SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION:

Advanced Diploma in Agriculture in Agricultural Extension

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
101496	Advanced Diploma in Agriculture in Agricultural Extension
ORIGINATOR
University of Mpumalanga
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Advanced Diploma	Field 01 - Agriculture and Nature Conservation		Primary Agriculture
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	120	Not Applicable	NQF Level 07	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Reregistered		EXCO 0821/24	2021-07-01	2027-06-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30		2031-06-30

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 does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

Purpose:
The qualification aims to train and equip agricultural extension practitioners with the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to contribute to building the capacity of farmers to innovate and to engage in market-orientated sustainable agricultural production, diversification of products and value adding.

The curriculum is structured across five learning spaces in the context of agricultural extension:

Policy: understanding the policy and legal issues and 'boundaries' for action.

Practice: understanding and applying the most relevant practice.

Analysis: Understanding the methods and principles of analysis.

Tools: Understanding and applying the relevant tools.

Work Integrated Learning: Internship in a relevant workplace with a formal learning programme.

And is further structured along the following learning themes:

Extension Theory and Policy Context, Planning Extension Programmes and Projects.

Strategic Management.

Principles and Practices of Management for Development.

Rationale:
The Advanced Diploma in Agriculture in Agricultural Extension was developed to meet the demands of the changing agricultural landscape in South Africa. The changes redirect agriculture to the majority of the population who have been marginalised and generally denied meaningful access to the agricultural sector of the South African economy. This vision for agriculture calls for agricultural extension practitioners who can conduct and engage farmers in research, learning and capacity building that will contribute to facilitating the establishment of self-reliant farmers who will, in turn, contribute to the widespread prosperity.

Agricultural science is a critical skill identified in the National Development Plan. Advanced Diploma graduates will contribute to strengthening the capacity of the nation to meet its agricultural objectives. They will help meet the demand for professional practitioners who can participate in leading the South African agricultural sector through the complex the agricultural and rural transformation while at the same time supporting and helping to expand commercial agricultural activity and productivity.

The qualification will seek to attract learners who are interested in working with farmers and agrarian communities. The training programme will be closely tied to the labour market for agricultural extension with the specific aim of providing them with a skill set that will enable them to obtain good-paying jobs or establish agricultural consultancies. To be able to do this, learners will need to develop more than just knowledge and skills relevant to extension - they will need to develop these skills in the dual context of agricultural production and human development. Commodity groups like the South African Sugar Research Institute, the Citrus Growers Association, Cotton SA, Grain SA and other commodity groups all need agricultural extension practitioners who understand and can work within South Africa's changing agricultural landscape.

Learners will be able to complete this Advanced Diploma in one year on a full-time basis, but the courses will be designed so that people in employment can complete the qualification over two years on a block release basis.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
An applicant who does not have the necessary entrance requirements will be assessed in terms of their work experience in agricultural development, agricultural extension and/or rural/agrarian development. Key elements of assessment will be capacity for independent learning and critical self-reflection. The policy on RPL of the Institution will be applied for admission to the qualification and for awarding credits to the qualification.

Entry Requirements:
The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:

A Diploma at Level 6 or an appropriate qualification.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

This qualification comprises compulsory modules at Level 7, totalling 120 Credits.

Extension theory and policy context, 30 Credits.

Planning extension programmes and projects, 30 Credits.

Extension experiential learning, 30 Credits.

Principles and practices of management for development, 15 Credits.

Strategic Management, 15 Credits.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

Exit Level Outcomes:

Work with current theories of agricultural extension and sustainable livelihoods, including Development Theory and Systems thinking.

Understand all relevant policies and the legal framework.

Conduct desk-top research.

Apply knowledge of extension theories, practices and tools, within the boundaries set by policies and the law, in familiar and unfamiliar contexts, to improve agricultural productivity.

Conduct a situation analysis and use principles and tools of extension and development theory to design projects.

