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Regional Qualifications Framework

SADC Regional Qualifications Framework becomes a reality

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:35

By Tumelo Modisane

On 23 September 2011 Ministers responsible for education and training in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) approved the establishment of the SADC Regional Qualifications Framework (RQF).

This SADC RQF will be a reference framework described by level descriptors and will include:

The establishment of the SADC RQF is the culmination of a journey that began in 2001 when SADC member states called for a regional qualifications framework during a Sectoral Ministers Meeting held in Mauritius. At the time Ministers and Senior Officials of SADC member states agreed that a regional qualifications framework offered an important mechanism through which to enhance mobility, harmonisation and recognition of qualifications across the region.

A SADC RQF concept paper was developed in 2005 following consultation with stakeholders. The paper was then revised in 2011. The concept paper outlines the background and rationale and key components of the SADC RQF.

The SADC RQF is a ten-level framework and it will have broad level descriptors defined that will make for easy referencing as most countries in the region use a ten-level framework. The level descriptors that have been agreed upon will be further developed to include quality descriptors and qualification types.

To ensure that these developments take place, member states have been tasked with translating the ten-level descriptors to their existing qualification systems.

Elements of quality assurance will also be included in the SADC RQF to ensure that there is trust, confidence and credibility. It will have agreed quality assurance guidelines which set minimum standards for quality assurance in the region. Countries will benchmark their own quality assurance systems through a process of peer review.

The Technical Committee on Certification and Accreditation (TCCA) will oversee the implementation of the SADC RQF. The TCCA will be expanded to include representatives of the private sector and students. Currently the TCCA comprises mainly representatives from the qualification authorities in SADC member states.

The objective of the TCCA is to facilitate the development, implementation and harmonisation of NQFs in the region, including the development of the SADC RQF. To ensure the day-to-day implementation, SADC Ministers recommended that an Implementation Unit comprised of a Programme Officer, an IT Specialist and a Marketing Officer be established at the SADC Secretariat by 2013.

Meanwhile the SADC Ministers responsible for Education have mandated the TCCA to study and benchmark the SADC RQF with other regional and transnational qualifications frameworks that have been developed, such as in Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean, Europe and small states of the Commonwealth.