SAQA

All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.

SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

National Certificate: Contact Centre Support

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
67466	National Certificate: Contact Centre Support
ORIGINATOR
SGB Marketing
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
The individual Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary for each Learning Programme recorded against this qualification is shown in the table at the end of this report.			SFAP - Sub-framework Assignment Pending
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
National Certificate	Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies		Marketing
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	128	Level 2	NQF Level 02	Regular-Unit Stds Based
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		SAQA 0160/05	2009-01-27	2009-05-05
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2011-05-05		2014-05-05

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This qualification is replaced by:

Qual ID	Qualification Title	Pre-2009 NQF Level	NQF Level	Min Credits	Replacement Status
71490	National Certificate: Contact Centre Support	Level 2	NQF Level 02	128	Complete

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

Any individual who are or wish to be involved in the Contact Centre industry, will have access to this qualification. It also serves as the entry qualification into Contact Centre operations and management. This qualification will be registered at NQF Level 2. Portability across both areas of specialisation is therefore ensured.

Learners working towards this qualification will find that the acquisition of competence in the unit standards, which make up the qualification, will add value to learner`s job. This qualification is intended to enhance the provision of entry level service within the Contact Centre Industry.

Rationale of the qualification:

The National Qualification in Contact Centre Support: Level 2 is designed to meet the needs of those learners who enter the field of Contact Centres. Contact Centres have become key business tools - integral to the way organisations achieve their business objectives. Contact Centres are a new industry - there is a need to develop career paths in this field, and it is a high growth industry constantly in need of skilled people.

The Contact Centre industry is also fast becoming the next knowledge worker industry. All Contact Centres are currently recruiting, training and performance managing agents. Currently Call Centres sit inside of existing organisations within larger Industries, i.e. Banking, Insurance, PAY-TV.

The Contact Centre National Certificate at NQF Level 2 will provide the broad knowledge and skills needed in the industry and to progress along a career path for learners who:

Were previously disadvantaged or who were unable to complete their schooling and were therefore denied access to Further Education and Training.

Have worked in Contact Centres for many years, but have no formal qualification in Contact Centre Support.

Wish to extend their range of skills and knowledge of the industry so that they can become competent workers in Contact Centres.

The National Certificate in Contact Centre Support: Level 2 allows the learner to work towards a nationally recognised whole qualification. The qualification will allow both those in formal education and those already employed in Contact Centre organisations access, due to its flexibility.

The qualification has building blocks that can be developed further and will lead to a more defined Contact Centre career path at various NQF levels. It also focuses on the skills, knowledge, values and attitudes required to progress further. The intention is:

To promote the development of knowledge and skills that are required in Contact Centres.

To release the potential of people.

To provide opportunities for people to move up the value chain.

Many different roles and careers are linked to and affected by this qualification. They include, but are not limited to:

Sales Managers

Contact Centre Managers

Sales Representatives

National Account Managers

Key Account Managers

Channel Managers

Contact Centre/Call Centre Supervisors

General Managers

Administration Staff

Category Managers

Telesales Clerks

Sales Directors

Client Services Clerks

Quality Assurance Staff

Contact Centre/Call Centre Agents

IT Staff

The National Certificate in Contact Centre Support: Level 2, should produce knowledgeable, skilled people who are able to contribute to improved productivity and efficiency within the Contact Centre industry. It should provide the means for current individuals in the Contact Centre field to receive recognition of prior learning and to upgrade their skills and knowledge base. The qualification is structured in such a way that it exposes individuals to a set of core competences to give a broad understanding of Contact Centre support operations and the electives, which will allow for a specialisation of competence in either a commercial or an emergency environment. It will also promote the notion of life-long learning.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

The learning assumed to be in place is only a guide in order to help the learner cope with the unit standards in the qualification. The following is the learning assumed to be in place:

Numeracy at NQF Level 1 or equivalent.

English (verbal and written communication skills) at NQF Level 1 or equivalent.

