ISO 29990 –Standard for Learning Service Providers

1. ISO 29990 –Standard for Learning Service Providers Maurice Buckley, NSAI Chief Executive

2. Outline of talk • NSAI • Development of ISO 29990 • The ISO 29990 Standard

3. NSAI… in context Source: UNIDO/ ISO – ‘Fast Forward’, 2008

4. National Reference Measurement Units Maintained in NSAI’s Glasnevin Laboratory Temperature Length Acoustics Electricity

5. Trade Instrument Accuracy Enforced by NSAI Legal Metrology

6. NSAI Certifies Products, Systems, and Processes Globally In excess of 5,500 assessments and inspections carried out world-wide per year

7. NSAI Agrément Certification is Unique to the Construction Industry

8. NSAI Develop National and International Standards

9. How the ISO 29990 Project came about. • The Lisbon Agenda - European Council of Heads of State and Governments which was held in Lisbon in 2000 set as a strategic goal that the EU should become the world’s most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy • International focus on quality in education as UNESCO and the OECD have put quality assurance in education into their mandate. • Developments such as these led ISO to establish ISO TC 232 Learning Services in 2007

10. ISO Technical Committee, TC 232 • First meeting in 2007, 34 experts from Europe, Asia, USA and Australia. • Focus put on non-formal education. • Various national standards worldwide that are impossible for service users to compare effectively. • ISO TC 232 is developing an international certifiable standard that users can have confidence in.

11. NSAI’s Irish Learning Services Standards Committee established early Goals: • To align the content of the ISO standard to the needs of Irish service providers and users. • To promote understanding and adoption of the standard in Ireland.

12. 9 Committee Members • Diane Dignam, LSSC Chair, Skillnets • Nora Byrne, Trainers Network • Other members from, FAS, IBEC, CIF, IITD, ISIT (Security Training Skillnet), Sherry Fitzgerald and NSAI Training.

13. NSAI Committee Work • Regular national meetings held in advance of ISO TC 232 meetings. • Prepared input to the ISO standard’s many drafts. • Irish delegations attended ISO TC 232 meetings worldwide. • Our delegations have been tremendously influential in shaping the standard we have today.

14. What does the new standard cover? • Title: ISO 29990 –Learning services for non-formal education and training – Basic requirements for service providers. • Scope: The standard specifies basic requirements for providers of learning services in non-formal education and training. • Main sections are (a) Learning Services and (b) Management of the Learning Service Provider.

15. Section (a) - Learning Services This sections details; • Determining learning needs. • Design of the learning service. • Provision of learning services. • Monitoring delivery of the services. • Evaluation carried out by the provider.

16. Section (b) - Management of the Learning Service Provider This sections details; • General management requirements • Strategy and business management • Management review • Preventative & corrective actions • Financial & risk management • Human Resources, Communications, Resource Allocation, Internal Audits and Stakeholder feedback

17. Status of ISO 29990 • Received 100% approval from ISO TC 232 member countries in August. • Published in September • Available to purchase from www.standards.ie

18. ISO 29990 in Ireland • ISO 29990 is for service providers who do not fit under the formal system and who want a quality system. • ISO 29990 is not or never meant to be used instead of a FETAC quality assurance system or the NFQ. • Can be used as a stepping stone for a formal system.

19. NSAI – Maurice Buckley Thank you for your time Any questions?