Postgraduate Diploma: Development Finance

Purpose

The Postgraduate Diploma: Development Finance is designed to train graduates to fill critical lower-middle level management skill gaps in the financial industry, public institutions and multinational corporations. The qualification aims to equip learners with tools and skills that will enable them provide strategic and key financial and operational interventions at the middle management level on issues regarding development finance, identification of development projects or policies and the ability to contribute to the design and implementation of structured policies and interventions for financing developmental needs, especially in Africa. This qualification therefore aims to provide high quality skills to lower-middle level managers who operate within the development finance environment, to enable them to implement and manage the financing and design of specific interventions.

Upon completion of the Postgraduate Diploma: Development Finance, learners should be able to

• Understand the Development Finance landscape, especially in Africa.
• Diagnose and analyse a Development Finance policy issue, problem or project.
• Make meaningful input to the design and formulation of development finance policies and programmes to address specific development needs within specific contexts.
• Implement Development Finance policies.
• Monitor and evaluate development finance projects and schemes in terms of feasibility as well as outcomes.
• Write an analytical research report on a topical Development Finance issue.

Rationale

Currently in South Africa, there exists a pronounced demand for the services of middle level managers who understand development finance and can effectively implement and monitor financial interventions for development. This is partly caused by the speedy upward mobility of black managers, the general decrease in the experience-base of senior managers and the global lack of skills in middle level management in development finance. Many private sector training operators are stepping into this void, but the market is demanding an accredited qualification from a respected academic institution.

The part-time (block release) nature of the programme will allow for a large and wide target audience for the qualification, serving South Africa and also beyond its borders.

It is assumed that learners have achieved the knowledge and skills associated with an NQF Level 7 qualification.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Students can enter the programme through RPL in line with institutional policy guidelines on Recognition of Prior Learning. The RPL candidate has to put together a comprehensive portfolio of his/her experience, demonstrating that he/she is on equal footing as far as knowledge, competencies and skills are concerned with someone who has had formal training. The candidate has to defend his portfolio before two senior business school academics in an in-depth interview. A selection test may also be considered if there is doubt about the candidate's ability.

Access to the Qualification

Learners aspiring to access this qualification must be in possession of a

• Bachelor's Degree in Economics, Finance, Commerce, Management or Accounting.

Or

• Bachelor's Degree in any field with at least 2 years of relevant working experience.

The qualification comprises 6 Compulsory modules and 2 Electives at NQF Level 8, each of which is worth 15 Credits.

Compulsory modules

• Finance and Development in Africa.
• Research Orientation.
• Small Scale Enterprise Development and Finance.
• Principles of Finance.
• Monitoring and Evaluation of Development Projects.
• Risk Management in Development Finance Institutions.

Elective modules (Learners are to choose 2 modules)

• Leadership in Development Finance.
• Social Entrepreneurship.
• Agricultural Finance.
• Mortgage and Housing Finance.
• Public Private Partnership.

1. Identify and analyse the critical factors in African economic development.
2. Identify researchable issues and describe a research problem within the field of development finance.
3. Demonstrate understanding of the dynamics of small enterprise inception and growth.
4. Analyse the financial health of a project or firm.
5. Identify tools to measure progress, questions and criteria for evaluations.
6. Identify risk within development finance institutions.
7. Explain how cultural stereotypes influence leadership and managerial practices and how leaders perceive their organisations and their careers.
8. Demonstrate understanding of social entrepreneurial initiatives.
9. Analyse the value chain in agribusiness and respective financing needs.
10. Describe the components of a housing needs assessment and how to develop a housing response.
11. Explain Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), in terms of prospects and challenges.

Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

The Critical Cross-Field Competencies in this qualification with the NQF Level 8 requirements are outlined and addressed as follows:

• In line with requirements on scope of knowledge, knowledge literacy, and context and systems, the Postgraduate Diploma: Development Finance equips graduates with the ability to:

> Analyse the development finance gap and terrain especially in Africa.

> Synthesise the complex and multifaceted development issues in Africa and appraise financing options available for intervention purposes.

• On accessing, processing and managing information and producing and communicating information, the Postgraduate Diploma: Development Finance equips graduates with the ability to:

> Gather and synthesise relevant information from relevant sources for investigating specific development problems.

> Use appropriate tools to process and manage development finance data and information.

