The CDA Validation Section has the mandate to verify whether common educational and professional development courses are successful in preparing our Officers and NCMs to effectively perform their work.

Courses are validated using web-based surveys; information is gathered from course graduates and their supervisors to ensure both perspectives are included.

Importance of Validation

The Canadian Forces Individual Training and Education System (CFITES) applies a SYSTEMS APPROACH to training and Education. CDA's approach to Validation, while systematic and in line with the CFITES guidelines, is applied with some adaptation to reflect the greater educational content of professional development courses. According to CFITES, the objective of a validation activity is to measure the relevancy, effectiveness and efficiency of the skills acquired, against job requirements. Validation of CF common educational/professional development courses aims at verifying more broadly that courses are: aligned and consistent with existing CF objectives; providing the appropriate knowledge and intellectual skills CF members need to successfully perform in their future positions; and preparing members for the 'military profession'.

Quality Control

Quality control is achieved through a feedback-loop system. Effective conduct of the validation phase is essential to the proper functioning of the whole system. The results of validation studies are needed to revise and perfect the output of the other five CFITES phases:

ANALYSIS-DESIGN-DEVELOPMENT-CONDUCT-EVALUATION-VALIDATION- back to ANALYSIS

The net effect of "closing the loops" is to control the quality of CF training and education by ensuring that each of the CFITES phases is fueled with valid data on user needs.

Definitions

Task: a discrete segment of work performed by an individual, which has a definite beginning and an end, and constitutes a logical and necessary part of a duty.

Skill: a practised mental and/or physical activity that requires a measured degree of proficiency.

Knowledge: the theoretical and/or practical understanding of a subject matter required to perform work.

Focus and Use

Validation focuses on the tasks /skill /knowledge as identified in the general specifications (OGS & NCMGS). A validation study determines if the decisions made by the qualification standards board on behalf of the designated command were correct. Validation provides specific information about any mismatch between training/education and job/military profession requirements. This information is used primarily to adjust training/education so that it continues to contribute to satisfactory graduate performance on the job. As well, it can be used to initiate changes in various aspects of the military profession by recommending amendments to the specifications or by modifying practices which can adversely affect graduate performance.