SAQA

All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.

SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Advanced Certificate: Mission Administration

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
48762	Advanced Certificate: Mission Administration
ORIGINATOR
SGB Diplomacy, Protocol and Foreign Affairs Assist
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
Was PSETA until Last Date for Achievement			OQSF - Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
National Certificate	Field 08 - Law, Military Science and Security		Sovereignty of the State
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	121	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	Regular-Unit Stds Based
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		SAQA 0160/05	2007-06-26	2008-11-26
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2009-11-26		2012-11-26

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This qualification is replaced by:

Qual ID	Qualification Title	Pre-2009 NQF Level	NQF Level	Min Credits	Replacement Status
64330	National Certificate: Mission Corporate Services Management	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	154	Complete

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

The Advanced Certificate in Mission Administration is intended to provide qualifying learners with skills that will enable them to be competent administrators in diplomatic mission offices.

The qualification will:

Facilitate the training and development of administrators in foreign missions

Respond to the need for greater competence in diplomatic missions.

Improve the image of South Africa abroad.

Contribute to skills development and the re-skilling of the workforce.

Rationale

Administration is essential to the effective functioning of a country's missions abroad. Whilst South African diplomats represent the government in various host countries, their work is dependent on the existence of a competent support staff that ensures the smooth functioning of the missions. The Advanced Certificate in Mission Administration is designed to qualify learners to coordinate and manage the administration of a mission office thus ensuing that the particular mission is well organized to carry out its representative function in a host country. The qualification however goes beyond merely equipping learners with managerial skills, it provides learners with in depth understanding of what diplomacy entails that will ensure that they are equipped to project a positive image of South Africa.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Persons wishing to pursue this qualification are assumed to have:

NQF Level 5 competence in Communication.

Good general knowledge of current affairs.

Excellent knowledge of the South African situation.

Fair knowledge of other countries.

Recognition of Prior Learning

This qualification may be obtained through the recognition of relevant prior learning and/or experience. For the purpose of accrediting prior learning, providers are required to develop structured means for the assessment of individual candidates on a case-by-case basis. Such procedures and the assessment of individual candidates must be subject to moderation.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

N/A

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

Exit Level Outcomes

1. Administer and manage the diplomatic missions' offices.
2. Communicate effectively in a foreign mission's office context.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of diplomacy and international law.
4. Perform and manage the practical aspects of agency and consular work.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the historical, social, political and economic realities of South Africa in a global context.

Critical Cross Field Outcomes

This qualification addresses the following critical cross-field outcomes. The way in which the critical cross-field outcomes are addressed is presented in detail in the unit standards.

Identifying and solving problems in which responses display that responsible decisions using critical and creative thinking have been made.

Working effectively with others as a member of a team, group, organisation, or community.

Organizing and managing oneself and one's activities responsibly and effectively.

Collecting, analysing, organizing and critically evaluating information.

Communicating effectively using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in the modes of oral and/or written persuasion.

Using science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others.

Demonstrating an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognizing that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

1. The administration and management of the mission office meets the requirements of protocols and foreign service standards.
2. Information is communicated and interpreted reliably and accurately in a diplomatic context.
3. A broad knowledge of diplomacy and international law to enable the practice of diplomacy is demonstrated.
4. Agency and consular work is performed within the ambit of the Department of Foreign Affairs regulations.
5. A broad understanding of the historical, social, political and economic realities of South Africa to enable the practice of diplomacy is demonstrated.

Integrated Assessment

Ongoing formative assessment is required so that learners are given feedback on their progress in the achievement of specific learning outcomes. Summative assessment is concerned with the judgement of the learning in relation to the exit-level outcomes of the qualification, which test the learners' ability to integrate a large body of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Integrated assessments must be designed to achieve the following:

An integration of the achievement of exit-level outcomes in a way which demonstrates a 'deep' approach to learning and shows that the purpose of the qualification as a whole has been achieved;

A judgement of learner performance that can provide evidence of applied competence or capability;

An emphasis on criterion-referenced assessment which is more transparent to the learners and which is capable of being applied to the recognition of prior learning.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

The Advanced Certificate in Mission Administration addresses the competencies needed by the administrative personnel functioning in missions. This qualification is particular to the needs of South African personnel, the certificate builds capacity and adds specific knowledge required in a diplomatic context.

