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 THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Postgraduate Diploma: Rural Resource Management

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
14801	Postgraduate Diploma: Rural Resource Management
ORIGINATOR
University of Natal
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
Was CHE until Last Date for Achievement			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Postgraduate Diploma	Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies		Human Resources
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	128	Level 7	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L7	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		SAQA 2663/05	2006-07-01	2009-06-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2010-06-30		2013-06-30

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 is replaced by:

Qual ID	Qualification Title	Pre-2009 NQF Level	NQF Level	Min Credits	Replacement Status
72994	Postgraduate Diploma: Rural Resource Management	Level 7	Level N/A: Pre-2009 was L7	128	Complete

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

The purpose of the Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Resource Management Programme is to build the capacity of rural communities by enhancing the skills, knowledge and attitudes of rural community development practitioners.

Postgraduate Diploma is designed to develop rural development professionals and managers.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

1. An adequate exposure to physical science or biology
2. An adequate level of development of knowledge and skills in mathematics
3. Adequate literacy skills in English

These can be demonstrated in a number of ways:
(a) Matriculation exemption with at least 40% at Higher Grade or at least 60% at Standard grade for Mathematics and at least 40% at Higher Grade or at least 60% at Standard Grade for Biology or Physical Science.
(b) Alternative access programmes such as the Science Foundation Programme (SFP).

4. Continuation in, or access into, programmes at level 7 or above presupposes completion of the eight level requirements at level 6 at the required standard.
5. Students who have completed a diploma at an Agricultural College or Technikon may be admitted, provided they meet the criteria above.
6. The SFP provides access to students who do not have a formal or adequate matric exemption.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. (a) Students will be able to:

Communicate agricultural and ecological concepts (e.g. nutrition, crops, animal production, soils and resource management) in written form (using a variety of genres) as well as in oral form to both large and small groups

Critically reflect on own learning strengths and weaknesses and take steps to improve these

Establish, and participate in, a group for the purpose of completing a given task

Plan and implement a basic research project and interpret the results

Design a basic agricultural systems model

Design an educational event

Plan and evaluate a simple project

(b) Students will have a basic knowledge of:

Systems concepts

Project planning and evaluation

Experiential learning theory

Rural sociology, incl., the history of rural development interventions in South Africa, social institutions and in rural South Africa, race, class and gender power relations in rural South Africa

A range of agricultural subjects and/or small business management and/or water management and/or range management and/or geographic information systems

Ecosystems

2. (a) The ability to

(In a rural context) assist the community identity problematic human and physical issues blocking development through participatory extension methods

(In a rural context) facilitate community activities to formulate recommendations for improvement by using participatory research methods, systems-thinking methodologies and appropriate communication strategies

Write a well structured report of the above using word-processors

(b) A deeper knowledge of

Agricultural subjects

Systems methodologies

3. (a) The ability to

Conduct directed research in agricultural knowledge systems

Analyse human activity and farming systems using a range of systems methodologies

Design improved organisational management systems using a range of systems tools

Design, implement and evaluate a development project

(b) A deeper and wider knowledge of

A wider rage of systems methods and tools

Agricultural knowledge information systems

Agricultural disciplines and/or geographic information systems

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

1. Learners will demonstrate that they can:

Plan and implement a basic research project and implement the results

Design a basic agricultural systems model integrating knowledge from a range of agricultural modules taken during the course of the Programme

Design an educational event

Plan a simple project and design an evaluation procedure for the project

As part of a group, complete given tasks
Learners will further provide written and oral evidence that demonstrating that they are able to:

Communicate technical knowledge to rural community groups

Reflect on their own learning strengths and weaknesses and plan a self-improvement process

2. The learner will complete a well-structured (written in clear English using a word-processor) project portfolio, following an internship with a community organisation, in which s/he demonstrate that s/he:

Assisted community groups identify problematic situations through using participatory extension method

Facilitated community activities to overcome these problems, using participatory, systematic methods and appropriate communication strategies

Has understood, and effectively communicated to the client community, technical knowledge learned from elective modules

Show that s/he can accurately self-assess and formulate ways of self-improvement

3. The learner will demonstrate a knowledge of:

The theory of agricultural knowledge systems

Advanced extension theory

A range of systems methodologies

The learner will also complete a portfolio, following an extended internship with a community organisation, in which s/he demonstrates that s/he has integrated appropriate systems methodologies with scientific agricultural knowledge in facilitating client groups to improve a problematic situation.

Integrated Assessment

The University of Natal is currently reforming its assessment strategies to include the assessment of applied competence for each qualification. In the meantime, a combination of continuous assessment and traditional written examinations serve to assess the integration of all / most of the learning outcomes for each module in a qualification.

A written report and oral examination on a field trip in which appropriate extension methods are used, e.g. participatory rural appraisal. This assessment is used to integrate key learning outcomes of the qualification.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

Learners may shift into the Programme at any level provided they meet all the prerequisite requirements for that level. Students from Agricultural Colleges and Technikons with completed Diplomas may carry credits into the Programme.

MODERATION OPTIONS

The ETQA system for HE is not yet fully developed. Until such time as it is, procedures described under Assessor Criteria will suffice.

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

Until the HEQC establishes a registration system for assessors in the HET Band, the University of Natal assumes that, on the basis of its rigorous selection criteria for the appointment of academic staff (who also have opportunities for staff development in assessment), staffs are competent to assess students on the modules they teach. This assessment is quality assured via a university system of internal moderation and external examination. External examiners are appointed for their teaching and disciplinary expertise and subject to the approval of Faculty Boards. The University of Natal ruling is that 66 % of all assessments at exit level, i.e. leading to a qualification, are externally examined.

REREGISTRATION HISTORY

As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2006.

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

When qualifications are replaced, some of their learning programmes are moved to being recorded against the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replacement.

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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.

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