Use Participatory Learning and Action methods to design interactive exercises that will identify needs, plan, monitor and evaluate projects and programmes.

Understand and apply the fundamental principles and practices of strategic management in an agricultural extension context.

Understand and be able to apply appropriate tools and methods for designing a programme road map.

Critically assess and develop ideas for a development programme.

Identify indicators and criteria, and methods and tools for programme evaluation.

Understand partnerships and local linkages relevant and coherent in rural communities.

Apply extension theory and practices.

Use Participatory Rural Appraisals tools to conduct a situation analysis.

Apply Development theory in the context of extension.

Apply systems thinking.

Conduct a basic stakeholder analysis in which the key stakeholders are identified, and their relationships are described and evaluated.

Identify resources in a community within the context of the Sustainable Livelihoods framework.

Develop and appropriate extension strategy.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The Associated Assessment Criteria will be applied in an integrated way across the Exit Level Outcomes:

Critique current theories of agricultural extension in a Southern African context.

Discuss theories in relation to rural development and in the context of sustainable livelihoods.

Review key policies and laws and the constraints or boundaries that these set for agricultural extension practice.

Review the "language" of the discipline of agricultural extension, and demonstrate an ability to develop logical arguments in the context of agricultural extension.

Review, collect and collate, synthesise desk-top research project information on the relevant theories and policies, d, and and prepare a properly referenced report.

Present a critique of current trends and practices in agricultural extension in rural development which is well argued, logical and supported by relevant and current literature.

Engage Stakeholders in the process of finding ways to improve their own situation.

Demonstrate an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Participatory Learning and Action methods including the application of the methods.

Design a project for a virtual community using the principles and tools of extension and development theory.

Demonstrate the ability to bring together knowledge and skills to develop a plan that is grounded in appropriate theories and within the boundaries set by relevant policies.

Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of strategic management.

Critique the strengths and weaknesses of strategic management.

Apply and contextualise principles in the development of an agricultural extension project plan in situations of the farmer(s) that can lead to desired vision and goals.

Present a learning agenda that is consistent with the 'capacity' sweep (opportunity, knowledge and skills) on all three levels (farmer capacity, context and learning).

Reflect appropriate application of learning theory.

Reflect appropriate application of extension and development theory within the boundaries set by policy.

Broadly address the capacity building of key stakeholders.

Innovation and participatory theory is applied.

The choice of methods used and evidence of their use is successfully motivated.

Appropriate evaluation tools are included.

An exit strategy is included.

Own learning styles and processes developed and used during the course of a placement using the Kolb model as a theoretical framework are reflected on and articulated.

Demonstrate awareness about what one still needs to know in order to plan, develop, facilitate and implement more effectively community projects and programmes is demonstrated.

Clearly articulate the cycle of learning (observe, consider, conceptualise, experiment).

Reflect on the processes and outcomes of these methods (comparing theory with practice) are reflected on and changes in future choice of methods and/or how the methods are applied is indicated.

Reflect on the dynamics of the participation by the learners, the farmers and other stakeholders (using appropriate theory)

Integrated Assessment:
In this qualification, assessment will be embedded and integrated into the modules that include the number and types of tests/assignments/projects/case studies: Therefore, the learning and related assessment is aligned to the relevant level descriptors. Assessment will primarily be in the form of written papers (i.e. no examinations) that will require learners to demonstrate their capacity to communicate their learning in an appropriate language. Among the types of papers required are the following:

Technical/Professional reports showing understanding of and application of theory in a real-world setting.

Reflection/Learning reports demonstrating the learner's ability for critical self-reflection and critical analysis of collective learning and the learning of others.

Project reports showing the capacity to translate theory and practice into realistic and viable programmes of activity for the benefit of others.

Research projects showing the capacity to conduct basic primary and secondary research and to write appropriately about the process, findings, conclusions and implications.

Formative and summative assessment: Assessment will be primarily formative through the mechanism of iteratively developing the documents listed above.

