Steps to earn the Quality Label for Badge recognition

The Quality Label for Badge Recognition (further referred to as Quality Label) signifies a commitment to upholding quality standards in badge-issuing activities. By fostering a community dedicated to delivering quality learning opportunities and skill recognition, it aims to offer additional credibility and reliability in recognising and promoting quality Open Badge issuance practices.
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The main steps to receive the Quality Label are:
To complete an online training course,
To submit the application form,
And to pass the formal evaluation process.
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However, before an Organiser can embark on this journey, some essential conditions must be met: we call these “step 0” because they are the foundations which enable the rest of the process.
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The essentials
The aspiring Quality Label holder must register as an Organiser on one of the Awero platforms, such as Cities of Learning, and request verification for their Organiser account.
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The Organiser should then review the information about all the steps needed to achieve the Quality Label, and about the values of the Cities of Learning Network, which they must be willing to adhere to. This information is available on the platform.
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Finally, the Organiser must have been actively using badges for at least 6 months prior to applying for the Quality Label. Evidence of this must be provided in the application form.
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Training
The Organiser (at least one staff member) must complete the digital playlist “Quality Label for Badge Issuing”, which will guide them through the process of becoming “Quality Label ready”. Having completed this playlist is a requirement for applying for the Quality Label.
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A second playlist called “Creating quality Open Badges and badge systems” is also part of the Quality Label online training, and is designed to help the Organiser learn how to create and issue quality badges. This second playlist is recommended but not mandatory.
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Cities of Learning Network members will review evidence in a standardised way and assess the participants’ learning outcomes.
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The two Quality Label playlists mentioned cover the following main topics:
Essentials about Open Badges (i.e. what are badges, different types of badges, different values of a badge, how to start creating and issuing badges, etc.);
How to create a quality badge (i.e. how to write a good description, how to assess a badge’s evidence, how to link the badge to wider competence frameworks, etc.);
How to create more complex badge systems;
How badges might be integrated into the Organiser’s work;
Quality Label: what it is and how to get it.
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Applying
The Organiser, now experienced in issuing quality badges and informed about the Quality Label’s requirements, can fill in and submit the application form to request the Quality Label.
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They should provide evidence including several examples of good practices in badge design and implementation, such as links to badges earned from the Quality Label online training (showing the expertise of the Organiser’s staff) and quality badges created and issued as an Organiser (showing adherence to the established quality standards).
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They should also provide a quality assurance and improvement plan for the next 3 years of badging activities within their organisation, as well as a declaration of their willingness and commitment to adhere to the values of the Cities of Learning Network and provide qualitative learning content. These are included in the application form.
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Evaluation process
A qualified experts’ committee within the Cities of Learning Network evaluates the Organiser’s application, checking all submitted evidence, and provides feedback to the Organiser in a maximum of 90 days.
If the Organiser fulfils the necessary requirements, as described in the following chapter, the Quality Label is issued and it is made clearly visible on the Cities of Learning platform on the Organiser’s profile.
Otherwise, if the Quality Label cannot be granted yet, the Organiser will receive detailed feedback on which areas of their application need improvement, and can try again.
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Applications should be submitted in English, but the Cities of Learning Network recognises the possibility that some applicants may need to submit their application and/or provide some of the evidence in another language.
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The Cities of Learning Network can guarantee the evaluation of applications/evidence submitted in languages different from English only when there is a native speaker of the chosen language on the evaluation committee.
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Languages currently available, besides English, are Catalan, Dutch, Italian, Lithuanian, Serbian, Slovene and Spanish.
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Badgecraft hosts this platform and develops it together with leading educational organisations. The European Union's programme Erasmus+ granted co-funding for building the first version of this platform. Contact support@badgecraft.eu.
Steps to earn the Quality Label for Badge recognition

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