Accredited Partner Programme: Running the Maturity Check

Preparing clients for the Seal without crossing into review.

This course is for ICoBC Accredited Partners (N3). It sits at ICSF skill QUAL "Quality assurance and accreditation" (VRITE pillar: Rigor), level L3 "Enable", stage A "Ability". At this level you run a self-assessment against a quality framework, prepare a client for external review and help the client implement improvements. At the Ability stage you practise these tasks on realistic cases in a controlled setting.

Prerequisites: ICB-F09 Quality in Credentialing: How Trust Is Built, and ICB-R04 Independence and Conflicts of Interest in the Quality Network.

Learning outcomes. After this course you can:

1. Run the Maturity Check with a client and interpret results.
2. Plan readiness work without compromising review independence.
3. Use ICoBC tools and templates correctly.
4. Apply the partner code of conduct.

Workload. The course is blended and takes about 10 hours of notional learning. This file contains the self-paced part. Live and workshop elements are described in facilitator notes.

Assessment. You complete a supervised Maturity Check with a case client and write a report. A person assesses the report using the rubric in "Assessment and badge". The file also contains a final knowledge check that prepares you for the supervised task.

Badge. "Accredited Partner Programme: Running the Maturity Check (Ability, L3)", alignment code ICSF-QUAL-L3-A. Badge evidence: the report and the supervisor sign-off.

Status note. The ICoBC VRITE criteria and the Global Quality Seal are Emerging. Indicators are not yet published, internal documents use different expansions of the acronym, and pilots are ongoing. This course teaches the partner process and the principles of rigorous self-assessment. It does not teach indicator wording, because none is published. Status as of November 2026; check before publishing.

The partner role

What an Accredited Partner does

An Accredited Partner helps organisations understand where they stand against the ICoBC quality approach and what they can improve. Clients may be credential providers, employers who issue credentials, or associations. The partner works for the client's improvement. The partner does not decide whether a client receives the Global Quality Seal.

The partner's main activities are:

• Running the Maturity Check with the client.
• Explaining the results in plain language.
• Helping the client plan readiness work.
• Using ICoBC tools and templates so that the work is consistent across partners.
• Following the partner code of conduct.

The partner role is a service role. It rests on skill, honesty and clear limits. Clients trust a partner who says what the Maturity Check can and cannot tell them.

Partner and reviewer: two different roles

The ICoBC quality network separates support from judgement. You learned the reasons in ICB-R04. Here is the working summary.

The partner can explain what good practice looks like. The reviewer judges whether the client's evidence meets the criteria. These tasks never sit with the same person or the same organisation for the same client.

The partner code of conduct in practice

The partner code of conduct is an ICoBC document. Check the current version in the partner area before you work with a client. In practice, a code of this kind asks partners to act with honesty, to protect client information, to avoid conflicts of interest, to represent ICoBC accurately and to stay within the partner role. The working habits below apply those ideas.

• Declare interests early. Tell ICoBC and the client about any relationship that could look like a conflict.
• Describe your service accurately. Never promise or imply a Seal outcome.
• Protect information. Handle client evidence and results only for the agreed purpose.
• Keep records. Note what you advised, what you decided not to advise and why.
• Escalate doubts. If you are unsure whether an activity crosses a boundary, ask your supervisor before you act.

Worked example: The enthusiastic client

Amara Okafor is a partner. Her client, a training provider, asks in the first meeting: "If we score well in your Maturity Check, will the Seal be ours?"

Amara answers in three steps. First, she explains that the Maturity Check is a self-assessment that shows strengths and gaps. Second, she says that a separate independent review decides on the Seal and that she cannot influence it. Third, she writes the exchange in her engagement log and adds a sentence to the engagement letter that states the service does not include any Seal outcome.

The client may be disappointed. The partner has protected both the client's expectations and the credibility of the Seal.

Practice activity: Spot the promise

Read these five statements a partner might say to a client. For each one, write "acceptable" or "not acceptable" and give one reason in a sentence. Then rewrite each unacceptable statement so that it is acceptable.

