Qualification Development Through Collaboration

Written by Irene Oliver, Product Development Manager (Qualifications and Assessments)

Qualification development starts with an idea.

As the idea can come from a wide range of sources, our product and business development teams are always working closely together and keeping the conversation going around ideas that may benefit from being developed into a regulated qualification.

On average, development of a regulated qualification takes around 12 months although this can be shorter or longer depending on different factors. There are many factors that influence developing a regulated qualification, such as industry needs, regulatory requirements, learning outcomes and progression routes.

We get approached by providers on a regular basis seeking an accredited or regulated route for their current training or their next idea. Whereas some ideas are better suited to our accreditation options such as Badge of Excellence programmes or micro-credentials, some benefit from being developed as a regulated qualification.

This year we have worked with The Broughton Trust to develop the Open Awards Level 3 Certificate in Advocating for Others. The Broughton Trust are a long-standing Open Awards provider, working with individuals, families and organisations in the Salford area. Our wide variety of accreditation options saw them create their own badge of excellence programme in Advocacy in 2024, where learners are given introductory training to the principles of independent advocacy and the role of an advocate.

They also chose to package Level 2 regulated units together into their own course, giving learners nationally recognised Ofqual regulated unit certificates in areas such as communication skills, conflict resolution and social responsibility. Once learners had the tools to advocate for themselves, they looked for a progression route to build on their skills and use them to advocate for others. This is where the idea for the Level 3 Certificate in Advocating for Others began.

The first thing we establish in qualification development is the purpose, and everything that follows relates back to this. For the advocating for others qualification, we decided the primary purpose was to enable learners to develop skills for informal and/or community advocacy without implying occupational competence. This was agreed because a lot of advocating is done in an informal way, for example a parent advocating for their child, or an individual advocating for their friend when meeting an organisation. This type of advocacy is not always recognised or celebrated, so creating a regulated qualification formally recognises those skills learners have built and use in their lives to advocate for others.

Once the purpose was agreed, we collaborated with The Broughton Trust to write learning outcomes and assessment criteria that allowed learners to meet the purpose and achieve the qualification. By working closely with our approved providers, who are working in the communities they operate in every day, we ensure our portfolio is relevant, responsive and aligned to the needs of the individuals and organisations using our qualifications.

This approach also helps to avoid qualifications being developed in isolation and instead creates opportunities for innovation and collaboration. By balancing the needs of a specific provider with wider industry demand through our scoping activities, we can develop a portfolio of regulated qualifications that is inclusive and genuinely needed, ensuring that qualifications deliver lasting benefits for providers, learners, employers and the sectors they serve.

Although the Product Development team at Open Awards is responsible for qualification development, it takes the whole business to make a successful qualification. Once the unit content is signed off by external stakeholders, it goes through a review by our Quality team whilst Product Development finalise other important documents like the assessment strategy, qualification guide and purpose statement. Throughout the development the Sales and Marketing teams are engaged so they can plan marketing campaigns and let other providers know about our new qualifications. Once the qualification is approved at validation panel, it’s over to our Operations and Data team to add it to the Ofqual register and build it on our system so providers can be approved to deliver it, and learners can be registered against it.

This makes qualification development a true collaborative effort.