Advanced Diploma in Traffic Safety and Municipal Police Management

Purpose

The purpose of the Advanced Diploma in Traffic Safety and Municipal Police Management Studies is to equip learners with the skills and competencies to conduct research not only on the challenges faced by the road traffic and metro police system of South Africa but also on a wide range of issues in the field of transportation and crime prevention in order to ensure the safety of all citizens in South Africa. Qualifying learner will also be able to develop and communicate ideas and opinions based on appropriate academic and professional arguments. Learners will obtain knowledge and skills to conduct research in the field of Traffic and Metro policing. Furthermore, learners will be able to perform traffic safety audits and administer traffic and transportation safety. Once all these skills and competencies are acquired, learners will be able to work independently on a tactical and strategic level in a Government or Public organisations environment.

This qualification will also develop analytical and research skills relevant to correctional services, with a particular focus on the wider road, traffic and transportation system. In recent years, the need to introduce basic research at the undergraduate level was identified by the Department of Safety and Security Management. Many postgraduate learners struggle to plan research projects as well as conducting a decent study. These struggles are particularly evident for new postgraduates, including those engaged in undergraduate studies. This has led to increased attention to the ethical complexities of research that interconnects with the criminal justice system practice. The qualification is targeted towards building a repertoire of conceptual, basic and practical research skills that will enable learners to successfully prepare for and subsequently complete independent research.

The qualification also serves to provide learners with the basic introductory knowledge, cognitive and conceptual tools and practical techniques related to research methods within the criminal justice system. This qualification will also enable learners to progress through the professional path of Traffic Safety and Municipal Police Management studies. In other words, qualifying learners will be able to progress to higher studies such as the Postgraduate Diploma up to the Doctorate level in Road Safety and Municipal Police Management Studies or related qualifications in the interest of life-long learning.

Rationale

The Advanced Diploma in Road Safety and Municipal Police Management Studies is the next level of qualification from Diploma in Road Safety and Municipal Police Management Studies as well as National Diploma: Road Safety and Municipal Police Management or related qualification in the criminal justice field. Stakeholders such as the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) were consulted in the design of this qualification. The role RTMC as a government agency (public entity) is responsible for the promotion and co-ordination of road traffic management functions within South Africa. In line with the Road to Safety Strategy document, the RTMC is expected to facilitate co-operation between stakeholders at all levels of government, in order to address the fragmentation of traffic management in South Africa. This is in line with the mandate of the RTMC as stated under the objectives of the RTMC Act, 1999 (Act 20 of 1999): "to develop human resources in the public and private sectors that are involved in road traffic." qualifications before.

A comparative analysis was conducted between international qualifications and the qualification which shows that very few countries have a distinct separation of policing and traffic duties as is the case in South Africa. The international practice is that police departments, including local level, consider traffic law enforcement as part of "normal" policing duties. Qualifications seldom separate the two duties and if so, only do it on specific module presentation basis, and not on whole qualification basis. Australia seems to resemble the closest comparable entity. It seems that the many of the international Criminal Justice qualifications are pitched at Degree and Postgraduate level and not many countries are offering an Advanced Diploma in Traffic Safety and Municipal Policing.

Those countries that do offer the Advanced Diploma has more or less the same content, but the focus differ due to the spectrum of clientele needs. Therefore, a direct comparability between international qualifications and the qualification is not always possible. This qualification will equip learners with knowledge, skills and competencies to provide learners integrated knowledge and understanding of policing investigation and leadership terms, concepts, principles and theories in order to apply theory and best practices relating to management, investigations and effective workplace relations. The qualification will also equip learners to develop and communicate ideas and opinions based on appropriate academic and professional arguments. Learners will obtain knowledge and skill to conduct research in the field of Traffic and Metro policing. This will certainly be in the interest of the government objective of ensuring that people living in South Africa feel safe at home, at school and work and enjoy a community life free of fear. In addition to that, a reduction of road traffic accidents and crime will save the country money.

