verifier. The Centre, on a regular basis (a minimum of twice a year) should monitor Satellite Site and clear records of this process should be maintained and available for the Quality Manager at Centre visits to the main site.
CMI Centre visits to Satellites As part of the Centre monitoring process the Quality Manager will primarily liaise with the main site but
reserves the right to visit a Satellite Site. If visiting a Satellite the Quality Manager must have access to all records relating to meetings, assessment and internal verification, audit and monitoring of the Satellite Site.
The Quality Manager:
● Will not visit a Satellite Site for the specific reason of externally verifying Learner portfolios ● Holds the right to visit a Satellite Site without prior notice.
Under no circumstances can a Satellite Site operate another Satellite Centre. Further permissions will be required if a Satellite operates Multisites. Registering a Satellite Site See: HE Partner International Satellite Enquiry form AND UK and Overseas, multisite and Satellite approval
procedure, available at: https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/policies-and-procedures Centres wishing to operate a Satellite Site must complete and forward the following to their Quality Manager:
● a completed application form (See above) ● a staff matrix showing each staff member and their duties at the Satellite ● a copy of each staff member’s CV ● a copy of the last audit report from the Centre ● a copy of the agreement between the Centre and the Satellite ● a copy of the operations manual between the Centre and the Satellite ● a copy of documents indicating any other external accreditation ● for Satellites outside the UK, a trading licence and two testimonials may be required
Page | 56 The Quality Manager may contact the Centre for further information regarding the application. The Quality Manager will notify the Head of the Awarding Body, in writing, of his/her decision within 21
working days of receipt of the Satellite Site documentation and all required documentation. CMI’s Head of Awarding Body will notify the Centre, in writing, of the Quality Managers decision within 7
working days of receipt of the Quality Manager’s report. If the application is successful the Centre will be issued with a declaration of approval letter from CMI detailing the courses and location for which Satellite approval is granted. It will also contain any conditions that will apply.
Upon registration, a copy of the documentation relating to the Satellite Site registration will be retained by CMI
and the Satellite Site will be linked to the Centre on CMI’s central database. Ongoing Satellite approval is dependent upon there being a current Regulatory Agreement (previously known
as the Regulatory agreement) between CMI and the Centre AND between the Centre and the Satellite. Should either condition no longer apply then the recognition as a Centre Satellite registered with CMI will cease. It is the Centre’s responsibility to formally notify CMI if this happens.
Cost The Centre will be invoiced for the Satellite Site annual registration fee; CMI will not invoice Satellite sites
directly. If a Satellite Site is situated outside the Quality Manager’s region, the cost of travel and the cost of overnight
accommodation (if applicable), will be charged to the Centre.
Page | 57 POLICY AND PROCEDURES
CMI’s policies and procedures can be found on our website at: https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/policies-and-procedures
CMI expects Approved Centres and Registered Centres to have their own policies and procedures to guide working practices. As a MINIMUM, the Centre should have the following policies/procedures:
● Complaints (should a Learner wish to complain about any aspect of their relationship with the Centre) ● Appeals (should a Learner wish to appeal against assessment judgements) ● Equal Access for Learners, including Equality and Diversity ● Special Considerations and Reasonable Adjustments ● Health and Safety ● Recognition/Accreditation of Prior Learning and/or Experience ● Malpractice and Maladministration (to include Learner malpractice as well as staff
malpractice/maladministration). ● Conflicts of Interest and their Management
A Centre’s Complaints, Appeals and Malpractice/ Maladministration policies must all include reference to the right of its staff and Learners to refer to CMI once the internal procedures have been fully exhausted. In addition, a Centre’s internal Malpractice policy/procedure must include reference to the immediate reporting of any case of suspected malpractice to CMI and the right of any Stakeholder/Staff/Learner to report suspected malpractice directly to CMI using CMI’s Whistleblowing policy/procedure.
