Umalusi’s presentation to the Basic Education Portfolio Committee on the 2010/11 Annual Report 12 October 2011 Dr Mafu S Rakometsi

Purpose / Mandate Summarised External Environment : Impact on Umalusi Organisational Performance per Unit Financial Information Current Issues and Way Forward Conclusion Overview

Umalusi’s mandate is determined by two Acts namely, the National Qualifications Framework Act of 2008; and the General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Act of 2001 amended in Therefore Umalusi reports as a Quality Council as opposed to its previous presentation as an organisation in transition, although there are matters which still require clarification as will be indicated in the way forward. Purpose / Mandate Summarised

Umalusi is tasked with the following: Qualifications and standards: Develop and manage a sub-framework of qualifications in collaboration with SAQA and the other two QCs supported by the necessary policies and processes. Quality Assurance: Develop the necessary policies and ensure implementation of : Quality assurance of provision - Accredit private providers of education and training and assessment; Quality assure assessments at exit points and certify learner achievement Purpose / Mandate Summarised 2

Purpose / Mandate Summarised 3 Information Maintain a database of learner achievements and related matters; and submit such data in a format determined in consultation with the SAQA for recording on the national learners’ records database Research Commission and publish research on issues of importance to the development and implementation of the sub-framework

Advice and Collaboration Formalization of relationships which include:  Advice to the relevant Minister on matters relating to the GFET sub-framework of qualifications  Collaboration with the SAQA and other QCs in terms of the NQF  Establishment of co-operative relationships with professional bodies  Advocacy of the sub-framework of qualifications Purpose / Mandate Summarised 4

While maintaining the “old” and routine quality assurance work Umalusi has also had to accommodate development of functions to support the “new” and extended mandate. Certain aspects in the macro environment that have affected Umalusi are as follows:  The passing of the NQF Act in 2009; changes in the roles and responsibilities of the various bodies in the quality assurance landscape;  The amendment of the GENFETQA Act in 2008; the extended mandate which has required more capacity and a review of Umalusi’s positions and approaches;  The amendment of the Skills Development Act and the establishment of the QCTO with mandates that impact on the mandate of Umalusi;  Amendment of the HE Act with approaches that impact on Umalusi’s work; External Environment : Impact on Umalusi

NQF Implementation Framework from DHET putting pressure on policy development in an uncertain environment GFET FW has not been regulated and makes for further uncertainty The conceptualization of the post schools system through a green paper process which is nearing completion Review of the NCV – Ministerial Task team Revision of the N-courses with QCTO Revision of the school curriculum – CAPS Varying views on the nature of standard setting and quality assurance whose role it is – Umalusi’s? DHET? DBE? NEEDU? External Environment : Impact on Umalusi

Umalusi believes that educational standards and quality are set and maintained through a combination of processes and interventions and designed its rigorous quality assurance regime for 2010/11 to encompass the following: Evaluation and benchmarking of existing qualifications and curricula (Intended curriculum) and issuing authentic certificates; development of new qualifications and curricula Ensuring through external moderation processes and benchmarking that assessments at exit points are of an acceptable standard and that the examinations are conducted in a credible manner through verifying the national and provincial monitoring systems (Examined curriculum) Ensuring that standardisation processes are reliable, consistent and standardisation decisions upheld Accrediting private institutions (schools, FET colleges and Adult Centres), and private assessment bodies to offer / assess the qualifications it certifies (Enacted curriculum) Umalusi’s Quality Assurance Regime 2010/11

The role of QCC is to ensure and enhance the status and quality of the qualifications Umalusi certifies. Quality assuring the qualifications and their related curricula is QCC’s contribution to the overall quality of the certificate which Umalusi issues. This function also oversees the issuing and verification of certificates. (Qualifications: SC; NSC; N3; NCV 2 and 3; GETC: adults) Qualifications, Curriculum & Certification Unit (QCC)

Qualifications, Curriculum & Certification April 2010 – March 2011COMMENTS Qualifications Framework General and Further Education & Training Qualifications Framework submitted to the Minister: DHET Two qualifications for adults developed, submitted to the Minister: DHET for gazetting for public comment Criteria & guidelines for development and evaluation of qualifications and curricula revised. Qualifications Standards Committee, a committee of Council, formed. Advice regarding the NC(V) review offered to the Minister: DHET; participation in Ministerial Task Team Relationships with Departments, SAQA, QCs maintained Completed as per plan

Qualifications, Curriculum & Certification April 2010 – March 2011COMMENTS Curriculum evaluated and benchmarked Maintaining Standards: NSC – NC(V) report launched NC(V) – N-course comparative evaluation for selected engineering subjects undertaken Response to CAPS documents (Foundation Phase) submitted to DBE Completed as per plan Certification Certification systems (all qualifications) developed or enhanced certificates (all qualifications), excluding subject certificates and statements certificates verified Issued in line with directives and guidelines

