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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Diploma in Public Relations 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
24407  Diploma in Public Relations 
ORIGINATOR
Berea College of Technology (Pty) Ltd 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
National Diploma  Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies  Public Relations 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  360  Level 6  NQF Level 06  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered-data under construction  EXCO 0324/24  2024-07-01  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2032-06-30  

Registered-data under construction

The qualification content is currently being updated for the qualifications with the status “Registered-data under construction” or showing “DETAILS UNDER CONSTRUCTION” to ensure compliance with SAQA’S Policy and Criteria for the registration of qualifications and part-qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (As amended, 2022). These qualifications are re-registered until 30 June 2027 and can legitimately be offered by the institutions to which they are registered.

 

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.  

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
This qualification focuses on the learner becoming a fully fledged public relations practitioner all organisations need to increase and sustain their market share and the role of this person is to promote the organisation. The Qualification is regarding the achievement of 2-way communication between an organisation and the public. The sole purpose is to promote business products and only an effective public relations person can perform this service.

This programme has been structurally modified to ensure that learners are able to get a well-rounded knowledge of basic educational and practical understanding. The programme ensures that the theory explained provides in depth look at organisational management and promotional development. The programme indicates the importance of improved organisational awareness of target publics and the buying power regarding the organisation its products and services. The unit standard also helps maintain and instill in learners the need to be observant with emphasis on news and other current trends and events.

The communication related unit's assists in providing learners with an understanding of the various communication methods and enhancement techniques. The emphasis here is placed on the impact of maintaining 2-way communication. The learner is able to gain, observe and enhance his/her own presentation skills. The management related units help the learners to identify how the different departments are structured and where Public Relations fits into the hierarchy. The computer units learnt ensure that learners can be able to change and improve presentations, conferences, seminars and speeches.

The overall outcome of this programme is to be able to take a shy, introvert, soft spoken individual and hone in on their hidden ability. The direct result of the above is confident, extrovert and articulate learner who is able to gain successful employment as a public relations junior officer in any organisation.

This qualification will contribute to the full development of the learner within the Public Relations field, By providing recognition, further mobility and transportability within the field of Public Relations and communication. The skills, knowledge and understanding demonstrated within this qualification are essential for social and economic transformation and contribute to the upliftment and economic growth within the PR environment. The unit standards in the qualification are intended as building blocks that will make the learner a more skilled, knowledgeable, informed and efficient worker in the Public Relations industry.


Rationale:

Learners who have successfully completed the Higher Certificate in Public Relations will be allowed access to this qualification. This qualification provides the learner with accessibility to be employed in the public relations department of organisations. The skills, knowledge and understanding demonstrated within this qualification are essential for both social and economic reasons. And contributes to upliftment and economic growth within the organisation. The public relations person in an organisation plays an integral role in achieving business and consumer needs. This career has a high growth and there is constant need of skilled people.

The qualification focuses on skills, knowledge, values and attitudes required progressing further in the public relations industry.

The aim is to:
  • Promotion of knowledge and skills that are required to fulfill the role of a public relations person
  • To release potential of people
  • Provide opportunities for successful ongoing career opportunities

    The qualification structure is able to allow learners to obtain a broad understanding of Public Relations specialisation and competence. It also promotes the notion of life long learning. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
  • Pass Certificate and Higher Certificate in Public Relations
  • Prior learning is taken into consideration on the merit of each learner And the unique circumstances of each learner.

    Recognition of prior learning:

    This qualification may be achieved in part or completely through RPL. The learner has to provide proof of prior learning Through references of work experience and tasks carried out. The prior learning may be informal, formal And non-formal learning and work experience. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    N/A 

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    Exit Level Outcomes

    On completion the learner will be competent in:
  • Ability to carry out a range of communication tasks
  • Able to use various methods for defining target public
  • Understand the impact of government in a business
  • Competency in utilising all types of methods to appeal to target public
  • Demonstrate ability to define the functions of mass media
  • Have knowledge of the type of media to reach the market
  • Competent in knowledge of the different types of mass communication
  • Understand the different types journals and how to produce journals
  • Able to familiarize themselves with guidelines for direct mail marketing
  • Understand the importance of trade unions
  • End User computing skills competency

    Critical Cross Field Outcomes:
  • Develop entrepreneurial opportunities
  • Being culturally and aesthetically sensitive across a range of social contexts
  • Reflecting and exploring a variety of strategies to learn more effectively
  • Communicate effectively using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in the modes of oral and/or written presentation
  • Calculate, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information
  • Organise and manage one and ones activities responsibly and effectively
  • Work effectively with others as a member of a team,group,organisation or community
  • Identify and solve problems in which responses display that responsible decisions using critical and creative thinking 
    		•

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
  • Communicate in a business environment
  • Demonstrate an understanding of Public Relations principles
  • Ensure good public Relations practices are applied in all activities related to this function in an organization
  • Deal with brand product and service promotions
  • Understand the target market
  • Handle a range of consumer complaints and resolve them
  • Meet performance standards
  • Communicate with all relevant staff to enhance teamwork
  • Monitor information flow and process data
  • Comply with legislation and rules in the Public Relations business
  • Understand the constraints and characteristics of various media
  • Ability to source expertise and resources to assist with information gathering and processing

    Integrated Assessment:

    The integrated assessment gives learners the ability to integrate concepts across the unit standards to achieve competency for the purpose of the qualification. Integrated assessment is to assess the quality of performance thinking and understanding. It is applicable to formative and summative assessment, which is both practical and theoretical. The integrated assessment must enable learners to display capabilities in integrating practical performance, concepts and theory. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    This qualification was compared to local providers both public and private providers and the qualification compared favorably. It was also compared to qualifications from the United Kingdom, namely the University of Cambridge and the London Chamber of Commerce, the Australian Qualifications Framework and the Newland Qualifications Authourity. In general this qualification and its component unit standards compare well with their international counterparts. The only major differences are in formatting and scope of focus. The differences in the NVQ and NQF levels structures make direct equivalation difficult. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    With this particular programme learners can further there learning both horizontally and vertically. Learners can receive credits at our institution and move onto other programmes offered at our Institution or they may obtain credits from public institutions and progress vertically. The Professional training obtained from this programme allows our learner's entrance to additional Qualifications. The credits obtained can be used as evidence for RPL for other qualifications. 

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    Moderation ensures that learners who are being assessed are assessed in a consistent, accurate and well designed manner. We ensure that all moderators who moderater a particular unit standard of qualification are using comparable assessment methods and are making similar and consistent judgements about learners performance. The moderators are responsible for the moderation of question papers, the marking process and marked scripts. The moderation is conducted by external examiners.

    To ensure that the moderation is credible, we make sure that the following guidelines are followed:
  • To ensure that the assessment covers , the unit standards completed in the training programme
  • To verify that the assessments are fair , valid, reliable and practicable
  • To identify the need to redesign an assessment if need be
  • To provide an appeals procedure for the dissatisfied learners
  • To evaluate the performance of assessors

    Recommendation of a moderating body or bodies:

    Moderators are used for assessments. Moderators are normally appointed from outside the institution Ie. either from a public tertiary institution or industry , where the qualification of the moderator must be relevant to and a higher qualification level that of the level of the programme they are responsible for moderating. As a quality control mechanism the moderators must provide certified copies of their
    Qualifications. 
    		•

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    Anyone assessing a learner against a qualification must be registered as an assessor with the relevant ETQA. The assessors must be qualified at least one level higher of the programme they are assessing. 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2006; 2009; 2012; 2015. 

    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. Berea College of Technology (Pty) Ltd 


    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.