Standards

STANDARDS TO BE ADOPTED BY VSS CONSULTANTS IN ASSESSMENT CENTRES

 

The following standards will be adopted for the use of VSS Consultants in all Assessment Centres to be carried out henceforth:

 

ASSESSMENT CENTRE STANDARDS

Standards for Assessment Centres

Assessment Centre Design and Delivery Standards

 

STANDARDS FOR ASSESSORS

Senior Assessors

Associate Assessors

 

ASSESSMENT CENTRE GUIDELINES

ASSESSMENT CENTERS STANDARDS

The following will be the standard to gauge whether an assessment technique meets the prerequisites of an Assessment Centres:

  • The competency framework shall be clear and able to be observed in an Assessment Centre environment. In case any competencies do not lend themselves to be ass4eed in an Assessment Centre, they will be deleted from the framework for the purposes of the Assessment Centre and assessed separately by other means.

  • The testing shall be conducted as a mix of exercises, simulations and psychometric instruments.

  • Psychometric instruments will be used as primary evidence only when the dimensions measured by the instruments correspond fully or at least partially with the competencies to be measured in the Assessment Centre. In case any extrapolation is required, the instrument may be used for developmental feedback but the output shall NOT be used for primary measurement.

  • NO exercise, simulation or instrument may be reused in a single Assessment Centre design.

  • Multiple (at least two) assessors will be used, subject to ratios given, to observe the group throughout the Assessment Centre.

  • Assessors will observe the group throughout the Assessment Centre, whether in primary or secondary focus, subject to requirements of individual exercises.

  • At the end of each exercise, the observations and ratings will be integrated between the assessors. In no case will unintegrated findings be carried forward to be assessed subsequently.

 

ASSESSMENT CENTRE DESIGN AND DELIVERY STANDARDS

  • The group for each Assessment Centre shall consist of not less than 6 participants and not more than 10 participants.

  • Each exercise in the Assessment Centre design shall measure not more than 4 competencies for interactive exercises, not more than 5 competencies for non-interactive or written exercises and all competencies for Behavioural Event Interviews.

  • Each exercise used in the Assessment Centre design shall have been validated for manifestation of the required behaviours in the competencies to be tested, on a sample of population generally corresponding to the population to be tested.

  • There will be a minimum of three iterations of each competency for the purpose of integration of ratings.

  • In the ratings scale for use in the Assessment Centre, the median of the scale shall represent the acceptable level in the competency being measured.

  • The assessors: participant ratio in an Assessment Centre shall be maintained as follows :

    • Senior Assessors    Upto 1 : 3

    • Associate Assessors    Upto 1 : 2

  • The results of the Assessment Centre shall be presented in the following forms:

    • In cases where decisions of any type are envisaged to be made on the results of the Assessment Centre, the results will be presented in a numerical rating format with a clear explanation of what the ratings represent.

    • In all cases where developmental activity is intended as a consequence of the Assessment Centre, a written report containing a description of the behaviour exhibited by the participant in each competency measured by the Assessment Centre followed by appropriate developmental advice. The report shall be worded in language, which the participant can easily understand.

 

Senior Assessor

A Senior Assessor shall be competent to assess independently without supervision within the framework of an Assessment Centre. The standards for a Senior Assessor are as follows:

The Senior Assessor should be certified by a Government recognised Indian authority.
OR

The Senior Assessor shall meet ALL the following requirements:

  • The Senior Assessor shall have attended an Assessors' Training program of duration not less than 5 days, conducted by an experienced and qualified Senior Assessor and should have attained a minimum standard of assessment.

  • The Senior Assessor shall have assessed at least 5 batches as an Associate Assessor in the last one year.

  • In case more than one year has passed since a Senior Assessor has last assessed an Assessment Centre, a minimum of two batches shall be assessed as an Associate before attaining the level of a Senior Assessor.

  • An Assessor shall require to have held the standard of Senior Assessor for at least two years before engaging in Exercise or Assessment Centre design activity.

 

Associate Assessor

An Associate Assessor shall be competent to assess participants only in association with a Senior Assessor. An Associate Assessor shall meet ALL the following requirements:

  • The Associate Assessor shall have a minimum of 5 years of professional experience.

  • The Associate Assessor shall have attended an Assessors' Training program of duration not less than 5 days, conducted by an experienced and qualified Senior Assessor and should have attained a minimum standard of assessment.

Assessment Centre Guidelines

  • The rating scale for use in an Assessment Centre should not consist of less than 5 points and not more than 10 points.

  • An Assessment Centre should incorporate verbal, non-directive feedback to participants culminating in a time-bound action plan.

  • To achieve inter-rater reliability, periodic standardisation of assessors should be done, preferably on an annual basis, but not less than once in two years.

  • To the extent possible, for individual exercises, assessors will operate in pairs, i.e., Associate Assessors will not assess individual exercises without the presence of a Senior Assessor.