1. "After our workshop you will be ready for the Seal."
2. "The Maturity Check shows which areas need more evidence."
3. "I know the reviewers, so I can tell you what they will ask."
4. "I cannot predict the review outcome, but I can help you plan improvements."
5. "Pay for the full package and we will make sure you pass."

Quiz: The partner role

The Maturity Check

What the Maturity Check is

The Maturity Check is a structured self-assessment that a client completes with an Accredited Partner. It helps the client see its current level of practice, find gaps and decide what to improve first. It uses the ICoBC quality approach, which is organised around the VRITE pillars.

Status. The ICoBC VRITE criteria and the Global Quality Seal are Emerging. Indicators are not yet published, and internal documents use different expansions of the acronym. Pilots are ongoing. In this course, treat the Maturity Check as a rigorous way to gather and rate evidence about the client's practice, and always use the current official template. Status as of November 2026; check before publishing.

Three ideas make the Maturity Check useful:

• Evidence over opinion. Every rating rests on something the client can show: a policy, a record, a data set, a decision log.
• Honest ratings. An inflated score hides the gaps the client needs to close.
• Action focus. Results lead to a short list of priorities, not just a score.

The flow of a Maturity Check

A Maturity Check follows a repeatable flow. The partner keeps to the flow so that clients are treated consistently.

Running each step

Step 1: Scope and agree. Confirm which part of the client's work is in scope: one credential, one programme or the whole organisation. Agree who joins the sessions and how information is stored. Put the agreement in writing.

Step 2: Collect evidence. Ask the client to bring documents and records before the rating session. The client collects the evidence. The partner tells the client what kinds of evidence are useful and does not write or tidy evidence for them.

Step 3: Rate and discuss. The client team rates each area using the official scale. The partner asks open questions such as "What shows this?" and "Who checked it?" The partner does not set the ratings. If the client and the evidence disagree, the partner asks the client to look at the evidence again.

Step 4: Interpret results. Look for patterns, not only totals. Note which areas are strong, which are thin and which have no evidence at all. Mark ratings that rest on opinion. Check whether weak areas are linked: a missing governance process can explain several weak ratings.

Step 5: Agree priorities. Turn the interpretation into three to five priorities with owners and timing. The client owns the priorities. Keep them realistic, since a long list rarely gets done.

Interpreting results with care

A score is a conversation starter. When you interpret results, ask four questions:

1. Is each rating backed by evidence the client can show?
2. Do ratings across areas fit together, or does one contradict another?
3. Which gaps would matter most to an independent reviewer?
4. Which gaps can the client close in the time available?

Take care with the third question. You may point to areas where evidence is thin, using the published criteria. You must not say how a reviewer will decide.

Worked example: The generous rating

During a Maturity Check for an employer that issues workplace credentials, the client team rates "stakeholder feedback" as strong. The partner, Daniel Reyes, asks: "What shows this?" The team replies that managers speak to staff often. No record exists.

Daniel does not change the rating. He asks the team to look at the scale description and compare it with what they can show. The team revises the rating to a lower level and adds a priority: start a simple, recorded feedback cycle with a named owner.

The final result is lower than the first rating. It is also truthful, and it gives the client a clear first improvement.

Practice activity: Interpret a result sheet

Below is an illustrative result summary for a fictional training provider. All numbers are illustrative and use an invented scale of 1 (not yet in place) to 5 (well established).

Tasks:

1. Mark the ratings that may be too high for the evidence shown, and explain why in one sentence each.
2. Name one link between two weak areas.
3. Propose three priorities for the client.
4. Write two open questions you would ask in the rating session.

Quiz: The Maturity Check

Working with clients

Building a working relationship

A good client relationship starts with clear expectations. In the first meeting, explain what the Maturity Check is, what the partner does, what the partner does not do and what the client must provide. Confirm this in writing.

Clients differ. A small association may have few documents and one person doing several jobs. A large employer may have many policies and a team of specialists. Adjust your pace and language to the client, and keep the process the same.

