Responding to the Apprenticeship Accountability Framework
In a recent blog post we spoke about the newly-launched Apprenticeship Accountability Framework (AAF) and the obligations it places on providers.
As our previous blog mentioned, for years Government has used achievement rates as the main proxy measure for understanding apprenticeship provider performance.
However both providers and the ESFA recognised that judging provider quality on achievement rates alone can result in a very narrow view of performance. Under the AAF, new measures of employer and learner satisfaction will be used alongside more established metrics such as achievement rates (and related retention rates). These headline measures will be supported by a range of supplementary KPIs, which currently includes indicators tracking off the job learning hours, breaks in learning, and learners past their planned end date.
It’s important to remember that the ESFA’s major focus is on improving provider quality, and that they will use the AAF to manage poor performing providers out of the market. If the improvement the ESFA anticipates is to be realised, many providers will need to be smart at managing performance against the AAF benchmarks.
For some providers, the AAF’s KPIs will reflect many of their existing organisational metrics which will already be subject to internal performance management systems and benchmarks. For others, the AAF provides a ready-made set of KPIs and benchmarks to be embedded throughout their operations and strategy decision-making.
Some AAFs indicators will be familiar to providers. Others – particularly those that relate to employer and learner satisfaction – will be less well understood. In the case of learner satisfaction, no data has yet been reported for most providers so far.
Regardless, the challenge for many providers will be not just in identifying and accessing the data that enables them to understand issues affecting performance, but to interpret this data and convert it into practical improvement actions. Fortunately, there is no need for them to grapple with this alone as there are experts on hand to guide and support them through this change.
Savvy providers must use this opportunity to ensure they know what is driving their performance across all the AAF’s measures and take action in response to improve delivery. In other areas – most notably in relation to learner and employer satisfaction, the drivers of performance may be less clear. Do providers fully understand what their employer clients think of them? Do they know what learners consider when reviewing their experience with the provider? And what do providers need to do in response?
For advice on how to make the AAF work for your organisation, and to discuss how you can turn raw data into real, actionable insights, enquire online.
