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: |
National Certificate: Land Transport Planning |
SAQA QUAL ID | QUALIFICATION TITLE | |||
58601 | National Certificate: Land Transport Planning | |||
ORIGINATOR | ||||
SGB Transport and Logistics Operations | ||||
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY | NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK | |||
LG SETA - Local Government and related Services Sector Education and Training Authority | OQSF - Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework | |||
QUALIFICATION TYPE | FIELD | SUBFIELD | ||
National Certificate | Field 11 - Services | Transport, Operations and Logistics | ||
ABET BAND | MINIMUM CREDITS | PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL | NQF LEVEL | QUAL CLASS |
Undefined | 158 | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | Regular-Unit Stds Based |
REGISTRATION STATUS | SAQA DECISION NUMBER | REGISTRATION START DATE | REGISTRATION END DATE | |
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered" |
SAQA 0480/09 | 2010-06-14 | 2012-06-30 | |
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT | LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT | |||
2013-06-30 | 2016-06-30 |
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:
This qualification is aimed at bolstering the ability of transport planning practitioners to successfully implement the legislative requirements of land transport planning. This qualification enables the learner to develop towards becoming a transport planner, which is achieved by strategising, planning, integrating, implementing and managing transport planning aspects using the appropriate processes and methods within the relevant contexts. The occupations, jobs or areas of activity in which the qualifying learners will typically operate are the planning or transport functional areas of municipalities, provincial governments, national departments, and parastatals, as well as private sector consultants and elected officials operating in transport committees. The qualification has been designed to allow for the personal development of the land transport planner and forms part of a progression pathway towards more complex transport planning aspects. The typical learner at this level will be making specified contributions to the land transport planning process (in larger municipalities or other entities), or be responsible for preparing and implementing the entire Integrated Transport Plan (in small, local or district municipalities). The scope of the land transport system that is dealt with includes all modes of passenger and freight transport, by all public transport, non-motorised, road or rail-based means. The qualification is relevant to both rural and urban contexts. The qualification covers the contextual aspects of planning for transport development, as well as technical knowledge needed to develop the plan itself. This includes project management skills in order to manage the project for the preparation of a transport plan, supplemented by the technical knowledge requirement to seek the assistance of a service provider to prepare more technically demanding components of the plan. The transport management function, referring to the implementation of infrastructure, services and management systems, and operational or logistical planning, is not a primary focus area of this qualification, although aspects of operations and management are included for the sake of completeness. Qualifying learners will be able to: Rationale: Managing and developing the transport system is a complex task requiring coordination among many roleplayers across the private and public sectors. Transport planners at the local, provincial, and national government spheres are involved in guiding and implementing transport in such a manner as to promote the achievement of government's policy intentions, and within the procedural frameworks provided by legislation. Since 1994 the policy and institutional frameworks within which land transport is planned and provided have changed significantly. The Urban Transport Act (78 of 1977) provided for transport planning to be executed by core cities in Metropolitan Transport Areas (MTA's), which included only the large urban areas in South Africa. The White Paper on National Transport Policy (1996) identified the need to undertake more directed transport planning in all areas, including rural areas and small towns, in order for transport to play its proper developmental role. The White Paper further identified a key focus of transport as that of meeting customer needs, which implied the need for a changing set of objectives and skills, both within government and among transport providers. The National Land Transport Transition Act (NLTTA), Act 22 of 2000, provided the new framework and process for transport planning in South Africa. The principle of integrated transport planning, aimed at achieving integration across all land transport modes, between land use and transport, and between the delivery of infrastructure and the management and enforcement of transport services and operations, underpinned the spirit of the Act. Institutional options were identified for starting to address the endemic fragmentation in the planning and management of transport. The subsequent Regulations on Part 7 (Transport Planning) of the Act further specified what should be contained in the Integrated Transport Plans (ITPs) for any given area, whether rural or urban. Since 2003, the first cycle in the preparation of ITPs by municipalities revealed a number of challenges. These challenges became evident by the timeframes that were required and the quality of the plans that were prepared. In general, the plans displayed a lack of implementability and responsiveness to the objectives set by the NLTTA and the National Land Transport Strategic Framework (NLTSF). One of the main reasons for these shortcomings appeared to be the lack of skills and capacity at local and district municipality level to prepare the plans according to the specifications and regulations. A distinction should be made between the transport planning function required at municipal level to prepare transport plans, and the transport management and regulatory functions, shared between the three spheres of government. The transport planning process essentially involves the evidence-driven