ISO 29990

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ISO 29990 Standard for Learning Service
Providers

• Maurice Buckley,
• NSAI Chief Executive

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Outline of talk

• NSAI
• Development of ISO 29990
• The ISO 29990 Standard

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NSAI in context
Source UNIDO/ ISO Fast Forward, 2008
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National Reference Measurement Units Maintained
in NSAIs Glasnevin Laboratory
Temperature
Length
Acoustics
Electricity
5
Trade Instrument Accuracy Enforced by NSAI Legal
Metrology
6
NSAI Certifies Products, Systems, and Processes
Globally
In excess of 5,500 assessments and inspections
carried out world-wide per year
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NSAI Agrément Certification is Unique to the
Construction Industry
8
NSAI Develop National and International Standards
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How the ISO 29990 Project came about.

• The Lisbon Agenda - European Council of Heads of
  State and Governments which was held in Lisbon in
  2000 set as a strategic goal that the EU should
  become the worlds most competitive and dynamic
  knowledge-based economy
• International focus on quality in education as
  UNESCO and the OECD have put quality assurance in
  education into their mandate.
• Developments such as these led ISO to establish
  ISO TC 232 Learning Services in 2007

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ISO Technical Committee, TC 232

• First meeting in 2007, 34 experts from Europe,
  Asia, USA and Australia.
• Focus put on non-formal education.
• Various national standards worldwide that are
  impossible for service users to compare
  effectively.
• ISO TC 232 is developing an international
  certifiable standard that users can have
  confidence in.

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NSAIs Irish Learning Services Standards
Committee established early

• Goals
• To align the content of the ISO standard to the
  needs of Irish service providers and users.
• To promote understanding and adoption of the
  standard in Ireland.

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9 Committee Members

• Diane Dignam, LSSC Chair, Skillnets
• Nora Byrne, Trainers Network
• Other members from, FAS, IBEC, CIF, IITD, ISIT
  (Security Training Skillnet), Sherry Fitzgerald
  and NSAI Training.

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NSAI Committee Work

• Regular national meetings held in advance of ISO
  TC 232 meetings.
• Prepared input to the ISO standards many drafts.
• Irish delegations attended ISO TC 232 meetings
  worldwide.
• Our delegations have been tremendously
  influential in shaping the standard we have today.

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What does the new standard cover?

• Title ISO 29990 Learning services for
  non-formal education and training Basic
  requirements for service providers.
• Scope The standard specifies basic requirements
  for providers of learning services in non-formal
  education and training.
• Main sections are (a) Learning Services and (b)
  Management of the Learning Service Provider.

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Section (a) - Learning Services

• This sections details
• Determining learning needs.
• Design of the learning service.
• Provision of learning services.
• Monitoring delivery of the services.
• Evaluation carried out by the provider.

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Section (b) - Management of the Learning Service
Provider

• This sections details
• General management requirements
• Strategy and business management
• Management review
• Preventative corrective actions
• Financial risk management
• Human Resources, Communications, Resource
  Allocation, Internal Audits and Stakeholder
  feedback

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Status of ISO 29990

• Received 100 approval from ISO TC 232 member
  countries in August.
• Published in September
• Available to purchase from www.standards.ie

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ISO 29990 in Ireland

• ISO 29990 is for service providers who do not fit
  under the formal system and who want a quality
  system.
• ISO 29990 is not or never meant to be used
  instead of a FETAC quality assurance system or
  the NFQ.
• Can be used as a stepping stone for a formal
  system.

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NSAI Maurice Buckley

• Thank you for your time
• Any questions?