Question NW1777 to the Minister of Public Works:
26 September 2016 - NW1777
Kohler-Barnard, Ms D to ask the Minister of Public Works:
With regard to a presentation by the Council for the Built Environment (CBE) to the Portfolio Committee on Public Works on 23 August 2016, in which it was noted that the mandate of the CBE and the six Built Environment Professional Councils includes the establishment of a Standards Generating Body, has such a body been created; if not, why not, if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
The Minister of Public Works
Yes, each Built Environment Professional Council (BEPC) has established a Standards Generating Body (SGB) that is involved in the development of Occupational Qualifications under the umbrella of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO).
An SGB is a panel of knowledgeable, experienced individuals with expertise in various competency areas and their levels, as well as in the assessment criteria applied in evaluating learners who have completed their study programmes offered at various institutions. SGBs prepare and publish details of teaching/learning programmes and the assessment criteria that leaners must undergo, as well as the assessment criteria for candidates related to qualifications in particular fields of expertise.
According to the National Qualifications Frameworks Act, 2008 (Act No. 67 of 2008), the Council for Higher Education (CHE) is the sole authority and Quality Council for Higher Education. According to its Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF) one of the critical mandates of the CHE is to develop qualifications standards, the purpose of which is to provide internal and external benchmarks for programmes that lead to qualifications, i.e. accreditation, implementation, development and quality assurance. The BEPCs established SGBs with the intention of working with the CHE to develop outcome-based qualifications for registration in particular fields of expertise in accordance with the National Qualifications Framework. The focus of the SGBs is to develop Occupational Qualifications under the QCTO that will enable learners/candidates to be registered professionals in the respective fields or categories administered by the Professional Councils. This was instituted due to the additional process required in the registration of the professional designation under the mandate of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). The SGBs continue with the process established by the CHE and they work with the Deans of universities and higher education in order to develop learning pathways, unit standards and qualifications for learners in the various sub-fields leading towards qualification in those sub-fields.
The CHE has completed and published standards for the 6 BEPCs that are overseen by the Council for the Built Environment (CBE), the entity that reports to the Minister of Public Works.
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