The Assessment Body for Systems Thinking Practitioners
About SPA
Systems Practitioner Assessment Ltd (SPA) is a company that has been set up by SCiO - the professional body for systems practitioners - to carry out End Point Assessment of the Systems Thinking Practitioner Apprenticeship qualification.
SPA also assesses professional qualifications, on SCiO's behalf, using SCiO’s professional grading structure.
The Systems Thinking Practitioner Apprenticeship
SPA will operate a set of technical documents, guides, role-specific documents, and policies and procedures, so that apprentices and employers receive a consistent and high quality end-to-end assessment service.
SPA Guides
These guides are for apprentices and providers and offer information on working with SPA to achieve the best possible results during the learning experience.
Learner Guide (EPA plan v1.0)
Learner Guide (EPA plan v1.1)
A work-based project report proposal template is also available for learners/apprentices, to guide creation of this important gateway document.
Work-based project report proposal template
Two examples, using the proposal template, are based on real-world situations, to show the template in use.
Information and Communications Technology
Documents for Assessors
A number of documents are also available for assessors working with SPA, supported by a standard assessment tracking application. Assessors have access to the:
Assessor Contract
Assessor Guide
Assessment Criteria
Assessment Grid
Assessor Training Design
Conduct End-Point Assessment procedures
Technical Documents
These documents detail aspects of: the assessment of apprentice capabilities, in support of the relevant version of the EPA plan, and also define part of how SPA works with providers.
Qualification Specification (EPA plan v1.0)
Qualification Specification (EPA plan v1.1)
End Point Assessment Agreement
SPA Operating Policies & Procedures
SPA operates using a number of approved policies and procedures for how it works with apprentices, assessors and providers. These cover the following subjects:
Frequently Asked Questions
SPA is asked a number of common questions about End-Point Assessment, and here are responses to those issues.
Q. How do I find out about SPA's charges for assessment?
A. SPA provides, on this page, an End Point Assessment Agreement, for providers to reference.
- that document as accessible via the End Point Assessment Agreement link here, or in the 'Technical Documents' list above.
Q. What is the required attainment of Functional Skills at L2, and what proof of qualification is acceptable?
A. Apprentice attainment of English and Mathematics functional skills at L2 (GCSE or equivalent) is optional, to be agreed with each apprentice and their employer.
- Should the apprentice and their employer agree on the requirement, the Department for Education states that the apprentice may provide “a certificate and/or a provisional notification of results, or a statement of results from the awarding organisation”. A certificate is not essential.
- This position is referenced on rows 56-57 on “acceptable evidence”, from the document “Apprenticeship standards: list of acceptable qualifications for English and maths requirements”, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-and-maths-requirements-in-apprenticeship-standards-at-level-2-and-above
Q. When should apprentices work on their Portfolio - is 50% of it completed during the course modules and then the rest after Gateway? What evidence should be included in that Portfolio; is it for the professional discussion, in support of the Project Report, or a combination?
A. In terms of requirements for End Point Assessment, Assessment Method 1 (AM1, Project Report) and Assessment Method 2 (AM2, Professional Discussion) are two different assessments and may be carried out by different assessors.
- Each Assessment Method (AM) is seeking evidence for roughly half the Knowledge, Skills & Behaviours (KSBs); the KSBs associated with each AM are laid out in the EPA Plan (pp16-19 and 25-28). No KSB is duplicated across the AMs: each is assessed once, via one AM. In addition, there is no cross-referencing between AMs, i.e. assessors will seek evidence in AM1 for only the KSBs assessed through AM1, and will seek evidence in AM2 for only the KSBs assessed through AM2.
- AM2 requires an EPA Portfolio of evidence relevant to the clusters of KSBs assessed via that route. The assessment is a Professional Interview; not the Portfolio itself, and this Portfolio can be developed at any point during the on-programme period and must be submitted by Gateway; it is a precondition of Gateway.
- Items of evidence in AM2 can also be used in AM1 and vice versa, as the assessors will be looking for different KSBs, so if an item of practitioner’s work provides evidence of KSBs relevant to both AM’s, the apprentice can use it for both. However, such evidence MUST be included in BOTH AM1 (Project Report) and AM2 (Portfolio), as assessors will not cross-reference an item in another AM, as outlined above.
FAQs
Professional Qualification in Systems Practice
SPA also assesses professional qualifications, on SCiO's behalf, using SCiO’s professional standard framework.
To apply for SCiO's professional qualification, please download and complete the Competency Framework (CF) self-assessment portfolio form, then return it to: contact@systemspractitionerassessment.org
The fee for undertaking the assessment is £95. SCiO CF assessment is carried out by Systems Practitioner Assessment Ltd (SPA) for SCiO, and uses a four-step process:
- You begin by reviewing your capabilities as a practitioner against the criteria in the CF self-assessment portfolio form, using the reference information in the CF resources as needed. You can obtain advice about this from: contact@systemspractitionerassessment.org
- If you would like a practitioner grading awarded, you may submit your CF self-assessment to contact@systemspractitionerassessment.org, and we will contact you within 20 working days, to arrange a CF assessment interview.
- Self-assessment review and competency grading is supported by an assessment interview with two Systems Thinking practitioners, using a method based on exploration of a number of practice situations, using standard criteria: Situation, Objectives/Goals, Actions, Results and Aftermath/Learning, the SOARA method.
- On completion of this 2-hour assessment interview, we will award you a practitioner grade.
If you submit your CF for review and grading, this will be based on the following criteria:
Practitioner
- Able to use one or more systems methodologies or methods with support, with at least a skill level of ‘2’ in your primary approach.
- Able to use one or more of the intervention approaches that are consistent with and required for their chosen systems methodology or method.
- May have practiced on systemic issues in only one sector or organisation, and may have only practiced in a part of an organisation that they control or manage.
Certified Practitioner
- Able to use one or more systems methodologies or methods without support, with at least a skill level of ‘3’ in your primary approach.
- Can use several intervention approaches that are consistent with and required for their chosen systems methods or methodologies, and has applied a range of options for how to plan, manage and execute an intervention.
- May have practiced on systemic issues in only one organisation, and may have only practiced within their own organisation, but will have worked in or on organisations outside their immediate control.
Advanced Practitioner
- Able to use and supervise others in at least three systems methodologies or methods, and can apply systems laws and principles directly to situations.
- Can use several intervention approaches that are consistent with and required for their chosen systems methods or methodologies, and has applied a range of options for how to plan, manage and execute an intervention.
- Will have practiced on systemic issues outside of their own organisation. This does not mean being contracted out of a “home” organisation, but must have worked on situations wider than just contained within the home organisation.
Fellow
- Has developed one or more new systems methodologies or methods that others can use, and can apply systems laws and principles directly to situations.
- Can use several intervention approaches that are consistent with and required for their chosen systems methods or methodologies, and has applied a range of options for how to plan, manage and execute an intervention.
- Will have practiced in multiple sectors, and/or on systemic issues outside of their organisation. Will have worked on multi-organisational problems.
In addition to the above gradings, SCiO may also award a supplementary title of Technical Expert in specific fields to applicants who are able to show that they:
- Can supervise others in the use of one or more systems thinking methods or methodologies.
- Can train others in the use of one or more systems thinking methods or methodologies.
Once qualified, you may be invited by SCiO or SPA to carry out assessments of other members of SCiO applying for a
professional qualification.