A Second Language (verbal and written communication skills) at NQF Level 1 or equivalent.

Computer operating skills at NQF Level 2 or equivalent.

Recognition of prior learning:

The structure of this Unit Standard based Qualification makes the Recognition of Prior Learning possible, if the learner is able to demonstrate competence in the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes implicit in this Contact Centre Support Qualification.

This Recognition of Prior Learning may allow:

For accelerated access to further learning.

Gaining of credits towards a unit standard.

All recognition of Prior Learning is subject to quality assurance by the relevant accredited Education, Training, Quality, Assurance Body and is conducted by an accredited workplace assessor.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

The following unit standards in a second official language are compulsory:

Maintain and adapt oral communication

Write for a defined context

Access and use information from texts

Write for a wide range of contexts

20 credits must be chosen from the Fundamental Communication and Language unit standards and 16 credits from the Fundamental Numeracy unit standards

The elective Unit Standards must be chosen as follows:

ID 10358: Apply in-bound Contact Centre Operations within a commercial environment, Level 2, 8 credits.
AND

ID 13883: Apply out-bound Contact Centre Operations within a commercial environment, Level 3, 8 credits.
OR

ID 13884: Apply in-bound and out-bound Contact Centre Operations within an emergency environment, Level 3, 16 credits.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

On achieving this qualification, the learner will be able to:

Identify Contact Centre customers and their needs.

Respond to customers with factual and accurate information.

Gather and process data specifically related to Contact Centres.

Operate as a team member in a diverse working environment.

Perform to the required standards and requirements.

Implement and articulate operational activities in a Contact Centre.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

In particular assessors should check that the learner must demonstrate an ability to consider a range of options and make decisions about:

The identification and response to Contact Centre customer needs and requirements.

Contact Centre specific data gathering processes and procedures.

Team membership responsibilities and the importance of self development.

Performance levels and the meeting of these levels.

Operational activities are implemented and applied.

Integrated Assessment:

Because assessment practices must be open, transparent, fair, valid, and reliable and ensure that no learner is disadvantaged in any way whatsoever, an integrated assessment approach is incorporated into the qualification.

As it is a Unit Standard based Qualification, both formative and summative assessment processes are accounted for.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

Benchmarking was done by comparison to Unit Standards/Outcomes of learning against:

New Zealand and Australian Qualifications where these could be sourced.

NVQ Qualifications from Britain. In fact the NVQ have compared the unit standards in this qualification and have approved the relevant unit standards for a period of two years.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

On completion of this qualification, besides careers in the formal Contact Centre industry, learners may also be able to enter careers in:

Contact Centre Agent/Consultant

Contact Centre Supervisor

Contact Centre Coach

Contact Centre Manager

Customer Service Representatives

Customer Care Consultants

Direct Selling

Sales

Tele Marketing

Data Capturing

Other IT Related Fields

Administration Clerks

Receptionists

Switchboard Operators

Note:

1. The above is an indication rather than an exhaustive listing.
2. In addition learners can specialise in an industry sector e.g. FMCG; Retail, Wholesale, Motor, Insurance, Banking, etc.

MODERATION OPTIONS

Anyone assessing a learner or moderating the assessment of a learner against this Qualification must be registered as an assessor with the relevant Education, Training, Quality, Assurance (ETQA) Body.

Any institution offering learning that will enable the achievement of this Qualification must be accredited as a provider with the relevant ETQA.

Assessment and moderation of assessment will be overseen by the relevant ETQA according to the ETQA`s policies and guidelines for assessment and moderation; in terms of agreements reached around assessment and moderation between ETQA`s (including professional bodies); and in terms of the moderation guideline detailed immediately below.

Moderation must include both internal and external moderation of assessments at exit points of the qualification, unless ETQA policies specify otherwise. Moderation should also encompass achievement of the competence described both in individual unit standards as well as the integrated competence described in the qualification.

