Appropriate Adjustment Policy

A. Policy Code

IIMTS_AO_OGCR_AAP_01_2020

B. Policy Statement

As an Awarding Body, we are committed to the implementation of Equal Opportunities to all sections of society for education and career progression, subject to meeting with minimum eligibility criteria for enrolment and minimum competency level for a specific position for recruitment. As an awarding body, after enrolment in a specific course and after appointment on a specific position, we are committed to facilitating proper learning in the educational programme and career progression by providing special appropriate facilities and adjustments to professional with some constraints or limitations related to financial resources, physical disability, health-related issues for a specific period and similar other reasons beyond the control of the professional.

This policy applies to all bodies, stakeholders, societies and centres authorised by IIMT Studies Ltd involved in the delivery and/or assessment of qualifications offered by IIMT Studies.

IIMT Studies assures all centres meet this policy requirement and will have appropriate guidelines to apply this policy component, whenever they need, to ensure the protection of learners’ interest falling under this policy

C. Objectives of Policy

1. To ensure attainment of appropriate learning by the professional who meets with all other eligibility criteria and takes enrolment for learning, but needs special facilities, support to learn/continue education under the section of Reasonable adjustment and Special consideration.
2. To ensure that a professional who is selected after passing through all other eligibility tests and criteria, on any position, is provided with some special support through appropriate reasonable and appropriate adjustment in infrastructural or other facilities, as required by him considering his or her constraints/limitations so as to enable him to give his best in performing his duties to grow in his or her career like a normal professional.
3. To ensure that appropriate verification and validation of adverse circumstances as claimed by the professional, which does not allow him to give his best so that no disadvantage is taken by any professional of this policy benefits.
4. To ensure while applying this policy and taking advantage of it, all conditions of qualifications and assessment are met.
5. Not affecting the validity or reliability of delivery, assessment and other critical parameters of qualifications.

D. Definitions

1. Appropriate Adjustment: The term means additional or extra arrangements, facilities, considerations provided to the professional- whether student or an employee- considering the challenges he/she is facing due to certain specific physical / mental/ situational/ health-related/ social / Financial constraints. These consideration/arrangement/support may be temporary or permanent based on the circumstances and need of the student/learner/employee.
2. Constraint / Challenges / Limitation of Learner – Employee: For this policy, the terms mean any constrain or concern that limits the learner/employee to attain desired learning or give the desired performance expected out of his role and position.
   The constraint or the concern may be :

   i. Physical disability or challenge.

   ii. Financial resources constraint.

   iii. Distance and/or infrastructural constraints.

   iv. Mental stress/anxiety

   v. Illness/sickness any such health issue – temporary or permanent – permanent health issues is/are for learner and not for an employee as physical fitness may be an important factor for employment.

   vi. Natural calamity or disaster or any social turmoil or agitation or protest for some time in the region of the student which impacts learning or performance.

   • 2.2 Reasonable adjustment:

     Is to consider to help in minimising the effect of a disability or natural/accidental difficulty that disadvantages learners in the learning delivery and assessment conditions. This usually involves:

     a) Technological replacements

     b) Managing alternative arrangements for delivery and assessment

     c) Providing alternative assessment assistance

     d) Alternative resource arrangement during delivery

     e) Alteration of usual methods

     f) Evidence demonstrated by a learner

   
   
   • 2.3 Special consideration:

   A Consideration of a situation occurred, which affects the delivery, more importantly assessment of a learner, in order to equalise an effect of delivery/assessment of a learner, with the help of this policy. Special consideration policy cannot give a learner an unfair advantage, nor the use of consideration result a user of the certificate to be misled about his/her achievements. In no case, the consideration should reflect the learner’s ability in assessment, but the achievements only.

3. Validation – Verification- Due Diligence before Appropriate Adjustment: This process may be defined as an independent check by the Process Owner of the claim made by the learner or the employee or the centre for appropriate adjustment at any point of time and includes checking of :
   • i. Documents related to disability/health/illness/treatment regarding the claim due to health reason issued by Appropriate Authority / Authorities, for appropriate adjustment by the learner/employee/consultant/centre.
   • ii. Notification by Local Police Authorities / Local Government Governing Authorities of that region / Government Medical Officer of that region regarding the declaration of natural calamity or public protest or agitation or strike by public transport or public servants in that region hampering services related to health/transport/electricity/internet connectivity/epidemic situation/restriction in public movement due to any other reason etc.
   • iii. News by recognised TV Channels / Leading News Papers of that area regarding any act or action which becomes an obstruction or create adverse situation beyond the control of the applicant and which does not allow him to perform or attain appropriate learning as required by norms of the Awarding Body or its centres.
4. Eligibility for Appropriate Adjustment :

   The professional will be considered as eligible for the benefits under this policy only if he is the victim of or sufferer of certain adverse circumstances which may hinder your ability to learn and/ or perform to an expected level without extra additional special appropriate considerations and adjustments. ( as defined in C-3 and D-2 of this policy above)

E. Policy Framework

1. This policy will have the following major compliance segments :

• a. Application for Appropriate Adjustment.
• b. Verification and Validation of Application.
• c. Recommendation & Approval
• d. Withdrawal of Adjustments
• e. Dealing with frauds and indiscipline.

