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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Occupational Certificate: Community Development Worker 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
97708  Occupational Certificate: Community Development Worker 
ORIGINATOR
Development Quality Partner-ETDP SETA 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
-   OQSF - Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Occupational Certificate  Field 07 - Human and Social Studies  People/Human-Centred Development 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  150  Not Applicable  NQF Level 04  Regular-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Reregistered  EXCO 0425/24  2018-07-01  2025-12-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2026-12-30   2029-12-30  

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 does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification. 

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:
The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to operate as a Community Development Worker.

A Community Development Worker collects and provides relevant information from and to communities and builds social cohesion within the community, in order to support the development and implementation of community development initiatives and processes.
A qualified learner will be able to:
  • Collect relevant community information and provide communities with accurate information relevant to their community development initiatives.
  • Operate effectively in groups, teams and forums and act ethically and professionally in data collection and the coordination of forums and meetings.
  • Communicate the fears, concerns and needs of the community effectively to the relevant institutions, structures and forums.
  • Compile integrated community and household profiles.

    Rationale:
    A cornerstone for the success of the National Development Plan is the mobilisation of diverse stakeholders at the various levels of society to build momentum towards the creation and implementation of integrated development plans that are aligned with the National Developmental priorities.

    Achieving this will require the enormous task of mobilising people within the diverse communities throughout the nation. It is for this reason that there is a desperate need to build the capacity of a cadre of energetic and focused Community Development Workers who will be able to collect information, build relationships and mobilise energies towards specific developmental goals that can be delivered in a conducive and sustainable environment.
    The work is being done by volunteers and public servants who have only limited exposure to the long term impacts of a sustainable developmental approach and who lack the broad theoretical basis and specific practical skills required to create real sustainability and focus around the various initiatives.

    This qualification will provide the means through which this cadre can be capacitated and it will enable these critical employees to embark on a career path locally and globally. The qualification will provide opportunities for people into entry level types of occupations in the Department of Social Development and with a range of Non-Governmental Organisations. It will also create opportunities for successful learners to enter the private sector in organisations which do community work in terms of the various industry charters.

    The learners credited with this qualification would include people interested or involved in community development practice and/or initiatives in one or more of the following sectors:
    > Traditional, Local, Provincial and Central Government.
    > Social Development.
    > Youth Development.
    > Education (formal, informal and non-formal).
    > Public Works.
    > Agriculture.
    > Water Affairs and Forestry.
    > Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment.
    > Civil Society Organisations (CBOs, NGOs and FBOs, Foundations and Trusts).
    > Corporate Social Responsibility.
    > Co-operatives.

    This qualification will help learners improve their understanding of the role and responsibilities of community development workers and will enable them to acquire relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes to operate in an effective and efficient manner within the community development arena. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
    RPL for access to the external integrated summative assessment: Accredited providers and approved workplaces must apply the internal assessment criteria specified in the related curriculum document to establish and confirm prior learning. Accredited providers and workplaces must confirm prior learning by issuing a statement of result or certifying a work experience record.

    RPL for access to the qualification: Accredited providers and approved workplaces may recognise prior learning against the relevant access requirements.

    Entry Requirements:
    The minimum requirement for entry into this qualification is:
  • NQF Level 2 with communication. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    This qualification is made up of the following compulsory Knowledge and Practical Skill Modules:
    Knowledge Modules:
  • 341201001-KM-01, Fundamentals of Development Practice, at NQF Level 4, 25 Credits.
  • 341201001-KM-02, Fundamentals of Sociology of Developing Societies, at NQF Level 4, 12 Credits.
  • 341201001-KM-03, Fundamental Communication Practices, at NQF Level 4, 15 Credits.
    Total number of Credits for Knowledge Modules: 52.

    Practical Skill Modules:
  • 341201001-PM-01, Collect information regarding community development needs and strengths, at NQF Level 3, 11 Credits.
  • 341201001-PM-02, Identify the relevant groups of beneficiaries and stakeholders, at NQF Level 3, 2 Credits.
  • 341201001-PM-03, Participate in collaborative community dialogues and engagements, at NQF Level 4, 3 Credits.
  • 341201001-PM-04, Report progress and status of data collection to supervisor, at NQF Level 4, 2 Credits.
  • 341201001-PM-05, Execute own personal development, at NQF Level 3, 2 Credits.
  • 341201001-PM-06, Support the process of facilitating meetings and forums, at NQF Level 4, 2 Credits.
  • 341201001-PM-07, Arrange and communicate logistics for forums and meetings/events, at NQF Level 3, 2 Credits.
  • 341201001-PM-08, Mobilise community support for identified initiatives, at NQF Level 4, 2 Credits.
  • 341201001-PM-09, Record the minutes of community development forums and meetings, at NQF Level 4, 2 Credits.
  • 341201001-PM-10, Communicate the outcomes of forums and meetings to stakeholders, at NQF Level 4, 2 Credits.
  • 341201001-PM-11, Provide relevant and clear community development information to stakeholders, at NQF Level 4, 2 Credits.
  • 341201001-PM-12, Establish, mobilise and maintain community participation and support, at NQF Level 4, 2 Credits.
  • 341201001-PM-13, Support the identification of capacity building needs and the delivery of capacity building initiatives to community members, at NQF Level 4, 2 Credits.
  • 341201001-PM-14, Support intervention initiatives within communities, at NQF Level 4, 6 Credits.
  • 341201001-PM-15, Support the integration of community wellbeing indicators, at NQF Level 4, 4 Credits.
  • 341201001-PM-16, Support alignment with legislative and policy frameworks relevant to the initiatives, at NQF Level 4, 4 Credits.
    Total number of Credits for Practical Skill Modules: 50.

