Drive and manage digital products through the complete product lifecycle.
This occupation is found in a wide and diverse range of public and private sector organisations, from tech start-ups, government departments to multi-nationals. Any organisation of any size that creates or uses digital products such as systems, services, apps, websites, software in a digital environment will benefit from this occupation. Example sectors include banking and finance, telecoms, public sector, gaming, medical and pharmaceutical and cyber security.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to drive and manage digital products through the complete product lifecycle. Digital products are typically systems, services, apps, websites, software in a digital environment, starting from inception of the product, through to prototyping and gaining customer or user feedback. Digital and technical teams use modern or cutting-edge technology to deliver great products for users and create value for their businesses. This occupation needs to have a holistic understanding of the tech, the data and the users and bring that together to direct the team to deliver the best for the product. They continually gain user feedback on the digital product to maintain and make enhancements and improvements. They are the voice of the customer, interpreting the need behind the request and prioritising any changes needing to be made and with the product being digital they ensure changes are made continually. Changes can be weekly or even daily as new code can be changed quickly and immediately consumed by users. The occupation manages the product to the end of its life, decommissioning the system or service and the technology that sits behind it. An example in the public sector, where the public accesses the government service online to tax a car, the occupation has developed a service replacing a paper process with a wholly digital service. Digital Product Managers are responsible for Government services we regularly use such as Gov.Uk, renew your passport, book your covid vaccination. In the private sector the occupation owns applications and services used by a commercial or public sector organisation’s staff, their users, or citizens. This could be across installed applications, mobile applications, web sites and web applications across nearly all market sectors.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a wide range of people both inside and outside of their digital and technical development team and their organisation. These include members of their multi-disciplinary digital and technical development team (Software Engineers, Testers, Business Analysts, Delivery Managers, UX Designers), customers or internal users, subject matter experts across their organisation or sector, commercial teams within their organisation, other members of the digital product community including peers and leaders and any stakeholders interested in or with influence over their digital product.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle management of their digital product(s). They are responsible for prioritising user driven and commercial changes which leads to the prioritisation of the work of the digital and technical development team. They will be responsible for ensuring they deliver value for money but are unlikely to directly manage a budget. They will be physical or virtually office based and may have occasional direct working with customers or users. They are unlikely to have complete autonomy over their product, they will need approval or agreement from senior product colleagues in key decisions, including strategic direction. They are unlikely to be a line manager as they be will junior members of the digital product team. They are likely to report to a more senior member of the digital product team. However, some organisations may have different structures and they could report to a more senior leader in another areas.
This is a summary of the key things that you – the apprentice and your employer need to know about your end-point assessment (EPA). You and your employer should read the EPA plan for the full details. It has information on assessment method requirements, roles and responsibilities, and re-sits and re-takes.
An EPA is an assessment at the end of your apprenticeship. It will assess you against the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) in the occupational standard. Your training will cover the KSBs. The EPA is your opportunity to show an independent assessor how well you can carry out the occupation you have been trained for.
Your employer will choose an end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) to deliver the EPA. Your employer and training provider should tell you what to expect and how to prepare for your EPA.
The length of the training for this apprenticeship is typically 24 months. The EPA period is typically 4 months.
The overall grades available for this apprenticeship are:
When you pass the EPA, you will be awarded your apprenticeship certificate.
The EPA gateway is when the EPAO checks and confirms that you have met any requirements required before you start the EPA. You will only enter the gateway when your employer says you are ready.
The gateway requirements for your EPA are:
Professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence
You will have a professional discussion with an independent assessor. It will last 60 minutes. They will ask you at least 8 questions. The questions will be about certain aspects of your occupation. You need to compile a portfolio of evidence before the EPA gateway. You can use it to help answer the questions.
Project with report
You will complete a project and write a report. You will be asked to complete a project. The title and scope must be agreed with the EPAO at the gateway. The report should be a maximum of 1500 words (with a 10% tolerance).
You will have 10 weeks to complete the project and submit the report to the EPAO.
You need to prepare and give a presentation to an independent assessor. Your presentation slides and any supporting materials should be submitted at the same time as the project output. The presentation with questions will last at least 60 minutes. The independent assessor will ask at least 8 questions about the project and presentation.
The EPAO will confirm where and when each assessment method will take place.
You should speak to your employer if you have a query that relates to your job.
You should speak to your training provider if you have any questions about your training or EPA before it starts.
You should receive detailed information and support from the EPAO before the EPA starts. You should speak to them if you have any questions about your EPA once it has started.
If you have a disability, a physical or mental health condition or other special considerations, you may be able to have a reasonable adjustment that takes this into account. You should speak to your employer, training provider and EPAO and ask them what support you can get. The EPAO will decide if an adjustment is appropriate.
