Moderation, Programme Committee and me

This article explains how Programme Committees (PCs) table and discuss moderation, and what this means for you as academic staff.

Under AC4/3 Moderation Procedures, Programme Committees must:

Approve and oversee the use of the Moderation Planning & Tracking Tool (MP&TT) for all programmes and training schemes where required.
Receive all moderation reports, paying close attention to those that do not meet the standard, and monitor the actions taken to address any issues.
Report moderation outcomes in the Programme Evaluation and Review Report (as required by AC8 – Evaluation, Review and Monitoring Policy).

Your Programme Committee approves the MP&TT every year and signs off updates during the year.

You are expected to:

Complete moderation as described in the MP&TT.
Take action on any requirements or recommendations from moderation.
Submit your action plan (if you are the assessor) to the Programme Committee for approval, in consultation with your Head of School.

Your Programme Committee will oversee these actions and monitor your progress.

At each meeting, your Programme Committee will:

Table and consider moderation and check-marking reports (including reports from subcontracted delivery).
Review outcomes from unit standard version control.
Record any agreed actions in the minutes under Action Items or Matters Arising.

You must follow up on any agreed actions before the next course delivery.

Moderation must be completed and tabled before results can be approved.
Results approval and moderation discussion can happen in the same PC meeting, but both must occur within ten working days of the course end date (as per AC4/4).
To avoid a backlog, complete moderation for early assessments (for example, Assessment 1 and 2) before the end of the course. This spreads the workload and helps meet the 10-day deadline.

Find your MP&TT: Know where the tool is stored for your programme. Ask your Academic Lead Quality if you are unsure.
Plan ahead: Work with your teaching team and academic leads to schedule marking and moderation so results can be released within the 10-day timeframe.
Take feedback positively: If a moderator recommends changes to an assessment, see it as improving how well the assessment measures learning outcomes.
Close the loop: Make sure all actions for improvement are approved by both the moderator and Programme Committee before the next delivery.
Use your calendar: Schedule moderation and marking deadlines to stay on track.