The IMPADA Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is a tool designed for education organisations (and practitioners) to self-assess the effectiveness of their adult education provision with disadvantaged groups. This Implementation Guide supports the provider’s leadership team through the process, including setting up the most effective Assessment Team. The CAF is also supported by a Methodology, to enable the Assessment Team to self-assess, produce a Self-Assessment Report (SAR) and action plan identified improvements.

1. IMPADA
Implementation Guide for the IMPADA
Common Self-Assessment Framework
Output type: Intellectual Output
PROMEA
September 2016

2. 1
Project acronym: IMPADA
Project name: Improving the effectiveness of adult education for
disadvantaged groups
Project code: 2015-1-UK01-KA204-013666
Document
Information
Document ID name: IMPADA_02_implementation guide_2016-09-15
Document title: IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE OF THE COMMON
ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK
Output Type: Intellectual Output
Date of Delivery: 31/10/2016
Activity type: Document
Activity leader: IBE
Dissemination level: Public
Document History
Versions Date Changes Type of change Delivered by
Version
1.0
30/09/2016
Initial
document
- PROMEA
1.1 31/10/2016 1st
revision
Updated contents
after Partners’
feedback
PROMEA
2.0 07/02/2017 2nd
revision
Updated following
LTT event
PROMEA
Disclaimer
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does
not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of
the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which
may be made of the information contained therein.
The project resources contained herein are publicly available under the Creative
Commons license Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International.

3. 2
Contents
Contents.........................................................................................................................................2
Introduction....................................................................................................................................3
Establishment of a self-assessment procedure.................................................................................3
Stage 1: Understand the CAF structure, and plan appropriately...............................................6
Stage 2: Set up the self-assessment team...............................................................................8
Stage 3: Complete the self-assessment................................................................................. 11
Stage 4: Plan for improvement............................................................................................. 13
State-level provisions in countries represented in the IMPADA consortium .................................... 14
Annexes........................................................................................................................................ 17
I. Detailed description and further guidelines on Stage 1 Action Plan ................................ 17
II. Detailed description and further guidelines on Stage 2 Action Plan ................................ 17
III. Detailed description and further guidelines on Stage 3 Action Plan ................................ 17
IV. Detailed description and further guidelines on Stage 4 Action Plan ................................ 18
V. Evidence-base............................................................................................................... 19

4. 3
Introduction
The IMPADA Common Assessment Framework
(CAF) isa tool designed foreducation organisations
(andpractitioners) toself-assess the effectiveness
of their adult education provision with
disadvantaged groups.
ThisImplementationGuidesupportsthe provider’s
leadership team through the process, including
setting up the most effective Assessment Team.
The CAF is also supported by a Methodology, to
enable the Assessment Team to self-assess,
produce a Self-AssessmentReport (SAR) andaction
plan identified improvements.
Establishment of a self-assessment procedure
Thisguide presentsastreamlinedandeffectiveself-assessmentprocess sothatproviderswillbe able
to review and improve their whole organisation approach to inclusivity. The self-assessment
approach issubdivided into: Leadership and Management; Teaching Learning and Assessment; and
LearnerOutcomes.The self-assessmentprocesscanbe completedusing all sections, or the provider
may choose toconcentrate on specific elements. Each section of the IMPADA CAF presents Success
MeasureIndicators thatproviderswill self-assessagainsttoidentifytheirkeystrengths and areas for
development.
Thisself-assessmentprocedure shouldbe acontinuousimprovementprocesstoenable the provider
to gradually improve their inclusivity across the whole organisation. An overview of the suggested
implementation cycle is presented in Figure 1.
To start this process, leadership teams should consult with operational managers to identify and
recruit assessors for the self-assessment team based on experience, resource, job role and level
withinthe organisation.Thisguide providesastepbystepapproachfor the providertofollow,which
can also be adapted to meet the needs of the organisation. Table 1 provides an overview of the
whole self-assessment process.
Stage Description Indicative timescale for assessment over 1
academic year
1 Understand the CAF structure, and plan appropriately Autumn Term (beginning of Semester 1)
2 Set up the self-assessmentteam Autumn Term (end of Semester 1)
3 Complete the self-assessment SpringTerm (beginningof Semester 2)
4 Plan for improvement Summer Term (end of Semester 2)
Table 1_Action Plan overview
This document:
 Presents a clear step by step overview of
the self-assessment and evaluation
process.
 Will enable providers to establish an
effectiveand appropriate self-assessment
team with clearly defined roles and
responsibilities.
 Includes diagrams and checklists to lead
providers through the process.

