AAO readiness requires more than compliance

AAO readiness is often discussed in terms of compliance, systems and regulatory requirements. But, conversations we’re having with sector leaders suggest organisations are also grappling with questions of leadership, governance and organisational readiness.

To explore what readiness really looks like, Rajia Alam spoke with Karen Slade, Head of End-Point Assessment at the Lift and Escalator Industry Association (LEIA), Lesley Sharp, Director of Compliance at Innovate Awarding and Jasmin Lewis-Keedwell of JLK Consulting.

Leadership capacity is becoming a constraint

For many leadership teams, reform activity sits alongside assessment delivery, quality assurance, stakeholder engagement, regulatory responsibilities and wider organisational priorities. AAO readiness adds another major programme of work to an already demanding environment.

As Jasmin explains: “Capacity to find, digest, understand, plan and implement the reforms is stretched and, in some cases, non-existent, as senior leaders in smaller organisations are already busy running their current operations. I think it has been underestimated how time-intensive this type of work can be.”

This challenge is particularly acute for smaller organisations, where leadership teams often carry both strategic and operational responsibilities.

Organisations across the sector are drawing on the same pool of assessment technical experts and sector developers to produce new assessment materials, redesign delivery models and prepare for implementation.

As Jasmin notes: “The other area where resources will be hugely stretched is that of the assessment technical experts and sector developers needed to produce the new assessment materials, when all AOs will be needing their expertise at the same time.”

One question is whether organisations have the people and resources needed to deliver the transition alongside day-to-day operations. Boards may also need to consider whether capacity is being treated as a strategic risk, or whether existing teams are simply expected to absorb another significant programme of change.

Boards need different expertise

AAO readiness is prompting many organisations to look beyond operational preparedness and consider whether their governance structures are equipped for a more regulated environment.

As Karen explains: “Boards and some senior leaders find themselves in a regulated environment for the first time, for which they were not initially recruited, nor do they have the direct experience.”

Many boards were recruited to oversee organisations operating in a different context. The move towards AAO status introduces new regulatory expectations, new risks and new assurance requirements. Oversight alone may no longer be enough as boards need to feel confident in challenging, scrutinising and supporting decisions within a more complex operating environment.

For some organisations, this may mean investing in development for existing board members, while others may need to introduce additional expertise or strengthen governance structures to ensure the right balance of knowledge, challenge and assurance.

Organisations are managing dual operating models

Many organisations aren’t transitioning from one model to another overnight. Instead, they’re navigating a period where existing arrangements continue alongside the development of new assessment approaches, systems and processes.

As Jasmin explains: “Every organisation needs to plan its timeline effectively, so that it can continue to deliver under the current model while developing its new model in readiness for delivery. There is likely to be a period in which dual operational models run alongside each other; the question is how quickly and efficiently organisations can ready themselves to deliver on time in line with the current transition information.”

Existing learners, employers and stakeholders still expect high-quality delivery, even as organisations prepare for a new regulatory and operational environment.

As Lesley notes: “We have to make sure that we’ve got absolutely everything ready from day one, because in theory there is a possibility that they could be wanting to do their first assessment within a few weeks… there’s no kind of grace period.”

There’s pressure from the scale of change and from delivering both models simultaneously, which will be felt at every organisational level.

Maintaining confidence in assessment quality

The move towards AAO status is creating pressure across the sector as organisations redesign delivery models, develop new assessment materials, prepare systems and manage significant change within demanding timescales.

Several contributors raised concerns about how increased competition could influence behaviour during the transition.

Lesley continues: “Some people haven’t thought about that moderation element at all.”

She also raised concerns about how competitive pressures could influence behaviour across the sector: “I do worry about the competitiveness of this and how it could cause a potential race to the bottom.”

Transition creates pressure across a number of areas, from assessment design and delivery to moderation and quality assurance, and the way those decisions are managed can have implications for assessment integrity.

Boards and senior leaders must ensure that standards remain consistent throughout the transition, particularly as organisations balance significant change with day-to-day delivery.

Resilience will outlast compliance

Compliance remains essential, and organisations need to understand the requirements and implement the changes needed to operate within the new framework.

But leadership, governance and organisational capability feature just as strongly as compliance throughout these conversations.

As Karen observed: “AAOs who don’t try to be too ambitious with their transition plans in relation to the size of their business will navigate this transition the best.”