No international equivalent to this qualification was found. A study of a number of programmes conducted by the SGB through contacts with selected embassies stationed in South Africa found that most countries tailor-make programmes to focus on specific areas and such programmes normally last between two to seven days. Possible reasons for this include:

Diplomatic training is restricted to technical rather than academic training. Most mission administrators are usually graduates with a management specialization.

Courses for diplomatic staff are often short courses and workshops which do not count towards formal qualifications.

A survey of programmes offered by the SADC countries (Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia) indicated that the unit standards in this qualification reflect at a preliminary level the knowledge, understanding, skills and value orientations covered in such programmes although perspectives differ from country to country.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

On qualifying the learner will be able to proceed on to the Bachelors degree in Administration or any degree in Human Resource Management. Vertically the qualification articulates with other Advanced Certificates in the fields of administration and Human Resource Management.

MODERATION OPTIONS

Accredited providers should establish or refine moderation procedures and systems in line with the requirements of the relevant ETQA.

One or more external moderators should moderate results of assessment. External moderators should provide reports not only on the fairness and consistency of assessment, but also on the validity of the assessment design in terms of the specified outcomes.

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

Anyone assessing a learner against this qualification must have an NQF level 7 qualification or equivalent in his or her main academic field(s) or expertise and applicable prior or concurrent experience as a Higher Education and Training practitioner.

Anyone assessing a learner against this qualification must be registered as an assessor with the relevant ETQA.

NOTES

This qualification has been replaced by qualification 64330, which is "National Certificate: Mission Administration", Level 6, 155 credits.

Notes to Assessors

The assessment of learners against this standard should meet the requirements of established principles, such as validity, reliability, and fairness.

It will be necessary to develop assessment activities and tools that are appropriate to the workplace. These activities and tools may include an appropriate combination of self-assessment and peer assessment; formative and summative; portfolios and observations, etc.

The specific outcomes listed in the relevant unit standards must be assessed against the criteria indicated through observation of performance, e.g. submitting a learner profile to a assessment panel. Supporting evidence should be used to prove competence of specific outcomes only when they are not clearly seen in the actual performance.

Evidence of the specified critical cross-field outcomes should be found both in performance (e.g. working in a project team) and in the essential embedded knowledge (collecting, organizing and evaluating information)

UNIT STANDARDS:

	ID	UNIT STANDARD TITLE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	CREDITS
Core	114848	Manage the security of the communication systems in a mission	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	5
Core	114868	Demonstrate an understanding of international law in diplomatic context	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	5
Core	114861	Differentiate between the role and function of the DFA and the Department of Home Affairs	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	3
Core	114855	Evaluate South Africa's economic policies	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	5
Core	114864	Explain South Africa's key domestic policies	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	5
Core	114852	Explain xenophobia and racism in a diplomatic context	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	4
Core	114866	Interpret South Africa's Foreign Policy	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	8
Core	114870	Manage finances of the mission	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	8
Core	114849	Manage the administration of a mission office	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	12
Core	114872	Manage the human resources of a mission	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	5
Core	114845	Manage the mission's communication systems	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	12
Core	114850	Provide administrative support for South African promotions abroad	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	5
Core	114847	Provide consular and agency services	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	10
Fundamental	114851	Access information for presentations and diplomatic applications	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	5
Fundamental	114843	Communicate effectively in agency and consular work	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	8
Fundamental	114857	Manage health, safety and security in a mission	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	3
Fundamental	114854	Practice effective teamwork in agency administration	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	5
Fundamental	114856	Uphold ethical professional conduct in agency administration	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	3
Elective	10043	Develop, implement and manage a project/activity plan	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	5
Elective	7883	Manage workplace relations	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	5
Elective	7888	Monitor staff performance	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	5

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

When qualifications are replaced, some of their learning programmes are moved to being recorded against the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replacement.

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PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

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