SAQA

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.

SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION:

Occupational Certificate: Market Research Analyst

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
119450	Occupational Certificate: Market Research Analyst
ORIGINATOR
Development Quality Partner - QCTO
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
-			OQSF - Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Occupational Certificate	Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies		Marketing
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	240	Not Applicable	NQF Level 05	Regular-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered		EXCO 0522/24	2022-08-04	2025-12-31
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2026-12-31		2029-12-31

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 purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to practice as a Market Research Analyst. A Market Research Analyst designs research methodology, tools to collect, clean and analyse data on the position of products or markets from different perspectives. They use analytics to analyse data sets and trends, draw conclusions linking these to strategies as well as organisational strategic goals. A qualified learner research market conditions in global, national, local as well as regional areas, to determine potential success of a product or idea. A competent learner shall demonstrate among others the following attributes: honesty, integrity, punctuality, business acumen, self-motivation, responsibility, accountability, interpersonal relations, ethical behaviour, well organised, self-confidence, etc.

A qualified learner will be able to:

Apply communication skills in relation to rendering a service.

Write a market research proposal.

Apply marketing mix to formulate a market research strategy.

Analyse social media data trends.

Design a sampling plan of a market research project.

Design data collection instruments.

Clean market research data.

Analyse and interpret market research data.

Write a report on research findings.

Present a market research report.

Rationale:
Currently there is no registered qualification to capacitate Market Research Analysts and the market research space in the economy requires competent and capable practitioners. Success of new product and services as well as the enterprises that offer and deliver them depends on proper and thorough market research. South Africa is a developing economy which requires competitive entrepreneurship. The success of enterprises depends on well informed market research results for investment decisions. This allows investment with guaranteed returns, if all other factors are equal.

The qualification shall benefit the South African economy by preparing competent Market Research Analysts to support business, product and service development. This shall in turn allow the establishment of business on a solid market information base. The qualification shall allow new entrants to be equipped with valuable skills and attitudes; as well as allow career progression for those who are already in the sector, practising without a formal qualification.

The qualification shall build a firm foundation for the market research sector, and other related industries. This qualification is crucial for purposes of training a cadre of employees who design the methodology, tools to collect, clean and analyse data on the position of products or markets from different perspectives. Market Research Analysts use analytics to analyse data sets as well as trends, drawing conclusions linking these to strategies and organisational strategic goals; and research market conditions in global, national, local as well as regional markets, to determine potential success of a product or idea. The qualification was developed in collaboration with Southern African Market Research Association (SAMRA) and other stakeholders within the market research field.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):

Learners will gain access to the qualification through RPL for Access as provided for in the QCTO RPL Policy. RPL for access is conducted by accredited education institution, skills development provider or workplace accredited to offer that specific qualification/part qualification.

Learners who have acquired competencies of the modules of a qualification or part qualification will be exempted from modules through RPL.

Learners will be awarded credits for or towards the qualification or part qualification through RPL as provided in the QCTO RPL Policy. RPL for credits provides for the formal award of credits for, or towards a qualification or part-qualification registered on the NQF.

RPL for access to the external integrated summative assessment: Accredited providers and approved workplaces must apply the internal assessment criteria specified in the related curriculum document to establish and confirm prior learning. Accredited providers and workplaces must confirm prior learning by issuing a statement of result or certifying a work experience record.

Entry Requirements:

An NQF Level 4 qualification.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

This qualification consists of the following compulsory Knowledge, Practical Skill and Work Experience Modules:

Knowledge Modules:

243102-000-00-KM-01, Basic Overview of Customer Orientation, Ethical and Professional Principles, Level 5, 19 Credits.

243102-000-00-KM-02, Overview of a Market Research Proposal, Level 6, 34 Credits.

243102-000-00-KM-03, Fieldwork, Data Processing and Analysis, Level 6, 21 Credits.

243102-000-00-KM-04, Market Research Reporting, Level 5, 14 Credits.

Total number of credits for Knowledge Modules: 88

Practical Skill Modules:

243102-000-00-PM-01, Apply Communication Skills in Relation to Rendering a Service, Level 4, 2 Credits.