The Advanced Diploma in Road Safety and Municipal Police Management Studies will source its learners from the Diploma in Road Safety and Municipal Police Management Studies and National Diploma: Road Traffic Safety Management or an equivalent NQF level 7 qualification.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

In terms of the institution's policy, prospective learners can apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in order to be admitted to the qualifications it offers. This policy stipulates amongst others three types (as outlined below) of RPL application a prospective learner can make. These are deemed relevant to gain entry to this qualification and forms the basis which application for RPL will be considered.

• RPL for Equivalence: this is an application for admission to a qualification based on the fact that the learner's existing qualification meet the requirements for a similar prerequisite qualification as stated in the admission requirements for that qualification.
• RPL for advanced admission: this is an application for admission where the learner does not meet the stated admission requirements but wishes to be admitted to an advanced qualification on the basis of RPL. As part of a rigorous assessment process the learner would need to furnish evidence of exceptional experience, depth and scope before his/her application would be considered.
• RPL for Status: this is an application to register for a qualification when the learner does not hold the required admission qualification or an equivalent qualification but holds another qualification on the same National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level as that of the prerequisite qualification.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Diploma in Traffic Safety and Municipal Police Management, NQF Level 6, 360 Credits.

This qualification consists of compulsory modules at Level 7 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, 120 Credits

• Applied Research Methods, 20 Credits.
• Municipal Policing 4, 20 Credits.
• Strategic Traffic Systems Management 4, 30 Credits.
• Road Traffic Management 4, 30 Credits.
• Traffic Strategies and Practices 4, 20 Credits.

1. Demonstrate knowledge of Road Traffic Environment.
2. Apply Municipal Police management principles and concepts.
3. Demonstrate theoretical knowledge of Road Traffic Management Principles.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of Traffic Strategies and Practices.
5. Plan, design and conduct research in the field of Road Traffic and Metro Police.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Identify, analyse, formulate and solve a range of issues creatively and responsibility within the road traffic environment.
• Interpret information and contextualise it as a set of interrelated issues.
• Apply the basic road safety audit principles (checklist) to manage risk in the road traffic environment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the current demand for alternative policing approaches.
• Explain the emergence (origins) of intelligence led policing.
• Demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of the magnitude of the crime challenge.
• Conceptualise and define intelligence-led policing.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Demonstrate an informed understanding of how to manage Road Safety Audits and National Safety Programmes; the prevention of crime in an integrated way involving all partners; manage resources to deliver an effective and efficient service to community.
• Describe relevant clauses of the Road Traffic Act and relevant Acts of Parliament.
• Manage traffic safety campaigns, Strategic Management Plans and the budget of the Traffic Safety and Municipal Police environment.
• Explain key terms, concepts, facts, principles, rules and related theories.
• Evaluate different sources of information, select information appropriate to the task and apply well developed processes of analysis, synthesis and evaluation to the information relating to the semester assignment question.
• Present and communicate semester assignment in class by means of PowerPoint.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the current strategic developments in traffic safety management.
• Analyse international trends in traffic safety and best practices application in South African conditions.
• Display insight into the various levels of traffic safety education and the dynamics associated with each level.
• Demonstrate fundamental knowledge of the latest policy directives affecting traffic and municipal law enforcement in South Africa.
• Show insight pertaining to the dynamics on policy implementation and the problems associated the evaluation the effectiveness of the implementation.
• Identify and analyse the dynamics unique to the law enforcement environment in respect of policy implementation and evaluation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Apply Basic research skills in practice.
• Plan and design research in the field of correctional services to produce a research proposal.
• Identify and analyse accident data/statistics.

Integrated Assessment

Integrated Assessment will be achieved by a variety of strategies. The qualification will be awarded to a learner who would have achieved the required fundamental and core modules. Evidence is also required to prove that the learner is able to completely achieve the purpose of the qualification at the time of the award of the qualification.

In order to determine whether learners have successfully achieved the stipulated outcomes and can demonstrate applied competence, an integrated approach incorporating formative and summative assessment procedure will be utilised. While formative assessment will include case study analysis, problem solving analysis, oral presentations and peer and self-assessments, summative assessments will be in a form of semester tests, semester assignments (including research proposal) and semester examinations.

Summative assessment calculations will be done as follows

One semester test will be written and one assignment will be submitted per semester for the purpose of determining predicate mark.