SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION:

Advanced Diploma in Agricultural Management

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
112223	Advanced Diploma in Agricultural Management
ORIGINATOR
University of South Africa
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		Secondary 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	2019-09-18	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 primary purpose of the qualification is to provide learners with specialised knowledge and skills in the areas of economics and management principles that used in the production, transformation and marketing of food and other agricultural products. These principles are used to produce and add value to high-quality agricultural products so that these products have economic, aesthetic, social and cultural value. The qualifying learners will be exposed to and acquire skills, knowledge, values, and attitudes relevant to agricultural production.

Qualifying learners with this skill may be employed by Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry as well as Land Reform Department to play a major role in providing advisory services in agricultural management to land reform beneficiaries in the country to improve productivity on their various agricultural undertakings.

Rationale:
The South African government's agricultural development programme is driven by successful agricultural projects. Many agricultural projects under the government' agricultural programme has failed mainly due to lack of agricultural management skills on the part of both farmers and implementing staff usually extension personnel from the department of agriculture. This situation is aggravated by a lack of skilled South African citizens especially from the previously disadvantaged communities to provide the necessary support services for the projects. The need for effective and efficient planning, organising, implementation and control of the country's scarce agricultural resources in the various crops and livestock production activities cannot be over-emphasised. Therefore, there is a need to develop skilled people in agricultural management to ensure the relevance of the discipline in improving the agricultural sector's development to ensure both national and household food security and sustainable environment.

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF)'s has initiated several programmes that are meant to contribute positively to food security in the country. Skilled practitioners in Agricultural Management are needed in the industry to address its challenges. This qualification aims to produce learners that are aware of these issues and have the necessary skills.

Agricultural Management skilled personnel are among the scarce skills areas in the country. The national drive to improve agricultural productivity among smallholder, emerging commercial farmers and land reform beneficiaries will also contribute to an increase in demand for training of learners and officials in Agricultural Departments contributing towards improving people's household food security and the general quality of life and sustainable agricultural development.

Therefore, the rationale for this scarce skill qualification is to provide learners with specialised knowledge and skills in the areas of economics and management principles used in the production, transformation and marketing of food and other agricultural products. These principles are used to produce and add value to high-quality agricultural products so that these products have economic, aesthetic, social and cultural value.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
In addition to institution formal admission pathways, the institution also recognises prior learning which may provide opportunities for admission. All admission through RPL must be in accordance with the principles laid down in the RPL Policy, RPL procedures manual and Admission Policy.

Entry Requirements:

Diploma in Agricultural Management, NQF Level 6.
Or

National Diploma in Agriculture or relevant field at NQF Level 6.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

This qualification comprises elective and compulsory modules at NQF Level 7 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, 96 Credits:

Agricultural and Rural Development, 12 Credits.

Agricultural Project Analysis, 12 Credits.

Research Proposal, 12 Credits.

Participatory Approaches in Extension, 12 Credits.

Agricultural Rural Finance, 12 Credits.

Business management IIIA, 12 Credits.

Environmental Awareness and Responsibility, 12 Credits.

Mini Agricultural Project and Seminar, 12 Credits.

Elective Modules, 24 Credits (Choose two):

Ruminant Production, 12 Credits.

Monogastric Production, 12 Credits.

Specialised Crop Production A, 12 Credits.

Specialised Crop Production B, 12 Credits.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. Identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking.
2. Work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organisation and community.
3. Organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively.
4. Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information. Communicate effectively using visual, mathematical and language skills in the modes of oral or written presentation.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation, and showing responsibility towards the environment and the health of others.
6. Developing entrepreneurial opportunities.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Associated Assessment Criteria are applied in an integrated manner to the Exit Level Outcomes:

Apply the principles of creative and critical thinking to solve complex problems while managing agricultural projects, contracts and other business activities.

Provide opportunities for learners to work as a team on activities and projects.

Work on projects that involve independent collecting, analysing, validating, processing and organising of information from multiple sources.

Communicate findings using appropriate communication tools, academic language and terminology.

Integrate principles from a variety of sciences and technologies as well as legal requirements to emphasise the relationships between the environment, land and the needs of the community and industry.

Demonstrate project, contract and business management skills necessary to manage an agribusiness.

Integrated Assessment:
To award the qualification, a qualifying learner must have successfully achieved the outcomes of each of the compulsory/core modules that constitute the qualification.

Evidence of learning competency (knowledge, skills, attitudes and expertise) and of the learner's ability to achieve the purpose of the qualification as a whole at the time that the qualification is awarded is done by means of using comprehensive and integrated assessment (constituting a range of formative and summative assessments). Continuous formative and summative assessment methods are beingused in the form of written assignments and exams.

Formative and summative assessment will be conducted within the guidelines of the institution's Assessment Policy. The learner's summative assessment mark will comprise a year gained from the specified number of compulsory assignments and a written examination in each module.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

The countries that provide a good basis for comparison are Australia, the UK, and the USA.

The University of Sydney (Australia) offers a Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Agriculture) which are multidisciplinary Degrees. The difference between this qualification and the Diploma in Agricultural management is that it is a four year Bachelor's qualification while that this qualification is a three year qualification. However, the similarities are that both qualifications allow learners to gain knowledge in four key disciplines such as soil science, animal production, plant production, and agribusiness. The Advanced Diploma in Agriculture qualification compares to the Bachelor of Science, in that the learners gain a broad scientific and economic overview of global issues in agriculture.

The University of Delaware (USA) offers a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Natural Resource. The Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Natural Resource covers modules such as Animal and Food Sciences; Applied Economics and Statistics; Entomology and Wildlife Ecology; and Plant and Soil Sciences. Similarly, the Advanced Diploma provides a wide range of choices of modules like Agricultural Strategic Project Management, Agricultural Project Analysis, Agricultural Business and Management, Strategic Planning, Environmental Awareness, Participatory Approach in Extension, Research Proposal Mini Agricultural Project and Seminar and two elective modules from either Animal or Plant production. The similarities are the qualifications enable learners to gain practical experience in subjects like animal and plant science and agricultural economics. Learners have flexibility in their curriculum, allowing them to sample different study areas, making them have diverse backgrounds in agriculture and natural resources.

ACS (UK) University offers an Advance Diploma in Agriculture-with various streams. Similar to the Advanced Diploma in Agricultural Management, this qualification an online qualification. The qualification has several modules that cover a wide range of specialities in Agriculture like production, management and marketing. Similarly, this qualification covers a range of specialities in agriculture like animal science, plant sciemce and agricultural economics and extension. As a result, both qualifications expose learners to a wide range of modules tailored to develop knowledge and skills in general agricultural sciences.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

This qualification allows for horizontal and vertical articulation.

Horizontal Articulation:

Advanced Diploma in Agriculture, Level 7.

Vertical Articulation:

Postgraduate Diploma in Agriculture or related fields, 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 South Africa