5. 5
Study and
understand the
CAF scope
Agree the self-
assessment
focus/remit
Set up the self-
assessmentteam
Conduct
assessment
Analyseand
Evaluate
evidence
Complete the
Self-Assessment
Report (SAR)
Identify
improvement
areas
Develop an action
plan
Monitor and
review
Figure 1 The self-assessment implementation cycle

6. 6
Stage 1: Understand the CAF structure, and plan appropriately
Stage 1 Action Plan - Understand the CAF structure, and plan appropriately
Step Action Involvement of Suggested
timescale
1.1 Studyand understand
the CAF structure and
components
Leadership team
Self-assessmentteamleader/s
Clickhere toenter
a date.
(Week1)
1.2 Identify appropriatestaff
to be involvedinthe
assessmentprocess
Leadership team
Self-assessmentteamleader/s
Clickhere toenter
a date.
(Week3)
1.3 Determine the scope and
focusof the self-
assessmentteam,
includingidentifying
target groups
Leadership team
Self-assessmentteamleader/s
Clickhere toenter
a date.
(Week4)
1.4 Communicate torelevant
staff aboutthe upcoming
process
Leadership team
Self-assessmentteamleader/s
Clickhere toenter
a date.
(Week5)
Table 2 Planning and understanding the CAF structure

7. 7
Stage 1 Checklist
Step To do Verify
1.1 Leadershipteam tofamiliarise themselves withthe CAFand selectthe scope and
focus for the self-assessment as appropriate to the provider, department or
level
1.2 Leadership team to have a firm understanding of the self-assessment process
Agree the ideal self-assessment team profiles and structure
Nominate the self-assessment team leader/s
1.3 Define the terms of reference and the self-assessment team remit
Identify target groups to be explored and assessed
Set self-assessment team meetings timetable
1.4 Communicate to all staff aboutthe upcomingprocess,includinggreater detail to
relevant staff as appropriate to the organisation
Table 3 Stage 1 Checklist

8. 8
Stage 2: Set up the self-assessment team
Stage 2 Action Plan - Set up the self-assessment team
Step Action Involvement of Suggested
timescale
2.1 Select,informandmeetself-
assessmentteammembers
Sub-divide assessmentteaminto
operational units asappropriate
Self-assessmentteam
leader/s
Self-assessmentteam
members
Clickhere to
entera date.
(Week6)
2.2
Self-assessmentteamdiscuss
and familiarise themselveswith
Self-AssessmentMethodology
and CAF
Self-assessmentteam
leader/s
Identifiedself-
assessmentteam
members
Clickhere to
entera date.
(Week7)
2.3 Provide trainingasappropriate
to teammemberstoensure
consistency
Self-assessmentteam
leader/s
Identifiedself-
assessmentteam
members
Clickhere to
entera date.
(Week 8)
2.4 Discussand agree assessment
documentsandevidence-base
Self-assessmentteam
leader/s
Identifiedself-
assessmentteam
members
Clickhere to
entera date.
(Week 10)
2.5 Agree howthe collecteddatawill
be evaluatedandreviewed,and
agree self-assessmentreport
template
Self-assessmentteam
leader/s
Identifiedself-
assessmentteam
members
Clickhere to
entera date.
(Week 11)
Table 4 Setting up the self–assessment team: steps and suggested actions

