Higher Occupational Certificate: Routine Road Maintenance Manager

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to operate as a Routine Road Maintenance Manager.

A Routine Road Maintenance Manager (RRMM) identifies road maintenance needs and plans, organises, directs, controls, administers and coordinates the routine maintenance of roads, and manages the physical and human resources involved in the routine road maintenance process in either a supervisory or contracting context.

A qualified learner will be able to

• Plan and prepare for RRM activities on site.
• Manage compliance with RRM contract documentation.
• Manage and co-ordinate RRM activities on site.
• Apply ethics and interpersonal skills in the management of team and community participation.

Graduate Attributes

• Problem solving and identification.
• Decision making.
• Communicating information.
• Applying appropriate methods and techniques.

Rationale

The need for this qualification is because South Africa's road network is crucial for its economic, social, and environmental development. Efficient and well-maintained roads facilitate trade, boost tourism, improve accessibility, and contribute to national integration. Given the country's diverse terrain and extensive road network, there is a critical need for skilled professionals who can manage routine road maintenance (RRM) effectively. This qualification addresses the gap by training managers to oversee the maintenance of road infrastructure, ensuring safe and efficient transportation. The lack of a skilled workforce in this area can lead to deteriorating road conditions, increased accidents, and economic losses. Therefore, this qualification is essential for sustaining the country's development and ensuring road safety. This qualification was developed to meet these needs.

Implementing this qualification will enhance the quality of road maintenance, leading to longer-lasting road infrastructure and reduced repair costs. It will benefit the sector by creating a standardised approach to road maintenance management, improving efficiency and effectiveness. Society will benefit from safer and more reliable roads, reducing accidents and enhancing the quality of life. Economically, it will contribute to lower transportation costs, improve accessibility to markets, and stimulate job creation in the road maintenance industry.

Individuals who are currently working in or aspiring to work in road maintenance management. This includes supervisors, project managers, and technical staff within municipal and provincial road departments, as well as private road maintenance companies. Learners are likely to have a background in civil engineering, construction, or a related field, and are looking to specialise in road maintenance management.

Stakeholders from different associations and organisations operating within the routine maintenance and roads construction sector participated in the review of the qualification.

Typical occupations in which the qualifying learner will operate are road maintenance supervisors, project managers, and technical staff within municipal and provincial road departments.

RPL for Access to Training

Learners may use the RPL process to gain access to training opportunities for a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification or skills programme if they do not meet the formal, minimum entry requirements for admission. RPL assessment provides an alternative access route into a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme.

Such an RPL assessment may be developed, moderated and conducted by the accredited Skills Development Provider which offers that specific qualification/part qualification/skills programme. Such an assessment must ensure that the learner is able to display the equivalent level of competencies required for access, based on the NQF level descriptors.

For exemption from modules through RPL, learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification or skills programme through any means of formal, informal or non-formal learning and/or work experience, may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded.

RPL for Access to the External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA)

Learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification or skills programme through any means of formal, informal or non-formal learning and/or work experience, may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded.

A valid Statement of Results is required for admission to the EISA in which confirmation of achievement is provided that all internal assessment criteria for all modules in the related curriculum document have been achieved.

Upon successful completion of the EISA, RPL learners will be issued with the QCTO certificate for the qualification, part-qualification or skills programme. Quality Partners are responsible for ensuring the RPL mechanism and process for qualifications and part-qualification is approved by the QCTO.

Entry Requirements

An NQF Level 4 qualification with Mathematical Literacy.

This qualification is made up of compulsory Knowledge, Practical Skill and Work Experience Modules

Knowledge Modules

• 132301-001-01-KM-01, Industry, Contexts and Application, NQF Level 5, 2 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-KM-02, Acts, Regulations and Legal Requirements, NQF Level 5, 4 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-KM-03, Basic Training Requirements, NQF Level 5, 2 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-KM-04, Principles of Managing RRM Projects, NQF Level 5, 4 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-KM-05, Quality Control, NQF Level 5, 4 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-KM-06, Principles of Co-ordinating Information in Incident Management, NQF Level 5, 4 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-KM-07, Principles of Communication, Documentation and Ethics, NQF Level 5, 4 Credits.

Total number of credits for Knowledge Modules: 24

Practical Skill Modules

• 132301-001-01-PM-01, Conduct Inventory and Condition Assessment of all Assets in the Road Reserve, NQF Level 5, 8 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-PM-02, Identify, Quantify, Prioritise and Schedule the Maintenance Needs, NQF Level 5, 6 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-PM-03, Read and Interpret Relevant Contract Documentation, NQF Level 5, 3 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-PM-04, Manage RRM Projects to Meet Time, Budget and Quality Requirements, NQF Level 5, 6 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-PM-05, Manage Payments Certificates, NQF Level 5, 5 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-PM-06, Apply a Site Management System, NQF Level 5, 4 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-PM-07, Manage Statutory Control of the Road Reserve, NQF Level 5, 4 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-PM-08, Implement Traffic Accommodation Measures during Maintenance Operations, NQF Level 5, 4 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-PM-09, Apply Ethics, Communication Methods and Document Control Procedures, NQF Level 5, 4 Credits.