The Centre’s Policies should include the following features:
● Aims/purpose of the policy ● Definitions of terms used ● Date/version control and any planned/actual review dates ● Roles and responsibilities of the Centre/Centre staff
The Centre’s Procedures should include the following features:
● Aims/purpose of the policy ● Definitions of terms used ● Date/version control and any planned/actual review dates ● A list of steps that may be taken or templates that may be completed by the person following or using
the policy (which might include Centre Staff and/or Learners)
All policies and procedures should be monitored and reviewed on a regular basis, especially when they are being implemented to address a particular issue. Revisions to the policies and procedures should be made as a result of reflections on their implementation.
Please note that CMI permits the use of its policies and procedures by Centres. However, these MUST be adapted to reflect the Centre’s own needs, circumstances and working methods.
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MAINTENANCE OF INFORMATION ON THE CMI HUB CMI Centres are further reminded that they are required to keep approval documents such as My documents
and Our Staff on the CMI Hub up to date. Centres that fail to upload documents or fail to maintain documents will be considered as breaching their Regulatory agreement and may be sanctioned. Sanctions may prevent the registration and/or certification of Learners until these requirements are met.
ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FOR SCOTTISH CENTRES Centres located in Scotland need to be aware of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, (SPSO). They will act as the final arbiter for unresolved complaints about public bodies. In this context, SQA Accreditation is the regulator for qualifications in Scotland and it is also a public body.
For complaints connected to regulated qualifications complainants must have followed all the channels available to them before their complaint will be considered by the SPSO. They must exhaust both the Centres Internal Complaints Procedure and the CMI procedure.
The SPSO will also not consider complaints about academic (assessment) decisions.
The CMI procedure includes contact details for SQA and for the SPSO should the complainant wish to access them.
Page | 59 APPENDIX 1 SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
CMI have devised several documents and templates to support CMI Centres, and these can be found on our website under Education Providers and within the document library section. Please click on the following link to take you to the Documents page on the CMI Website: https://www.managers.org.uk/education-providers/document-library You can use the filter section of this library. In particular, selecting the Assessment, Verification and Moderation filter can be used to locate supporting documents such as the Team Matrix, Assessment Matrix, IV Checklist, IV Feedback records that were previously referred to.
APPENDIX 2 GLOSSARY
Accreditation The process through which the qualifications regulators confirm that a
qualification conforms to the requirements of the RQF regulatory arrangements (NB – previously QCF).
Appeal The process through which an awarding organisation may be challenged on the outcome of an enquiry about results or, where appropriate, other procedural decisions affecting a Centre or an individual Learner.
Assessor A person who undertakes marking or the review of marking. This involves using a particular set of criteria to make judgements as to the level of attainment a Learner has demonstrated in an assessment.
Assessment The process through which evidence of Learners' attainments is evaluated against agreed criteria to provide the evidence for a qualification.
Assessment criteria Descriptions of the requirements a Learner is expected to meet to demonstrate that a learning outcome has been achieved.
Assessment standard The standard that a Learner is expected to reach in order to achieve credit for a unit, expressed through a combination of the learning outcomes and assessment criteria of that unit.
Authentication A process under which evidence generated by a Learner in an assessment is confirmed as having been generated by the Learner (or identified and confirmed as being that Learner’s contribution to group work) and as being generated under required conditions.
Award A qualification with credit value between 1 and 12.
CEA Regulation
CPD
The Northern Ireland qualifications agency
Continuing Professional Development.
CV Curriculum Vitae.
CMI Centre An organisation to undertake the delivery and assessment to Learners on behalf of CMI. Centres are typically educational institutions, training providers, or employers.
Characteristic Age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation in England and age,
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disability, marital status, racial group, religious belief, sex, sexual orientation, political opinion
Comparability of assessment The extent to which assessment outcomes are equivalent between Centres, units and qualifications, and over time.
Conditions of Recognition All conditions to which an Awarding Organisation’s recognition is subject (including other conditions imposed under section 132(3)(d) of the Act).
Credit An award made to a Learner in recognition of the achievement of the designated learning outcomes of a unit.
Credit transfer The process of using a credit or credits awarded in the context of one qualification towards the achievement requirements of another qualification.
Credit value The number of credits that may be awarded to a Learner for the successful achievement of the learning outcomes of a unit.