This occupation is found in a wide and diverse range of public and private sector organisations, from tech start-ups, government departments to multi-nationals. Any organisation of any size that creates or uses digital products such as systems, services, apps, websites, software in a digital environment will benefit from this occupation. Example sectors include banking and finance, telecoms, public sector, gaming, medical and pharmaceutical and cyber security.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to drive and manage digital products through the complete product lifecycle. Digital products are typically systems, services, apps, websites, software in a digital environment, starting from inception of the product, through to prototyping and gaining customer or user feedback. Digital and technical teams use modern or cutting-edge technology to deliver great products for users and create value for their businesses. This occupation needs to have a holistic understanding of the tech, the data and the users and bring that together to direct the team to deliver the best for the product. They continually gain user feedback on the digital product to maintain and make enhancements and improvements. They are the voice of the customer, interpreting the need behind the request and prioritising any changes needing to be made and with the product being digital they ensure changes are made continually. Changes can be weekly or even daily as new code can be changed quickly and immediately consumed by users. The occupation manages the product to the end of its life, decommissioning the system or service and the technology that sits behind it. An example in the public sector, where the public accesses the government service online to tax a car, the occupation has developed a service replacing a paper process with a wholly digital service. Digital Product Managers are responsible for Government services we regularly use such as Gov.Uk, renew your passport, book your covid vaccination. In the private sector the occupation owns applications and services used by a commercial or public sector organisation’s staff, their users, or citizens. This could be across installed applications, mobile applications, web sites and web applications across nearly all market sectors.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a wide range of people both inside and outside of their digital and technical development team and their organisation. These include members of their multi-disciplinary digital and technical development team (Software Engineers, Testers, Business Analysts, Delivery Managers, UX Designers), customers or internal users, subject matter experts across their organisation or sector, commercial teams within their organisation, other members of the digital product community including peers and leaders and any stakeholders interested in or with influence over their digital product.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle management of their digital product(s). They are responsible for prioritising user driven and commercial changes which leads to the prioritisation of the work of the digital and technical development team. They will be responsible for ensuring they deliver value for money but are unlikely to directly manage a budget. They will be physical or virtually office based and may have occasional direct working with customers or users. They are unlikely to have complete autonomy over their product, they will need approval or agreement from senior product colleagues in key decisions, including strategic direction. They are unlikely to be a line manager as they be will junior members of the digital product team. They are likely to report to a more senior member of the digital product team. However, some organisations may have different structures and they could report to a more senior leader in another areas.
| Duty | KSBs |
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Duty 1 Engage teams and stakeholders to develop a compelling vision and strategy for your product, and communicate these over the short and long-term |
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Duty 2 Prioritise the delivery of value delivered through digital products or services to users whilst balancing competing priorities and constraints |
K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K24 |
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Duty 3 Through your supporting of a multi-disciplinary team, you will represent users throughout the product lifecycle phases |
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Duty 4 Develop and prioritise the product backlog, creating user stories and making decisions based on evidence |
K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K21 K22 K24 |
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Duty 5 Engage with a variety of stakeholders, flexing your style as appropriate |
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Duty 6 Develop an expert understanding of the users’ needs and champion these in the delivery of your product |
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Duty 7 Engage with users and stakeholders through a range of channels to encourage take-up and use of your product |
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Duty 8 Set measurable goals for your product and report against these to demonstrate progress against benefits |
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Duty 9 Support the vision, roadmaps and delivery of other products in your area of work |
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Duty 10 Play an active role in product manager communities sharing your learning and celebrating progress made by other people and teams |
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Duty 11 Seeking out appropriate feedback and using it to drive future improvements |
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Duty 12 Seeking out and using best available data to make decisions |
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Duty 13 Working with and alongside all members of a multi-disciplinary team to get the best outcomes |
K4 K7 K8 K14 K15 K16 K17 K18 K21 K23 |
K1: Product delivery lifecycle and phases over time.
Back to Duty
K2: Business case development and the realisation of benefits to the organisation.
Back to Duty
K3: Purpose of vision and strategy for a digital product throughout its life cycle.
Back to Duty
K4: Approaches to stakeholder management in ensuring the delivery of successful products.
Back to Duty
K5: Approaches to communication for a range of stakeholders across multiple channels, including technical and non-technical audiences.
Back to Duty
K6: Approaches to utilise horizon scanning and wider industry trends to inform strategic decisions.
Back to Duty
K7: Methodologies of user or customer research/insights and evaluative research.
Back to Duty
K8: Different prototyping approaches to explore and iterate potential solutions with real users.
Back to Duty
K9: Standards relevant to digital product development in your sector which could include accessibility, ethics and privacy.
Back to Duty
K10: Importance of data management in accordance with legislation to ensure compliance.
Back to Duty
K11: Importance of security and assurance in digital product design, development and operations.
Back to Duty
K12: Importance of Diversity and Inclusion when designing and developing digital products across a range of protected characteristics to ensure inclusive and accessible outcomes are embedded from the outset
Back to Duty
K13: Principles of sustainable product development including the environmental footprint throughout the lifecycle of the product from inception to decommissioning.
Back to Duty
K14: Approaches to problem solving methodologies for example using team skills, workshop, root cause analysis, research.
Back to Duty
K15: Approaches to delivering products, including Minimum Viable Product and subsequent iterative delivery and optimisation techniques.
Back to Duty
K16: Principles of product ownerships and risk including value, usability, feasibility and viability.
Back to Duty
K17: Different product development approaches including iterative and sequential methodologies and when to apply them.
Back to Duty
K18: Different approaches to planning and development of product roadmaps for both the team and diverse stakeholder needs.
Back to Duty
K19: Different prioritisation techniques, when and how to use them whilst project managing.
Back to Duty
K20: Principles of budgets, costs, value and contract management
Back to Duty
K21: Approaches to a running a live product including incident management and service support.
Back to Duty
K22: Principles of performance measures and their selection to measure the success of a product.
Back to Duty
K23: Principles of data analytics, data visualisation techniques and tools.
Back to Duty
K24: User stories, their format and their value.
