FAQs

Training providers (institutions) gain:

• External checks that they and their courses are of high quality
• Wider acceptance of their qualifications
• Possible access to additional resources of funding or learner subsidies.

Learners will:

• Gain assurance of the quality of the course they are enrolling in and that the outcomes of the learning will likely be recognized by employers and other providers.
• Will be able to move more freely between accredited institutions and have their previous learning recognized or cross-credited.

Industry and Professions gains:

• Greater confidence in the quality of education and training courses offered in Namibia
• Opportunity to work more closely with providers in the design and evaluation of courses.

Accreditation is conducted by the NQA in conjunction with professional bodies, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), and awarding bodies.

The process of accreditation takes into consideration the below criteria to ensure quality standards:

• Relevance and sustainability of goals and objectives
• Governance and management structure
• Proof of financial viability
• Systems for managing quality
• Course design, documentation, delivery and review
• Entry requirements
• Staff appointment (if appropriately qualified) and development
• Facilities, equipment and resources
• Assessment and certification systems
• Integration of ‘off-site’ components
• Student guidance, welfare and support
• Records keeping
• Research commitment (if the institution has a research component)
• Partnership arrangements
• Achievement of goals and objectives (during the process of re-accreditation)

The NQA conducts site visits to any person, institution or organisation that applies for accreditation, re-accreditation or expansion of accreditation to obtain evidence that the provider offers a quality learning environment and the required level of teaching. It also validates all the information provided to the NQA with the application during the site visit.

Any persons, institutions or organizations offering courses that lead to a qualification should apply for accreditation to the NQA. A training provider may be an individual or institution represented by/through a body corporate entity appropriately registered in Namibia.

Accreditation is not limited to conventional education and training providers. Training centers, departments, or institutes within companies, government departments, and State Owned Enterprises are eligible to seek accreditation for their courses.

Application forms are available from the NQA House in Windhoek and on the website: www.namqa.org.

Persons, institutions, or organisations interested must apply to the NQA. They should fill out an application form accompanied by the required supporting documents. Before submitting their applications for re-accreditation, the applicant must complete a Self-Evaluation Report (SER) to ensure they meet the requirements of the accreditation standards.

Upon receiving an application, the NQA will:

• Check for completeness
• Notify the institution for Payment
• Carry out a desk evaluation of the contents
• Procure for Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
• Conduct a site visit (s)
• Prepare Report
• Sent draft report to the training provider for factual accuracy
• Submit the final report to the AAA Committee of the NQA Council
• Submit recommendations from the AAA Committee to the NQA Council for decision
• Certification of Accreditation of person, institution or organisation

Only once the NQA Council is satisfied that the applicant has met all the requirements will the NQA Council confirm accreditation. A certificate of accreditation is then issued to confirm the accreditation status of that training provider. Accreditation is valid for three (3) years, after which the training provider is required to reapply for accreditation.

The NQA only evaluates qualifications obtained at accredited institutions, whether in Namibia or abroad. Evaluation is the process of confirming whether qualifications are legal and authentic, as well as the accreditation status of the institution they were obtained from.

Qualifications obtained at unaccredited institutions in Namibia or elsewhere in the world are not recognize as legal and therefore hold no value. As most employers’ request for NQA evaluated qualifications, holders of qualifications obtained at unaccredited institutions are likely to struggle to secure employment and to gain acceptance at other institutions to further their studies.

Many unaccredited institutions are operating in Namibia and elsewhere in the world. It is therefore important for all prospective learners to verify the accreditation status of institutions before enrolling for studies so that they do not fall prey to these bogus institutions.

Certificate of Accreditation & Scope of Accreditation

• An accredited body shall display its certificate prominently and readily accessible to learners and the public at the premises or place where it carries on its business of providing educational services. The certificate is issued by the NQA when accreditation has been confirmed.
• The Certificate will show the date on which accreditation will lapse. Accreditation is not granted for more than three years at any one time. Providers must apply for re-accreditation three (3) months before the date shown on the certificate.
• Accreditation is granted for specified courses—the scope of accreditation. The current scope of accreditation covered by the certificate must be displayed near the displayed certificate.

Government Gazette

• The information is also published in the Government Gazette.

Quality is the key factor in all the work of the NQA. The NQA is committed to ensuring quality qualifications are available to all in Namibia.

Not only do we try to do this through establishing the National Qualifications Framework but in also quality assuring providers and the delivery of their courses and programmes.

In granting accreditation, the NQA Council must be assured that an applicant meets the standards for delivering a course or courses and the assessment of the performance of people taking a course or courses as set by the NQA Regulations for the Accreditation of Persons, Institutions or Organisations (Government Notice No: 124 [2006]).

In looking at the application, attention is given to such things as:

• The processes for designing courses – stakeholders must be used
• The governance and management structure
• Proof of financial viability
• The recruitment of staff – they must have the necessary qualifications and experience, and they must keep up-to-date
• Learning facilities and resources – they must be appropriate and adequate to the type of the course – and they must stimulate learning
• Systems for managing quality
• Systems for monitoring the delivery of courses
• Guidance and assistance available to learners
• Assessment systems and record systems