> Manage development data and information and effectively communicate such information in written policy documents.

• In terms of method and procedure and problem solving, the Postgraduate Diploma: Development Finance equips graduates with ability to:

> Identify a development finance problem.

> Utilise the appropriate data analytical tools for research problems.

> Write an analytical research report on a topical development finance issue.

> Design projects to mitigate specific development finance problems.

> Monitor and evaluate development finance projects and schemes in terms of feasibility as well as outcomes.

• On, ethics and professional practice, management of learning and accountability, the Postgraduate Diploma: Development Finance equips graduates with the ability to:

> Work with public sector groups and understand the nature of interactions that can generate the collaborative and creative actions to deal with the politics of change associated with development finance intervention.

> Identify the collective process of sense-making, identity formation and collaborative action in development.

> Be responsible in managing the process of implementing development finance interventions within varying social contexts.

> Analyse and manage human systems dynamics and polarisation in groups within an evolving development environment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• The financial landscape in Africa is understood and described.
• The finance needs and specific gaps that need to be filled by financial intervention policies for faster growth and development are identified and analysed.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Relevant information for investigating a problem is gathered and synthesised.
• Appropriate data analytical tools are identified and applied to solve research problems.
• A simple but analytical research proposal and reports are written and presented.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• The demand for finance by small scale enterprises is ascertained and evaluated.
• The supply of finance for small scale enterprises is identified and evaluated.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Financial plans for projects are designed.
• Investment appraisals are conducted.
• Risk-return relationships are understood and applied in financial evaluation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• A monitoring and evaluation framework is designed for development projects.
• A monitoring programme is implemented.
• A development project is evaluated and a feedback report provided.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Best practice risk management frameworks in Development Finance Institutions are designed and implemented.
• Risk is quantified and evaluated.
• Risk mechanisms are monitored and reported on.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• Potential leadership benefits are translated and turned into tangible productive workplace gains.
• An environment is created where everyone contributes, grows and develops through self-empowerment.
• A great commitment to a shared organisational vision among all workforces at all levels and in all functions is created.
• More innovation and flexibility are stimulated by allowing full employee participation in decision-making and problem solving.
• Public sector groups are dealt with and the nature of interactions that can generate the collaborative and creative actions to deal with the politics of change associated with development finance intervention understood.
• The collective process of sense-making, identity formation and collaborative action in development are identified.
• Human systems dynamics such as the polarisation in groups within an evolving development environment are understood.
• Strategy execution is positioned as a primary driver of monitoring and evaluation, continuous improvement, innovation and sustainable competitiveness.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8

• Social enterprise ideas and concepts are developed.
• Finance is navigated and accessed using traditional financing channels available to social initiatives.
• Social impact funds are set up and managed.
• The effectiveness of a social initiative's financing strategy is evaluated with the view to develop a financial strategy for a social initiative.
• The financing challenges of starting a social enterprise are navigated.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9

• Agricultural credit lines and institutions as well as their legal and regulatory frameworks are understood and designed.
• Financing schemes and options for farms are designed and analysed.
• Front-end funding of different agribusiness, crops and livestock is designed.
• Peculiar risks in agribusiness are understood and mitigating solutions prescribed.
• Insurance schemes for agribusiness are understood and analysed.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 10

• Opportunities for building relationships between housing finance systems, the macro-economy and capital markets are identified and analysed.
• Legal, regulatory and policy frameworks on housing developments are interpreted and applied.
• The processes to evaluate project viability and secure funding are described.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 11

• A public-private partnerships model framework for application to a development project is designed.
• The relationship between the public and private sectors is analysed and appropriate Public-Private Partnerships options prescribed.

Integrated Assessment

Continuous assessment will be used for the programme including both formative and summative assessments. The six Compulsory models are assessed as follows: A series of short web studies online tests (where applicable)/1 class quiz, 1 take home essay, 2 group presentations and a final test.

The two elective modules are assessed as follows: 1 class quiz, 2 group presentations and a comprehensive take home assignment.

The class quizzes/web-studies tests are meant to monitor the learners' comprehension of relevant learning. The take home assignments and group presentations monitor the learners' ability to apply and analyse relevant concepts and also design schemes whilst utilising their unique work-based and societal learning experience. The final tests test the ability to synthesise and integrate relevant concepts.