Back to Duty
K25: How they will ensure product take-up, usage and continually develop the product.
Back to Duty
S1: Diagnose problems by breaking problems down systematically into component parts and identify the relationships between those parts.
Back to Duty
S2: Reflect critically on results/data/insights to identify improvements.
Back to Duty
S3: Utilise iterative and sequential methodologies as appropriate to develop products.
Back to Duty
S4: Work within a multi-disciplinary team through two or more phases of the product delivery lifecycle.
Back to Duty
S5: Manage the operational running of a live product or service.
Back to Duty
S6: Identify, understand, and define problems, analyse and help to identify the appropriate solution using relevant methodologies, principles and approaches.
Back to Duty
S7: Support the development of artifacts for assessment.
Back to Duty
S8: Translate back log and roadmap, and show how it aligns to strategy.
Back to Duty
S9: Identify users, who they are, and what their needs are, based on evidence.
Back to Duty
S10: Define user stories, write stories and acceptance criteria.
Back to Duty
S11: Engage various stakeholders, utilise the vision, goals, KPI’s and objectives for the product or service.
Back to Duty
S12: Ensure methods and techniques for structured reviews are applied, for example but not limited to peer review, formal technical review, user research and testing.
Back to Duty
S13: Utilise planning and prioritisation techniques to organise and manage the product backlog to deliver value and benefits.
Back to Duty
S14: Produce reports, roadmaps, plans to report progress and support governance processes and stakeholder management at various levels within the organisation.
Back to Duty
S15: Use product management life cycle tools and techniques. Where appropriate automate mechanical tasks such as scheduling, resource balancing, and time recording.
Back to Duty
S16: Manage, mitigate and investigate product risks and ensuring product meets the need of its users.
Back to Duty
S17: Use data to inform decision making.
Back to Duty
B1: Professional approach when they have managed difficult, challenging constraint and or a situation.
Back to Duty
B2: Commitment to continuous improvement by following and maintaining quality standards throughout the product life cycle.
Back to Duty
B3: Assumes responsibility that their actions and objectives are in line with business strategy.
Back to Duty
B4: Conveying a level of confidence and professionalism when engaging with stakeholders.
Back to Duty
B5: User centred mindset to solving problems that deliver value and meet user needs.
Back to Duty
B6: Demonstrating a customer first approach in day-to-day activity. For both internal and external customers.
Back to Duty
B7: Influencing others to take a specific course of action.
Back to Duty
Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the End-Point Assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language (BSL) qualification is an alternative to the English qualification for those whose primary language is BSL.
V1.0
This document explains the requirements for end-point assessment (EPA) for the digital product manager apprenticeship. End-point assessment organisations (EPAOs) must follow this when designing and delivering the EPA.
Digital product manager apprentices, their employers and training providers should read this document.
An approved EPAO must conduct the EPA for this apprenticeship. Employers must select an approved EPAO from the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s Register of end-point assessment organisations (RoEPAO).
A full-time apprentice typically spends 24 months on-programme (this means in training before the gateway) working towards competence as a digital product manager. All apprentices must spend at least 12 months on-programme. All apprentices must complete the required amount of off-the-job training specified by the apprenticeship funding rules.
This EPA has 2 assessment methods.
The grades available for each assessment method are:
Assessment method 1 - professional discussion underpinned by portfolio:
Assessment method 2 - project report, presentation, and questions:
The result from each assessment method is combined to decide the overall apprenticeship grade. The following grades are available for the apprenticeship:
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On-programme - typically 24 months
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The apprentice must complete training to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) of the occupational standard. The apprentice must complete training towards English and maths qualifications in line with the apprenticeship funding rules. This includes those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement. British sign language (BSL) qualifications are an alternative to English qualifications for those who have BSL as their primary language. The apprentice must compile a portfolio of evidence. |
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End-point assessment gateway
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The employer must be content that the apprentice is working at or above the occupational standard. The apprentice’s employer must confirm that they think the apprentice:
The apprentice must have achieved English and mathematics qualifications (including those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement) as specified by the apprenticeship funding rules. British Sign Language (BSL) qualifications are an alternative to English qualifications for those who have BSL as their primary language. For the professional discussion underpinned by portfolio the apprentice must submit a portfolio of evidence. For the project report, presentation, and questions, the apprentice must submit the following supporting material: project title and project scope requirements. To ensure the project allows the apprentice to meet the KSBs mapped to this assessment method to the highest available grade, the EPAO should sign-off the project’s title and scope at the gateway to confirm it is suitable. The apprentice must submit any policies and procedures as requested by the EPAO. |
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End-point assessment - typically 4 months
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Grades available for each assessment method: Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio
Project report, presentation, and questions
Overall EPA and apprenticeship can be graded:
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Re-sits and re-takes
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The EPA is taken in the EPA period. The EPA period starts when the EPAO confirms the gateway requirements have been met and is typically 4 months.
The EPAO should confirm the gateway requirements have been met and the EPA should start as quickly as possible.
The apprentice’s employer must confirm that they think their apprentice is working at or above the occupational standard. The apprentice will then enter the gateway. The employer may take advice from the apprentice's training provider(s), but the employer must make the decision.
The apprentice must meet the gateway requirements before starting their EPA.