identification of issues and problems, the generation of goals and objectives, the generation, evaluation, and implementation of policies, strategies and projects, and the monitoring and review of the impacts of the process. Undertaking this process requires a diverse set of skills in working with both data and people, managing projects and processes within relevant governance frameworks, and understanding the complex interplay between transport and the wider economic, physical and social environments. The complexity of this task varies significantly by geographic area, with individual planners in local or district municipalities engaging with a relatively limited set of issues, while their counterparts in larger urban areas deal with more complex and, often, less well defined problems. Officials in the provincial and national government spheres are to a lesser extent involved in transport planning - their focus is more on guiding (through legislation, policies and strategies), managing (e.g. bus and taxi services through subsidies and operating licenses), and regulating (through regulation and enforcement) the transport sector in consultation with municipalities. Due to the critical interaction and coordination required among the three spheres, planners and managers at all three levels need to understand how the transport planning process works and what it requires in order to become a successful driver of implementation. |
LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING |
Recognition of Prior Learning: The structure of this qualification makes the Recognition of Prior Learning possible through challenging the associate Exit Level Outcomes. This qualification may therefore be achieved in part or completely through the recognition of prior learning, which includes formal, informal and non-formal learning and work experience. The learner should be thoroughly briefed on the mechanism to be used and support and guidance should be provided. Care should be taken that the mechanism used provides the learner with an opportunity to demonstrate competence and is not so onerous as to prevent learners from taking up the RPL option towards gaining a qualification. If the learner is able to demonstrate competence in the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes implicit in this qualification the appropriate credits should be assigned to the learner. Recognition of Prior Learning will be done by means of Integrated Assessment as mentioned above. This Recognition of Prior Learning may allow: Access to the Qualification: Open access. |
RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? |
Y |
QUALIFICATION RULES |
EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES |
Qualifying learners are able to:
1. Apply analytical techniques to a transport planning process in an uncomplicated transport system. > Range: Uncomplicated transport system: fewer zones, uncomplicated travel patterns, less volumes, mono-centric land use pattern, simple radial traffic flow. 2. Contribute to the development of component strategies of an integrated transport plan. 3. Manage projects, systems and small teams to work co-operatively in achieving integrated planning and sustainable development goals for a municipal area. |
ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA |
1.
> Range: Uncomplicated projects are defined by their limited scope and scale. 2. 3. > Range: Stakeholder participation activities include but are not limited to engagement processes, systems, events and budgets. Integrated Assessment: |
INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY |
An extensive, but not comprehensive, internet search was conducted in February 2007 to compare the proposed NQF Level 5 qualification with international benchmarks, particularly within 'developing world' nations. The key phrases of this search included 'transport planning course' and 'transport studies course'. The names of 'developing world' countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Egypt, Senegal, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Singapore and India were then suffixed to these keyword phrases in order to undertake a more targeted search.
The internet search undertaken indicates clearly that the majority of qualifications with a specific focus on transport planning are offered as a postgraduate PGDip and Master degree level (i.e. NQF levels 7 and 8). PGDip and PGCert qualifications are typically distinct from Master degrees in that they exclude a research project or dissertation component. The range of qualifications reviewed, and the institutions that offer them, are listed in the following table. Asia: Institution; Qualification; Assumed equivalence to NQF Level: Australasia: Institution; Qualification; Assumed equivalence to NQF Level: North America: Institution; Qualification; Assumed equivalence to NQF Level: United Kingdom: Institution; Qualification; Assumed equivalence to NQF Level: Cross University programmes: Institution; Qualification; Assumed equivalence to NQF Level: Transport planning is typically taught at NQF levels 5 and 6 through individual courses within broader civil engineering undergraduate degrees. Undergraduate civil engineering courses in transportation tend to cover more than just transport planning however, incorporating geometric design, traffic engineering and pavement engineering as additional key components. For example, the undergraduate civil engineering curriculum at Cairo University in Egypt includes the following courses, which (perhaps with the exception of railway and airport engineering) are fairly typical of most undergraduate transport engineering courses: Transport Planning: Introduction to transport sciences - Definitions - Time horizons of transport planning - Elements of urban transport planning procedures - Data base - Introduction to travel demand forecasting models - Introduction to traffic management and public transport improvements - Introduction to evaluation of strategic transport plans and traffic management schemes. Traffic Engineering: Vehicle, User and road Characteristics - Studies of Traffic Stream Characteristic (Speed, Volume, Trip Time & Delay) - Fundamentals of Traffic Flow - Speed, Volume and Density Relationships - Highway Capacities - Traffic Control Devices. Introduction to Highway and Airport Planning - Classification of Highways - Design