Useful habits:

• Ask who will own the work inside the client organisation.
• Agree how often you will meet and how you will share documents.
• Use plain language. Explain terms the first time you use them.
• Give honest feedback in a respectful way. Start with what is working.
• Write short summaries after each session and share them.

Facilitating the rating session

The rating session is the heart of the Maturity Check. It works best with a small, mixed group: someone who leads the work, someone who handles records and someone who delivers the service to learners or customers. Invite people who know the daily reality, not only managers.

Set ground rules at the start. Everyone may speak, ratings need evidence and disagreement is useful. When two people rate the same area differently, ask each to explain what they have seen. The difference often reveals an inconsistency in practice.

Manage time. A long session loses energy. Plan breaks and agree which areas you will cover. If an area needs more evidence, park it, name an owner and return to it.

Handling difficult moments

Some situations are common.

• The client wants a high score. Explain that a high score without evidence helps nobody. Remind the client that the aim is improvement.
• The client asks you to write the policy. You may explain what a good policy covers and share a generic template from ICoBC. The client writes and owns its own policy. You will see in the next module why this matters for independence.
• A key person is absent. Postpone areas that depend on that person's knowledge instead of guessing.
• Results are poor. Present them calmly, begin with strengths and move quickly to priorities.
• The client shares confidential data. Use it only for the agreed purpose, store it as agreed and do not discuss it with other clients.

Worked example: The missing policy

Partner Lena Hoffmann is working with an association that issues member credentials. In the Maturity Check, the area "complaints and appeals" has no evidence. The association's director asks, "Can you draft the procedure for us? We are short of time."

Lena replies: "I can explain what a complaints procedure normally covers and show you the ICoBC generic outline. Your team should write the procedure so that it fits how you work and so that you can stand behind it." She shares the outline, the director nominates a quality officer as owner, and the item becomes priority two in the plan with a date for a first draft.

Lena logs the request, her response and the template she shared.

Practice activity: Role play a rating session

Work in groups of three: partner, client lead and observer. Use the illustrative case below.

Case: A fictional provider, Northfield Skills Academy, offers short courses and issues digital badges. The client lead says the assessment process is "very strong". The only evidence is an assessment policy that nobody has updated for four years.

1. The partner runs a five-minute rating conversation for the area "assessment rules".
2. The client lead pushes for a high rating.
3. The observer notes: Did the partner ask for evidence? Did the partner avoid setting the rating? Did the partner stay respectful?
4. Swap roles and repeat with a new area of your choice.
5. Write three lessons you will carry into your supervised Maturity Check.

Quiz: Working with clients

Boundaries with review

Why independence matters

The Global Quality Seal is only worth trusting if the review behind it is independent. If the same person advises a client and then judges the client, the judgement is open to doubt. ICB-R04 explained the risks. This module turns them into working rules for partners.

Status. The ICoBC VRITE criteria and the Global Quality Seal are Emerging. Pilots are ongoing and rules about review may change. Use the current partner guidance in the partner area, and ask your supervisor when the guidance is unclear. Status as of November 2026; check before publishing.

Support and review: where the line runs

Readiness work and review are different activities. Readiness work helps a client improve its own practice. Review checks whether the client's evidence meets the criteria.

Rules of thumb for partners

Use these rules in every engagement.

1. Explain, do not write. You may explain what a criterion asks for. You do not produce the client's policies, evidence or records.
2. Generic, not tailored. You may share generic ICoBC templates and examples. You do not tailor them to pass a review.
3. Question, do not decide. You ask questions that help the client find gaps. You do not tell the client how the reviewer will decide.
4. No inside information. You never share non-public information about review practice, reviewers or other clients.
5. No dual roles. You do not act as reviewer for a client you have supported. Declare any past support before you accept any review work.
6. No promises. You do not promise, imply or hint at a Seal outcome.
7. Log and escalate. You record borderline requests and ask your supervisor.