Anyone wishing to be assessed against this Qualification may apply to be assessed by any assessment agency, assessor or provider institution that is accredited by the relevant ETQA.

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

For an applicant to register as an assessor, the applicant needs:

A minimum of 2 (two) years` practical, relevant occupational experience.

To be declared competent in all the outcomes of the National Assessor Unit Standards as stipulated by South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).

Detailed documentary proof of educational qualification, practical training undergone, and experience gained by the applicant must be provided (Portfolio of Evidence).

NOTES

This qualification has been replaced by qualification 71490, which is "National Certificate: Contact Centre Support", NQF Level 2, 128 credits.

UNIT STANDARDS:

	ID	UNIT STANDARD TITLE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	CREDITS
Core	10350	Collect and record information queries and requests from customers	Level 2	NQF Level 02	8
Core	10354	Contribute to a diverse working environment in a Contact Centre	Level 2	NQF Level 02	8
Core	10348	Identify and respond to customer needs in a Contact Centre	Level 2	NQF Level 02	12
Core	10349	Input data received onto appropriate computer packages within a Contact Centre	Level 2	NQF Level 02	12
Core	10353	Meet performance standards within a Contact Centre	Level 2	NQF Level 02	6
Core	13885	Provide information to customers in a Contact Centre	Level 2	NQF Level 02	12
Core	13886	Gather and provide relevant information to contribute to contact centre problem solving	Level 3	NQF Level 03	5
Core	13873	Handle a range of customer complaints in Contact Centres	Level 4	NQF Level 04	4
Core	13872	Instil in myself a personal Contact Centre culture	Level 4	NQF Level 04	4
Core	13874	Work as a member of a Contact Centre Team	Level 4	NQF Level 04	5
Fundamental	8963	Access and use information from texts	Level 2	NQF Level 02	5
Fundamental	9009	Apply basic knowledge of statistics and probability to influence the use of data and procedures in order to investigate life related problems	Level 2	NQF Level 02	3
Fundamental	7480	Demonstrate understanding of rational and irrational numbers and number systems	Level 2	NQF Level 02	3
Fundamental	9008	Identify, describe, compare, classify, explore shape and motion in 2-and 3-dimensional shapes in different contexts	Level 2	NQF Level 02	3
Fundamental	8962	Maintain and adapt oral communication	Level 2	NQF Level 02	5
Fundamental	8965	Respond to literary texts	Level 2	NQF Level 02	5
Fundamental	8966	Respond to selected literary texts	Level 2	NQF Level 02	5
Fundamental	8967	Use language and communication in occupational learning programmes	Level 2	NQF Level 02	5
Fundamental	7469	Use mathematics to investigate and monitor the financial aspects of personal and community life	Level 2	NQF Level 02	2
Fundamental	9007	Work with a range of patterns and functions and solve problems	Level 2	NQF Level 02	5
Fundamental	8964	Write for a defined context	Level 2	NQF Level 02	5
Fundamental	8976	Write for a wide range of contexts	Level 4	NQF Level 04	5
Elective	10358	Apply in-bound Contact Centre Operations within a commercial environment	Level 2	NQF Level 02	8
Elective	13884	Apply in-bound and out-bound Contact Centre operations within an emergency context	Level 3	NQF Level 03	16
Elective	13883	Apply out-bound Contact Centre Operations within a commercial environment	Level 3	NQF Level 03	8

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

When qualifications are replaced, some of their learning programmes are moved to being recorded against the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replacement.

LP ID	Learning Programme Title	Originator	Pre-2009 NQF Level	NQF Level	Min Credits	Learning Prog End Date	Quality Assurance Functionary	NQF Sub-Framework
21793	National Certificate: Contact Centre Support	Generic Provider - Field 03	Level 2	NQF Level 02	128	2009-05-05	Was SERVICES until Last Date for Achievement	OQSF

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THESE LEARNING PROGRAMMES:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

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