Total number of credits for Practical Skill Modules: 44

Work Experience Modules

• 132301-001-01-WM-01, Processes and Procedures for Inventory and Condition Assessment on a section of Surfaced or Unsurfaced Road and Compilation of relevant Reports, NQF Level 5, 12 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-WM-02, Processes and Procedures related to Compliance with Contract Documentation, NQF Level 5, 10 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-WM-03, Processes and Procedures for Managing and Maintaining a Section or Sections of a Surfaced or Unsurfaced Road, NQF Level 5, 15 Credits.
• 132301-001-01-WM-04, Communication Processes, NQF Level 5, 15 Credits.

Total number of credits for Work Experience Modules: 52

1. Identify requirements for on-site routine road maintenance activities by applying knowledge and skills in relation to finding solutions based on relevant evidence and procedures, taking into account the consequences.
2. Analyse specifications in contract documentation and determine requirements for compliance of routine road maintenance projects by applying knowledge and skills in relation to gathering and selecting information from a range of sources and applying basic processes of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
3. Determine on-site routine road maintenance activities by applying knowledge and skills in relation to selecting and applying standard methods, procedures or techniques to plan and manage processes.
4. Determine ethical leadership approach and effective interpersonal skills requirements for managing road maintenance projects by applying knowledge and skills in relation to adhering to prescribed and professional ethical codes of conduct, values and practices.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

ELO 1: Identify requirements for on-site routine road maintenance activities by applying knowledge and skills in relation to finding solutions based on relevant evidence and procedures, taking into account the consequences.

• Analyse and interpret SG diagrams, drawings, and specifications to determine project requirements within the RRM context.
• Interpret drawings and assets, identify features, and vegetation within the road reserve according to specifications.
• Determine and prioritise the condition of the assets in terms of degree and extent of defects as per requirements in accordance with RRM documentation.
• Apply measurement principles for the quantification of the selected treatment of the various recorded defects, according to RRM project specifications.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

ELO 2: Analyse specifications in contract documentation and determine requirements for compliance of routine road maintenance projects by applying knowledge and skills in relation to gathering and selecting information from a range of sources and applying basic processes of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

• Analyse and interpret general and Special Conditions governing the contract to determine compliance in accordance with RRM specifications
• Read and Interpret project specifications and schedule of quantities to determine RRMM requirements using the accompanying drawings.
• Distinguish standard and Project specifications to illustrate, the different functions of the two specifications.
• Evaluate sub-contract tender criteria for compliance in accordance with RRM specifications.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

ELO 3: Determine on-site routine road maintenance activities by applying knowledge and skills in relation to selecting and applying standard methods, procedures or techniques to plan and manage processes.

• Identify requirements for a site management system for use in terms of the RRM specifications and requirements.
• Identify and check activities related to planning, placing of signs, barricading, maintenance and removal of road/lane closures for compliance according to SARTSM Section 13 and Employer traffic accommodation drawings.
• Evaluate activities related to inspection, investigation, reporting and implementing for compliance against statutory control transgressions and statutory control procedures and protocols.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

ELO 4: Determine ethical leadership approach and effective interpersonal skills requirements for managing road maintenance projects by applying knowledge and skills in relation to adhering to prescribed and professional ethical codes of conduct, values and practices.

• Analyse and interpret contract documentation to determine the RRMM project requirements for implementation purposes.
• Analyse ethical practices, communication methods and document control procedures to determine their impact on managing RRM projects.
• Determine communication requirements to assist with participation and collaboration objectives of an RRMM project.

Formative Assessments conducted internally

Formative assessments are conducted throughout the training of learners. A range of formal, non-formal, and informal ongoing assessment activities are used to focus on teaching and learning outcomes to improve learner attainment.

Formative assessments are conducted continuously by the facilitator to feed into further learning, to identify strengths and weakness, and to ensure the learner's ability to apply knowledge, skills and workplace experience gained.

Formative Assessments are conducted by the accredited Skills Development Provider (SDP), and a variety of ongoing assessment methods may be used, for example, quizzes, assignments, tests, scenarios, role play, interviews. Continuous feedback must be provided.

Integrated Summative Assessments conducted Internally

Integrated Assessment involves all the different types of assessment tasks required for a particular qualification, part-qualification or occupational skills programme, such as written assessment of theory and practical demonstration of competence. To achieve this, the Internal Assessment Criteria (IAC) for all modules as found in the QCTO curriculum document must be followed.

An accredited SDP should implement a well-designed, formal, relevant, final internal Summative Assessment strategy for all modules to prepare learners for the EISA. These assessments evaluate learning achievements relating to the achievement of each module of the relevant components of the qualification, part-qualification or skills programme.

Internal Summative Assessments are developed, moderated and conducted by the SDP at the end of each module or after integration of relevant modules, e.g. applied knowledge tests, workplace tasks, practical demonstrations, simulated tasks/demonstrations, projects, case studies, etc.

The results of these final formal summative assessments must be recorded. These results, which include the Statement of Work Experience results, where applicable, contribute to the Statement of Results (SoR) that is a requirement for admission to the EISA. An SoR, using the template provided by the Quality Partner, is issued by the accredited SDP for qualifications and part-qualifications. The SDP must produce a valid Statement of Results for each learner, indicating the final result and the date on which the competence in each module, of each component, was achieved. Learners are required to produce this SoR, together with their ID document or alternative ID document, at the point of the EISA.

External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA) - a national assessment

The Quality Partner is responsible for the management, conduct and implementation of the External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA), in accordance with QCTO set standards. Competence in the EISA is a requirement for certificating a learner.

For entrance into the EISA, the learner requires a valid Statement of Results issued by the accredited institution indicating the attainment of all modules for the Knowledge, Practical and Work Experience modules.