9. 9
Stage 2 Checklist
Step To do Verify
2.1 Use suggested self–assessment team members table to form appropriate self-
assessment team
Notify identified team members. Inform team members of focus and proposed
scope for self-assessment, ensuring staff are motivated and engaged.
Set 1st team meeting
Introduce CAF, and assessment documents and forms
Decide whetheritisneededtosub-dividethe self-assessmentteam.If so, Identify
sub-units(e.g.ProgrammeLeaderswill be responsibleforthe Leadershipand
Managementaspect,while Teachers are alignedwithassessingTeachingand
Learning)
2.2 Self-assessment team meet to discuss and familiarise themselves with Self-
Assessment Methodology and CAF, and what evidence will be collected
2.3 Training content should include the purpose of the self-assessment and how the
results will be used, a detailed description of the process, and a discussion on
relevant documents
2.4 Discussand allocate dutiesamongself-assessmentteammembers(e.g.conducting
interviews, collecting data, evaluating results, and drafting assessment reports)
2.5 Discuss the grading scale
Agree how the collected data will be evaluated and reviewed and draft relevant
guidelines
Agree self-assessment report template
Table 5_Stage 2 Checklist

10. 10
Suggested self –assessment team members
Staff Type Possible Staff Characteristics Responsibility
Leadership
team
SeniorManagers
Quality
Improvement
Lead
Objective/Unbiased
Strongleadershipskills
Agree the scope of the
process,appointself-
assessmentteamleader/s
Self-
assessment
teamleader/s
Quality
Improvement
Lead
Programme/
Curriculum
Managers
Objective/Unbiased
Strongleadershipskills
Effective communicators
Effective delegators
Organised
Designandlead the
process
Selectteammembers
Analyse results
Formulate continuous
qualityimprovement
recommendations
Identifiedself-
assessment
teammembers
Teachers/tutors
Information,
advice and
guidance
councillors
Objective/Unbiased
Documentationskills
Subjectmatterexperts
Organised
Collect, organise and
assessevidenceagainst
CAF
Serve asambassadorsto
general staff aboutthe
process
Table 6 Suggested self–assessment team members

11. 11
Stage 3: Complete the self-assessment
Stage 3 Complete the self-assessment
Step Action Involvement of Suggested
timescale
3.1 Self-assessmentteamtouse
the tool to trail the process
and adjustas needed
Self-assessmentteam
members
Clickhere to
entera date.
(Week 12)
3.2 Use SuccessMeasures
IndicatorsfromCAFto gather
data aboutthe selected
disadvantagedgroup/s,which
may include interviews with
relevanttargetgroups
Self-assessmentteam
members
Relevanttargetgroups
Clickhere toenter
a date.
(Week 14)
3.3 Use gatheredevidence to
selectself-assessment
judgement–pre-
emerging/emerging,
developing,excelling,and
thenthe number
Self-assessmentteamleader/s
Self-assessmentteam
members
Clickhere toenter
a date.
(Week 16)
3.4 Compose draftassessment
reportsas agreed
Self-assessmentteam
members
Clickhere toenter
a date.
(Week 18)
3.5 Consolidate the draft
assessmentreportsintoa
single SARdocument
Self-assessmentteamleader/s
Leadershipteam
Clickhere toenter
a date.
(Week 19)
Table 7 Complete the self-assessment process: steps and suggested actions

12. 12
Stage 3 Checklist
Step To do Verify
3.1 As a groupexercise,selectpartof the CAFand work throughitas a teamto
familiarisewiththe processand finalise the approach
3.2 Use SuccessMeasuresIndicatorsfromCAFto gatherdata (as describedinthe Self-
AssessmentMethodology) aboutthe selecteddisadvantagedgroup/s,whichmay
include interviews/surveyswithrelevanttargetgroups
Conductinterviews;collectandprocessdataintorelevantSuccessMeasures
Indicators
3.3 Use gatheredevidence toselectself-assessmentjudgement –pre/emerging,
emerging,developing,excelling,andthenallocate the appropriateself-assessment
number,see annex V forsuggestedsourcesof evidence.
3.4 Usingthe Self-AssessmentReportTemplate provided,includingadjustmentsas
agreedinStage 1, populate individual reports
3.5 Consolidate teamSelf-AssessmentReportsintoone SAR,tobe agreedbythe
LeadershipTeam.
Table 8 Stage 3 Checklist

