Overview

ETQA’s are accredited with SAQA and assigned functions by SAQA under section 5(1)(b)(i) of the SAQA Act as bodies responsible for accreditation, monitoring and auditing achievements in terms of national standards and qualifications; and perform functions in the sector. The ETQA Regulations state in Section 9 (1) – Functions of Education & Training Quality Assurance Bodies that an ETQA shall:

(d) Evaluate assessment and facilitate moderation among constituent providers;
(e) Register Constituent Assessors for specified registered standards or 
     qualifications in terms of the criteria established for this purpose;
(f)  Take responsibility for the certification of constituent learners.

Furthermore, the Regulations state that a provider may only be accredited with one ETQA. Since Education and training providers usually offer training for various sectors, their learning programmes tend to cut across the scope of various ETQAs. Therefore, the ETQAs enter into agreement by signing a Memorandum of Understanding, which outlines an agreed framework of co-operation and collaboration.

MoU Agreement

The MoU Agreement is signed between two Education and Training Quality Assurance Bodies. There are four types of ETQAs:

• Sector Education & Traiing Authorities
• Professional Bodies (Statutory)
• Professional Bodies (Non-Statutory)
• Education and Training Sub-system Sectors

The MoU outlines an agreed framework of co-operation and collaboration between the two ETQAs.

The Purpose of the Agreement

• Promote a coherent and effective quality assurance system for education and training
• Clarify the manner in which the parties will co-operate with each other, coordinate their functions and promote the consistency of their respective quality assurance policies and procedures.

This intervention enables providers and levy paying member companies to achieve the following:

• Education and Training Providers can attain approval for those Learning Programmes that fall outside the scope of the SETA that they are accredited with (primary focus ETQA).
• Levy paying member companies who wish to participate in learnerships, playing the role of employer, can participate in Learnerships, regardless of which SETA ETQA the Learnership is registered with.