Advanced Diploma in Work Study

Purpose

The Advanced Diploma in Work Study is a vocational qualification that builds on the skills and competencies acquired in the Diploma in Work Study and enables a qualifying learner to independently design, select and apply a range of management interventions at any organisational level in commerce and industry to optimise productivity and quality of work life. A graduate from this qualification will be competent to manage a Management Consultancy Unit, or to start an independent consultancy to advise management.

The qualification is further designed to prepare learners for Postgraduate study through the deepening of their knowledge and understanding of theories, methodologies, and practices in the discipline, as well as the development of their ability to formulate, undertake and resolve complex theoretical and workplace-related problems and tasks through the selection and use of appropriate methods and techniques.

The Exit Level Outcomes of this qualification are aligned to the Level Descriptors at Level 7 of the NQF. This was done according to the ten categories used to describe applied competencies across the ten levels of the National Qualifications Framework.

The learning materials of this qualification are developed by academic staff who are subject matter experts in their respective fields. They develop these materials in conjunction with the instructional designers and curriculum development practitioners who make sure that the learning material and activities included are conducive for learning and are also aligned to the

outcomes of the qualification.

Rationale

Currently there is a shortage of management services skills as well as the competency to manage management services consultancy units. Work Study practitioners have been advising management at all management levels for the last fifty years. Indications are that the present situation in South Africa sees a number of managers on all levels without the necessary managerial skills and experience needed for quality service delivery and high levels of organisational performance and that the situation is deteriorating at an increasing rate. The latter is seen in the high and increasing public demand for service delivery. Due to the varied nature of service delivery challenges and lack of specific knowledge on organisational performance improvement, there is a need for appropriately skilled management services practitioners to advice management on different levels.

This qualification will provide learners with the necessary skills and aptitude to be able to advice managers on tactical and strategic levels in any organisation as internal or external advisors on organisational performance issues. These issues include the following, but are not restricted to:

• Organisational structuring/re-structuring.
• Process improvement and Work management.
• Organisation and Staff establishment.
• Performance Management and work measurement.
• Ergonomics and human factors in a workplace.

A qualifying learner from this qualification will be competent to manage a Management Consultancy Unit, or to start an independent consultancy to advice management.

The Constitution and other legislation emphasise the "Batho Pele" principles of efficient and effective service delivery. The Institute of Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Scoreboard 2012 ranks South Africa 52nd out of 59 economies. This ranking is two down from 2011 ranking where South Africa was ranked 50th out of the 59 economies.

According the Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012 (World Economic Forum) South Africa is in the second stage of development classified as efficiency driven. The overall ranking places South Africa 50th out of 142 counties, four rankings down from 2010-2011 namely 54 out 139 countries.

Seeing that South Africa is in stage two of development (efficiency driven) the country should emphasise efficiency and specifically goods market efficiency and labour market efficiency. In 2012 South Africa scored respectively 32nd and 95th out of 142 countries in these two areas.

Since most government services or government departments are in and around the institution is in the favourable position to offer this qualification.

The practitioners as efficiency experts will be able to advise management from different organisations to increase organisational performance on all levels. Ultimately this will lead to a more productive and competitive South Africa.

The qualification partially fills the gap between undergraduate and postgraduate studies in this discipline which was created by the discontinuation of the Baccalaureus Technologiae in Management Services qualification to create a coherent pathway for learners wishing to pursue a vocational career in this discipline in compliance with the requirements of the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF). Relevant stakeholders, including academic peers from outside the institution and employers represented on the Advisory Committee, were involved in the development of the qualification.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution has an approved Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy which is applicable to equivalent qualifications for admission into the qualification. RPL will be applied to accommodate applicants who qualify. RPL thus provides alternative access and admission to qualifications, as well as advance standing within qualifications. RPL may be applied for access, credits from modules and credits for or towards the qualification.