13. 13
Stage 4: Plan for improvement
Stage 4 ActionPlan - Plan for improvement
Step Action Involvedparties Suggested
time of
execution
4.1 From the SAR,identify all
the potential
improvementareas
Self-assessmentteamleaders Click here to
enter a date.
(Week 20)
4.2 From the improvement
areas,selectthose which
wouldhave the greatest
impacton the identified
disadvantagedgroups
Self-assessmentteamleaders Click here to
enter a date.
(Week 21)
4.3 Actionplanfor
improvements,using
SMART outcomes
defined inActionPlan
template
Self-assessmentteamleaders
Leadershipteam
Click here to
enter a date.
(Week 22)
4.4 Carry out actions,review
and monitorthe progress
inagreedintervalsand to
an agreedtimescale
Self-assessmentteamleaders
Self-assessmentteammembers
Leadershipteam
Click here to
enter a date.
(Week 23)
4.5 Reviewthe whole self-
assessmentprocess,
adjustaccordingly
Repeat/implementanew
self-assessmentcycle
Leadershipteam
Self-assessmentteamleaders
Self-assessmentteammembers
Click here to
enter a date.
(Week 25)
Table 9_Plan for improvement: steps & suggested actions

14. 13
Stage 4 Checklist
Step To do Verify
4.1 From the SAR,identify all the potential improvementareas
4.2 From the improvementareas,selectthose whichwouldhave the greatestimpacton
the identifieddisadvantagedgroups,includingbutnotlimitedtothose withthe
lowestawardedmarks
4.3 Actionplanfor improvements,usingSMARToutcomesdefinedinActionPlan
template andinagreementwithleadershipteam
Reflectonmid/longtermorganisational improvement planning,andwrite
suggestions
Estimate humanandother resourcesneeded toimplementthe improvementplan
4.4 Agree intervalsandtimescale foridentifiedactions,
Carry out actions identified
Reviewandmonitorthe progressagainsttargetsandto agreedtimescales.Report
thisto the leadershipteam
4.5 Reviewthe whole self-assessmentprocess,adjustaccordinglyandinconsultation
withleadershipteam
Agree the priorityareas/identifiedgroupsforthe nextself-assessmentcycle (e.g.
repeatthisself- assessmentandimplementfurtherareasforinclusion)
Liaise withpeersandexchange experiencesandgoodpractices
Table 10_Stage 4 Checklist

15. 14
State-level provisions in countries represented in the
IMPADA consortium
The IMPADA CAFimplementationguide alsotakesinto account the specificities of each partnership
country,e.g.existingpracticesandmonitoringproceduresinthe differentcountries,procedures that
adultlearningprovidershave tofollowprior,duringandafterinspection,etc.,in order to ensure the
transferability of the common framework and its feasibility in all partnership countries.
UK adult education provision is
regulated and inspected by the
Office for Standards in Education,
Children’s Services and Skills
(Ofsted).Inspections are carried out
under the following legislation:
section 5 of the Education Act 2005 (as
amended), section 109 of the Education and
Skills Act 2008, the Education and Inspections
Act 2006. Ofsted also assesses providers’
compliance with legal duties of the Equality
Act 2010.
To ensure that the quality of provision
remainshigh,Ofstedfocuseson the following
judgement areas:
 Effectiveness of leadership and
management
 Quality of teaching, learning and
assessment
 Personal development, behaviour and
welfare
 Outcomes for learners
An addition and over and above this, it is
imperative to Ofsted that providers’
safeguardinglearnersiseffective inall
areas of provision.
Ofsted examines how providers
respond to individual learner needs
by observing how well a provider
helps learners to progress and meet their
potential,with particular attention on certain
groups, including (but not limited to):
disadvantagedlearners;disabled learners and
those withspecial educational needs;learners
inspecialistprovision; the highest and lowest
attaining learners; learners from minority
ethnic groups; lesbian, gay and bisexual
learners; transgender learners; learners with
medical conditions; learners of different
religionsandbeliefs; ex-offenders; and other
vulnerable groups.
UK providers are advised to consider the
IMPADA CAF alongside ensuring they are
adhering to the principles in the Ofsted
Common Inspection Framework (CIF) for
education, skills and early years, and the
associated handbooks.

