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What are NOS?

National Occupational Standards (Standards) provide a clear description of what you need to know and what you need to be able to do to perform a job successfully.

What are Standards used for?

Standards are used to create job descriptions, develop staff training courses and to support the appraisal process.

Standards can also be used to develop Qualifications to ensure that skills needs in the workplace are supported by useful qualifications.

They also serve as a useful ‘knowledge and skills checklist’ for self-assessment.

What Standards are available for roles unique to the third sector?

Standards exist across many occupational areas and millions of people have used them to ensure they perform their job to the national standard.

Standards describe the knowledge and skills required to carry out a specific task, and are outcomes based - i.e. they look at what needs to be done, not how you should do it.

We currently provide National Occupational Standards for the following occupations:

  • Campaigners
  • Development workers (a person who is based in a support agency/infrastructure organisation and whose job involves giving advice and support to frontline voluntary and community organisations).
  • Fundraisers
  • Managers of volunteers
  • Trustees and management committee members

Work is also underway to develop National Occupational Standards for other jobs in third sector organisations. Read more about the National Occupational Standards currently in development.

There are also a range of more general ‘cross-sector’ standards available, which have been developed by the appropriate standards setting bodies and which cover generic functions such as administration, management and leadership, community development and many, many more.

For more information on what other standards are available, visit the UK Standards Directory.

Review our Frequently Asked Questions for more details on Standards.

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