This function entails establishing, maintaining and improving standards and quality in assessment at exit points in General and Further Education and Training. In order to fulfil this function, Umalusi uses five key processes:  external moderation of question papers;  verification of monitoring the conduct of examinations;  external moderation of marking;  external moderation of continuous assessment; and  standardisation of assessment results. (Qualifications: SC; NSC; N3; NCV 2 and 3; GETC: adults) Quality Assurance of Assessments Unit (QAA)

Quality Assurance of Assessment April 2010 – March 2011COMMENTS Ext Moderation of Question Papers: NSC: 363 question papers (DBE + IEB + OAER ) ABET : 76 question papers (DBE + IEB) NCV level 2-4 : 234 question papers SC : 101 question papers NCV ISAT (Integrated Summative Assessment task): 39 Completed as per plan Reports submitted to the Ministers of Basic and Higher Education on all 2010 exams Moderation of marking: NSC: 22 subjects (Centralized ) ABET: 23 learning areas across (PDE’s) & 8 learning areas (IEB) NCV level 2 -4 : 50 subjects + 71 ISATs Completed per plan Reports submitted to the Ministers of Basic and Higher Education on all 2010 exams

Quality Assurance of Assessments April 2010 – March 2011COMMENTS INTERNAL ASSESSMENT : NSC: 11 subjects across DBE, IEB and OAER ABET: 19 learning areas across 9 PDE’s and IEB NCV: 29 subjects (L2-4) sampled across colleges All INTERNAL ASSESSMENT moderated as per plan Reports submitted to the Ministers of Basic and Higher Education on all 2010 exams Verifying monitoring conduct of exams: NSC: 162 sites ABET: 60 sites NCV: 46 sites All monitoring conducted as per plan Reports submitted to the Ministers of Basic and Higher Education on all 2010 exams

Quality Assurance of Assessments April 2010 – March 2011COMMENTS Monitoring marking of exams: NSC: 52 sites ABET: 19 sites NCV: 1 central and 46 sites Completed as per plan Standardisation: Assessment outcomes Standardized for 11 examinations (NSC, NCV, ABET, College examinations) Completed as per plan Reports submitted to the Ministers of Basic and Higher Education on all 2010 exams

The evaluation and accreditation function is responsible for accrediting private institutions through quality assurance of their provision for the qualifications Umalusi certifies. The unit evaluates, The capacity of education and training providers to implement registered qualifications and approved curriculum they seek accreditation for; and The quality of the enacted curriculum in providers i.e. teaching and learning The capacity of assessment bodies to conduct practical, internal, and external assessment of learner achievement, leading to the issuing of registered qualifications by Umalusi as well as the standards of assessment products and processes Evaluation and Accreditation Unit (E&A)

Evaluation and Accreditation of Private Providers Provisional Accreditation and Monitoring March 2010 – April 2011COMMENTS Independent Schools: 151 new applications processed; 579 monitored Completed per plan Private FET Colleges: 95 new applications processed; 480 monitored Registration 90 Umalusi providers referred to DoE 619 SETA providers processed and referred to DoE Completed per plan AET Centres 9 new applications processed; 89 monitored Completed per plan

Evaluation and Accreditation of Private Providers Institutional Site Visits April 2010 – March 2011COMMENTS Independent schools – 193 sites visited Completed per plan Private FET – 175 college sites visited Completed per plan Private AET - 17 centers site visited Completed per plan Policy and criteria for accreditation of FETIs and AET providers regulated Policy and Criteria for accreditation of Independent schools published for comments Completed

Evaluation and Accreditation of Assessment Bodies April 2010– March 2011COMMENTS Independent Examinations Board (IEB)monitored and reported on ERCO monitored and reported on Completed per plan Monitoring exam systems for 4 PDE’s concludedCompleted per plan Convener system for ABET Level-3 established; Examination question papers set and submitted NCV subject committees established Completed per plan

The mandate of the SIR unit is to conduct research as identified by the needs of the organisation and report on the key indicators of quality and standards in general and further education and training; to establish and maintain databases; to lead statistical research and analysis; and to inform and provide statistical support for the work in other units. The SIR Unit also plays a role in organizational and professional development at Umalusi. Statistical Information and Research Unit (SIR)

