What is a significant change?

This section answers these questions:

What is a significant change?
How do I notify NZQA of a significant change?
What is the process for assessing a significant change?
What is the outcome of an assessment of significant change?
How much does it cost for NZQA to assess the change?

Change in institutions and courses

Over time, all registered and accredited organisations, and approved courses, will undergo change.

NZQA expects that organisations will manage most of the changes that arise through their own internal systems. Nonetheless, organisations must formally notify NZQA of some kinds and grades of change. This is required in order to maintain registration and accreditation or course approval requirements.

At the institutional level, notification of such change is required under Quality Assurance Standard One for Private Training Establishments, Government Training Establishments and Wānanga (QA Standard One). At the course level, notification of such change is required under the Criteria, Requirements and Guidelines for Course Approval and Accreditation (Criteria).

For the purposes of this process, any changes at institutional level, as listed below, will be called “significant change” and will be managed and coordinated as such. If the change at institutional level impacts on course approval and accreditation, those changes will be managed and coordinated within the significant change process.

Changes to courses or sites that are not triggered by institutional changes are managed through the usual application process.

Kinds of significant change

The main kinds of significant change are as follows.

Institutional (1)	Course (2) - only if part of an institutional change requires notification
Permanent delivery sites Mode of delivery Ownership Legal status Name of establishment Student fee protection arrangements	Title Significant changes to course structure New delivery mode Mid-course exit qualifications New delivery site New entry or cross-crediting arrangements Course levels or credits Course outcome statement Introduction of a new major

Grades of significant change

There are three grades of significant provider change:

Minor: Change which can be managed by the organisation's own quality management system, but still needs to be advised to NZQA
Medium: Change which can possibly be managed by an organisation's own quality management system, but needs to be assessed by NZQA
Major: Change so significant that NZQA will, as a result of its assessment, require a new registration, approval or accreditation application to be submitted.

The assessment form indicates which kinds of change are likely to be classified as Minor, Medium or Major.

Notes

1. QA Standard One 1.2.1 (viii)

2. Criteria 7.4.1 (Category C)

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