Higher Certificate in Community Development

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to provide current community development workers and volunteers with the foundational knowledge and skills to formally qualify as community development practitioners.

Rationale

The qualification responds to the growing and acknowledged need for training of community development workers (CDWs), as well as the need to professionalise the sector through formal qualifications of CDW's in community based organisations and local government.

A situational analysis conducted indicated that CDWs generally lack formal qualifications in community development, and specifically at NQF Level 5, even though they are presented as practitioners with a wide range of practical skills and recognised professional experience in the field.

The qualification aims to provide access to community development practitioners to formal and higher education qualifications, and to do so at an NQF-level that offers foundational knowledge to support professional practice, and leadership skills development to empower learners as leaders of practice in their field and local organisations.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Learners may apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) according to the Institution's RPL policies and procedures. Learners need to submit a portfolio of evidence for assessment to gain access to the qualification.

Entry Requirements

The minimum admission requirements for this qualification are

• National Senior Certificate, Level 4 granting access to Higher Certificate studies.

Or

• National Certificate Vocational, Level 4 granting access to Higher Certificate studies.

Or

• Matriculation Certificate or equivalent.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at Level 5 and 6 totalling Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 5, Credits

• Introduction to Development, 6 Credits.
• Communities of the Poor, 6 Credits.
• Cultural Anthropology, 6 Credits.
• Sociology of Development, 6 Credits.
• Personal Development, 6 Credits.
• Local Economic Development, 6 Credits.
• Local Community Development, 6 Credits.
• Leadership in Development Projects, 6 Credits.
• Monitoring and Evaluation of Community, 6 Credits.
• Projects, 6 Credits.
• Community Mobilisation, 6 Credits.
• Resource Mobilisation, 6 Credits.
• Participatory Methods, 6 Credits.
• Community Research Methods, 6 Credits.
• Community Fieldwork, 12 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 6, Credits

• Ethics, 6 Credits.
• Organisational Management Conflict Resolution and Negotiation skills, 6 Credits.
• Urban and Rural Development Issues, 6 Credits.
• Perspectives on Transformation, 6 Credits.

Exit level outcomes include the demonstrated ability to

• Apply effective leadership and management principles in community projects;
• Evaluate the nature and sources of conflict and identify and apply methods of appropriate resolution methods;
• Develop monitoring and evaluation processes and frameworks for project analysis;
• Discuss and evaluate the different approaches to rural and urban development among poor communities;
• Identify key role players and resources in communities and identify strategies for mobilising communities and resources;
• Identify and apply best practice community participation methods for specific development projects;
• Design and execute a practical community needs analysis leading to a project in which the student engages through participation and reflection.

Associated Assessment Criteria are applied in an integrated way to the Exit level Outcomes, and include

• Demonstrated observation, listening and communication skills in verbal and written formats;
• Demonstrated critical understanding of the theory and practice of Christian ministry;
• Demonstrated independent and critical thinking and decision-making in evaluating and implementing ministry plans and projects.

Integrated Assessment

(Summative, Formative and or WIL)

• Continuous assessment: The student's ability to integrate the elements of the qualification is assessed through tasks, activities and self-assessment.
• Formative and summative assessment: Student competency is assessed through presentations, personal interviews, service learning (under supervision), written assignments (e.g., reports, skills development exercises, case study responses, research papers, journals, verbatim) and written evaluations (e.g., quizzes, class tests, mid-module exams, final exams.
• Student may gain credit through RPL for certain modules bases on an assessment of acceptable prior learning earned through formal/non formal/informal learning. If the previous work completed is at the same NQF level, then credit transfer is applied.