Contract 3364 Expression of Interest for EYFS Profile External Operational and Senior Moderators

Date:27th October 2010

Dear Sir/Madam,

Contract 3364 – Expression of Interest for EYFS profile External Operational and Senior Moderators

1.You are invited to submit an expression of interest for the supply of the services noted above.

2.The following documents are attached to this invitation and provide details of the requirement:

• Operational Moderator Specification and Payment Schedule
• Senior Moderator Specification and Payment Schedule
• Expression of Interest form

3.You are required to complete and return the following items:

• Expression of Interest form
• Attach a copy of your Curriculum Vitae

4.Please email your expression of interest, by 12pm on Monday 8th November 2010 to:

E-mail:

CC.

Please include the title of the role for which you are applying in the subject header.

1. The QCDA does not undertake to consider expressions of interests received after the due date and time unless clear evidence of despatch is available (e.g. clear post mark and/or certificate of posting). Envelopes franked by your own franking machine will not be regarded as sufficient evidence of posting.

6.The following instructions are relevant to this Expression of Interest:

• You must bear all costs associated with the preparation and submission of the expression of interest.

• Prices shall be quoted in pounds sterling unless otherwise stated. QCA is VAT registered. It is also an “eligible body” as classified in VAT Notice 701/30 Education and Vocational Training. Proposals must include VAT where applicable.

• Quotations shall remain valid for a period of 30 days.

• If requested you must provide documentary evidence establishing your eligibility to tender and your qualifications to fulfil the contract if your expression of interest is accepted.

• The expression of interest, all correspondence and all documents relating to the quotation must be written in English. Any literature printed in another language and provided by you to QCDAmust be accompanied by an English translation of its relevant passages.

• Where a conflict of interest may exist or arise you must inform the QCDA and submit proposals for avoiding such conflicts.

7.Thesuccessful expression of interest will incorporate the QCDA’s award letter. The Contractor’s terms will not be applicable to any quotation.

8.By issuing this QCDA is not bound in any way and does not have to accept the lowest or any expression of interest, and reserves the right to accept a portion of any expression of interest, unless the supplier expressly stipulates otherwise in theirexpression of interest.

Yours faithfully

Charlene Woodyard

Procurement Advisor

Early years foundation stage (EYFS) profile

External moderation resource: Operational moderator

The purpose of this role is to carry out the external moderation of a sample of local authorities on behalf of the QCDA.

Background information

The QCDA is responsible for monitoring the consistency and rigour of the implementation and local moderation of the EYFS profile carried out by local authorities. In order to support this, the QCDA is remitted to carry out monitoring visits to a sample of local authorities each year. The programme of visits covers a range of local authorities in different areas of the country and of varying size.

In order to deliver this remit for 2010-11, the QCDA have developed a model of external moderation that examines the rigour and effectiveness of local authority approaches to moderation. A team of operational moderators are overseen by a senior moderator who acts as a mentor to the operational moderator and also ensures that their team work in a consistent manner.

Requirements

Each operational moderator is assigned a number of local authorities that they will visit on behalf of QCDA as part of the external moderation. They will be responsible for setting up the visit and carrying it out. The senior moderator will accompany each operational moderator on at least one visit. After each visit the operational moderator will write up a report and draft a feedback letter which will be sent out by QCDA.

Prior to the visits taking place, the operational moderators will attend a one-day briefing meeting at QCDA's Coventry office on the 30th November. They will then have a refresher session with their senior moderator in the spring term prior to the visits taking place. After the visits have taken place, each senior moderator will conduct a meeting with their team where they receive verbal feedback regarding each visit. The senior moderator will then feedback to the QCDA EYFS profile team.

Person specification

The successful applicant will have a thorough knowledge of the EYFS and EYFS profile and will be a QCDA registered moderator. In addition to their knowledge and understanding of the EYFS profile (and moderation) they will need to be able to observe local authority practices and identify strengths and areas for development.

Application process

All interested applicants should submit an expression of interest which includes a personal statement outlining their experience as a moderator and why they are interested in becoming a QCDA external moderator, by 8th November 2010 (along with the applicant's preferred method of contact).

QCDA will respond to applicants by 22nd November 2010.

Payment schedule for operational moderators

The total number of days' work required is 12 days (four of which may be carried out in the resource's own time.)

*Report and letter writing can be carried out in the trainer's own time. If this is the case, £1600 will be paid directly to the resource on receipt of an invoice.

The above payment will be made to the resource's employer (the local authority) on receipt of an invoice, unless the resource specifies that report and letter writing will be carried out in their own time. If that is the case, £1600 will be paid directly to the resource (on receipt of an invoice) and £3200 will be paid to the employer.

QCDA will also cover all reasonable travel and subsistence costs in line with its business expenses policy.

Early years foundation stage (EYFS) profile:

External moderation resource:

Senior moderator

The purpose of this role is to oversee the external moderation of a sample of local authorities on behalf of the QCDA.

Background information

The QCDA is responsible for monitoring the consistency and rigour of the implementation and local moderation of the EYFS profile carried out by local authorities. In order to support this, the QCDA is remitted to carry out monitoring visits to a sample of local authorities each year. The programme of visits covers a range of local authorities in different areas of the country and of varying size.

In order to deliver this remit for 2010-11, the QCDA have developed a model of external moderation that examines the rigour and effectiveness of local authority approaches to moderation. A team of operational moderators are overseen by a senior moderator who acts as a mentor to the operational moderator and also ensures that their team work in a consistent manner.

Requirements

Each senior moderator is assigned a team of operational moderators. The senior moderator will accompany each operational moderator on at least one visit to ensure there is a consistent approach by all operational moderators. Operational moderators will write a report based on their findings and also draft the feedback letter that will be sent to each local authority that has received a moderation visit. The senior moderator will be responsible for checking the report and letter correlate and sending this onto the QCDA project manager for external moderation.

Once all moderation visits have taken place, the senior moderator will hold a meeting with their operational moderators to receive verbal feedback on each moderation visit. They will then be required to feed this back to the QCDA at a debriefing meeting in July.

Prior to the visits taking place, both senior and operational moderators will attend a one-day briefing meeting at QCDA's Coventry office on the 30thNovember. Senior moderators will then lead a refresher session with their operational moderators in the spring term prior to the visits taking place.

Person specification

The successful applicant will have a thorough knowledge of the EYFS and EYFS profile and will be a QCDA registered moderator. In addition to their high level knowledge and understanding of the EYFS profile (and moderation) they will need to be able to lead a small team and ensure that their team adhere to QCDA guidance.

Application process

All interested applicants should submit an expression of interest which includes a personal statement outlining their experience and why they are interested in becoming a QCDA senior moderator, by 8th November 2010 (along with the applicant's preferred method of contact).

QCDA will respond to all applicants by 22nd November 2010.

Payment schedule for senior moderators

The following table outlines the payment structure for the role of senior moderator.

*this figure is dependent on the number of senior moderators recruited – it will be confirmed in the commissioning letter if the applicant is successful.

All payments will be made direct to the resource on receipt of an invoice. QCDA will also reimburse all reasonable travel and subsistence costs in line with its business expenses policy.

Expression of Interest

Please indicate below how you meet the criteria set out in the person specification for the role you are applying for. Decisions will be made only from the content of this document – no prior knowledge of candidates will be taken into consideration.

Please ensure each individual completes a separate expression of interest form