These are:
Portfolio of evidence requirements:
The apprentice must compile a portfolio of evidence during the on-programme period of the apprenticeship. It should only contain evidence related to the KSBs that will be assessed by this assessment method. It will typically contain 8 discrete pieces of evidence. Evidence must be mapped against the KSBs. Evidence may be used to demonstrate more than one KSB; a qualitative as opposed to quantitative approach is suggested.
Evidence sources may include:
This is not a definitive list; other evidence sources can be included.
The portfolio of evidence should not include reflective accounts or any methods of self-assessment. Any employer contributions should focus on direct observation of performance (for example, witness statements) rather than opinions. The evidence provided should be valid and attributable to the apprentice; the portfolio of evidence should contain a statement from the employer and apprentice confirming this.
The EPAO should not assess the portfolio of evidence directly as it underpins the discussion. The independent assessor should review the portfolio of evidence to prepare questions for the discussion. They are not required to provide feedback after this review.
The EPAO should sign-off the project’s title and scope at the gateway to confirm it is suitable
The apprentice must submit any policies and procedures as requested by the EPAO.
The assessment methods can be delivered in any order.
The result of one assessment method does not need to be known before starting the next.
In the discussion, an independent assessor and apprentice have a formal two-way conversation.
The apprentice can refer to and illustrate their answers with evidence from their portfolio of evidence. It gives the apprentice the opportunity to demonstrate their competency across the KSBs mapped to this EPA method.
This assessment method is being used because:
The rationale for this assessment method is that a professional discussion allows a two-way dialogue between the apprentice and independent assessor. It is commonplace for digital product managers to engage in detailed discussions, so this assessment method mirrors their day-to-day work.
A professional discussion is a well-recognised method of assessment which is widely used within the digital sector. It allows for knowledge, skills and behaviours that may not naturally occur as part of another assessment method to be assessed and more easily discussed. The apprentice can draw upon other supporting evidence in the portfolio and can effectively determine the authenticity of that supporting evidence. After the gateway, the EPAO will send the portfolio to the independent assessor a minimum of 14 days before the intended date of the professional discussion to allow the independent assessor to review the portfolio and generate appropriate questions.
The professional discussion must be structured to give the apprentice the opportunity to demonstrate the KSBs mapped to this assessment method to the highest available grade.
An independent assessor must conduct and assess the professional discussion.
The purpose of the independent assessor's questions is to aid the assessor in assessing the apprentice’s understanding of underpinning reasoning for their actions within the professional discussion for the KSBs assigned to this method.
Questioning should not be used to extend the scope of the assessment.
Those KSBs that the apprentice did not have the opportunity to demonstrate during the professional discussion can instead be covered by questioning, although these should be kept to a minimum. The independent assessor has the discretion to increase the duration of questioning by up to 10% to allow the apprentice the opportunity to respond to their final question. The time for questioning can be allocated according to the judgement of the assessor of where questions will add most value in increasing their understanding of the competence of the apprentice. The independent assessor must use the full time available for questioning to allow the apprentice the opportunity to evidence occupational competence at the highest level available unless the apprentice has already achieved the highest grade available. The independent assessor must ask a minimum of 8 questions at their discretion. Follow up questions may be asked where clarification is required. During the questioning component, the apprentices should have available a copy of their portfolio to refer to and to aid recall. This can be done via paper-based outputs or via a screen share facility. The assessment must be documented by the independent assessor with a recording kept by the EPAO for quality assurance purposes. The independent assessor will assess this assessment method holistically.
The EPAO must give an apprentice 2 weeks notice of the professional discussion.
The independent assessor must have at least 2 weeks to review the supporting documentation.
The apprentice must have access to their portfolio during the professional discussion.
The apprentice can refer to and illustrate their answers with evidence from their portfolio , however the portfolio is not directly assessed.
The professional discussion must last for 60 minutes. The independent assessor can increase the time of the professional discussion by up to 10%. This time is to allow the apprentice to respond to a question if necessary.
The independent assessor must ask at least 8 questions. Follow-up questions are allowed where clarification is required. The independent assessor must use the questions from their EPAO’s question bank or create their own questions in-line with the EPAO’s training.
The independent assessor must make the grading decision. The independent assessor must keep accurate records of the assessment. They must record:
The professional discussion must take place in a suitable venue selected by the EPAO (for example the EPAO’s or employer’s premises). But will mainly be carried out remotely
The professional discussion can be conducted by video conferencing. The EPAO must have processes in place to verify the identity of the apprentice and ensure the apprentice is not being aided.
The professional discussion should take place in a quiet room, free from distractions and influence.
The EPAO must develop a purpose-built assessment specification and question bank. It is recommended this is done in consultation with employers of this occupation. The EPAO should maintain the security and confidentiality of EPA materials when consulting employers. The assessment specification and question bank must be reviewed at least once a year to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose.
The assessment specification must be relevant to the occupation and demonstrate how to assess the KSBs mapped to this assessment method. The EPAO must ensure that questions are refined and developed to a high standard. The questions must be unpredictable. A question bank of sufficient size will support this.
The EPAO must ensure that apprentice has a different set of questions in the case of re-sits or re-takes.
The EPAO must produce the following materials to support the professional discussion underpinned by portfolio:
The EPAO must ensure that the EPA materials are subject to quality assurance procedures including standardisation, training, and moderation.
A project involves the apprentice completing a significant and defined piece of work that has a real business application and benefit. The project must start after the apprentice has gone through the gateway. It gives the apprentice the opportunity to demonstrate the KSBs mapped to this assessment method.
