The NVQ/SVQ framework covers five levels from the basic skills to advanced professional and managerial roles.  Each NVQ provides a breakdown of the experience and knowledge needed, against which a candidate capabilities can be evaluated through the assessment of a portfolio of evidence.

Three Building Conservation Management NVQs are currently available.

1. Construction Site Management (conservation) Level 4
2. Conservation Control Level 4.
3. Conservation Consultancy Level 5

These three NVQ/SVQ's offer a way to become qualified in conservation  through assessment of a portfolio of work. Conservation Site Management has been developed to cover the roles of site managers in general building, civil engineering and specialist trades / activities as well as conservation.  Conservation Control is aimed mainly at conservation officers in local authorities and Conservation Consultancy at those who are already members of professional institutions who wish to demonstrate their additional competence in conservation.

WHY  PRACTITIONERS SHOULD GET AN NVQ?

Many people have built up a level of competence sufficient to carry out their work effectively but have no qualification to prove this.  Professional and academic qualifications do not prove competence. A degree, for instance, might demonstrate abilities to gather, select and present information, but these abilities are not the same as the many more specific competencies covered in NVQ's.  Similarly membership of professional institutions can be gained through professional practice exams and interviews.  However these are either held at too early a stage in a candidate's career or are not sufficiently systematic or comprehensive to prove the necessary competencies involved.

Within the industry generally, it has been recognised that many practitioners are not sufficiently qualified, and at the same time the grant giving bodies are moving towards making grants dependent on the qualifications of project personnel.  All three conservation NVQ's are recognised and contribute towards the entry requirements for the CIOB.   The CITB Construction Skills Certification Scheme is already using NVQ's to demonstrate competence.   Conservation NVQ's are being continually reviewed and developed to ensure their relevance to professional registration and CPD opportunities.

The benefits of achieving an NVQ include not only the recognition provided by the qualification but also the confidence and effectiveness gained from the assembly and development of evidence and the interaction with assessors that this involves.

HOW NVQ's ARE STRUCTURED

The areas in which competence has to be demonstrated are listed under the following headings:

Units:
broad areas of work activity e.g. assessment of work methods,  team management.

Elements:
work functions within each of these areas of work activity e.g. plan work activities, agree objectives and working in teams.

Each work function (element) is then broken down into its different aspects (performance criteria) and these are considered in terms of their 'range' - that is to say the range of situations in which they occur.

Finally evidence is needed to show that sufficient experience, understanding, and knowledge has been attained.

THE EVIDENCE NEEDED TO PROVE COMPETENCE

To prove competence, candidates have to provide two types of evidence:

1. Performance Evidence

Product Evidence:  Tangible things like drawings, reports, letters etc.
Process Evidence: How effectively these were done, judged through observation by the assessor, witness testimony, and interviews.

2. Knowledge Evidence

Theories)
Principles)      -The type of knowledge used in the activities involved.
Methods)

Facts and Data - Knowledge without which the job cannot be done

HOW MUCH EVIDENCE MUST BE PROVIDED

The types of competence requiring assessment at levels 4 and 5 will include greater range than those required at the lower level NVQ's.  These might, for example, include the ability to innovate and cope with non routine activities, plan work, supervise others and make balanced judgements. Applicants will also need to demonstrate greater depth and breadth of competence.

Sufficient evidence must be provided to enable assessors to make judgements about competence in all the relevant areas of work. Assessors have to look for appropriateness and consistency and will only stop probing and move on to another area when satisfied. So where evidence shows competence and consistency, relatively little evidence will suffice, whereas any evidence of less than competent or inconsistent practice will cause further probing.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

There are many methods of assessment, varied according to the type of activities concerned.

Workplace visits can yield insights into candidate's understanding and knowledge. However these tend to work better in workshops or on site than in desk working situations. Visits may need to be arranged in advance to make sure that the activities being observed do provide the evidence of competence needed.

Portfolio reviews are normally carried out with the candidate present, although supplementary information or detailed material may be looked at separately.

Interviews are always documented to maintain consistency of standards.

Written Exams or evidence of prior qualifications, which demonstrate underpinning knowledge, can be used where appropriate.

HOW TO SET ABOUT GETTING A CONSERVATION NVQ

The Conference on Training in Architectural Conservation (COTAC) provides advice on candidate suitability and registration with the assessment centre. Having registered with the assessment centre the steps are as follows

1. Review current competencies and evidence by assessor.

2. Plan with assessor programme for collection, assembly and assessment of evidence.

3. Prepare Portfolio  This will containing documentation and information which provides evidence of competence, cross referenced to the elements and Units in the NVQ.

4. Assessment usually done through a series of visits by and or to the assessor. The number of visits required will be about six but may be more if gaps in a candidate's experience need to be filled. The assessor's decisions and the processes of assessment are checked and verified by an internal 'verifier' nominated by the assessment centre.  The assessment centre similarly undergoes a quality assurance check by an external verifier provided by the awarding body.

5. Certification provided by the awarding body when the assessment centre confirms satisfactory completion of the assessment.

For more information and advice contact Robin Rolfe, COTAC, The Building Craft College, Kennard Road, London E15 1AH
tel 0208 221 1150 or 01883 716537

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