Planning readiness work within the boundary

A readiness plan lists improvements the client will make before applying for review. A good plan has these features:

• Each action is owned by a named person at the client.
• Each action produces evidence the client can show.
• The plan uses plain verbs: write, run, record, check, publish.
• The plan states what the partner will do, such as run a workshop on how to keep assessment records, and what the client will do.
• The plan avoids language that hints at a result, for example "to secure approval".

Be careful about how much support you give. A partner who does most of the work leaves the client without the skills to keep the improvements going. That also undermines the review, since the evidence would reflect the partner's work.

Worked example: The friendly reviewer

Partner Kwame Mensah supported a provider through a Maturity Check. Months later the provider applies for review. A colleague at ICoBC asks Kwame whether he would join the review team as he knows the client well.

Kwame sees a clear conflict. He supported the client, so he cannot judge the client's evidence. He declines the review role, informs his supervisor and records the request and his answer in his log. The review is assigned to people with no history with the client.

Later, the client asks Kwame whether he can "put in a good word". He declines this too and reminds the client that review decisions are made independently.

Practice activity: Draw the line

Read these seven requests a client might make. For each one, decide whether the partner can agree, can agree in part, or must decline. Write a one-sentence reply you would give.

1. "Please write our complaints policy."
2. "Please explain what a good complaints policy normally contains."
3. "Please tell us what the reviewers will focus on."
4. "Please look at our draft and ask us questions about gaps."
5. "Please share another client's policy as an example."
6. "Please act as one of our reviewers next year."
7. "Please add our improvement actions to the plan with owners and dates."

Quiz: Boundaries with review

Tools and templates

Why consistent tools matter

ICoBC provides tools and templates for the Maturity Check. Using them correctly keeps the work consistent across partners, makes results comparable and protects client information. A partner who invents their own forms or edits official ones creates confusion and weakens trust.

Status. Tools and templates may change while the VRITE criteria and the Global Quality Seal are Emerging. Always download the current versions from the ICoBC partner area before each engagement, and check the version number in the document. Status as of November 2026; check before publishing.

The partner toolkit

The partner toolkit usually contains items of the following kinds. Names here are descriptive. Use the official names from the partner area.

• Engagement letter template: states scope, service limits, confidentiality and the no-outcome statement.
• Maturity Check template: the structured form with areas, rating scale and evidence column.
• Evidence checklist: a list of typical evidence types the client may bring.
• Results summary and report template: the format for interpretation and priorities.
• Readiness plan template: actions, owners, evidence and dates.
• Engagement and conduct log: a record of decisions, advice and boundary questions.

Using templates correctly

Follow these rules.

• Use the current version. Check the version number and date before each engagement.
• Do not alter the structure. You may add notes in the spaces provided. You do not delete areas, change scales or rename fields.
• Complete every field. If a field does not apply, write "not applicable" and a short reason.
• Keep evidence references clear. Name the document, its date and where it is stored.
• Separate facts from views. Record the client's rating, the evidence shown and your own observations in different places.
• Store safely. Keep client materials only where the engagement letter allows, and delete or return them as agreed.
• Label drafts. Mark working versions as drafts and final versions as final, with the date.

Writing the report

The report is the main record of the engagement. Write it in plain English for the client. A good report contains:

1. The scope and the date of the Maturity Check.
2. A short description of how it was run, with the names of participants by role.
3. The results by area, with the rating and the evidence shown.
4. An interpretation: strengths, gaps and links between them.
5. The agreed priorities and the readiness plan.
6. A statement of the limits of the service, including that it gives no view on any review outcome.
7. A short note on any boundary questions that arose and how they were handled.

Avoid vague phrases such as "generally good". Say what was seen. Avoid any wording that sounds like a verdict, for example "this will pass". Use "the evidence shown covers" or "no evidence was shown for".

Worked example: The altered template

Partner Sofia Marchetti is preparing a Maturity Check for a provider. Her own copy of the template has an area she finds repetitive, so she deletes it and merges two rating scales "to save time". Her supervisor, reviewing a draft, notices that the client's result sheet no longer matches other partners' sheets.

