Evidence for SETA Accreditation. SETA Accreditation applicants are required to submit documentation for a desktop compliance check. Read how to manage the SETA Accreditation process.
The Training Business Development Catalyst – Quality Management Systems (QMS)
Your QMS is an opportunity to celebrate and formalize what your organization values and how it manages its competitive positioning.
Although SETAs are often unprecedented bureaucratic bungling nightmares, they are actually big on your capacitation (and numbers). They will give you advice and support because they want you to be accredited. This is why you must have your best company representative nurturing this relationship. Do it right, you could build powerful business synergy, especially if your work focuses on unemployed and marginalised people.
Your QMS also substantiates and validates your market. For example, your learning implementation model and content must be relevant to a particular job or sector’s nuances. Your QMS should be well used and become grubby if it’s in print form. Or it should be the most used ‘cut and paste’ digital content for anyone participating in your training value chain (from marketing to learning management). A QMS is a process instrument, always being used and referenced. It’s organic and grows over time through experience.
If you don’t have the QMS or learning content – you can procure and then customise both. Book a workshop to guide you through the process.
QMS Fails
Three common fails witnessed when it comes to quality management systems designed for SETA approval:
- Organisations hire a consultant to prepare the application including the QMS. The policies and procedures they attach to the application are simply to allow for an interim accreditation and would be inadequate to motivate for full accreditation. You would need to use the three years allowed, to learn from expensive mistakes and probably pay another consultant to deal with the problems.
- Some organisations focus more on content than QMS and then have their applications repeatedly rejected because the two don’t relate or reinforce quality standards.
- Or the QMS is great but the content wasn’t developed correctly and is non-compliant. Truth is, if their requirements appear too complex for you – you shouldn’t be developing content. Anyone who studied education would understand that SETA requirements are actually pretty basic, even rudimentary. So if you don’t understand them – hire a consultant to teach you.
Policies, Procedures, Processes
You must compile a file or manual containing all your Quality Management Tools.
The purpose of Policies and Procedures is to document all implementation and operational details ad make them accessible to stakeholders. Policies and procedures ensure that everyone knows what, when and where in a formal, traceable manner.
Policies and procedures help employees understand what they have to do in order to achieve the organisations vision and mission objectives.
These P&P’s allow for consistent approaches throughout the organisation and facilitate the entrenchment of standards of excellence.
The QMS includes steps you take when:
- There’s absenteeism
- Late or repeated incomplete work submissions
- Ineffective training methodologies applied and
- Investigating facilitator misconduct
Integrity throughout the education and training value chain is crucial in order for learner achievements to have value.
Review Mechanisms
A review mechanism determines how you know your QMS is sound. You will require a policy and procedure that specifies how you review, revise and authorise action. It’s critical to assess the training team’s and learner’s performance in terms of the QMS and to investigate if needs are being met.
Learner Management and Assessment System
It’s essential that training units have a learner management system and formal process for recording and reporting on assessment. This is usually required before a SETA allows you to become fully accredited. Remember you have 3 years to become fully accredited.
Business and Training Systems, Policies and Compulsory Documents
All organisational systems must be presented and resources quantified. Include evidence of financial, administrative and physical structures and resources, and procedures of accountability.
Mapping your QMS for the ETQA route
You will be required to submit your Quality Management System. The more thorough you are the first time round – the better it will be for you. Organisations must make it as easy as possible for the SETA to identify the relevant content in your portfolio as easily as possible. New providers who hire consultants should be warned about submitting documents they are unfamiliar with.
SETAs are astute enough to recognise providers who lack expertise yet have amazing documents obviously provided by a third party.
Your Quality Management System contains all your policies, procedures (praxis) and review mechanisms. Remember that a policy will unpack the overall ethos behind specific actions that your organisation undertakes and which are described in procedures.
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