Controls and Criteria - Design of Elements in the Longitudinal Direction - Design of Cross Sections - Design of At-Grade Intersections, Grade Separations and Interchanges - Types of Pavements - Calculation of Stresses in Flexible and Rigid Pavements - Types and Characteristics of Paving Materials and Mixtures - Equivalent Axel Loads - Design of Flexible and Rigid Pavement Thickness - Introduction to Pavement Maintenance and Management Systems. Train resistance and tractive forces - Train trip-time estimation by graphical method - Elements of geometric alignment of railway lines - Design of different elements of railway track - Renewal and maintenance of railway lines - Geometric design of different types of turnouts & crossings - Design of railway stations and yards - Safety and types of railway signals. Despite the targeted search undertaken, no qualifications in transport planning equivalent to NQF level 5 in 'developing counties', and African countries in particular, were found. The closest equivalent found were customised training programmes developed for transport planning officials in Algeria, Egypt and Kenya by Planning and Transport, Research and Computation (PTRC) in the United Kingdom. Unfortunately details on the curricula of these programmes were not available. Other agencies providing similar civil servant training include the University of Queensland in Australia, and the Federal Highway Administration in the United States. Of interest is a 'seminar course' entitled 'Transportation and society - with special reference to Africa' offered by Cornell University's Institute for African Development in collaboration with Napier University. The 'seminar course' contains the following modules: Of the qualifications listed in the table provided, four are equivalent to NQF level 6. All are offered at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. The compulsory curricula content of these qualifications are as follows (elective and optional courses are too numerous to list): BA Economics with Transport Studies: BA Management with Transport: BA Geography with Transport Planning: BA Environment and Transport Planning: Other qualifications, equivalent to NQF level 7, that are of interest are two BA (Hons) degree programmes offered at the University of the West of England in the United Kingdom. BA(Hons) Planning with Transport: "In the first year of the course you will study modules that will introduce the major issues in planning and transport, with a particular emphasis on the social, environmental and organisational context of the planning system. In years two and three you will begin to explore transport issues in depth, whilst continuing to study the core planning modules that will equip you to work in the planning field and give you an appreciation of how the planning system operates in practice. In the final year of the course you will undertake a dissertation which is an individual piece of in-depth work on a transport topic chosen by you. This allows you to follow your own interests to investigate a matter that you feel a real enthusiasm for studying. Throughout the course you will be expected to develop not only your knowledge of planning and transport, but also your own skills and competencies that will assist you to develop your capabilities, not just on a degree course, but on a lifetime basis. In the first year in particular, you will be discussing your skills development with the course leaders, undertaking skills development workshops and taking some responsibility for developing a personal programme to enhance your skills as you progress through the course. The Faculty's inter-professional approach includes projects where you will work with students from other disciplines within the built environment, such as architects, civil engineers and property developers. This encourages mutual respect and understanding of the professions which you are likely to be working with during your career, and helps you to develop and practise the skills of presentation, negotiation, communication, and delegation." BA(Hons) Transport and Sustainability: "In the first year you are introduced to the core sustainability modules: 'Concepts of Sustainability' and 'Sustainable Communities'. To give you a basis for understanding the most significant physical and human geographical processes, you take modules on 'Physical Geography' and 'Introduction to Human Geography'. The module 'Process of Urban Change' focuses on the decision-making processes and power relationships which shape urban environments, including the transport system. The 'Geographical Analysis' module will develop key cartographic, statistical and GIS skills. In the second year the dimensions of sustainability are explored in greater depth with modules on 'Environmental Management: Policy and Implementation', 'Sustainability, Decision-Making and Society' and 'Natural Resource Economics'. You will thereby confront the difficulties involved in integrating environmental, social and economic decision-making in relation to sustainable transport. Transport-specific subjects are introduced with modules on 'Business Management in Transport' and 'Transport Planning and Modelling'. In addition, you select two electives from a package of Faculty-wide electives. You may opt to spend your third year in a placement to gain practical experience, and to qualify for a 'sandwich' degree. The integration of a placement into courses is highly favoured by employers, and you will normally be paid by your placement employer. A placement connects university with work, allowing you to consolidate your knowledge and skills by applying them in a professional situation in the real world. This experience will also enrich and focus your final year studies. A year's income is also useful to many students. We offer support and guidance to help you find a placement, and you will be visited by a tutor who will also be available if you have any problems. In the final year you will deepen your skills in applying sustainability through the 'Promoting Sustainability' and 'Environmental Assessment' modules. You will carry out original research in relation to transport and sustainability by preparing a dissertation. Transport-specific modules in this year are 'Transport Economics and Policy' and 'Transport Systems and Logistics'. You will select one module from a choice of three which