(a) Application For Appropriate Adjustment: The professional whether a Learner or an Employee in any category or capacity as defined in our Competency Assessment Process may submit a formal application containing :

i. The circumstances or concern or limitation due to which the Appropriate Adjustment is requested to IIMT Studies.

ii. Specific period for which the Appropriate Adjustment is required.

iii. The kind and nature of Appropriate Adjustment are required like- support, special facility- special infrastructure- special financial instalments etc. iv. The application has to be supported by the evidence of the claim like medical certificate/government notification / News Paper pr news Channel details etc. as mentioned in C-3, C-2 and D-3, above in this policy.

(b) Verification & Validation Process: This process has to be carried out by the process owner for this policy, considering the detailed descriptions available in the clause D-3 above in this policy. The verification will follow the following steps and guidelines:

i. The verification of application along with the supporting documents.

ii. Verification and due diligence with respective authorities about the correctness of the document and concern and limitation as mentioned by the applicant in his or her application

iii. Appropriate recommendation based on the verification and validation of application – within seven working days after the receipt of application

iv. The recommendation is to be made to The ResponsibleOfficer for further appropriate actions on the application

v. Provisions of Conflict Of Interests policy and Policy on Malpractices and Mal Administrations must be followed by The Process Owner while considering the application for The Appropriate Adjustment.

(c) Recommendation and Approval: This part will be the responsibility of The Responsibleofficer once the application with recommendations from The Process Owner has been submitted. The process involves the following steps by The Responsible Officer

i. Review of application, recommendation and documents as submitted by The Process Owner.

ii. To submit the same with remarks for appropriate decision by Governing Body- has to be done in 3 working days after receipt of application from The Process Own

iii. Ensure final decision from The Governing Body in 6 working days

iv. Ensuring execution of the decision on the application by The Governing Body thru The Process Owner within three working days

(d) Withdrawal of Appropriate Adjustmen

The withdrawal of The Appropriate Adjustments to be offered or given will be based on the following criteria:

1. The time frame agreed upon for the Appropriate adjustment gets over.
2. The claim and reasons mentioned by the applicant for Appropriate Adjustments are found invalid or wrong.
3. The situation or the circumstances which were unfavourable ( like protest/ calamity/ strike of public services/ internet connectivity etc.) are restored or resolved prior to the expiry of the time frame, and the situation comes back to normal.
4. The applicant recovers from the sickness or illness much prior o the time frame for which the Appropriate Adjustment was approved by the Awarding, Body or it’s centre/s.
5. No appropriate supporting evidence is produced by the learner/centre claimed for reasonable adjustment or special consideration.

(e) Dealing with Frauds and indiscipline

This clause will be applicable for all such cases where a false claim or application was made and/or required documents submitted were found inappropriate or wrong and/or the benefit claimed was with wrong interest or an instance of conflict of interest or malpractices may be found during the process of approval od application. In all such cases or similar cases, the following steps and guidelines may be followed:

i.An independent and neutral investigation may be initiated within five working days after the possibility of fraud or indiscipline has been observed or actual indiscipline or fraud is reported.

ii. The investigation has to be completed within six working days afteappointing investigation officer with due recommendations and findings to the ResponsibleOfficer or The Appropriate Process Owner.

iii. The ResponsibleOfficer or The Appropriate Process Owner will ensure Disciplinary Actions under the approval of The Governing Body within four working days after submission of report and finding.

iv. In case of the complaint or claim of alleged fraud or indiscipline is found wrong against the Learner or the Employee, appropriate actions against the complainant may be ensured by The Responsible officer

v. In case of confirmation of fraud or indiscipline, the ResponsibleOfficer must take immediate actions to withdraw the benefits or special considerations or the Appropriate Adjustments made for the beneficiary from day one of such benefits, and the result declared / benefits received by the applicant may also be treated null and void and to recovered/corrected with appropriate time frame and date

vi. The applicant reserves the right of application for the reconsideration of the withdrawal of benefits or appropriate adjustment, with concrete evidence and proof to prove his point of view however the same has to be ensured within three days of getting a notice of withdrawal from the Awarding Body, or its centre

vii. In the case of Review, the same will be done by another investigating officer and not the same who carried out the prior investigation to avoid any possibility of Conflict of Interest

viii. All investigation and actions for all instances of Fraud and Indiscipline have to be as per the provisions of The Nature Justice Act – by giving appropriate opportunities to the applicant to defend his case against the allegations levelled against him or her

ix. The applicant reserves the fundamental and constitutional right for legal remedy or legal protection of his or her rights, if not satisfied with the outcome of the investigation

x. In case of any ambiguity or query, the decision of The Chairman of Awarding Body will be final and binding to all = except as mentioned in clause no. E-eix of this policy.

F. Centre limitations

a. Centres can apply this policy on learners requiring the benefit of it with the above-mentioned process. The policy applies on case to case bases.

b. In the case, if the centre is unsure about the learners’ achievements, may contact IIMT Studies for further guidance.

c. Centres must not take the decision on behalf of IIMT Studies considering they meet all parameters of the policy unless they receive the final decision.

d. Centres must put appropriate alternative arrangements if applied for the case and has been approved by IIMT Studies. It may include:

• i. Technological arrangement
• ii. Infrastructural arrangements
• iii. Calendar date arrangements
• iv. Resource arrangements

e. If the centre identifies, later after the approval, the learner has been unfairly advantaged; it must be immediately reported to IIMT Studies via the appropriate communication channel

G. The centres should participate in advance

a) Ensure the options and alternative routes available to learners

b) Should be communicated to learners with a reliable communication channel

c) Restrictions of progression routes which might be affected if the desired outcomes/attainments are not achieved by learners.

d) The evidence to be demonstrated by learners are identifiable according to the other policies