Policy and Criteria for Evaluating - Amazon Web Services

1 AQAP olicy and Criteria for EvaluatingForeign Qualificationswithin the South African l'IQFD raft for Public Comment17 March 2015 Introductory noteThe South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)ismandated by theNationalQualifications Framework (NQF) Act, 67 of 2008, to advance the objectives of the NQF,oversee the further development and implementation of the NQF and to co-ordinate the Sub-Frameworks. One of the objectives of the NQF is to facilitate access to, and mobility andprogression within education, training, development and work. In this regard Section 13(1)(m) requires SAQA to provide an evaluation and advisory service in respect of foreignqualifications, consistent with the NQF Policy and Criteria for Evaluating foreign Qualifications within the South African NQFoutlines the manner in which SAQA evaluates foreign qualifications within the context of theSouth African NQF in order to ensure consistency and transparency.

2 SAQA encourages allpractitioners directly or indirectly involved with foreign qualifications to engage with thisdraft Policy and submit comments to SAQA within 30 days of the publication of this draftpolicy in the Government Gazette. Comments should be sent to:Dr Sazi AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITYNo. 24727 March 2015 This gazette is also available free online at , 27 MAART 2015No. 386105 This draft Policy draws on a review of the foreign qualifications evaluation and advisoryservice in order to align the service better with both the NQF Act and the position of SAQAas an apex repositioning process, which took place from 2013 to 2014, resulted in the followingoutcomes:a revised definition of evaluation in relation to foreign qualifications;a revision of terminology to bring this in line with the nomenclature of the nationallegislation.

3 A conceptual understanding of the foreign Qualifications Recognition Value Chainand the role of SAQA as a legislatedauthority, as well as the roles andresponsibilities of other foreign qualifications recognition partners within SouthAfrica, including the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), learning institutions,professional bodies and employers;a reconsideration of the evaluation methodology (verification and comparison) toalign the processes with the revised definition of evaluation and the principles of theNQF;a revised SAQA Certificate of evaluation (effective on December 2013) aligned withSAQA' s counter-fraud strategy to promote genuine qualifications; andSAQA looks forward to working with all stakeholders involved in international mobility ofknowledge and skills through recognition of foreign qualifications.

4 It is hoped that this policywill benefit legitimate qualification holders hoping to study or work in South Africa, andthrough the knowledge and skills they bring into the country, South Africa as a SamuelsChief Executive OfficerThis gazette is also available free online at 38610 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 27 MARCH 2015 Glossary of TermsThe purpose of this glossary is to define the evaluation terminology as used to develop thispolicy and Criteria : The formal petitioning, by an applicant (the qualification holder), against thedecision made by SAQA, after the evaluation process, regarding the recognition of aforeign qualificationComparison: A process which entails comparing foreign qualifications with SouthAfrican qualifications, considering the structure and outcomes of foreign qualificationsand locating them within the NQFC redit.

5 A measure of the volume of learning required for a qualification or part- qualification , quantified as the number of notional study hours required for achieving thelearning outcomes specified for the qualification or part- qualification . In the SouthAfrican education and training system one credit is equated to ten (10) notional hours oflearningEvaluation of foreign qualifications: The process followed by SAQA to verify theauthenticity of foreign qualifications and to compare foreign qualifications with SouthAfrican qualificationsForeign qualification : A qualification which is both awarded by an institution accreditedor recognised in a national education and training system other than South Africa, andforms an intrinsic part of that system in accordance with its policies or generally acceptedpracticeLearning outcomes: The contextually demonstrated end-products of specific learningprocesses, which include knowledge, skills and valuesLevel: One of the series of levels of learning achievement, according to which an NQF orother form of education and training system is organised, and to which qualification typesare linked.

6 The South African NQF levels are arranged in ascending order from one Qualifications Framework (NQF): The comprehensive system approved bythe Minister of Higher Education and Training for the classification, registration,publicationandarticulation ofquality-assurednationalqualificationsa ndpart-qualifications. The South African NQF is a single integrated system comprising three co-ordinated Qualifications Sub-Frameworks for: General and Further Education andTraining; Higher Education; and Trades and OccupationsThis gazette is also available free online at , 27 MAART 2015No.

7 386107 qualification award: The formal acknowledgement, by the relevant authority, ofachievement of the stated learning outcomes for a qualificationQualifications frameworks: Systems for classification, registration, publication andarticulation of quality-assured qualificationsRecognition of a foreign qualification : The formal acceptance of the appropriateness ofa foreign qualification for a specific purposeRecognition agreement: A formal arrangement, signed between two or more countries ata designated political level, confirming the intent to mutually recognise each other'squalifications and outlining the agreed mechanisms and responsibilitiesRecognition decision (regarding a foreign qualification ): The outcome of theevaluation of a foreign qualification by SAQAF oreignQualificationRecognitionValueChain :Thevariousrecognitionresponsibilities, undertaken by key SA role players, to recognise a foreign qualificationfor specific purposesSAQA Certificate of evaluation .

8 A certificateissued by SAQA indicating theauthenticity of the foreign qualification and its location on the NQFS outh African Qualifications Authority (SAQA): The statutory authority established interms of the SAQA Act (Act 58 of 1995) and continuing in terms of the NQF Act (Act 67of 2008), which oversees the further development and implementation of the NQF, theachievement of the objectives of the NQF, and the co-ordination of the three Sub-FrameworksSub-Framework of the NQF: One of three co-ordinated Qualifications Sub-Frameworkswhich make up the South African NQF as a single integrated system namely the HigherEducation Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF), the General and Further EducationandTrainingQualificationsSub-Fr amework (GFETQSF) andtheOccupationalQualifications Sub-Framework (OQSF)Verification of a foreign qualification .

9 Verification includes authenticating the status ofinstitutions and the qualifications offered by them, investigating the authenticity ofqualification documentation and verifying that the qualification was awarded to theindividual in questionThis gazette is also available free online at 38610 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 27 MARCH 2015 Policy and Criteria for Evaluating foreign Qualifications within the SouthAfrican National Qualifications document outlines the principles and Criteria constituting the Policy by which theSouth African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) evaluates foreign qualificationswithin the context of the South African National Qualifications Framework (NQF).

10 Purpose is to promote consistency and transparency in the evaluation of foreignqualifications towards recognition and mobility and to make the information SAQA is mandated by the NQF Act, 67 of 2008, to advance the objectives of theNQF, oversee the further development and implementation of the NQF and to co-ordinate the The NQF is a comprehensive system approved by the Minister of Higher Educationand Training for the classification, registration, publication and articulation of quality-assured national of the objectives of the NQF is to facilitate access to, and mobility andprogression within, education, training, development and work.