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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Higher Certificate in Operations Management 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
111412  Higher Certificate in Operations Management 
ORIGINATOR
Durban University of Technology 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Higher Certificate  Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies  Generic Management 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  120  Not Applicable  NQF Level 05  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Reregistered  EXCO 0821/24  2019-09-03  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 Higher Certificate in Operations Management prepares learners for employment in entry-level or support positions in the field of operations management. While the fundamental modules address the need for general knowledge and skills required in the workplace, the core modules address the need for foundational knowledge and skills in the field of operations management, thereby improving the employment prospects of the qualifying learners. When designing the qualification, care was taken to ensure that the eight modules in the qualification were coherently planned, in terms of content, credits, purpose and outcomes, and that they were aligned to the needs of industry and the economy.

Rationale:
Annually, many learners seeking admission to the Diploma qualifications offered by the Faculty of Management Sciences are not accepted because they do not meet the entrance requirements. In addition, financial considerations preclude a significant number of learners from studying full-time for a three-year qualification. Thus, by offering a Higher Certificate in Operations Management, access to higher education is broadened, and the employment prospects of the qualifying learners are improved. In addition, to the above, by offering the qualification on a part-time basis, via contact classes during the weekday evenings and/or on Saturday mornings, a significant number of people who are in full-time employment will be able to acquire a formal tertiary qualification.

Upon completion of the Higher Certificate in Operations Management, learners will be able to articulate to a Diploma in Management Sciences with a specialisation in Operations Management, or into other cognate Advanced Certificate and Diploma Qualification offered by other higher educational institutions. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
The institution has a RPL policy in place that allows learners to access higher education by recognising their prior learning (short courses and work experience). RPL applications for the institution are received by the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT). The learners are required to complete a RPL application document. Accompanying the RPL application must be certified copies of all previous qualifications and a comprehensive portfolio reflecting one's work-based learning. Once the institution's RPL coordinator has deemed the RPL application as being complete, the portfolio will be sent to the relevant Academic Department for assessment. The department's RPL committee will assess the candidate's portfolio thoroughly against the relevant Exit Level Outcomes. Challenge assessments, in the form of written examinations, and/or practical tests, are conducted, wherein the learners are required to demonstrate competence at the applicable exit level. Successful learners will then be accepted into the qualification, via the RPL route.

Entry Requirements:
The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:
  • Senior Certificate (SC) without endorsement.
    Or
  • National Senior Certificate (NSC), NQF Level 4, granting access to Higher Certificate studies.
    Or
  • National Certificate Vocational (NCV), NQF Level 4, granting access to Higher Certificate studies. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 5 totalling 120. Credits.

    Compulsory Modules, 120 Credits:
  • Cornerstone 101, 12 Credits.
  • Introduction to Technology, 12 Credits.
  • Financial Literacy, 12 Credits.
  • Essentials of Project Management, 16 Credits.
  • Essentials of Operations Management, 20 Credits.
  • Fundamentals of Quality, 16 Credits.
  • Introduction to Operations Management Techniques, 16 Credits.
  • Introduction to Organisational Effectiveness, 16 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Apply a wide range of operations management principles to identify, conceptualise, design and implement methods of enquiry to address problems in operations management, and understand the consequences of decisions relating to these enquiries.
    2. Analyse and interpret data using statistical techniques.
    3. Formulate independent ethical decisions about productivity improvement in the workplace.
    4. Understand the various project management tools and plan activities on small scale projects.
    5. Understand and apply Total Quality Management (TQM) tools appropriate to operations management. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
  • Operations management principles are applied.
  • Shop floor production problems are identified.
  • Root cause of problems are diagnosed.
  • Potential solutions are identified and implemented.
  • The consequences of solutions are assessed.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
  • Business operations data is selected.
  • Operations data is analysed.
  • Charts and graphs are used to interpret data.
  • Using analysed information, low level decisions are taken.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
  • Ethical decisions on productivity improvements are formulated.
  • Areas in the production environment with low productivity levels are identified.
  • Steps in productivity improvement are applied.
  • A report planning the improvement is compiled.
  • Productivity improvement plans are implemented.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
  • Project management tools are identified.
  • Project documents and activities are studied.
  • Project activities are planned using appropriate tools.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
  • Quality problems in the production environment are identified.
  • Appropriate Total Quality Management (TQM) tools are applied to solve production-related problems.

    Integrated Assessment:
    Integrated assessments for the Higher Certificate in Business Administration are:
  • Aligned with the Exit Level Outcomes.
  • Used to establish whether learners achieve the Exit Level Outcomes.
  • Assessment will be systematic, regular and formative, and feedback to the learners about their progress toward Exit Level Outcomes will be timeous and constructive.
  • The assessment practices will be open, transparent, fair, valid and reliable, and ensure that no learner is disadvantaged in any way whatsoever.

    Fifty percent of the modules in the qualification will be continuous assessments. The remaining modules in the qualification will include a final examination. The nature and weightings of the formative and summative assessments for each module are as follows: 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The design of the curriculum design for this qualification is a review of the curricula of similar qualifications offered by four international institutions. The qualifications are one year certificate programmes on a comparable level. The qualification structure, purpose, modules and contents were compared as indicated in the table below.

    University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, United States of America offers a Certificate in Operations Management. The Certificate in Operations Management has similar modules to this qualification such as:
  • Computer Technology.
  • Quantitative Methods.
  • Supply Chain management.
  • Planning and Problem-solving Techniques.

    The University of Colorado in the United States of America offers an Operations and Information Management Certificate. The Operations and Information Management Certificate has similar modules to this qualification such as:
  • Project Management.
  • Sustainable Operations.
  • Supply Chain Management.
  • Business Technologies.

    The University of Toronto in Canada offers a Certificate in Operations Management. The Certificate in Operations Management has similar modules to this qualification such as:
  • Principles of Operations Management.
  • Operations Supply Chain Management.
  • Project Management.
  • Forecasting.
  • Six Sigma Quality.

    Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, India offers Certificate in Operations Management Operations Management 1:
  • Introduction to Statistics.
  • Introduction to Six Sigma Methodology.
  • Supply Chain Management. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification allows possibilities for both horizontal and vertical articulation.

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Higher Certificate in Business Administration, NQF Level 5.
  • Higher Certificate in Marketing, NQF Level 5.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Diploma in Management Sciences, NQF Level 6. 
    		•

    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. Durban University of Technology 


    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.