consider sustainability in urban areas and the tourism sector, which will further deepen and widen the range of knowledge and sustainability-linked tools and policies. The Faculty's inter-professional approach includes projects where you will work with students from other disciplines within the built environment. This encourages mutual respect and understanding of the professions which you are likely to be working with during your career, and helps you to develop and practise the skills of presentation, negotiation, communication, and delegation." The review of international transport planning qualifications and teaching undertaken suggests that in other parts of the world the normal basic qualification required for appointment to specialist transport planning jobs is either a general undergraduate civil engineering degree or a specialist postgraduate PGDip or Master degree. The South African civil service appears to be fairly unique in its appointment of officials to fulfil transport planning functions apparently without these qualifications. The initiative to development a NQF level 5 qualification (with an outcome equivalent to the first year of an university degree) therefore appears to be unique, and consequently international benchmarking has proven difficult and problematic. Judgement will be required on the behalf of the Transport Planning SGB with respect to identifying the appropriate level, depth and complexity of subject matter conventionally dealt with in civil engineering bachelor degrees or at PGDip and Master degree level. International precedent is unlikely to be of great assistance in this regard. |
ARTICULATION OPTIONS |
This Qualification articulates horizontally with the following registered qualification(s):
This Qualification articulates vertically with the following registered learning programmes: |
MODERATION OPTIONS |
CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS |
For an applicant to register as an assessor, the applicant needs:
|
NOTES |
N/A |
UNIT STANDARDS: |
ID | UNIT STANDARD TITLE | PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL | NQF LEVEL | CREDITS | |
Core | 15216 | Create opportunities for innovation and lead projects to meet innovative ideas | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 4 |
Core | 244247 | Apply elementary modelling techniques | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 15 |
Core | 244246 | Collect, evaluate, analyse and communicate data for transport planning | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 10 |
Core | 244250 | Contribute to the development of specialist component strategies of an integrated transport plan | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 30 |
Core | 244248 | Evaluate and programme transport projects | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 15 |
Fundamental | 120311 | Apply visionary leadership to develop strategy | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 10 |
Fundamental | 120499 | Design and implement a set of engagement and participation processes, systems and events in support of the integrated development planning process in a municipality | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 8 |
Fundamental | 120504 | Determine the impact and policy implications of the concepts of 'integrated sustainable development' and 'sustainable human settlements' for a municipal area | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 8 |
Fundamental | 120388 | Supervise a project team of a small project to deliver project objectives | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 14 |
Fundamental | 120507 | Draw up a strategic development municipal agenda to address the key municipal development challenges in an integrated and sustainable manner | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 8 |
Fundamental | 10597 | Implement operational management principles and techniques | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 8 |
Fundamental | 116364 | Plan a municipal budgeting and reporting cycle | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 8 |
Elective | 11273 | Apply Fundamental Concepts of Supply Chain Management Optimisation | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 8 |
Elective | 120509 | Assess and support the implementation of strategies and strategic programmes and interventions | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 8 |
Elective | 15144 | Develop and manage quality systems and procedures on a construction project | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 12 |
Elective | 12458 | Develop the skills of a work team | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 10 |
Elective | 120380 | Evaluate and improve the project team's performance | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 7 |
Elective | 114050 | Explain the principles of business and the role of information technology | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 4 |
Elective | 15148 | Manage financial aspects of a construction project | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 8 |
Elective | 13237 | Optimise the quality assurance system | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 6 |
Elective | 10147 | Supervise a project team of a technical project to deliver project objectives | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 14 |
Elective | 120378 | Support the project environment and activities to deliver project objectives | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 14 |
Elective | 12432 | Use mathematical and statistical techniques effectively | Level 5 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5 | 20 |
Elective | 230078 | Apply the principles of ethics to a business environment | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 10 |
Elective | 12138 | Conduct an organisational needs analysis | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 10 |
Elective | 10591 | Conduct interpersonal management | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 6 |
Elective | 10071 | Develop a strategic plan | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 15 |
Elective | 115334 | Maintain good relations with internal and external clients | Level 6 | Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6 | 6 |
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 |
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. |