Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Education

18 March 2008

Samuel BA Isaacs

Contents• What is SAQA• SAQA’s mission• Objectives of the NQF• Strategy• Budget assumptions• Medium-term revenue estimates• Programmes and plans

What is SAQA?• South African Qualifications Authority

• Statutory body of 29 members

• Appointed by Ministers of Education and Labour

SAQA’s mission• To ensure the development and

implementation of a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) that contributes to the full development of each learner and to the social and economic development of the nation at large

Objectives of the NQF

• Create an integrated national framework for learning achievements

• Facilitate access to, and mobility and progression within education, training and career paths

• Enhance the quality of education and training• Accelerate the redress of past unfair discrimination in

education, training and employment opportunities• Contribute to the full personal development of each learner

and the social and economic development of the nation at large

Employment Equity Profile March 2008

 

TOTALTARGET

PERCENTAGEACTUAL PERCENTAGE

VARIANCE

NUMBER OF STAFF 99  

AFRICAN MALE 27 28.2% 27.30% 0.9%

AFRICAN FEMALE 34 31.2% 34.3% -3.1%

COLOURED MALE 4 3.8% 4.0% -0.2%

COLOURED FEMALE 1 4.1% 1.0% 3.1%

INDIAN MALE 0 2.8% 0.0% 2.8%

INDIAN FEMALE 1 2.5% 1.0% 1.5%

WHITE MALE 12 13.5% 12.1% 1.4%

WHITE FEMALE 20 14.0% 20.2% -6.2%

VACANCIES 12  

STAFF COMPLEMENT 111      

Meeting the NQF Objectives

Executive Office

Standards Setting and

Development

Quality AssuranceAnd development

CEEQ

Strategic Support, Communications and

Resource CentreI & IT Human Resources

Finance and Administration

NLRD Research

International Liaison Secretariat

Eight directorates with twelve operating units reporting to an Executive Office

Employment Equity

• Human Resource Advisory Committee: Consultative and Advisory Body

• Responsible for development of employment equity policy and setting of targets

• Consulted if there are any deviations from the agreed upon targets

Changes in Environment

• New SAQA Authority (Board) appointed (Nov 2007)

• Joint Policy Statement (Sept 2007)• HEQF (Oct 2007)• Draft NQF Bill (Feb 2008)• Changes to HE & FE Acts (Feb 2008)• Changes to Skills Development Act (Feb

2008)

Key Challenges

• A meaningful role for SAQA• Relationship between SAQA and its partners• Development of 3 proposed QCs

• Establishment and development of the QCTO

• Clarification of roles of SETA-ETQAs and professional bodies

Key Challenges (cont’d)• Transitional arrangements

◦ Coherent agreed planning and implementation

◦ Realistic timeframes

◦ Legislative steps

◦ Adequate financial arrangements

◦ Clear and targeted communication with all affected parties

◦ Staffing implications

Strategic Imperatives

• Principles that guide these strategic imperatives:◦ NQF Objectives (Integrated Framework,

Access, Quality, Redress and Development)

◦ Constructive engagement/collaboration with NQF Principals/Partners

◦ Research-led approach

◦ Learners are the beneficiaries

Strategic Imperatives (cont’d)

• Impacting on legislation◦ Task Team on Draft NQF Bill◦ Task Team on Skills Development Amendment Bill◦ Embrace the ‘new space’◦ Monitor how new architecture will be working

• Managing the transition◦ Task Team with DoE and DoL◦ Identify and resolve critical cross cutting issues◦ Set up internal transitional Task Team◦ Ensure Adequate resources for key functions e.g. NLRD

CEEQ

Strategic Imperatives (cont’d)

• Communication and Advocacy (C&A) of the NQF◦ Task Team on C&A◦ Presentation of C&A Strategy to SAQA Board◦ Implementation of C&A Strategy

• Building Research Capacity and Credibility to lead policy, legislation and conceptual debates◦ Research programme on RPL◦ Researching Work and Learning Programme◦ Research-led advice to Ministers

Strategic Imperatives (cont’d)

• Advancing Life Long Learning including RPL and CAT◦ Research programme on RPL

◦ Year plan for seminar series

◦ Investigate the current status of guidance and counselling (navigational tools for enabling learners to understand and make informed choices as they traverse the three sub-frameworks of the NQF)

Strategic Imperatives (cont’d)

• Impacting on legislation• Managing the transition• C&A of the NQF• Build Research and development capacity

and credibility to lead policy, legislative and conceptual debates

• Advancing Life Long Learning including RPL and CAT

Strategic plan

• Focuses on ensuring the evolution of an enhanced NQF that is underpinned by systemic co-ordination, coherence and resource alignment in support of the HRD strategy, the objectives of which are underpinned by a strong NQF

Core strategy

• Develop and sustain policies, procedures and infrastructures for the NQF, actively supported by the key stakeholders in education and training

Core strategy (cont’d)

• As the NQF apex organisation, provide leadership to deepen, broaden and strengthen NQF implementation with a strong focus on effective partnerships and informed decision-making based on quality research

Core strategy (cont’d)

• Work with stakeholders to build communities of trust in an effort to develop pragmatic and workable solutions to NQF implementation difficulties. These will reduce tensions within the system to ensure that short-term gains do not undermine the long-term needs of the system

Summary• Past Strategic Imperatives and Tactics have

favourably positioned SAQA to deal with the challenges it faces.

