ICDL ACCREDITATION REQUIRENMENTS

Organizations wishing to become accredited ICDL Centers (Testing/Training or Training only) will have to agree to implement certain procedures conforming to standards established by the ECDL Foundation and articulated by the MCIT & UNESCO Cairo Office (UCO).This brief document outlines the requirements that must be met, the available testing mechanisms and how to proceed in order to gain the accreditation status. it is important for the procedures specified herein to be followed carefully so that Centres establish and preserve their accreditation status.

I.TEST CENTRE ACCREDITATION

A. General Requirements There is a set of requirements which must be complied with at the center applying to offer ICDL testing. These requirements are divided in 3 different categories: manpower, facilities, and testing environment. They encompass a number of minimum prerequisites to be fulfilled in the center such as the hardware used and original software installed, the Internet and Intranet connectivity, and the availability of Un-interrupted Power Supply (UPS) for each computer. Please read carefully appendix 1 for a complete list of such requirements. B. Technical supports Qualifications Centres must have at least two testers and a test centre manager for the operation of the ICDL Programme. The requirements for becoming a tester are: 1.The International Computer Driving Licence Certificate 2.University Degree in a related field 3.At least two years experience in the IT Field 4.Completion of a 1 2 day training workshop on the ICDL Programme, organized by the UCO, following the successful accreditation of the Centre 5.Full Time employment at the Centre 6.Professional work ethics coupled with promptness, reliability, and adherence to rules and regulations 7.Previous experience in the administration and/or supervision of standardized aptitude and/or professional tests is a plus While the Test Centre Manager should also be ideally a holder of the ICDL, or has at least successfully completed some of its modules, he/she, at the minimum, must be fully familiar with the intricate details pertaining to the ICDL operation, quality assurance and internal verification system, and appeals procedure. This is facilitated through his/her effective participation in the 1-2 day workshop mentioned above.

UNESCO CAIRO OFFICE Last updated on 03 July 2003

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C. Approved Testing Vehicles/Modes Testing must be carried out using a testing mechanism approved by the Foundation based on the current ICDL syllabus, Version 4.0
Automated Testing (ATS) only

Automated Testing mode has enormous benefits to the ICDL operation in general and to test centres in particular. Testing candidates utilizing the Automated Testing Software (ATS) guarantees a number of advantages for being cost and time effective as it reduces the time needed for the preparation of tests and eliminates the time for grading of candidates answers. ATS guarantees immediate results after the usual 45minute ICDL test and has the ability to generate impressive array of reports which prove to be useful to every center. Accordingly, all Test Centres must notify the MCIT & UNESCO Cairo Office, at least one week in advance of their Tests schedule. This should allow UCO to arrange for the presence of a QAO and a UCO representative. Testing sessions should contain 15 candidates or the maximum seating capacity of the center, whichever is smaller. D. Application Centres who apply to offer ICDL testing and training should refer to page 7 for a complete list of requirements listed in Appendix 1, to obtain the accreditation status. Please fill in Application No. 1 in Page 8 if you wish to apply for Testing Centre Accreditation

II.TRAINING CENTERS ACCREDITATION

Centres may apply to offer ICDL training only. There are a number of requirements for accreditation to be granted. The requirements revolve around three main pillars: the training material used, the setup of the lab (software and hardware), and the training environment. Please refer to Appendix 2 in Page 12 for a listing of the requirements necessary to obtain the training accreditation status. Please fill in Application No. 2 in Page 13 if you wish to apply for Training Centre Accreditation

III.APPROVED TRAINING PROVIDERS

The ECDL Foundation has approved the ECDL/ICDL Courseware in English produced by a number of providers. A complete list of the approved courseware is available on the Foundations website (www.ecdl.com). A list of the approved ICDL Courseware in Arabic is provided on the website of the UNESCO Cairo Office (www.icdl-unesco.org).