The project must meet the needs of the employer’s business and be relevant to the apprentice’s occupation and apprenticeship. The EPAO must confirm that it provides the apprentice with the opportunity to demonstrate the KSBs mapped to this assessment method to the highest available grade. The EPAO must refer to the grading descriptors to ensure that projects are pitched appropriately.
This assessment method has 2 components:
This EPA method is being used because it enables a defined piece of work to be undertaken after the gateway to demonstrate particular aspects of the occupation. The project reflects the approach taken to address the transition from at least one product life cycle to another and all the processes that they considered and followed. It would not be possible to observe the apprentice complete these activities as it would take too long and not be practical to schedule alongside existing work. Digital product managers are required to present the results of product output work and so the presentation reflects the requirements of the role.
Digital product managers are responsible for communicating with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders This mirrors their day to day activities and the presentation component gives the apprentice the best possible chance of show casing all their accumulated learning.
Questioning enables underpinning knowledge and understanding to be assessed. This method enables synoptic assessment of knowledge, skills, and behaviours.
The project report, presentation, and questions must be structured to give the apprentice the opportunity to demonstrate the KSBs mapped to this assessment method to the highest available grade.
The apprentice’s project must be based on
The management of the transition from at least one stage of the product life cycle to another and all the process that they considered and followed.
To ensure the project allows the apprentice to meet the KSBs mapped to this assessment method to the highest available grade, the EPAO should sign-off the project’s title and scope at the gateway to confirm it is suitable.
The project output must be in the form of a report.
The apprentice must start the project after the gateway. They must complete and submit the report to the EPAO by the end of week 10 of the EPA period. The employer should ensure the apprentice has the time and resources, within this period, to plan and complete their project. The apprentice must complete their project and the production of its components unaided.
The apprentice may work as part of a team to complete the project which could include technical internal or external support. However, the project output must be the apprentice’s own work and reflective of their own role and contribution. The apprentice and their employer must confirm that the project output(s) is the apprentice’s own work when it is submitted.
The report must include at least:
Project report showing the management of the transition between one stage of the product life cycle and another that the apprentice has carried out post gateway
As a minimum, all projects must include:
The work-based project and subsequent presentation should be designed to ensure that the apprentice’s work meets the needs of both users and the business, is relevant to their role and allows the relevant KSBs to be demonstrated for the EPA. It will showcase the apprentice management of the transition between at least one stage of the product life cycle and another.
The project report has a word count of 1500 words. A tolerance of 10% above or below the word count is allowed at the apprentice’s discretion. Appendices, references and diagrams are not included in this total. The project report must map, in an appendix, how it evidences the KSBs mapped to this assessment method.
In the presentation with questions the apprentice delivers a presentation to an independent assessor on their project. The independent assessor must ask questions following the presentation. This gives the apprentice the opportunity to demonstrate the KSBs mapped to this assessment method.
The apprentice must prepare and submit their presentation speaker notes and supporting materials presentation with questions and answers. The independent assessor must ask questions after the presentation. The presentations must include:
The apprentice must prepare and submit their presentation speaker notes and supporting materials to the EPAO at the same time as the report by the end of week 10 of the EPA period.
The apprentice must notify the EPAO, at that point, of any technical requirements for the presentation. During the presentation, the apprentice must have access to:
The independent assessor must have at least 2 weeks to review the project output(s) and presentation speaker notes and supporting materials, to allow them to prepare questions.
The EPAO must give the apprentices at least 2 weeks notice of the presentation with questions.
The apprentice must deliver their presentation to the independent assessor on a one-to-one basis.
The independent assessor must ask questions after the presentation.
The purpose of the independent assessor's questions will be to check the underpinning knowledge of the apprentice based on competency style questions.
A minimum of 2 questions will be asked for each of the following themes:
The presentation and questions can last 60 minutes. This will typically include a presentation of 20 minutes and questioning lasting 40 minutes. The independent assessor can increase or decrease the total time of the presentation and questioning by up to 10%. This time is to allow the apprentice to complete their last point or respond to a question if necessary.
The independent assessor must ask at least 8 questions. They must use the questions from the EPAO’s question bank or create their own questions in-line with the EPAO’s training. Follow up questions are allowed where clarification is required.
The independent assessor must use the full time available for questioning. The independent assessor must make the grading decision. The project components must be assessed holistically by the independent assessor when they are deciding the grade.
The independent assessor must make the grading decision. The project components must be assessed holistically by the independent assessor when they are deciding the grade.
The independent assessor must keep accurate records of the assessment. They must record:
The presentation with questions must take place in a suitable venue selected by the EPAO (for example the EPAO’s or employer’s premises).
The presentation with questions should take place in a quiet room, free from distractions and influence.
The presentation with questioning can be conducted by video conferencing. The EPAO must have processes in place to verify the identity of the apprentice and ensure the apprentice is not being aided.
The EPAO must develop a purpose-built assessment specification and question bank. It is recommended this is done in consultation with employers of this occupation. The EPAO should maintain the security and confidentiality of EPA materials when consulting employers. The assessment specification and question bank must be reviewed at least once a year to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose.
The assessment specification must be relevant to the occupation and demonstrate how to assess the KSBs mapped to this assessment method. The EPAO must ensure that questions are refined and developed to a high standard. The questions must be unpredictable. A question bank of sufficient size will support this.
The EPAO must ensure that the apprentice has a different set of questions in the case of re-sits or re-takes.