Internal and external moderation/examination: A minimum of 50% of the assessment of all modules on the programme will be subject to external moderation.

Assessment of experiential learning (if applicable): Experiential learning will be assessed through learning reports developed around a learning framework formulated in consultation with the learner, lecturer and 'employer'. It will cover three broad aspects: the content (knowledge and skills to be learned); reflection on the capacity to learn the agreed content; reflection on the praxis between theory (the negotiated learning) and the real-world experience.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

In the development of a suite of extension related diplomas it was found that direct comparison with similar qualifications internationally is difficult to establish. Traditionally qualification is treated in one of three ways internationally:

As a top-up qualification to a previously acquired agricultural qualification.

As modules within a technical agricultural qualification (e.g. National Diploma: Plant Production).

A general qualification without a technical agricultural focus.

Further, internationally this qualification is usually either offered as agricultural extension or as extension education. The qualifications are situated within agricultural faculties of universities, education faculties of universities and in agricultural training institutes. In other cases, extension is offered as an area of learning within an agricultural qualification. This qualification fits into the first category cited above; adding extension training to existing diploma-level training in agriculture.

Comparison with other International Institutions:
There are no specific comparable for this level of qualification. There are a few "post-graduate" Diplomas such as the Postgraduate Diploma in Agricultural Extension Management offered by the Indian National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management. It is a 'top-up' qualification with similar course objectives:

To enhance the techno-managerial competence of extension functionaries.

To acquaint the extension functionaries on the latest developments in the field of agricultural extension.

To equip the extension functionaries in latest tools and techniques for participatory decision making.

To develop an insight into various extension models to enrich the agri-value chain.

Mauritius, the University of Mauritius offers a Certificate in Agricultural Extension which is a one-year qualification. The qualification is designed to train the students to develop a good understanding of the principles and theory underlying agricultural extension. On successful completion of the programme, they will be able to apply these practical extension works and have the ability to evaluate extension activities and programmes. The areas of greatest similarity to this qualification are:

Basic principles of extension.

Communication and extension.

Approaches, methods and techniques of extension.

Working objectives and preparation of extension programmes.

Selection of appropriate methods, tools and techniques.

Monitoring and evaluation.

Extension organisation

Institutional development.

Legislation (agricultural).

Emerging issues, concepts and technologies.

Programme Planning in Agricultural and Extension Education.

In West Indies, the University of the West Indies offers a one-year Diploma in Agricultural Extension. This qualification is open to learners who have completed a first degree or who hold a recognised technical or professional qualification in addition to practical experience or other qualifications of special relevance to the course of studies. This is a very similar approach to the proposed Advanced Diploma in that it is intended for learners (especially learners with field experience) in a technical field to which they can add an extension qualification. Again, although it is embedded in agriculture, this diploma has much in common with the proposed certificate.

The areas of similarity to the Advanced Diploma are:

Community/Stakeholder Analysis.

Extension Philosophy and Principles.

Communications Theory and Practice.

Current Issues in Agricultural and Rural Development.

Managing Extension for Agricultural and Rural Development.

Rural Social Systems.

This qualification has a Field Research Project which this qualification also has.

Conclusion:
The Diploma compares very favourably with similar level extension qualifications offered by numerous institutions internationally. It covers the essential areas of extension that are used internationally, but in addition to accommodating more traditional agricultural extension (including agribusiness, and plant and animal production), it is constructed to address areas of particular concern to South Africa such as the transformational issues peculiar to South African agriculture.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

This qualification only offers articulation with the following qualifications offered by other institutions, provided the learner meets the minimum entry requirements:

Horizontal Articulation:
� Bachelor of Agriculture in Agricultural Extension and Rural Resource Management, Level 7.
� Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Level 7.

Vertical Articulation:

Bachelor of Agriculture Honours, Level 8.
� Postgraduate Diploma in Agricultural, Level 8.

MODERATION OPTIONS

N/A

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

N/A

NOTES

N/A

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

NONE

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.

1.	University of Mpumalanga