• SAQA is much stronger now than in 2005. ◦ Responsive, model statutory body

◦ Internationally recognised◦ Staffing stabilised and strengthened

• SAQA can confidently face the future!

Programmes, Plans andFinances

Budget assumptions1. That the budget is based on the implementation of the

recommendations to the Ministers on the outcome of the NQF study report.

2.   That personnel costs will be adjusted for the effects of inflation at 7%.

3.  That performance and broad banding level adjustments for all levels is implemented.

4.    That inflation in income and costs will be around 6 percent.

5.    That inflation in the cost of airfares will be around 10 percent.

6. That travel reimbursement rates will increase by about 10 percent.

Budget assumptions (cont’d)7.  The NLRD will continue to generate more income.8.  The funding from government will be at least R 37,3m.9.  That extra project funding will be sought for clearly defined

and discrete projects.10.  SAQA's equipment replacement strategy is

implemented on a limited basis.11. Strategic decision made that some of the additional staff

needed in CEEQ will be appointed on a temporary basis.12. Not all objectives in the strategic plan will be implemented

unless further funding or grants are obtained.

Medium-term revenue estimate2008/09 2009/10 2010/11

R R R

Income

Tax revenue

Non-tax revenue 24,760,000 26,493,200 28,347,724

Sale of capital assets

Transfers received

◦Government grant

◦Other

37,297,000

3,000,000

39,069,000

3,000,000

41,413,000

3,500,000

Total Revenue 65,057,000 68,562,200 73,260,724

Medium-term expenditure estimate

2008/09 2009/10 2010/11

Expenditure R R R

Current

Compensation of employees 38,112,763 40,780,656 43,635,302

Goods and services 25,213,035 26,119,869 27,842,047

Transfer payments and subsidies

341,202 361,674 383,375

Current Total 63,667,000 67,262,200 71,860,724

Medium-term expenditure estimate (cont’d)

2008/09 2009/10 2010/11

Expenditure R R R

Capital 1,390,000 1,300,000 1,400,000

Transfer payments

Fixed assets 1,390,000 1,300,000 1,400,000

Land and subsoil assets

Total budget 65,057,000 68,562,200 73,260,724

Surplus/ (Deficit) 0 0 0

Programme Budget AnalysisBudget amount

Programme 1: Administration and Support R 28,275,047

Programme 2: National Standards Setting and Development

R 13,007,375

Programme 3: National Quality Assurance and Development

R 4,203,834

Programme 4: National Learners’ Records Database (NLRD)

R 4,765,752

Programme 5: National Centre for the Evaluation of Foreign Qualifications (CEEQ)

R11,135,695

Programme 6: Research R 3,669,297

Total Budget R 65,057,000

Programme 1Administration and Support

• This programme covers the activities of the Executive Office and the following Directorates:

◦ Finance and Administration

◦ Human Resources

◦ Information and Information Technology

◦ Strategic Support

Programme 1Administration and Support (cont’d)

• Plans:◦ Partner major stakeholders to ensure systemic

coordination, coherence and resource alignment to the benefit of learners in line with the national HRD Strategy.

◦ Advise and inform policy-makers on all matters relating to the NQF, through conducting and commissioning research on national imperatives, NQF impact, policy development and implementation.

Programme 1Administration and Support (cont’d)

• Plans cont’d:◦ Conduct ongoing strategic advocacy for the NQF◦ Represent South Africa on international qualification

framework forums; and support the development of qualification framework initiatives, especially SADC and NEPAD.

◦ Ensure the aligned development of human, financial and infrastructural resources to support the achievement of the organisational objectives

Programme 2National Standards Setting and

Development• Plans:

◦ Continue to provide leadership and professional expertise to ensure that high quality, nationally relevant and internationally comparable unit standards and qualifications are registered on the NQF

Programme 3National Quality Assurance and

Development• Plans:

◦ Continue to provide leadership through systemic monitoring and evaluation for continuous quality improvement of education and training

Programme 4National Learners’ Records

Database (NLRD)

• Plan◦ Ensure that the information on the NLRD is of

acceptable quality and previously inaccessible data is available

Programme 5National Centre for the Evaluation of

Foreign Qualifications (CEEQ)

• Plans:◦ Maintain and develop the role of SAQA’s

Centre for the Evaluation of Educational Qualifications (CEEQ) as the national recognition information centre for foreign and domestic learning and qualifications.

Programme 6Research

• Advise and inform policy-makers and make recommendations on all matters relating to the NQF and education and training in South Africa.

• Conduct research, monitor and undertake evaluation studies that contribute to the development of the NQF.

THANK YOU

Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Education

18 March 2008

Samuel BA Isaacs