EPAO must produce the following materials to support the project report, presentation, and questions:
The EPAO must ensure that the EPA materials are subject to quality assurance procedures including standardisation, training, and moderation.
Fail - does not meet pass criteria
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Theme
KSBs
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Pass
Apprentices must demonstrate all the pass descriptors
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Distinction
Apprentices must demonstrate all the pass descriptors and all of the distinction descriptors
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Communications & Ownership
K2 K4 K5 K13 K20 K21 S11 B1 B3 B4 B7 |
Explains the importance of developing business cases on the realisation of benefits to the organisation during product development (K2) Explains how they independently establish an approach to incident management and service support to manage difficult tasks or challenging situations whilst reducing environmental footprint during the product lifecycle. (K21, B1, B3) Evaluates techniques and approaches to manage, engage and build trust with various stakeholders in a confident and professional way, in order to work towards goals, KPIs and objectives and how they collaborate with internal and external stakeholders (K4, K5, S11, B4) Promotes a sustainable approach to product development to reduce carbon footprint throughout the life cycle, whilst factoring budget, costs, and contract management. (K13, K20, B7)
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Justifies approaches used to manage stakeholders when ensuring the delivery of a successful product (K4, K5, S11)
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Strategic Thinking
K6 K14 K16 S1 S6 S7 S8 B5 |
Explains how they identify and define problems, select the appropriate solution, and the impact of understanding and utilising the most relevant methodologies in this approach (K14, S6) Demonstrates how to use a centred mindset to systematically break down problems into component parts to meet user needs (S1, B5) Outlines approaches to horizon scanning translating roadmaps whilst aligning to strategy (K6, S8) Explains how they have developed the artifacts for assessment according to the principles of product ownership and risk (K16, S7) |
Critically evaluate problem statements and current value propositions to define relevant problem solving methodologies. Justify tools and techniques selected (K14, S6) |
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Users
K12 K19 K24 K25 S9 S10 S12 S13 |
Analyses the importance of writing user stories whilst applying the relevant acceptance criteria (K24, S10) Shows appropriate prioritisation techniques for managing and organising the current backlog (K19, S13) Explains how accessible outcomes for users with protected characteristics can be embedded through the product lifecycle from design to launch based on evidence of user need. (K12, S9) Explains how they ensured product take-up, usage and continually developed the product using structured reviews. (K25, S12) |
Critically evaluate the impact of mis-aligning user needs and requirements with the acceptance criteria (K24, S9, S10) |
Fail - does not meet pass criteria
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Theme
KSBs
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Pass
Apprentices must demonstrate all the pass descriptors
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Distinction
Apprentices must demonstrate all the pass descriptors and all of the distinction descriptors
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|---|---|---|
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Product Development
K1 K7 K8 K15 K17 K18 S3 S4 B2 |
Identifies how user research and customer insights can inform the development of a product roadmap prioritising the delivery of quality solutions. (K7) (K18) (B2) Outlines product delivery phases when working with different teams throughout the product delivery lifecycle (K1) (S4) Demonstrates how they have selected and utilised the methodologies to develop the product using different prototyping approaches and iterative and sequential product delivery approaches. (K8, K15, K17, S3)
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Evaluate the methodologies and justify why they were effective in this development (K8, K15, K17, S3)
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Standards
K9 K10 K11 S14 S16 |
Identifies all relevant standards associated with digital product development throughout the product lifecycle and describes how data products can be managed to reduce risk and comply with relevant legislation. (K9) (K10) (S16) Prepares documents and roadmaps to report product development progress according to the organisation’s governance processes for managing compliance, security standards and reducing risk throughout the project. (K11, S14)
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Analyse the approach and the impact of the risk management opportunities when using all relevant standards, legislation and compliance needs associated with digital product development in the organisation. (K9, K10, S16)
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Product Operations
K3 K22 K23 S2 S5 S15 S17 B6 |
Explains how the operational running of a live product or service is managed using product management life cycle tools and techniques, to implement vision and strategy for a digital product throughout its life cycle, to meet both internal and external customer needs. (K3, S15, S5, B6) Explains how they will identify user and business centric performance metrics that will be used to measure success or make improvements to the product after development (K22, S2) Evaluates data analysis using visual techniques and/or tools to demonstrate an understanding of data decision making in order to identify iterative product improvement. (K23, S17)
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Justify the performance measures taken, define a core selection to critically evaluate measures of success and how they will perform against strategic goals. (K22) (S2)
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The assessment methods contribute equally to the overall EPA pass grade.
Performance in the EPA determines the apprenticeship grade of:
An independent assessor must individually grade the: professional discussion underpinned by portfolio, project report, presentation and and questions in line with this EPA plan.
The EPAO must combine the individual assessment method grades to determine the overall EPA grade.
If the apprentice fails one or more assessment methods, they will be awarded an overall EPA fail.
To achieve an overall pass, the apprentice should achieve at least a pass in all the assessment methods. To achieve an overall EPA merit, the apprentice must achieve a pass in the either assessment method and a distinction in the other assessment method. To achieve an overall EPA distinction, the apprentice must achieve a distinction in both assessment methods.
Grades from individual assessment methods should be combined in the following way to determine the grade of the EPA overall.
| Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio | Project report, presentation, and questions | Overall Grading |
|---|---|---|
| Fail | Any grade | Fail |
| Any grade | Fail | Fail |
| Pass | Pass | Pass |
| Pass | Distinction | Merit |
| Distinction | Pass | Merit |
| Distinction | Distinction | Distinction |
If the apprentice fails one or more assessment methods they can take a re-sit or a re-take at their employer’s discretion. The apprentice’s employer needs to agree that a re-sit or re-take is appropriate. A re-sit does not need further learning, whereas a re-take does.
The apprentice should have a supportive action plan to prepare for a re-sit or a re-take.
The employer and EPAO agree the timescale for a re-sit or re-take. A re-sit is typically taken within 1 months of the EPA outcome notification. The timescale for a re-take is dependent on how much re-training is required and is typically taken within 3 months of the EPA outcome notification.
Failed assessment methods must be re-sat or re-taken within a 6-month period from the EPA outcome notification, otherwise the entire EPA will need to be re-sat or re-taken in full.
Re-sits and re-takes are not offered to an apprentice wishing to move from pass to a higher grade.
The apprentice will get a maximum EPA grade of pass for a re-sit or re-take, unless the EPAO determines there are exceptional circumstances.
Apprentices whose re-sits/re-takes are due to failing the EPA because of extenuating circumstances (for example illness) should have all grades available to them
| Roles | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
|
Apprentice |
As a minimum, the apprentice should:
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Employer |
As a minimum, the apprentice's employer must:
Post-gateway, the employer must:
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EPAO |
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Independent assessor |
As a minimum, an independent assessor must:
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Training provider |
As a minimum, the training provider should:
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The EPAO must have reasonable adjustments arrangements for the EPA.
This should include:
Adjustments must maintain the validity, reliability and integrity of the EPA as outlined in this EPA plan.
Internal quality assurance refers to how the EPAO ensures valid, consistent and reliable EPA decisions. The EPAO must adhere to the requirements within the roles and responsibilities section and:
Affordability of the EPA will be aided by using at least some of the following:
Professional body recognition is not relevant to this occupational apprenticeship at present .
| Knowledge | Assessment methods |
|---|---|
|
K1
Product delivery lifecycle and phases over time. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
K2
Business case development and the realisation of benefits to the organisation. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
K3
Purpose of vision and strategy for a digital product throughout its life cycle. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
K4
Approaches to stakeholder management in ensuring the delivery of successful products. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
K5
Approaches to communication for a range of stakeholders across multiple channels, including technical and non-technical audiences. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
K6
Approaches to utilise horizon scanning and wider industry trends to inform strategic decisions. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
K7
Methodologies of user or customer research/insights and evaluative research. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
K8
Different prototyping approaches to explore and iterate potential solutions with real users. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
K9
Standards relevant to digital product development in your sector which could include accessibility, ethics and privacy. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
K10
Importance of data management in accordance with legislation to ensure compliance. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
K11
Importance of security and assurance in digital product design, development and operations. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
K12
Importance of Diversity and Inclusion when designing and developing digital products across a range of protected characteristics to ensure inclusive and accessible outcomes are embedded from the outset Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
K13
Principles of sustainable product development including the environmental footprint throughout the lifecycle of the product from inception to decommissioning. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
K14
Approaches to problem solving methodologies for example using team skills, workshop, root cause analysis, research. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
K15
Approaches to delivering products, including Minimum Viable Product and subsequent iterative delivery and optimisation techniques. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
K16
Principles of product ownerships and risk including value, usability, feasibility and viability. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
K17
Different product development approaches including iterative and sequential methodologies and when to apply them. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
K18
Different approaches to planning and development of product roadmaps for both the team and diverse stakeholder needs. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
K19
Different prioritisation techniques, when and how to use them whilst project managing. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
K20
Principles of budgets, costs, value and contract management Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
K21
Approaches to a running a live product including incident management and service support. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
K22
Principles of performance measures and their selection to measure the success of a product. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
K23
Principles of data analytics, data visualisation techniques and tools. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
K24
User stories, their format and their value. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
K25
How they will ensure product take-up, usage and continually develop the product. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
| Skill | Assessment methods |
|---|---|
|
S1
Diagnose problems by breaking problems down systematically into component parts and identify the relationships between those parts. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
S2
Reflect critically on results/data/insights to identify improvements. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
S3
Utilise iterative and sequential methodologies as appropriate to develop products. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
S4
Work within a multi-disciplinary team through two or more phases of the product delivery lifecycle. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
S5
Manage the operational running of a live product or service. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
S6
Identify, understand, and define problems, analyse and help to identify the appropriate solution using relevant methodologies, principles and approaches. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
S7
Support the development of artifacts for assessment. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
S8
Translate back log and roadmap, and show how it aligns to strategy. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
S9
Identify users, who they are, and what their needs are, based on evidence. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
S10
Define user stories, write stories and acceptance criteria. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
S11
Engage various stakeholders, utilise the vision, goals, KPI’s and objectives for the product or service. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
