What I do …
Standard development and review
I have considerable experience of reviewing and designing DASS unit standards and skill standards. Whilst there are still thousands of unit standards on the DASS, skill standards will over time replace them. By the time that Toitū te Waiora was disestablished in December 2025 we’d developed well over a hundred skill standards. Some of the ones I developed in 2025 included the first aid skill standard set 41051, 41052, and 41053. These skill standards were designed for both standalone use and for assessment in first aid micro-credentials 5494 and 5585.
I can design skill standards from scratch, and quickly. I can also base design work on existing unit standard content (if necessary), and undertake required consultation with sectors prior to and during development.
Micro-credentials
Back in 2017 I thought that micro-credentials with equivalency were likely to be popular with providers sitting outside the NZQA ecosystem who wanted evidence that their own educational offerings were pegged to NZQCF levels. Taking this route avoids having to set up arrangements with NZQA-registered tertiary providers for assessment and award. Plus, the NZQA application process is quick and easy. I am not sure if they’ve been as popular as first thought, but they might be worth considering if your organisation is not registered with NZQA.
I’ve been involved in development of a few micro-credentials with equivalency, including FinCap’s Financial Capability Coaching (FCC) course, #Firearmsafe’s Firearm Safety Training for Pest Management at New Zealand Airports, and Odssey House Trust’s Peer Support 101 - Introduction to Lived Experience Peer Support in Addiction. These are listed on NZQA’s Register of micro-credential equivalency page.
If you like to know more, get in touch.
This could either involve development of new sub-degree or degree qualifications.
If you’re interested in developing a new sub-degree qualification my advice is to 1) read the NZQA guidance, and then 2) speak with someone at the relevant Industry Skills Board (list of them at the bottom of this page). Based on my experience at Toitū te Waiora, NZQA will expect any new sub-degree qualifications to be submitted by the ISB on behalf of the sector, and not by the organisation who has the most interest in award of the new qualification (‘organisation’ could include a tertiary provider, an NGO, or a registration board). Prior to that discussion with the ISB I’d suggest at minimum that you can:
Clearly articulate why the new qualification is needed and what gap it fills.
Accurately gauge the likely demand for the qualification across the motu.
Identify pathways into the new qualifiication.
Identify pathways from the new qualification (e.g. higher level study, employment).
Basically, you’ll need to present a strong business case.
I have plenty of experience in getting new qualifications listed on the NZQCF, so happy to discuss.
If you need programmes of study developed prior to the submission process (ISB appproval, NZQA approval and accreditation) I can assist. I’ve got plenty of experience of writing them, reviewing them, and critiquing them. Rather like qualification development above, good applications need to present a strong business case for approval (programme lines up with the qualification) and accreditation (provider has the means to deliver the programme, and a convincing rationale for why they want to deliver it).
From experience, programmes of study applications which do not provide a convincing rationale for delivery (e.g. the provider is moving into a new teaching area that has no obvious linkage with current offerings) tend to present the most issues.
Tertiary moderation.
Design of teaching and learning resources.
My first dealings with micro-credentials were at NZQA in 2017. I designed a couple of micro-credentials whilst working at Careerforce (4292 and 4293), and was subsequently involved in developing a further 18 of them at Toitū te Waiora. I have always been particularly interested in the concept of ‘stacking’ micro-credentials to New Zealand qualifications - a combination of skill standards for assessment and micro-credentials for awards that can lead to award of a qualification if the learner completes all micro-credentials. An example of this is the work myself and colleague Katie Carran undertook during 2024-2025 in collaboration with four NGOs in the long-term health condition space.
As with skill standards, I can design micro-credentials from scratch. They could include standards (unit/skill) for assessment, or be designed without standard assessment.