Certificate A record of attainment of credit or a qualification issued by an awarding organisation. A qualification with a credit value between 13 and 36.
Diploma A qualification with a credit value of 37 or above.
Data Protection Law General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Equalities Law The Equality Act 2010. Any Act that was a statutory predecessor to that Act, or any legislation in a jurisdiction other than England which has an equivalent purpose and effect.
Exemption The facility for a Learner to claim exemption from some of the achievement requirements of a RQF qualification, using evidence of certificated, non-RQF achievement deemed to be of equivalent value.
External Assessment A service CMI offer to mark Learner assignments.
FE Further Education.
Guided learning hours The number of hours of teacher-supervised or directed study time required to teach a qualification or unit of a qualification.
HE Higher Education.
HUB CMI online system for CMI Centres to register Learners, to sign off results for Learners, Centre Approval and Moderation.
IC Institute of Consulting.
IIP Investors in People.
IV Internal Verifier.
Learner Individual registered for a CMI qualification.
Level An indication of the relative demand, complexity and/or depth of achievement, and/or the autonomy of the Learner in demonstrating that achievement.
Malpractice The deliberate or willful contravention or ignoring of the regulatory requirements of the QCF by an organisation recognised to operate within the framework.
Mandatory units Units in a set of rules of combination that must be achieved for the qualification to be awarded.
Moderation The process through which the marking of assessments by CMI Centres is monitored to make sure it meets required standards and through which
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adjustments to results are made, where required, to ensure that results are based on the required standard. This includes verification.
Multi Centre A Centre that has a location that is separate from the registered Centre Centre (same name and same organisation), where existing Centre staff delivers and assesses Learners.
NVQ National Vocational Qualification.
National Occupational Standards (NOS)
Describe what a person needs to do, know and understand in a job to carry out the role in a consistent and competent way.
Optional unit A unit named in a set of rules of combination that a Learner may choose to complete to achieve the required number of units/credits for award of the qualification.
Pathway A route to the achievement of a qualification that requires a combination of credits to be achieved from particular units and is identified by an endorsement to a qualification title.
Qualification An award made to a Learner for the achievement of the specified combination of credits, or credits and exemptions, required for that award.
Qualification level An indication of the relative demand, complexity and/or depth of achievement, and/or the autonomy of the Learner, represented by a qualification.
Qualification purpose A means of identifying qualifications with a set of shared characteristics.
Qualification title A short description of the level, size and content of the qualification.
Reasonable Adjustments Reasonable Adjustment is an adjustment of the delivery and/or assessment of a CMI qualification in order to alleviate or remove the effects of a substantial disadvantage for a Learner.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
A method of assessment that considers whether a Learner can demonstrate that they can meet the assessment requirements for a unit through knowledge, understanding or skills they already possess and do not need to develop through a course of learning.
Register The register published and maintained by Ofqual in accordance with section 148 of the Act.
Rule of Combination A rule specifying the combination of units which may be taken to form a particular qualification, any units which must be taken and any related requirements.
Regulatory Body Accredits Awarding Bodies and ensures the quality of the overall qualifications system with Awarding Bodies.
Regulatory Principles
RQF
SQA Accreditation’s Regulatory Principles are intend for use by existing organisations to ensure ongoing compliance, new organisations seeking approval as an awarding body, awarding bodies seeking accreditation of qualifications and providers delivering SQA accredited qualifications.
Regulatory Qualification Framework
Satellite Centre A Centre remote from the prime Centre that involves a third party. NB – Multisite Centres overseas are classed as Satellite Centres.
SCQF Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.
SQA Scottish Qualifications Authority.
SSB Standard Setting Body - an organisation (usually a national training organisation) recognised by a regulatory authority as responsible Body
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which has written the national standards of competence for an employment sector and is keeping them under review.
SVQ Scottish Vocational Qualification.
Special Consideration
Special consideration is a temporary experience that prevents the Learner from taking an assessment or prevents them being able to demonstrate his or her level of attainment in an assessment.
TUT
Total Unit Time (TUT) is defined as the number of notional hours which represents an estimate of the total amount of time that could reasonably be expected to be required, in order for a Learner to achieve and demonstrate the achievement of the level of attainment necessary for the award of a unit.