S12
Ensure methods and techniques for structured reviews are applied, for example but not limited to peer review, formal technical review, user research and testing. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
S13
Utilise planning and prioritisation techniques to organise and manage the product backlog to deliver value and benefits. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
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S14
Produce reports, roadmaps, plans to report progress and support governance processes and stakeholder management at various levels within the organisation. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
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S15
Use product management life cycle tools and techniques. Where appropriate automate mechanical tasks such as scheduling, resource balancing, and time recording. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
S16
Manage, mitigate and investigate product risks and ensuring product meets the need of its users. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
S17
Use data to inform decision making. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
| Behaviour | Assessment methods |
|---|---|
|
B1
Professional approach when they have managed difficult, challenging constraint and or a situation. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
B2
Commitment to continuous improvement by following and maintaining quality standards throughout the product life cycle. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
B3
Assumes responsibility that their actions and objectives are in line with business strategy. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
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B4
Conveying a level of confidence and professionalism when engaging with stakeholders. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
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B5
User centred mindset to solving problems that deliver value and meet user needs. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
|
B6
Demonstrating a customer first approach in day-to-day activity. For both internal and external customers. Back to Grading |
Project report, presentation, and questions |
|
B7
Influencing others to take a specific course of action. Back to Grading |
Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio |
| KSBS GROUPED BY THEME | Knowledge | Skills | Behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Communications & Ownership
K2 K4 K5 K13 K20 K21 S11 B1 B3 B4 B7 |
Business case development and the realisation of benefits to the organisation. (K2) Approaches to stakeholder management in ensuring the delivery of successful products. (K4) Approaches to communication for a range of stakeholders across multiple channels, including technical and non-technical audiences. (K5) Principles of sustainable product development including the environmental footprint throughout the lifecycle of the product from inception to decommissioning. (K13) Principles of budgets, costs, value and contract management (K20) Approaches to a running a live product including incident management and service support. (K21) |
Engage various stakeholders, utilise the vision, goals, KPI’s and objectives for the product or service. (S11) |
Professional approach when they have managed difficult, challenging constraint and or a situation. (B1) Assumes responsibility that their actions and objectives are in line with business strategy. (B3) Conveying a level of confidence and professionalism when engaging with stakeholders. (B4) Influencing others to take a specific course of action. (B7) |
|
Strategic Thinking
K6 K14 K16 S1 S6 S7 S8 B5 |
Approaches to utilise horizon scanning and wider industry trends to inform strategic decisions. (K6) Approaches to problem solving methodologies for example using team skills, workshop, root cause analysis, research. (K14) Principles of product ownerships and risk including value, usability, feasibility and viability. (K16) |
Diagnose problems by breaking problems down systematically into component parts and identify the relationships between those parts. (S1) Identify, understand, and define problems, analyse and help to identify the appropriate solution using relevant methodologies, principles and approaches. (S6) Support the development of artifacts for assessment. (S7) Translate back log and roadmap, and show how it aligns to strategy. (S8) |
User centred mindset to solving problems that deliver value and meet user needs. (B5) |
|
Users
K12 K19 K24 K25 S9 S10 S12 S13 |
Importance of Diversity and Inclusion when designing and developing digital products across a range of protected characteristics to ensure inclusive and accessible outcomes are embedded from the outset (K12) Different prioritisation techniques, when and how to use them whilst project managing. (K19) User stories, their format and their value. (K24) How they will ensure product take-up, usage and continually develop the product. (K25) |
Identify users, who they are, and what their needs are, based on evidence. (S9) Define user stories, write stories and acceptance criteria. (S10) Ensure methods and techniques for structured reviews are applied, for example but not limited to peer review, formal technical review, user research and testing. (S12) Utilise planning and prioritisation techniques to organise and manage the product backlog to deliver value and benefits. (S13) |
None |
| KSBS GROUPED BY THEME | Knowledge | Skills | Behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Product Development
K1 K7 K8 K15 K17 K18 S3 S4 B2 |
Product delivery lifecycle and phases over time. (K1) Methodologies of user or customer research/insights and evaluative research. (K7) Different prototyping approaches to explore and iterate potential solutions with real users. (K8) Approaches to delivering products, including Minimum Viable Product and subsequent iterative delivery and optimisation techniques. (K15) Different product development approaches including iterative and sequential methodologies and when to apply them. (K17) Different approaches to planning and development of product roadmaps for both the team and diverse stakeholder needs. (K18) |
Utilise iterative and sequential methodologies as appropriate to develop products. (S3) Work within a multi-disciplinary team through two or more phases of the product delivery lifecycle. (S4) |
Commitment to continuous improvement by following and maintaining quality standards throughout the product life cycle. (B2) |
|
Standards
K9 K10 K11 S14 S16 |
Standards relevant to digital product development in your sector which could include accessibility, ethics and privacy. (K9) Importance of data management in accordance with legislation to ensure compliance. (K10) Importance of security and assurance in digital product design, development and operations. (K11) |
Produce reports, roadmaps, plans to report progress and support governance processes and stakeholder management at various levels within the organisation. (S14) Manage, mitigate and investigate product risks and ensuring product meets the need of its users. (S16) |
None |
|
Product Operations
K3 K22 K23 S2 S5 S15 S17 B6 |
Purpose of vision and strategy for a digital product throughout its life cycle. (K3) Principles of performance measures and their selection to measure the success of a product. (K22) Principles of data analytics, data visualisation techniques and tools. (K23) |
Reflect critically on results/data/insights to identify improvements. (S2) Manage the operational running of a live product or service. (S5) Use product management life cycle tools and techniques. Where appropriate automate mechanical tasks such as scheduling, resource balancing, and time recording. (S15) Use data to inform decision making. (S17) |
Demonstrating a customer first approach in day-to-day activity. For both internal and external customers. (B6) |
Contact us about this apprenticeship
| Version | Change detail | Earliest start date | Latest start date | Latest end date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Approved for delivery | 11/05/2023 | Not set | Not set |
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