Sofia downloads the current official template, copies the client's ratings into it and completes every field. She adds a note in her log that she altered the structure by mistake and corrected it. The supervisor confirms that the result is now consistent.

The lesson is simple. Use the template as issued, and put your own thoughts in the notes fields.

Practice activity: Complete the template and report extract

Use the illustrative case below. Use the official templates from the partner area if you have access, or copy the table layout provided.

Case: A fictional association, the Riverside Professional Association, issues a member credential. In the Maturity Check, the area "complaints and appeals" has these facts: the client rated it 2; evidence shown is a one-page draft procedure with no named owner and no record of use.

Tasks:

1. Complete one row of the Maturity Check template: area, client rating, evidence reference, observation.
2. Write a two-sentence interpretation for the report that states what was seen, without a verdict.
3. Write one readiness plan action with owner, evidence to be produced and a date (use an illustrative date such as "30 January 2027").
4. Write one line for the conduct log that records a boundary question: the client asked you to finish the draft procedure, and you declined.

Quiz: Tools and templates

Assessment and badge

The assessed task

The assessment is a supervised Maturity Check with a case client, and a report. A supervisor observes you running the Maturity Check with a case client. The case client is a role-played or simulated organisation provided by the programme. You then write a report using the official templates.

You prepare for the task with the module activities and the knowledge check below. The knowledge check is not graded by this file. Your facilitator or supervisor discusses your results with you. A person assesses the report using the rubric. The file does not grade it.

Task steps:

1. Prepare: download current templates, read the case brief, draft the engagement letter and an evidence checklist for the case client.
2. Run the supervised Maturity Check with the case client, following the five-step flow.
3. Keep a conduct log during the session. Record at least two boundary moments.
4. Write the report, including results, interpretation, priorities, a readiness plan and the limits statement.
5. Submit the report, completed templates and conduct log to your supervisor.

Rubric

The assessor rates each criterion on four levels: Not yet, Developing, Secure, Strong.

Pass rule

To pass, you need:

• "Secure" or higher on every criterion, and
• no breach of the code of conduct, and
• supervisor sign-off.

A rating of "Not yet" or "Developing" on any criterion means the badge is not yet awarded. You receive written feedback and follow the resubmission route set by the programme.

Evidence for the badge

Submit the following to your supervisor:

• The report.
• The completed Maturity Check template, readiness plan and engagement letter.
• The conduct log.
• The supervisor's observation notes and sign-off.

Badge: "Accredited Partner Programme: Running the Maturity Check (Ability, L3)", alignment code ICSF-QUAL-L3-A. Completing this course and badge shows that you performed the assessed task in a controlled setting. It does not prove competence in a specific job.

Final knowledge check

Answer all ten questions. Use them to prepare for the supervised task. A person discusses your results with you.

Sources and further reading

Status as of November 2026; check before publishing.

Only sources that are certain to exist are listed. Add exact titles and links from the ICoBC partner area before publishing.

• ICoBC, Accredited Partner materials in the partner area: current partner code of conduct, Maturity Check template and partner toolkit.
• ICoBC Credentialing Skills Framework (ICSF), skill QUAL "Quality assurance and accreditation".
• ICoBC course ICB-F09, Quality in Credentialing: How Trust Is Built (prerequisite).
• ICoBC course ICB-R04, Independence and Conflicts of Interest in the Quality Network (prerequisite).
• ISO/IEC 17000, Conformity assessment: Vocabulary and general principles, International Organization for Standardization. Background on the vocabulary of conformity assessment and the principle of impartiality.
• ISO/IEC 17011, Conformity assessment: Requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies, International Organization for Standardization. Background on impartiality in accreditation.

Topic status: ICoBC VRITE criteria and Global Quality Seal [Emerging]. Indicators are not yet published, internal documents use different expansions of the acronym, and pilots are ongoing. Status as of November 2026; check before publishing.