243102-000-00-PM-02, Apply Marketing Mix to Formulate a Market Research Strategy, Level 5, 5 Credits.

243102-000-00-PM-03, Analyse Social Media Data Trends, Level 6, 5 Credits.

243102-000-00-PM-04, Comply with Market Research Ethics, Level 4, 2 Credits.

243102-000-00-PM-05, Select Appropriate Research Methodology, Level 4, 2 Credits.

243102-000-00-PM-06, Design a Sampling Plan of a Market Research Project, Level 5, 5 Credits.

243102-000-00-PM-07, Design Data Collection Instruments, Level 5, 10 Credits.

243102-000-00-PM-08, Write a Research Proposal, Level 5, 10 Credits.

243102-000-00-PM-09, Clean Market Research Data, Level 6, 10 Credits.

243102-000-00-PM-10, Analyse Market Research Data, Level 6, 15 Credits.

243102-000-00-PM-11, Write a Report on Findings of Analysed Market Research Data, Level 5, 15 Credits.

243102-000-00-PM-12, Present a Market Research Report, Level 5, 10 Credits.

Total number of credits for Practical Skill Modules: 91

Work Experience Modules:

243102-000-00-WM-01, Customer Mindset in Relation to a Particular Product Category or Service, Level 5, 5 Credits.

243102-000-00-WM-02, Market Research Plan Processes, Level 6, 20 Credits.

243102-000-00-WM-03, Data Collection Processes, Level 5, 9 Credits.

243102-000-00-WM-04, Data Analysis Processes, Level 6, 18 Credits.

243102-000-00-WM-05, Report Writing and Presentation Processes, Level 5, 9 Credits.

Total number of credits for Work Experience Modules: 61

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. Apply communication skills in relation to rendering a service.
2. Apply marketing mix to formulate a market research strategy.
3. Analyse social media data trends.
4. Design a sampling plan for a market research project.
5. Select a market research methodology.
6. Design data collection instruments for market research.
7. Write a research proposal for a market research project.
8. Clean market research data.
9. Analyse and interpret market research data.
10. Write a report on findings of analysed market research data.
11. Present a market research report.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:

Conduct market research interviews in accordance with the relevant interviewing tools, communication skills, ethical and professional principles.

Moderate a focus group in accordance with the relevant tools as well as skills and conflict managed using the relevant conflict resolution steps.

Apply public speaking skills and principles using the appropriate presentation tools.

Apply a range of suitable business communication tools and skills in relation to a given scenario.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:

Compile a research plan using the different aspects of consumer behaviour (perceptions, motivation, attitudes, habits etc.) and the correct application of the marketing mix elements (product, pricing, distribution, promotion, physical evidence, people and process) pertaining to a particular product category or industry.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:

Identify and monitor social media platforms.

Analyse social media trends of a given campaign or product launch or customer satisfaction using social media analytic tools as part of the business strategy.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:

Design a sampling plan based on a marketing challenge of a given client.

Apply appropriate sampling principles, procedures, methods and tools.

Include target population, sampling costs, sampling design, sample size, sample parameters and sampling challenges linked to the given market research project in the sampling plan.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:

Discuss and compare research methodologies.

Select and explain research methodology including data collection methods to collect qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods data.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:

Design research instruments (a questionnaire, an interview guide for in depth individual interviews, a discussion guide for focus groups, an observation/mystery shopping guide and a mixed method data collection tool).

Explain, discuss and apply different ways to pilot data collection instruments.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7:

Identify a problem or opportunity contained in a given market research brief.

Determine research objectives and the methodology required to answer the research objectives.

Develop market research project plan based on the sampling plan, methodology chosen and analysis requirements.

Use a Gantt chart to schedule research activities and milestones.

Compile a research proposal addressing the market research brief which takes into consideration research proposal principles.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8:

Identify discrepancies at a respondent level relating to skipped questions in a questionnaire, rules within the questionnaire, the logical flow of responses vs questionnaire and consistency of the responses based on given raw data.

Code raw data based on a given questionnaire.

Identify common themes.

Categorise data for quantitative analysis.

Categorise data for qualitative analysis into themes

Assign codes to the categorised themes to build a coding framework.

