This informal CPD article Significance of ISO 29993 Compliance in Present Context was provided by Punyam Academy, an industry leader in training of international compliance standards.
For centuries, schools, colleges and universities have been synonymous to education and learning. Though the formal education system has been playing an important role in human resources and economic development, now in a globalized and fast-changing knowledge-based economy it is not always effective and sufficient to meet the rapidly evolving needs of individuals, organizations and societies.
Gone are the days when education and learning was limited to the formal institutions and curriculums. Now many organizations across the world are providing learning services outside formal education, including vocational training and in-company training. Such learning services are now available face-to-face, online, or a blend of both. However, a great challenge before the learners and/or their sponsors is to know the quality of such learning services. Also, from the point of view of learning service providers, a universal quality framework was needed for learning services outside formal education.
To meet the needs of learners and the providers of learning service outside formal education, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published an international standard ISO 29993 in August 2017. Now certification to this standard is widely used as a yardstick for knowing the quality of learning services outside formal education.
What is ISO 29993?
ISO 29993:2017 is an international standard that specifies minimum requirements for learning services outside formal education, including all types of life-long learning services either outsourced or in-house. These include any learning services provided by a learning service provider (LSP) that are addressed to learners themselves, as well as to sponsors who are acquiring the services on behalf of the learners. Fulfillment of the requirements of ISO 29993:2017 by a learning service outside formal education helps to establish its fitness for purpose.
ISO 29993 is basically a service standard for learning services outside formal education. The main focus is to provide a basic model for quality, professional practice and performance of LSPs. ISO 29993:2017 gives LSPs the framework they need to monitor and improve learning services performance. So, it helps to define what a customer can expect from a service and how it should be delivered by the service provider, in terms of suitability, accuracy and timeliness.
Why is ISO 29993 important?
Due to different reasons, the needs of individuals and societies are evolving to new heights. Fast-changing knowledge-based economy is compelling people to continue acquiring new skills and knowledge for their professional and private lives. Employment avenues have crossed the territorial boundaries. In this scenario, the formal education system is now insufficient to meet the needs of individuals, organizations and society at large. Informal education, mostly made available by private providers, are more flexibility to respond quickly to such needs, and hence, more and more private providers are expanding their presence and providing learning services to international learners across the world.
Moreover, in this Covid-19 era, informal education and skill development programs have become more popular across the world, as most of such programs were already available on online platforms.
In the current scenario, ISO 29993:2017 becomes very important as ISO 29993 provides LSPs with a generic frame of reference for quality learning services. This standard also recognizes the importance of learners being able to make informed choices. By requiring the provider to give clear information about what they can expect to learn, and who the provider is.
Compliance with the requirements of the ISO 29993 standard can also help learners, their sponsors, parents, and relevant interested parties select the most appropriate learning services that are required, and are suitable to their career goals, objectives and purposes.
Benefits of ISO 29993:2017 compliance
Compliance to ISO 29993 standard is beneficial for LSPs and learners, both. However, the primary beneficiaries of ISO 29993 compliance are learning service providers. Learners will also benefit as the education service they receive will be more personalized and suited to their needs, leading to better learning outcomes.
The major benefits to the LSPs are that ISO 29993 compliance helps them to:
- Improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency of learning services. Implementation of ISO 29993 optimizes the learning process through Plan-Do-Check-Act, which is quite useful for improving the effectiveness and efficiency.
- Demonstrate the reliability and quality of learning services.
- Enhance the credibility of learning services and the service provider also.
- Provide a model for improving learning services that can be shared within an organization.
- Improve management of the training and development function.
- Assured quality assurance procedures to recognized international standards. The effectively implemented ISO 29993 documents and procedures help to manage and improve the training and development function to recognized International standards.
- Improve cost and budgetary improvements and return on investment.
- Develop internal quality assurance skills.
- Cater to the needs of learners, sponsors and other interested parties, as ISO 29993 is orientated towards the needs of learners and other interested parties.
- Clearly define and document processes to create transparency and reduce the learning curve in case of changes.
- Motivate and actively involve human resources in change and process improvement.
- Exercise due care from product and contractual liability.
- Hold a leaders position in the globally competitive market.
Considering the above-mentioned importance and benefits, it is now easy to conclude that ISO 29993:2017 compliance and certification will be one of the most significant achievements today for the providers of learning services outside formal education.
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