The Army Officer Selection Board (AOSB) has recently unveiled the AOSB Assessor Award, produced in partnership with CDS Defence & Security (CDS DS). This groundbreaking new award scheme is designed to recognise the detailed and complex roles of the assessors who lead the officer training programmes at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
The AOSB has long been admired for its ability to recognise and cultivate the skills of talented individuals. Although many of its assessments today appear similar to those from its 75-year history, the evidence behind the techniques has evolved considerably.
The 2019 Officer Selection Review concluded that the AOSB should professionalise its assessors' occupational roles, thus beginning the work that would result in the Assessor Award.
CDS DS was engaged to conduct a competency mapping exercise to identify and categorise the skills, knowledge, and other attributes required for a specific role to succeed. For the AOSB, this included a close mapping of the assessor training programme and an analysis of the responsibilities of four key roles: Group Leader, Deputy President, Vice President, and Education Advisor.
This exercise produced a highly detailed framework that demonstrated the level of complex skills and experiences demanded from assessors. CDS DS developed this framework into a full suite of awards, approved by The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (OFQUAL).
As Colonel Iain Moodie, President of the AOSB, described itPresident of the AOSB, Colonel Iain Moodie, described the Level 6 Diploma as "recognising the ability and the skills required of our assessors to conduct high-quality assessment on a consistent basis in order to maintain the standards that we are known for, and that the Army expects of us."
OFQUAL's independent regulation of the award further guarantees the standard of the assessors’ skills, submitting all proposed qualifications and awards to rigorous quality controls at all stages of development. The Assessor Award represents another significant step by the AOSB in the professionalisation of the assessor role and reinforces its industry-leading position in developing talented professionals within the British Army.
Colin Steers, Head of Training at CDS DS, concludes:
"This award is a testament to the professionalism and expertise of AOSB's assessors. By mapping its competencies to a Level 6 qualification, we are not only recognising their critical role in Army officer selection but also reinforcing the importance of rigorous, evidence-based assessment."
We are proud to have supported this initiative, fulfilling our part in ensuring that the future of the British Army continues to be defined by its excellence.