Assign codes to each respondent's open-ended question according to the coding frame.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9:

Process data using data analysis software i.e. pivot, cross-sectional tables based on a given clean data file and objectives of a market research project.

Present data in tabular form or graphic formats, i.e. pie charts, Bar charts, Radar, word cloud, etc, based on a given clean data file and objectives of a market research project.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 10:

Determine the purpose of the report addressing the market research objectives.

Outline headings in the report clearly.

Incorporate and explain graphs and tables which relate to the appropriate headings. into the report.

Summarise the results and recommendations using the appropriate industry vocabulary

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 11:

Discuss and compare various methods for market research report presentation.

Communicate findings and recommendations of a market research project to an audience using a variety of audio-visual tools and displaying appropriate communication skills.

Integrated Assessment
Integrated Formative Assessment:
The skills development provider will use the curriculum to guide them on the stipulated internal assessment criteria and weighting. They will also apply the scope of practical skills and applied knowledge as stipulated by the internal assessment criteria. This formative assessment together with work experience leads to entrance in the integrated external summative assessment.

Integrated Summative Assessment:
An external integrated summative assessment, conducted through the relevant QCTO Assessment Quality Partner is required for the issuing of this qualification. The external integrated summative assessment will focus on the exit level outcomes and associated assessment criteria.

The assessment will be conducted through written assessment and the evaluation of practical tasks at decentralised approved assessment sites by a panel of assessors evaluated by assessor(s) registered with the AQP.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

This qualification was compared with qualifications in the United States of America (USA) and Canada.

United States of America
University of Georgia in the USA offers a Certificate Program in Principles of Market Research over a period of one (1) year.
The qualification is organized into 13 topics:

Introduction to Market Research and the Research Process.

Market Research Design and Data Identification.

Sampling in Market Research.

Qualitative Market Research.

Quantitative Data Collection Methods.

Measurement and Questionnaire Design.

Introduction to Data Analysis.

Advanced Analytic Techniques.

Working with Secondary Data: Syndicated and Big Data.

Communicating Research Results.

Global Market Research.

Emerging Methods and the Future of Market Research.

Ethical and Legal Issues in Market Research.

Similarities
The purpose, duration, and content of the two qualifications are comparable.

Canada
International Career School in Canada offers Market Researcher Career Diploma program over a period of one (1) year. The qualification has compulsory knowledge, practical and internship components.

The Market Researcher Career Diploma prepares learners for a career as an entry-level Market Research Analyst. Learners will gain a basic understanding of market research, advertising principles, consumer behaviour and business statistics.

The qualification covers the following outcomes:

Determine how to examine potential sales of a product or service.

Recognize what products people want, who will buy them, and at what price.

Demonstrate how to convert data and findings into understandable tables, graphs, and written reports.

Identify how to gather data about consumers, competitors, and market conditions and analyse data using statistical software.

Discuss how to monitor and forecast marketing and sales trends.

Recognize how to measure the effectiveness of marketing programs and strategies.

Similarities
The purpose, outcomes, duration, components, and content of the two qualifications are comparable.

Conclusion
The Occupational Certificate: Market Research Analyst compares favourably with qualifications from the two countries cited above in terms of structure, competencies, content, duration, and purpose at a similar professional level. It is worth mentioning that the South African Occupational Certificate is at a higher level and cover wider scope.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

This qualification allows possibilities for both vertical and horizontal articulation.

Horizontal Articulation:

Higher Certificate: Marketing, NQF Level 5.

Certificate: Retail Marketing, Level N/A: Pre-2009 was L5.

Vertical Articulation:

Diploma in Marketing Management, NQF Level 6.

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

N/A

NOTES

Qualifying for External Assessment:
To qualify for an external assessment, learners must provide proof of completion of all required modules by means of statements of results and work experience records.

Additional legal or physical entry requirements

None.

Criteria for the accreditation of providers
Accreditation of providers will be done against the criteria as reflected in the relevant curriculum on the QCTO website.

The curriculum title and code: Market Research Analyst: 243102-000-00-00.

Encompassed Trades
This qualification encompasses the following trades as recorded on the NLRD.

None

Assessment Quality Partner (AQP)

Services Sector Education and Training Authority.

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.

NONE