Our First Meeting

Background Information
The Faculty Community Services, SWSI provides training and assessment for the following areas: Hairdressing, Beauty, Sport and Recreation, Children's Services, Nursing and Welfare. For more information go to South Western Sydney Institute
A respresentative from each of the sections was selected to become a part of NAVAL. The group was established to meet AQTF standards 8 and 9 for the Faculty Community Services. The standards are:
Standard 8 RTO Assessments
Standard 9 Learning and Assessment Strategies.

Identifying and Prioritisng Assessment Issues
A survey had been conducted within the Faculty and combined with a SWSI Assessment Validation Focus group meeting 5 main issues were identified:
1. Training
2. Record Keeping
3. Resources/ funding
4. Time and Effort versus result
5. Maintaining currency
NAVAL members discussed each of the areas and identified strategies to address the priorities listed. This included objectives and targets, resources, measures, performance results, review and reporting strategies.
Action from this was that each member would take it back to their sections to discuss. It would also be discussed at Faculty meeting.

Roles and responsibilities
Record Keeping: with the new restructure of SWSI Faculty directors now had overall responsibility for assessment validation processes. The Teaching and Learning Manager would oversee the development of procedures and part of the brief for NAVAL is to establish consistent processes across the Faculty.

Training; NAVAL is a group identified as being the lead assessors within the Faculty and updating of skills is important and training will be identified to ensure currency.

Communication It was agreed that NAVAL will meet monthly with an agenda and minutes. A communication portal had been developed on the online server for communication within the group. This was showcased and discussed.

All in all a great start to NAVAL!

Have you seen your NAVAL?

NAVAL stands for Network of Assessment Validation Assessor Leaders.


This group was formed from the South West Sydney Institute TAFE NSW in response to the AQTF standards for Registered Training Organisations. The initial meeting took place on Tuesday 17th May 2005. There were enthusiastic, experienced and interested representation from many of the sections within the Faculty.

NAVAL will prepare the way for assessment validation to lead the sections in developing, implementing, evaluating and ensuring an effecient and effective ongoing process.