Assessment Planning 33 receiving feedback It sounds rather simplistic to say that candidates who incorporate advice from feedback into their practice, and reflect on how this is changing the way they work, tend to move forward in leaps and bounds. It is very import- ant to listen to or read carefully the feedback you receive and use it to improve where possible. It is also important that you plan your time so that you can benefit from receiving feedback. Some candidates find it difficult to commit to their planned observations, and cancel them. Obviously there are times when this cannot be avoided, but we know that often this is through bad planning or simply due to nerves at the thought of being observed. Candidates then have a cluster of observations towards the end of their observation period and don't really have the opportunity to act on any advice that may be given. Another reason is that your assessor may not write down the verbal feedback he or she gives you, and then you forget some of the key points. Your assessor should be recording the key points in some format but you may want to make additional notes yourself at the time, and check out your understanding with the assessor. If you try something that has been suggested and it doesn't work, then talk to your mentor or colleagues or your assessor and see if there are other avenues that can be explored. sources and purposes of evidence Your choice of evidence to demonstrate how you meet the assessment criteria for a unit must meet the requirements of authenticity, validity, reli- ability and currency (see Unit 1). If you are discussing these selections with your assessor, perhaps as you negotiate your action and assessment plan for a unit, you are getting immediate feedback. Table 2.2 although by no means comprehensive, may provide you with some ideas on the variety of evidence you can use to demonstrate your competence as an assessor or internal IQA, both from present work roles and from previous experience or achievements. The purpose of Table 2.2 is to prompt you as to what might be useful corroborative evidence when undertaking professional discussion in your workplace. We are not suggesting that you collect together lots of docu- ments and put them into your portfolio. In fact, don't do this unless you absolutely have to. If you can show evidence to your assessor in your work- place, and the assessor can note down then and there what he or she has seen, where it is stored and what criteria have been covered, then the job is done.