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: 

Certificate: Public Relations 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
24410  Certificate: 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 Certificate  Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies  Public Relations 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  120  Level 5  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 		 SAQA 0695/12  2012-07-01  2015-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2016-06-30   2019-06-30  

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 
The purpose of this qualification is to provide learners (new entrants and existing unqualified employees in the industry) who have been schooling at NQF level 4 or RPL this opportunity to acquire skills required To perform basic and elementary functions in a Public Relations environment.

The programme is highly relevant to today's business world as it focuses on Public Relations within an organisation. The programme is designed for the purpose of learners who want to pursue a career in Public Relations. It consists of the policies for effective practice of Public Relations for an organisation, such as marketing and communication skills the role of a PR person is extremely vital in the marketing/promotion of an organisation irrespective of its size. We feel this programme is vitally important in order for learners when they become employees. To know how to effectively promote/market the organisation they are employed at.

This programme can also be viewed as a social development programme, our learners may be able to give advice to their families/relatives/friends of products and services supplied by their organisation and at the same time ensure sustainability of the organisation they are employed at. This qualification will contribute to the full development of the learner with in the Public Relations Environment by providing recognition furthers mobility and transportability with in 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 Public Relations 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 of the Qualification:

The Certificate in Public Relations is designed for learners who want the field of Public Relations. The role of the Public Relations in an organisation is essential for its success. The role of the Public Relations employees in an organisation is to identify, and satisfy consumer needs and to achieve targets set by the organisation. The programme will provide knowledge and skills for the industry and to Progress along a successful career path. This qualification will lead to the learner gaining access to the Higher Certificate in Public Relations. This programme allows for learners who have extensive work experience in this field to obtain a formal qualification. This qualification enables the learners to provide evidence of competence to prospective employers and ensures greater accessibility to employment. The qualification will provide knowledgeable, skilled employees who will be effective and efficient. It also promotes a culture of life long learning. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
  • Prior learning is taken into consideration on the merit of each learner and the unique circumstances of each learner.
  • The learner must have the capacity to learn from written material, and be able to be able to gather information and conduct an analysis of the information.
  • Grade 12/English.

    Recognition of prior learning (RPL):

    This qualification can be achieved through RPL as per the following terms:
    Proof has to be presented in the forms of work records, reports/testimonials/letters of references stating job functions performed, previous qualifications if any available and performance records. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    N/A 

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    Exit-level Outcomes:
  • The learner will be able to work in cohesion with the individuals or teams in the organisation to meet objectives.
  • Able to assess consumer needs and meet them.
  • Demonstrate understanding of the life cycle of products, the competition for products and services.
  • Competent in complying with legislation by having an understanding of the regulations.
  • Ability to co-ordinate promotional activities for promotion of products and services of the organisation.
  • The learner will be able to abide to ethics by applying the principles and concepts correctly.
  • Demonstrate ability to communicate with consumers assist and resolve problems and complaints.
  • Competent in the research, monitoring and saving the market information.
  • Understanding the legal issues pertaining to Public Relations.
  • Ability to handle Media relations.

    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 
    The learner should be capable of demonstrating an ability to consider options and make decisions of:
  • Understand the importance of working together to achieve objectives.
  • Effective communication skills with media and people.
  • Give consumers information of features and benefits of products and services.
  • The legal and ethical requirements.
  • The competitive environment and target markets.
  • Handle promotions of products and services.
  • The methods and techniques and principles to use for advertising and dealing with people.
  • Gather and process information.

    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 very favourably. It was also compared to qualifications from the United Kingdom, namely the University of Cambridge and the London Chamber of Commerce and the Australian and New Zealand Qualifications Framework. In general this qualification and its component unit standards compare well with their international counterparts. The only major differences are in formatting and scope or coverage of focus. The differences in the NVQ and NQF level 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 e.g. Higher Certificate in Public Relations. 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 moderate a particular unit standard of Qualification are using comparable assessment methods and are making similar and consistent Judgments about a learner's 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:

    1. To ensure that the assessment covers, the unit standards completed in the training programme.
    2. To verify that the assessments are fair, valid, reliable and practicable.
    3. To identify the need to redesign an assessment if need be.
    4. To provide an appeals procedure for the dissatisfied learners.
    5. 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 i.e. 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 
    N/A 

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

    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.