    This qualification also requires the following Work Experience Modules:
  • 341201001-WM-01, Exposure to information collection in rural, urban, inner city or peri-urban community settings, at NQF Level 3, 16 Credits.
  • 341201001-WM-02, Exposure to the coordination of a full range of community forums and meetings, at NQF Level 3, 12 Credits.
  • 341201001-WM-03, Exposure to the operations of formal and informal structures, at NQF Level 4, 8 Credits.
  • 341201001-WM-04, Exposure to community capacity building processes, at NQF Level 4, 12 Credits.
    Total number of Credits for Work Experience Modules: 48. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Collect relevant community information and provide communities with accurate information relevant to their community development initiatives.
    2. Operate effectively in groups, teams and forums and act ethically and professionally in data collection and the coordination of forums and meetings.
    3. Communicate the fears, concerns and needs of the community effectively to the relevant institutions, structures and forums.
    4. Compile integrated community and household profiles.
    5. Identify the capacity challenges of community structures and recommend appropriate interventions to build appropriate capacity. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
  • All relevant stakeholders delivering services in the area are correctly identified and classified in terms of government structures, non-governmental organisations, business and civil society.
  • The roles and responsibilities of each of the identified stakeholders are clearly and accurately described within the context of the given scenarios.
  • The gaps in the provisioning of the rendered services are accurately described in relation to the kind of information that must be collected to clarify the identified gaps.
  • Examples of the services required within the given scenarios are clearly described and the priority needs of the communities are listed with motivations for the priority classifications.
  • All information that must be communicated, who the information must be communicated to and what the most appropriate methods of communication will be are indicated in the action plan.
  • All the required information that should be included in presentation templates are correctly compiled with the professional communication standards and are laid out in a logical format.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
  • The structure of forums, teams and groups are described in terms of the key roles in these structures, the function of the structures and the potential group dynamics associated with the structures.
  • Potentially unethical conduct in various community situations is identified and accurate descriptions are provided of what must be done to deal with such conduct.
  • Potential conflict in community structures and groups is described in relation to the range of the group situations that can occur in communities.
  • The role of Community Development Workers within the various groups and teams is described within the generally accepted scope of professional practice.
  • The concept of interdisciplinary group work in community development is clarified with clear and relevant examples.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
  • The appropriate mechanisms and channels available to communities for expressing their needs, concerns and fears are identified and explained in relation to a range of typical community development interventions.
  • Examples of typical community fears, concerns and needs are accurately reflected to the reality of communities in a developing society.
  • Examples of situations where the appropriate channels are not effective are described and the key deficiencies of the communication channels are stated in terms of the generally accepted standards for these channels.
  • Recommendations of how to solve the problems related to communication channels and mechanisms are relevant, practical and cost efficient.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
  • Templates reflecting community profile information are accurately completed and reflect all the information relevant to specific given community situations.
  • All data required for community profiling is identified, collected and verified.
  • Collected data is summarised in the various templates and collated in a format that can be used for analysis.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
  • The required capacity for various community structures is accurately described in relation to the specific community scenarios.
  • The root causes and effects of capacity deficiencies of the given community dynamics are described.
  • Appropriate capacity building interventions are described and implementation action plans that reflect feasible time lines and cost implications are indicated.

    Integrated Assessment:

    Integrated formative assessment:
    Skills development providers will use the curriculum to guide them on the stipulated internal assessment criteria and weighting. They will also apply the scope of practical skills and applied knowledge as stipulated by the internal assessment criteria. This formative assessment will lead to entrance into the integrated external summative assessment.

    Integrated summative assessment:
    An external integrated summative assessment, conducted through the relevant QCTO Assessment Quality Partner is required for the issuing of this qualification. The external integrated summative assessment will focus on the exit level outcomes and associated assessment criteria.
    The external assessment will be conducted through a written examination lasting three hours. The assessment will cover both theory and practical skills and will be conducted at decentralised exam centres where it will be facilitated by registered invigilators. Exam papers will be prepared by a panel of recognised subject matter experts and the marking of the papers will be done using examination memoranda drawn up by the panel. Marking will be done by accredited external assessors. The examinations will be scheduled and be conducted quarterly. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The aim of the international comparability search was to examine community development qualifications and/or programmes registered/ used in other countries within the global and specifically the African context. The comparison found that there are a range of courses and programmes offering capacity building in the field of community work. Such programmes were found in at least the following countries: Scotland and Tanzania. However in most cases the stated countries have National qualifications at the Diploma level. For lower levels only short courses are provided.
    Two specific examples were compared in terms of scope and content:

    Scotland
    Institution: Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector (GCVS).
    Title: Community Work.
    The qualification consists of the following compulsory modules:
  • Make relationships within communities.
  • Contribute to the development of community groups/networks.
  • Assisting community groups to prioritise needs, rights and objectives.
  • Work with communities to select options and make plans for collective action.
  • Contribute to collective action within a community.
  • Identify and reflect on own practice, knowledge and values.
  • Build relationships within and with communities and organisations.
  • Facilitate the development of community groups/networks.
  • Promote and support learning from practice and experience.
  • Support communities to plan and take collective action.
  • Work with communities to identify needs, opportunities, rights and responsibilities.
  • Support communities to monitor and review action for change.
  • Review own practice, knowledge and values.

    Elective Modules-Choose 3:
  • Contribute to the review of needs, opportunities, rights and responsibilities within a community.
  • Help ensure the best use of resources.
  • Identify and take action to meet own learning and development needs.
  • Review and develop funding and resources.
  • Develop people's skills and roles within community groups/networks.
  • Develop and review community-based organisational structures.
  • Facilitate ways of working collaboratively.
  • Support individuals, community groups and communities to deal with conflict.

    Tanzania:
    Institution: Community Development Training Institute (CDTI) Tengeru.
    Programme Title: Advanced Diploma in Community Development Course (ADCD).
    The Advanced Diploma course is designed to impart knowledge, skills and understanding in community development, all of which are focused on responding to the social and economic needs of the communities. Thus the overall objective of the course is to build and develop capacities for Community Development workers in facilitating communities to mobilize their resources and coordinating community development programmes in response to the priority needs of local communities.

    Course Structure:
    The ADCD programme is a three year, six semester programme consisting of 16 weeks each semester.
    Candidates should successfully complete a total of 60 Credit points, which include field research in the fifth semester of study.
    1st year courses:
    > CD 311-Introduction to Community Development, 78 hours, 2 Credits.
    > BUS 311-Principles of Economics, 78 hours, 2 Credits.
    > CD 311-Communication Skills, 39 hours, 1 Credit.
    > BU 312-Introduction to Accounting, 117 hours, 3 Credits.
    > LAW 310-Law, 78 hours, 2 Credits.
    > SO 321-Sociology, 117 hours, 3 Credits.
    > QM 320-Quantitative Methods for Community Intervention, 78 hours, 2 Credits.
    > MGT 321-Public Administration, 78 hours, 2 Credits.
    > GD 321-Introduction to Gender and Development Theory, 39 hours, 1 Credits.
    > DS 320-Development Studies, 78 hours, 2 Credits.

    2nd year courses:
    > SO 232-Social Policy and Social Planning, 117 hours, 3 Credits.
    > ES 330-Environment Studies, 39 hours, 1 Credit.
    > CD 132-Principles of Community Development, 117 hours, 3 Credits.
    > IP 130-Integrated planning, 39 hours, 1 Credit.
    > MGT 332-Principles of Management, 78 hours, 2 Credits.
    > PPM 141-Project Planning and Management, 78 hours, 2 Credits.
    > ST 340-Statistics, 78 hours, 2 Credits.
    > MGT 343-Human Resource Management, 78 hours, 2 Credits.
    > AE 340-Adult Education, 78 hours, 2 Credits.
    > SO 343-Research Methods, 78 hours, 2 Credits.
    > DEM 260-Demography, 39 hours, 1 Credit.
    > BUS 263-Principles of Marketing, 78 hours, 2 Credits.
    > CD 636 Participatory Methods for Data Collection and Planning, 78 hours, 2 Credits.
    > SO 263 Social Change, 78 hours, 2 Credits.

    3rd Year courses:
    > CD 164- Management of Community Development Programmes, 117 hours, 3 Credits.
    There is a significant correlation between the first year of this programme and the Occupational Certificate: Community Worker (Community Development Worker).Similar theoretical content is covered but our Occupational Certificate contains a wider variety of skills and specified work experience.

    Conclusion:
    The Occupational Certificate compares favourably with the international practice and programmes. The qualification covers similar topics to those in the Occupational Certificate: Community Worker (Community Development Worker). The content relates very well to tasks two (Supporting the coordination of community development forums and meetings) and three (Building and strengthening relationships with and within communities) of the Occupational Profile for Community Development Workers. In some of the elective components it also relates to the development of initiatives. The qualification content includes more details relating to budgets and project planning but does not cover any of the legislation relevant to our developing society. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    Horizontal articulation is possible to:
  • Further Education and Training Certificate: Community Development, at NQF Level 4, SAQA Qualification ID 67509.

    Vertical articulation is possible to:
  • NQF Level 5 Occupational Certificate: Community Worker (Community Development Practitioner). 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

    NOTES 
    N/A 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
     
    NONE 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    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.
     
    NONE 


    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.