1. National Qualifications Framework: Implications for
ITS Student Management Systems
Yvonne Shapiro
South African Qualifications Authority
ITS User Group, March 2013

2. NQF Act (Act 67 of 2008)
The objectives of the NQF are designed to contribute to the full personal development of each learner and the social and economic development of the nation at large

3. Items that were already in place / are now in place

4. * Qualification Types beyond Level 6 on the OQSF have not been determined, pending further advice

5. International Collaboration
Evaluation of Foreign Qualifications
Level Descriptors for the Ten Levels
NQF Research and Conferences
National Learners’ Records Database (NLRD)
Informing the public (including radio shows)

6. Professional Bodies and Professional Designations
The first 40 Professional Bodies have been recognised, and their professional designations registered, on the NQF
Data loading concerning the members and their professional designations is in progress, and it will soon be possible to analyse this information and produce aggregations
Professional bodies verify the designations of their own members: SAQA will never do this

7. Progress on specific requests (some of which were made after the Act)

8. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
SAQA has always recorded which achievements are done via RPL
Therefore, aggregations can show RPL
A great deal more work on RPL is required at individual institutions, especially universities
SAQA held an RPL Conference in 2011
A national RPL Reference Group meets, and is formulating policy

9. Updated Registration Criteria for Qualifications and Part-Qualifications
Pending approval by the SAQA Board (March 2013)
Part-Qualifications include Unit Standards and the former “N Courses”, and will later include further items

10. Career Advice Service (CAS)
CAS operates in conjunction with the NQF Helpdesk
A National Career Advice Portal (NCAP) is about to be launched: it will initially contain 500 Learning Pathways

11. Verification of the Qualifications of Public Service Employees
Based on the Directive of the then-Minister of Public Service and Administration, 2010
As at December 2012:
pre-appointment records had been verified as “Yes” or “No”: of these, 0.8% were “No”
records of existing employees had been processed, with 144 223 concluded
Appreciation to all institutions that have assisted SAQA thus far

12. Items, mandated by the Act, being phased in

13. Articulation
SAQA convened a conference on Articulation from 4 to 6 March 2013
A Policy Note on Articulation is in progress

14. Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT)
The NQF Act requests a CAT system, and SAQA has initiated this process

15. National Learners’ Records Database (NLRD)
What is the NLRD?
The integrated information system to
facilitate the management of the
National Qualifications Framework (NQF)
- the first such system in the world

16. The main purpose of the NLRD
To provide policy makers with comprehensive information to enable informed decision-making
To provide learners and employers with proof of qualifications obtained
To provide information that assists with career development and advice

17. Sample page: Trends in Public HE - Trends by Broad Field of Study
Largest average annual growth: Business and Management Sciences
Lowest average annual growth: Social Sciences and Humanities
Second lowest: Engineering Sciences and Technology

18. Access to Aggregated Information on Learners and their Achievements
Publications: What: aggregated NLRD data (NLRD Report 2: Trends in Public Higher Education in South Africa 1995 to 2004) Who: everybody
Reports: What: quantitative data analyses, e.g. per QA Body Who: mostly QA Bodies
Customised Analyses: What: analyses requested by clients Who: clients

19. Summary of Data Sources

20. SAQA Higher Education Data Project (SAQA-HEDP)

21. SAQA Higher Education Data Project (SAQA-HEDP)
ITS module
NMMU – pilot – appreciated
Now at UJ
Next: All
Each university will be contacted individually

22. Information Management
Request to phase in RPL as a Mode of Achievement
Problems if Qualification Codes change from year to year
Intention to phase in the use of SAQA Qualification IDs (as published on the SAQA website)

23. Searching for Qualifications and Part Qualifications

24. Searchable Database (downloaded daily from the NLRD) of Qualifications and Unit Standards registered on the NQF, at
Enquiries:

25. SAQA addresses
Qualification information: SAQA website or Career advice / NQF helpdesk: Evaluation of foreign qualifications: SAQA website or Verifications: SAQA-HEDP: