BQA Profile

Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA) is a parastatal established by the Botswana Qualifications Authority Act, No 24 of 2013, to:

  • provide for and maintain the National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCQF)
  • coordinate the education, training and skills development quality assurance system, from early childhood to tertiary level (lifelong learning)

VISION

“To be a catalyst for the development of a worldclass education and training environment for learners.”

MISSION

“We develop, implement and maintain the national credit and qualifications framework and co-ordinate Botswana’s education, training and skills development quality assurance system for the benefit for all.”

VALUES

  • Customer Focus: We are committed to putting our customer’s needs at the forefront of everything we do.
  • Innovation: We embrace new ideas and new ways of working in pursuit of our desired outcomes for all our stakeholders.

  • Accountability:  We perform our duties with integrity and are answerable for our actions.
  • Inclusivity: We are impartial in our provision of equal access to opportunities and resources for all.
  • Collaboration and teamwork: We collaborate both internally, and with strategic partners, in the execution of our mandate.

the BQA act mandates the authority to:

(a) Be responsible for all qualifications, from early childhood to tertiary level; 

(b) Design, develop and implement a common quality assurance platform, and regulate compliance therewith;

(c) Register and validate qualifications and part qualifications, and ensure their relevance to social and economic needs;

(d) Evaluate and register local and external qualifications; 

(e) Maintain a national database of assessors, moderators, Education and Training Providers(ETPs) and learners;

(f) Register and accredit ETPs, assessors, awarding bodies and moderators;

(g) Accredit learning programmes;

(h) Develop and review quality standards, and ensure compliance through a monitoring and evaluation system;

(I) Design methods of validating the achievements of learners; 

(j) Recognise and validate competencies for purposes of certification;

(k) Design procedures and rules for the protection of enrolled learners; 

(l) Develop, implement and maintain an overarching National Credit and Qualifications Framework(NCQF);

(m) Set teaching and learning standards for ETPs; 

(n) Ensure international recognition for the national qualifications system and the international comparability of qualifications; 

(o) Develop standards for the recognition of external qualifications;

(p) Maintain a national database of qualifications;

(q) Design qualifications and curricula for General Education (GE) and tertiary education, including Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Higher Education(HE);

(r) Contribute toward the development of international competency frameworks;

(s) Set criteria for the development of national education and training quality and inspection standards;

(t) Develop policy and criteria for work-based teaching, workplace learning and work-based learning programmes, the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and the Credit Accumulation and Transfer System (CATS); 

(u) Advise the Minister on all matters pertaining to its functions;

(v) Perform any function consistent with this Act that the Minister may, by regulations, determine; and

(x) Do all such things and perform all such functions as may be necessary for, or incidental to, the attainment of the objectives of the Authority.