RPL for access

• Learners who do not meet the minimum entrance requirements or the required qualification at the same NQF level as the qualification required for admission may be considered for admission through RPL.
• To be considered for admission in the qualification based on RPL, applicants should provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that they have acquired the relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to cope with the qualification expectations should they be allowed entrance into the qualification.

RPL for exemption of modules

• Learners may apply for RPL to be exempted for modules that form part of the qualification. For a learner to be exempted from a module, the learner needs to provide sufficient evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that competency was achieved for the learning outcomes that are equivalent to the learning outcomes of the module.

RPL for credit

• Learners may also apply for RPL for credit for or towards the qualification, in which they must provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates prior learning through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to obtain credits towards the qualification.
• Credit shall be appropriate to the context in which it is awarded and accepted.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• A Diploma in Management Services, NQF Level 6, 360 Credits.

Or

• A Bachelor's Degree, NQF Level 7, 360 Credits.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 7 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, 120 Credits

• Strategic Management for Management Services IV, 30 Credits.
• Work Study IV, 30 Credits
• Quality Management for Work Study IV, 30 Credits.
• Research Methodology IV, 30 Credits.

1. Identify, analyse, evaluate, critically reflect on and address complex systemic problems in the context of management services, apply evidence-based solutions and theory-driven arguments in order to deliver a comprehensive consultancy service and manage Management Consultancy processes and resources in unfamiliar and variable contexts. [Range: "variable contexts" includes but is not limited to private and public sectors].
2. Use a range of specialised skills to identify, analyse and address problems to improve the quality of work, drawing systematically on the body of knowledge and methods appropriate to the field of quality management.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of a range of methods of enquiry in the field of Management Services research and their suitability to specific investigations and select and apply a range of methods to resolve problems or introduce change within a practice.
4. Use a range of specialised skills to identify, analyse and address complex problems to improve productivity and quality of work life, drawing systematically on the body of knowledge and methods appropriate to the field of management services.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Manage the management consultancy processes and resources with recognition of the fact that problem solving is context-and system-bound and does not occur in isolation.
• Analyse, evaluate and critically reflect on the contextual and systemic consultancy problems.
• Address complex contextual and systemic consultancy problems by applying evidence-based solutions and theory-driven arguments.
• Render a comprehensive consultancy service is rendered.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Communicate own ideas and opinions on quality issues with reference to organisational performance and quality of work to management.
• Formulate arguments, using appropriate professional or occupational discourse.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Apply relevant Management Services research principles, concepts and processes.
• Apply appropriate research design, methods and techniques for a given project.
• Analyse data and present results to a diverse audience.
• Demonstrate scientific writing and professional presentation skills.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Use a range of specialised skills to identify and analyse complex problems pertaining to productivity and quality of work life.
• Address problems pertaining to productivity and quality of work life, drawing systematically on the body of knowledge and methods appropriate to the field of management services.

Integrated Assessment

The overall assessment strategy of the institution is that of integrated assessment which is evident in the approach to the assessment of applied competence. Applied competence is understood as the learners' ability to integrate concepts, ideas and actions in authentic, real-life contexts; the assessment of which is broken down to the assessment of foundational, practical and reflexive competence where:

• Foundational competence is the demonstrated understanding of what the learner does and why she/he does it.
• Practical competence is the demonstrated ability to perform a set of tasks and actions in authentic contexts.
• Reflexive competence is the demonstrated ability to integrate learner's performances with their understanding so that they can adapt to changed circumstances and explain the reason behind these adaptations.

Integrated assessment further implies a planned combination of formative and summative assessment strategies with varying ratios, depending on the NQF Level of study where: formative assessment implies being supportive to learning, non-judgmental and focused on providing constructive feedback or criticism to the learner, takes place during the learning process and informs planning of future learning activities.

Summative assessment implies assessment to be mainly concerned with "judging" if the outcomes have been achieved through the learning process and therefore usually takes place at the end of the relevant learning process. The qualification incorporates the different aspects of integrated, formative, and summative assessments in its assessment strategy.