Digital communications: National Assessment Agency

Recruiting examiners using online applications

The brief

Each year 60,000 examiners, moderators and markers are needed across England and Wales. The National Assessment Agency (NAA) was launched as a subsidiary body of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in April 2004 to modernise the examination and test systems.

We were engaged by the NAA in April 2004 to lead the recruitment, retention and professionalisation of examiners and markers that supports the QCA's modernisation programme.

The solution

We have developed a three-year recruitment, and retention campaign. Together with a national advertising campaign, a key element of the campaign has been the development of an integrated website.

The examiner recruitment website is built upon the messages used in the advertisements with case studies from current examiners, benefits of being an examiner, information on who can do it, what's involved, and frequently asked questions.

Since the campaign was launched, over 86,000 visitors have visited the website, with 17,000 visitors visiting more than once. At 1 June 2005 over 9,000 applications have been received from the website, with an additional 8,000 printed applications received. Traditionally hard to recruit areas are now well stocked and the focus has shifted from recruitment to managing the large number of applications received.

CiB Business Awards 2005, Award of Excellence - winner