A CASE FOR A UNIFORM APPROACH TO SYSTEMIC QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEM

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A CASE FOR A UNIFORM APPROACH TO SYSTEMIC QUALITY
MANAGEMENT IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN EDUCATION AND
TRAINING SYSTEM

• FIONA CAMERON-BROWN

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ENHANCE ECONOMIC GROWTH WITH SUSTAINABLE DELIVERY

• Implies a focus on quality in terms of

• learning programme delivery
• knowledge and skills acquired through these
  learning programmes

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Since the 1980s

• Not enough school leavers entering engineering
  and technologically related trades and disciplines

• Industry and NGOs were already addressing this,
  e.g.

• through enrichment programmes
• bursary funding for learners at independent
  schools and universities

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The skills shortage is not new
What is new, is the buoyant South African economy
Iraj Abedian, CEO, Pan African Advisory
Services SABC actuality programme, Interface,
Sunday, 9th April 2006
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(No Transcript)
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1996 --

1. Growth, Employment and Redistribution Strategy
   (GEAR) introduced fiscal discipline

1. The economy started on its current trajectory

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2006 -

1. Enabled the introduction of the Accelerated and
   Shared Growth Initiative (AsgiSA)

1. Necessitated the Joint Initiative on Priority
   Skills Acquisition (JIPSA)

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TWO KEY OBJECTIVES OF AsgiSA

1. To meet the milleniam goal to halve poverty by
   2014

1. To foster economic growth of, on average, 6 per
   year

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Achieving this depends on

• more people working in the formal sector,
  contributing to the economy

• continued economic growth

• services and industries being able to compete
  globally

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STRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING SKILLS SHORTAGES

• NSDS II requires SETAs to identify critical and
  scarce skills

• SETAs service level agreements are aligned to
  both the requirements of the NSDS and JIPSA

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S A ECONOMY

• is shifting from a primary producer to one that
  produces high quality goods and services

• demands people with high level of skill and
  initiative

This is the challenge for the education and
training sector
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Developing human capital with depth and texture
requires

• coherent management
• quality assurance

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THE SAQA ACT
sets out the criteria in terms of which
institutions are accredited to deliver education
and training programmes
Universally applied to all providers of education
and training, regardles of

• Public or private status

• Where learning programmes are located on the NQF

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Different bodies accredit education and training
providers, public and private
Schools FET Colleges Universities

• Education

Industry/ Workplace based Private
vocational/ Specialist

• Economic

NGOs Societies Voluntary Groups

• Social

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South Africa has thirty one (31) Education and
Training Quality Assurance bodies

• FET institutions accredited by Umalusi (GET/FETQA)

• Vocational learning prgrammes are quality assured
  by sector ETQAs

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There are thirty one (31) different
interpretations of the SAQA criteria
FET colleges that all offer vocational and/or
occupational learning programmesmust engage
with the requirements of many ETQAs
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Is this environment conducive to sustainable
delivery that enhances economic growth through
equipping people with appropriate skills and
qualifications?
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Quality is a recurring theme in the National
Skills Development Strategy (NSDS)
National Skills Development Strategy,
2005Department of Labour
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NSDS Principles (continued)

1. Accelerate Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment
   and Employment Equity. (85 Black, 54 women and
   4 people with disabilities, including youth in
   all categories). Learners with disabilities to be
   provided .to enable them to have access to and
   participate in skills development.

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NSDS Principles (continued)

1. Support, monitor and evaluate the delivery and
   quality assurance systems necessary for the
   implementation of the NSDS.

1. Advance the culture of excellence in skills
   development and lifelong learning.

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NSDS Objectives

1. Prioritising and communicating critical skills
   for sustainable growth, development and equity

1. Promoting and accelerating quality training for
   all in the workplace.

1. Promoting employability and sustainable
   livelihoods through skills development

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NSDS Objectives (continued)

1. Assisting designated groups, including new
   entrants to participate in accredited work,
   integrated learning and work-based programmes to
   acquire critical skills to enter the labour
   market and self-employment

1. Improving the quality and relevance of provision

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These principles, objectives and associated
targets are the performance indicators for SETAs
The responsibility for quality assurance is a
shared one, which percolates every level of the
system.
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SAQA is responsible for quality auditing all
ETQAs, and ETQAs in turn quality audit training
providers, as follows
SETAS
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PROPOSED LEARNERSHIP REGULATIONS 2006

• responsible for quality assuring other providers
  in terms of their delivery and assessment
  activities

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Implications

• lead providers will have to audit the other
  providers, including the workplace

• to ensure that they have the capacity to provide
  the requisite quality

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INSTITUTES OF OCCUPATIONAL AND / OR SECTORAL
EXCELLENCE (ISOES)
Criteria that are likely to apply include

• Accredited providers of education and training
  learning programmes

• Able to prove the effective implementation of a
  quality management system

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Ethos of excellence
Continuous improvement
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Schools FET Colleges Universities

• Education

Industry/ Workplace based Private
vocational/ Specialist
Learnerships

• Economic

ISOEs

• Social

NGOs Societies clubs Voluntary Groups
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COMMITMENT TO QUALITY
INHERENT IN EVERY ASPECT OF THE SYSTEM
Application and understanding differs
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No coherent approach to, or understanding of,
theimplementation of quality management systems
in the broader education and training sector
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Increasing emphasis on quality in among the
producers of goods and services.
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ISO standards can be applied to both goods and
services
the SAQA criteria for the accreditation of ETQAs
and training providers suggest that the
standardISO 90012000Quality management systems
Requirements is applicable
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At least two SETAs have either been certified
with this standard or have embarked on the
certification process
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ISO 90012000QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
REQUIREMENTS
Sets the standard for a quality management system
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Education and training provider
Courses qualifications
Learners industry (economy)
SAQA, Skills Development Acts Regulations, etc
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GOAL
to improve customer satisfaction
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A common understanding of quality management
systems would enhance both the quality and
sustainability of delivery in the education and
training sector
ISO 90012000Quality management systems
Requirements
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SAQA
ISO
ETQA Regulations
An organisation is defined as
The organisation

• Is registered as a provider in terms of
  applicable legislation

Group of people and facilities with an
arrangement of responsibilities, authorities and
relationships
ISO 90002000
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ISO
SAQA
ISO 90012000 QMS Requirements
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SAQA
ISO
The provider must be able to develop, deliver and
evaluate learning programmes which culminate
instandards and qualifications
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SAQA
ISO
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SAQA
ISO
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SAQA
ISO
has not already been granted accreditationby
another ETQA
May be certified by more than one body.
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Sufficient correlation between ISO
requirements, and the SAQA criteria
Apply an international standard in the South
African education and training system
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THE BENEFITS

• All ETQAs and providers would have a common
  understanding of, and approach to quality
  management

• Workplace based providers that already comply
  with ISO standards would more readily comply with
  the SAQA criteria

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• The approach to auditing workplaces for
  learnerships, or subcontracted training providers
  would have a common departure point and be based
  on international best practice

• Adopting an international standard for quality
  management would establish a firm foundation for
  the establishment of partnerships between public
  FET institutions and private, niche providers

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Fiona Cameron-Brown FIONA CAMERON
CONSULTING info_at_fionacameronconsulting.co.za www.f
ionacameronconsulting.co.za