Hot Topic
“The matrix Standard is central to everything we do, the elements give us a central focus to work from and enable us to keep offering a wider and more responsive IAG service which is consistently appropriate to learner needs.”
Claire Harvey,
Senior IAG Practitioner
College of Continuing Education
Click here to see what other organisations have to say about the matrix Standard
From beginning to end
I’m sure they do it to me intentionally every time I go into Whizzo supermarket. It starts when I enter. “Could you tell me please where I can find …” meets with, “Dunno mate.” I find it by chance and bewilderingly wander on to item 2 on my list. “Where do I find …?” With great charm the assistant says, “I wouldn’t have that if I was you, why don’t you try our own product, zippy.” “But I don’t want that, I want sluggo” I almost apologetically reply. “Well, zippy is there, don’t know about sluggo.” My frustration builds - there must be an easier way. I’m shunned, misdirected, given the wrong products. Exasperated, I reach the checkout – “Sorry, due to an incident everyone has to evacuate the store immediately - Dogberry’s is open if you want to shop there.” With no hair to tear out, I tug at my toupee and muse, “Why can’t I have a service that’s joined up, that takes me from the beginning to the end of my journey; that focuses on and supports my needs?
And I begin to think – is the IAG journey similar? I look at those parts of organisations successfully Accredited to the matrix Standard – careers; student services; those needing the Standard for funding; parts of internal services; four out of ten parts of an organisation. My thoughts go deeper. But doesn’t IAG involve other people in the chain of delivery – the library; nursery; marketing; the techies with the website; the tutors; the other six parts; outreach workers etc? Where is the logic in the user finding that IAG is delivered to a high standard by a team of matrix Accredited people but elsewhere across the organisation it can be hit or miss?
This is where ‘embedded IAG’ assumes importance – where IAG is integral, long-term and ongoing as the process of supporting those in learning and work to achieve their goals; where pre-entry to pre-exit support and progression planning occurs. Have you identified where in your organisation IAG occurs? And how do you know that it is of high quality?
Embedded IAG may not be the starting point for many organisations but by examining its importance and strategically working towards Accreditation of all parts that are instrumental in the delivery and management of IAG will take you forward along the journey of continuous quality development. Using the right IAG for customers keeps you in business, a point I made to Whizzo.