About ETQA

Introduction

SASSETA has been accredited by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) as an education and training quality assurance body (ETQA) In terms of this, it:

• accredits education and training providers in the sector;
• promotes quality among constituent providers;
• registers constituent assessors in the sector;
• monitors education and training provision in the sector;
• evaluates assessment and facilitates moderation of assessments including recognition of prior learning (RPL);
• certificates learners;
• cooperates with other ETQAs
• recommends to the relevant national standards bodies new standards and qualifications and/or modification to existing standards and qualifications;
• maintains a database acceptable to the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA);
• submits reports to SAQA;
• performs any function assigned by SAQA.

SASSETA primary focus

SASSETA’s current primary focus covers policing, security practice and management, use of firearms, and attorneys, notarial and conveyancer practices.
The current list of qualifications and unit standards in SASSETA’s primary focus is:

• National certificates in:
o Policing NQF 5
o General security practices NQF
o Electronic security practices NQF 4
o Specialist security practices NQF 4
o Security management: electronic security NQF 5
o Use of firearms NQF 4
• Admission by the High Court of SA to:
o Attorney’s practices;
o Notarial practice;
o Conveyancevr.

Levels and types of accreditation

There are three levels of accreditation, namely:

• Full. A provider who has complied with all SASSETA’s criteria will be accredited for five years, taking into consideration the outcomes of the periodic audits.
• Provisional. This is a temporary status given to providers who have not met all the criteria for full accreditation, but who meet the minimum criteria for the protection of learners and the quality of provision. The provider is required to develop and implement a plan leading to full accreditation within a specified period.
• Approval of learning programmes. This is offered to providers who may have applied to another ETQA for accreditation but who have a limited number of programmes that fall within the primary focus of SASSETA; or in instances where learning programmes are not unit standard or qualification based and programmes are approved for implementation until relevant unit standards or qualifications are available.

• Assessment only, for providers who wish to assess and RPL learners and not deliver learning programmes.
• Delivery and assessment, for providers who wish to deliver learning programmes and assess learners.

There is no ‘delivery only’ category, as SASSETA cannot accredit providers who do not assess learners to whom they deliver learning programmes.

In cases where workplaces are also providers, the training unit and not the entire company, is accredited. Workplaces that act as hosts for the practical component of a learning programme need not be accredited but is encouraged to put certain systems and mechanisms in place to support learners.
Levels and types of accreditation - Assessors and Moderators

Individuals wishing to be registered as assessors with SASSETA, should:

• have obtained the unit standard ‘plan and conduct an assessment of learning outcomes
• demonstrate competence in relation to the standards and qualifications they will assess, at least at their level, but preferably above their level;
• have two years’ relevant occupational experience.

• be registered as an assessor with SASSETA
• have the unit standards ‘moderate assessments’ and design and develop assessments’;
• have two years’ relevant occupational experience.

Accreditation manual

To assist providers in the accreditation process, SASSETAhas compiled an extensive and user friendly accreditation manual that contains all the information for prospective providers, assessors and moderators.
The manual comprises:

1. An overview of SASSETA’s approach to accreditation; types and categories of accreditation; scope and primary focus.
2. Detailed outline of the criteria for full and provisional accreditation, and the assessment and delivery, and assessment only categories.
3. Overview of the accreditation process for the ETQA.
4. Step by step outline of accreditation processes and procedures.

Page Created: Friday, October 17, 2008