16. 15
CAF is directly related with public
intervention activities In Poland,
which depend on the
implementation of Integrated
Qualifications System (IQS),
through the rules of Act on IQS.
The main aim of the intervention
is to match worker’s competences to labor
marketneeds.Introductionof the IQSact is an
important step towards the integration ofa
Polish qualification system. New solutions
introduce defined standards in
the area of qualifications,
especially in the so called
“market qualifications”, i.e.
qualifications granted to adults
by different providers.
Implementations of IQS act are
the completion of national strategic
documents’ records: Human Capital
Development Strategy, Lifelong Learning
Perspective and National Agenda of Reforms.
In Italy,the AdultEducationsystem consistsof
two types:
 the formal education system, which has
recently given rise to the CPIA, (centers
for adult education); these centers
provide mostly education in formal
learning, and sometimes non-formal;
 private social organizations that provide
courses in non-formal context.
In any case there is no structured system for
the self-assessmentof the effectivenessof the
Adult Education. The only currently available
evaluationsystemconcernsschool education.
Decree Law 225/2010, updated by
10/2011 law, defines the National
System Valuation (SNV), defining
the relationship between three
parties: a)INDIRE (National
Institute Documentation, Innovation and
Educational Research), with support tasks to
processes improvement and educational
innovation; b)INVALSI (National Institute for
the Evaluation of education and training
system),withtasksrelated to the preparation
of learningassessmenttests,andparticipation
in international investigations; and c) the
Inspectorate, an autonomous and
independent organization with the task of
assessing schools and school leaders.
(http://eurydice.indire.it/pubblicazioni/la-
valutazione-delle-scuole-in-europa-politiche-
e-approcci-in-alcuni-paesi-europei/)
At school level the self-assessment is
practicaly based on three elements:
 analysis of the context in which the
school operate;
 effectiveness of learning in students;
 evaluation of educational processes.
Private organizations providing Adult
Education courses, in a non-formal
context, being dominated by private
initiative,are mostlyunregulated (with
some exceptionsatthe regional level),withno
common evaluation system in place.

17. 16
The relevant state-level existing
practices in Greece can be
primarily conveyed through the
“π3” Common Assessment
Framework, the strategy for the
development of Life Long
Learning (as reflected in articles 1, 6, 18,19 of
the 3879/2010 act ), and also the 3230/2004
act, which established a success measures
oriented public administration management
system.
From the above,the most relevant is the “π3”
CAF. The increasing interest, from relevant
stakeholders, for a concise monitoring and
assessment system for the effectiveness of
Adult Education resulted in the development
of “π3”, which aims at establishing a
systematic quality assessment and
improvement mechanism, and proposes a
frameworkforeffective resources’utilization.
The “π3” CAF is based on 8 basic
Principles; among them, AE
providerswishingto implement the
IMPADA CAF could find useful the
provisionssetforth in the following
ones:
 Lifelong learning should be effective
 Lifelong learning should be sustainable
and promote social inclusion
 Lifelonglearning should be provided in a
socially responsible manner
AE Providerswishingtoconsultthe “π3” vis-a-
visthe IMPADA CAF couldalsodirectlyreferto
the respective “π3” success measures
indicators and their descriptors (as
respectively described within the context of
each of the above principles) for a more
detailed overview of foreseen provisions.
The principle of the adult
education quality is stipulated by
the Estonian Adult Education Act
(RT I, 23.03.2015, 5). According to
the Act the AE provider is
responsible for the quality of
teaching/learning process impact and will
establishthe bases for ensuring the quality of
the activities. The provider is free to choose
the model forqualitymanagement. The bases
for ensuringthe qualityof the activities of the
AE institution shall at least provide for the
conditions and procedure for ensuring the
quality of the curricula, adult educators and
study environment and the
procedure for gathering feedback
on the education.
The minimum requirements for
qualityassurance are presented in
Adult Education Standard
(Regulation of Ministry of Education and
Research no27, 19.06.2015).
The Lifelong Learning Strategy 2014-2020 sets
up the criteria for high-quality, flexible
education with diverse options and social
development needs considering learning
opportunities and career services.