TQT Total Qualification Time - As defined under General Condition J1.8, Total Qualification Time is the number of notional hours which represents an estimate of the total amount of time that could reasonably be expected to be required in order for a Learner to achieve and demonstrate the achievement of the level of attainment necessary for the award of a qualification. 1.8 Total Qualification Time is comprised of the following two elements: (a) the number of hours which an awarding organisation has assigned to a qualification for Guided Learning, and (b) an estimate of the number of hours a Learner will reasonably be likely to spend in preparation, study or any other form of participation in education or training, including assessment, which takes place as directed by – but, unlike Guided Learning, not under the Immediate Guidance or Supervision of – a lecturer, supervisor, tutor or other appropriate provider of education or training.
Unit The smallest part of a qualification that can be separately certificated.
VQ Vocational Qualification.
Page | 63 APPENDIX 3 SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS CMI endeavours to respond to its Centres in a timely manner. The following timescales have been set out to indicate the response which can be expected. Customer Service
● All customer emails will be acknowledged within 3 working days ● All letters will be acknowledged within 3 working days ● All telephone enquiries that cannot be dealt with immediately will be addressed within 1 working day
or an update provided if this is not possible Learner transfers, withdrawals and re-registrations
● CMI will transfer Learners to another qualification, where an error has been made at registration. This will occur within 10 working days of receipt of a written request from the Centre
● CMI will withdraw Learners within 10 working days of receipt of a written request from the Centre. CMI will not credit or refund registration fees should a Learner subsequently withdraw from the qualification
● CMI will re-register Learners within 5 working days of receipt of a written request from the Centre. An invoice will be forwarded to the Centre within 5 working days
Confirmation and Invoices
● CMI will acknowledge receipt of a Learner’s registration. The acknowledgement, in the form of an invoice, with an attached list of Learner’s details, will be sent to the Centre within 5 working days of processing the Learner’s registration
● Learners will be notified of their CMI membership/registration number within 3 working days of processing the registration where an email address is supplied
● Invoices will be raised within 5 working days of Learner registration; payment is due immediately upon receipt. Failure to settle the invoice within 90 days may result in the Centre’s permissions to register any further Learners being removed, until the outstanding invoice(s) have been cleared
Issue of Learner certificates
Once a Learner’s assessment is complete, the Centre’s Internal Verifier (or nominee) will upload the Learner’s results on the HUB via the PAR along with sample work as required. This can then be verified by the CMI Moderator and submitted to CMI.
Certificates
● Will be dispatched within 10 working days of the result being verified by the Moderator, with a list
attached containing the name(s) of the Learner(s).
Replacement certificates
● Non-receipt – a replacement certificate will be dispatched within 10 working days of written notification of non-receipt.
● Duplicate Certificates – a certificate endorsed 'duplicate' will be issued within 10 working days on receipt of a completed form and an administration fee.
● Amendments – a replacement certificate will be dispatched within 10 working days of receipt of the original certificate. An administration fee will be charged where the error lies with the Centre.
External Assessment
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● On receipt of all correct External Assessment paperwork, results will be returned to the Centre within 30 working days.
● All External Assessment queries will be replied to within 3 working days ● Invoices will be raised within 5 working days of receipt of external assessment; payment is due
immediately upon receipt. Failure to settle the invoice within 90 days may result in the Centre’s permissions to register any further Learners being removed until the outstanding invoice(s) have been cleared.
Quality Assurance
Moderation, Centre visit reports, queries
● Centre sampling via the HUB will be processed within 20 working days ● All Centre Visit reports will be sent by email within 10 working days ● All Quality Assurance queries will be replied to within 3 working days
Appeals and Complaints
● A written acknowledgement of a complaint will be issued within 3 working days. ● A written acknowledgement of an appeal will be issued within 10 working days. ● A written response to a complaint will be issued within 28 working days of receipt of the written
complaint. ● A written response to an appeal will be issued within 20 working days of receipt of the written
appeal.
Product Development Changes to qualifications
● CMI will aim to give 12 months transitional notice period to changes within qualifications
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