Statistical Information and Research April 2010– March 2011Comment Report on the indicators of quality in general and further education and training developed Ongoing. Report to be discussed with relevant stakeholders. Maintaining Standards Report: Home languages Findings presented at the 2010 standardization meeting. Comparing the Learning Bases: An Evaluation of Foundation Phase curricula in South Africa, Canada (British Columbia), Singapore and Kenya Findings presented at a seminar Comparing the Learning Bases: A Comparative Evaluation of African Languages Foundation Phase Curricula in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe Report published on website Item Response Theory - Related Research conducted Ongoing

Management Support Structures (MSS) Management Support Structures ensures that: Strategic plans are in place and that the organisation carries out its remit Corporate Governance Advocacy of Umalusi’s work Stakeholders relationships

Management Support Structures April 2010 – March 2011COMMENTS Strategic and business plans developed, implemented and monitored New planning cycle developed and organisational reports published as required Policies developed and implemented after Council approval Performance evaluated and monitored quarterly Organisational governance maintained Council meetings conducted, committees supported and services rendered PR and communications strategy implemented Communication strategy implemented per plan Stakeholder relationships established and managed Relationships forged and maintained with political structures, DBE, and other statutory and quality assurance bodies

Information Technology Systems April 2010 – March 2011COMMENTS Hardware procured 30 personal computers 3 Servers for DR 1 Backup device for DR 1 SAN device for DR 170 computer components 30 laptops 3 network points Equipment installed with SLA’s implemented and network support meeting expectations Software 9 different applications Software licensing up to date Programming MIS development Certification system MIS project is ongoing improving operational output Certification system; NCV Level 4 system developed and NSC System implemented Network support Business continuity High availability solution in place for crucial servers. Disaster Recovery strategy was approved and implementation started

Finance, HRD & Admin Support April 2010 – March 2011COMMENTS Finance, SCM and buildings Unqualified audit (history of organization) Creditors were paid within 30 days Surpluses invested at CPD All assets registered and labeled Upgrading of building to suit organizational requirements continues. Human Resources Management & Development Bursaries to staff – 9 In house training – 6 Short courses – 25 All 86 staff benefited Vacancy y rate- 6% Turnover rate -6% Development of staff a priority with greater budget demands for 2010/11 and beyond

Financial Performance 2010/11 Revenue Certification, verification and accreditation Amount 39,893,455 Department of Basic Education Grant17,350,000 Interest and other income 2,221,299 Total IncomeR 59,464,754 Expenditure63,145,238 DeficitR 3,680,484 In the approved budget, the Minister of Basic Education approved that Umalusi could utilize up to R18,4 m of its reserves to fund this year’s budget and the deficit shows that Umalusi only required R 3,680,484 from these reserves. It cannot be made known as a surplus due to the fact that Umalusi used reserves which were already in its bank account at CPD.

Financial Position 2010/11 Assets13,959,959 Property & equipment13,639,755 Intangible assets 320,204 Current Assets29,133,651 Trade & other receivables5,674,759 Cash & cash equivalents23,458,892 TOTAL ASSETSR 43,093,610 Equity Accumulated surplus35,479,957 Liabilities Trade & other payables7,613,653 TOTAL EQUITY & LIABILITIESR 43,093,610

UMALUSI 3 YEAR FORECAST 2011/122012/132013/142014/15 R 78,861,400 R 91,392,853 R 105,893,081R118,831,137 Umalusi is using R 15m of its reserves of R 23m, to fund 2011/12, of which R 6,4m will be used for renovations leaving Umalusi with R 2m earmarked for the Adult matric project over three years, thus leaving Umalusi without any reserves Y/Y Percentage Increase 15%16% 12%

Total Income 2000/1 ( actual) to 2014/15 ( budget) YEARINCOMEBUDGETDBE GRANTGRANT % 2000/01R 6,150, /02R 7,027, /03R 13,757,861R 1,513, /04R 18,076,902R 3,050, /05R 23,547,626R 12,869, /06R 28,603,979R 7,690, /07R 32,972,345R 10,286, /08R 36,013,566R 12,652, /09R 46,434,368R 16,044, /10 R 52,442,731R 16,494, /11 R 59,464,754 R 17,350, /12R 78,861,400R 18,391, /13R 91,392,853R 19,311,000-R20,974, /14R 105,893,081R 20,469,660-R 26,649, /15R118,831,137R 21,697,840-R 29,543,28518

Funding model: With the declining grant percentage Umalusi has proposed to DBE for a move from a Certification Fee model to a Quality Assurance Levy, or increasing its baseline allocation substantially. Umalusi has provided these options in its budget proposals to DBE and should the increase in our baseline allocations not be available for 2012/13 Umalusi is thus left with no alternative but to dramatically increase certification fees to fund future years. Umalusi is working hard to ameliorate relations with the other QC’s through collaboration Current Issues and the Way Forward

Umalusi wishes to thank the honorable Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Ms H Malgas and her members for their support Conclusion