IV.EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES & APPEALS POLICY

Accredited ICDL centres are required to post policies regarding Equal Opportunities and Appeals. Provided below is a sample for each of these two policies for prospective ICDL centres to adopt and display visibly in their centres as they see fit. Equal Opportunities Policy Centres must devise and publish a statement on equal opportunities which states that the centre ensures that the qualification is:-Free from barriers which restrict access and progression and available to all those who are able to reach the required standard by whatever means; -Free from overt or covert discriminatory practices with regard to gender or age. Centres must ensure that this statement is widely disseminated and is made available to all candidates. Candidate Appeals Centres must establish an appeals procedure, which includes the right of the candidate to appeal to the UCO, and ensure this made known to all potential candidates. The Accredited Test Centre shall establish and shall adhere to an appeals procedure relating to the Approved Tests and shall advise all candidates of that procedure when they purchase an ICDL Skills Card. Moreover, such appeals procedure should be displayed and posted clearly visible locations in the Test Centre. The statement should follow the following guidelines: A.Candidates who are unhappy with any aspect of the assessment and award process should first discuss their problem with their ICDL Test Centre Representative or Test Centre Manager within two weeks of the date on which the problem occurred. B.If this does not provide satisfaction, they may invoke the Centre appeals procedure by submitting their appeal in writing to the Test Centre Manager, to be received within two weeks from the date of the above discussion. The letter should set out all the relevant circumstances and should state clearly the grounds for appeal, which are limited to the following: -That the conduct of the test was unsatisfactory -That the marking of the test was unsatisfactory -That a requirement to pay a fee for a retest is unreasonable. C.If the Centres appeals procedure still does not provide satisfaction, then the candidate has the right to appeal to the UCO Awarding Body. This may be done via the Centre Manager or direct to the UCO Project Director in writing. The UCO Representative will investigate the circumstances of the appeal and make a report to the appeals panel as described above. In very exceptional cases, the appeals panel may request the Centre Manager, possibly accompanied by the candidate, to attend a meeting of the panel to provide further explanation of the circumstances of the appeal. D.Appeals panel decisions will be given in writing to the Centre Manager and the candidate and are final. E.At no time throughout the appeals procedure is the candidate allowed to view his/her exam papers or files, nor to be informed of his/her specific score on the test in question

UNESCO CAIRO OFFICE Last updated on 03 July 2003

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Appendix 1 Requirements for the Accreditation as ICDL TESTING CENTRE

1.Available Manpower
Test center manager fully familiar with ICDL program and ideally ICDL certified At least 2 testers adequately qualified and ICDL certified to undertake administrative / technical responsibilities of the program

2.Available Facilities
2.1 Documentations and General-Purpose Facilities

Equal Opportunities Policies available and posted Appeals Procedures available and posted Clearly displayed sign/directions for the center Help Desk supported by adequate personnel and resources Sufficient telephone lines and adequate communication services (including reliable e-mail address for the center) Bulletin board for exam times / announcements, etc. Adequate financial-transaction mechanism/system Locked and secure facility
2.2. Hardware

Minimum number of 15 PCs commensurate with ICDL application and business plan (Min configuration: Pentium 4, 300 MHz processor,1G RAM) at the lab. Sufficient number of printers (at least one printer per laboratory) readily accessible by each PC Printouts from each PC are readily distinguishable (e.g. ,via a water-mark, header, footer, etc. ) PCs supported by a UPS system
2.3. Software

2.4 Internet/Intranet

Adequate and functional operating system (minimum: MS Windows XP, or equivalent) Adequate and functional Applications (minimum: MS 2000 Office, or equivalent) Applications registered, fully installed with all objects properly functioning (Help, spell check, wizards, organization charts, etc.) and fully operational in English Original software licenses available, valid and copies provided to UCO upon request A Licensed and updated Anti-Virus software Adequate and fully operational local area networks within laboratories Adequate and reliable internet service connected to every PC at least 1M

3.Testing Environment
Adequate space on desks Adequate spacing and orientation of desks Quiet environment