18. 17
Annexes
I. Detailed description and further guidelines on Stage 1 Action Plan
Stage 1 ActionPlan - Understandthe CAF structure, and plan appropriately
Leadership teams, along with the operational managers will lead and overview the effective
implementation of the Action Plan. They should study the CAF structure to get a firm grasp of its
scope and components. The objective is to initiate a process that will lead the provider towards
meeting the CAF Success Measures Indicators for the corresponding Criteria.
In planningandestablishingthe assessmentprocedure, the leadership team should ensure buy-in
fromthe appointedself-assessment team leader/s and whole organisation staff, through keeping
theminformedof the process.Thiswill helpthe provider’s staff to understand the commitment to
continuous improvement and commitment to increasing the effectiveness of the provision for
disadvantaged groups.
II. Detailed description and further guidelines on Stage 2 Action Plan
Stage 2: Setup the self- assessmentteam
Specificattentionshould be given to the team’s expertise to ensure effective improvement. The
self-assessment team should include staff at all levels and experiences (such as managerial,
administrative staff and practitioners) so that the Criteria can be considered from a range of
perspectives. This will also help to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement at all levels.
The self-assessmentteamshouldbe ledbyappropriatelyexperiencedmanagerial staff,who will be
able to effectively set up and lead both the team and the process.
External experts/assessors maybe includedin the self-assessment team where appropriate and as
agreed.
III. Detailed description and further guidelines on Stage 3 Action Plan
Stage 3: Operationalise the self-assessment
Afterconcludingdata collection, the self-assessment team should evaluate findings, and allocate
scores to CAF Success Measures Indicators. It is important that the evidence collected is robust,
sufficientandvalid.Thiswill result in an accurate identification of the key areas for improvement.
In additiontoidentifyingthe appropriate people for the process, it is also important to determine
the actual size of, and (possible) levels within the team. The models presented below aim to
describe large,mediumandsmall scale arrangements. This document outlines arrangements for a
larger adult education provider but can be easily adapted to suit the size of the organisation, as

19. 18
Stage 3: Operationalise the self-assessment
outlined below:
 Large adult education provider:The self-assessmentteamiscomprisedof the a member of
the seniorleadershipteam,programme leaders and programme staff. Programme leaders
assign specific areas of the CAF to staff or assign the process to staff to complete in their
specific curriculum area or theme. Programme leaders will then analyse results and make
recommendations by area.
 Mid-sized adult education provider: The self-assessment team is comprised of the Senior
Manager and Programme leaders. Together they divide all the standards and measures
amongstthemselvesandcompletethe entire process, including gathering documentation,
scoring standards, analysing results, and making recommendations.
 Small adult education provider/local facility: The self-assessment team is comprised of a
Senior Manager who may complete the entire process on their own.
IV. Detailed description and further guidelines on Stage 4 Action Plan
Stage 4: Plan for improvement
Afterthe firstcycle of IMPADA self-assessment,providers should identify the next steps to take to
furthertheirjourneytoa whole organisational approachtoinclusive practice. This way the CAF can
become a tool for systematically monitoring the effectiveness of organisations’ provision for
disadvantaged groups. This monitoring can be integrated in any existing QA mechanisms, so
contributing to the providers’ overall quality improvement.

20. 19
V. Evidence-base
Evidence is necessary to certify that the provider’s performance has been objectively measured.
Providers should maintain an up to date evidence-base, which could include the following:
 Completed copies of the IMPADA CAF
 IMPADA Self-Assessment Reports
 IMPADA Quality Improvement Action Plan
 Documents representing staff training (Continuous Professional Development)
 IMPADA Quality Improvement Self-Assessment team meeting minutes
 State-level existing frameworks
 Organisation’s regulatory decisions
 Decisions of collective administrative bodies
 Existing and relevant survey results from third parties
 Learner Achievement Reports
 Learner Satisfaction Surveys
 Employer Satisfaction Survey
 Learner Course Evaluations
 Learner Focus Groups
 Learner comments and complaints records
 Tutor Evaluations
 Internal Quality Assurance and Assessor reporting
 Observation of Learning and Teaching reports, database and moderation reports
 Tutor Qualifications records
 Health and Safety Audits
 Employer Surveys
 Partnership Surveys
 External Quality Assurance reports