About this qualification
The Higher Certificate in Local Governance has been designed to provide students with fundamental knowledge and a range of competencies in the field of Local Governance in the South African context.
The programme covers the structure and system of local governance including important public sector skills such as municipal financial management, municipal service delivery, urban governance, leadership and policy making. Students will gain valuable skills that can be applied at local government or municipal level.
8 credit-bearing modules
Part-time or full-time study options
- 15 – 30 notional hours / week
Lecture-led online distance learning
MODE:
Fully Online
NQF LEVEL:
5
SAQA ID:
117727
CREDITS:
120
DURATION:
Flexible payment options available
Programme syllabus
This qualification contains 8 credit-bearing modules and offers an industry-relevant curriculum aimed at developing critical skills and knowledge to meet the scarce-skill government environment. Students will gain integrated knowledge on policy making, strategy development, service delivery programmes, local government leadership issues and good governance within the context of African and Ubuntu-leadership.
- Module 1: Academic Literacy | Credits: 10
Module 2: Local Governance in Context | Credits: 20
- Module 3: Municipal Service Delivery | Credits: 15
- Module 4: Local Democracy and Urban Planning | Credits: 15
Module 5: Good Corporate and Financial Governance | Credits: 15
- Module 6: Trends in Urban Governance | Credits: 15
- Module 7: Local Government Policy Making and Analysis | Credits: 15
Module 8: Leadership and Local Governance | Credits: 15
- Total Credits: 120 | NQF Level: 5
Quick links:
More about this qualification
The Higher Certificate in Local Governance is intended for both individuals who are already employed in public sector institutions or who aspire to work within the public sector. The programme effectively merges theory and practice and equips students with academic knowledge and skills at a Local Government level. Therefore, this programme is relevant to individuals in a variety of roles such as:
- Local Government officials
- Students who already work in Government departments
- Students with an interest in Local Government matters
- Politicians who are within the Local Governance space e.g. councillors
- Utilise the required academic knowledge and skills to function optimally at the entry level of higher education learning.
- Explain the principles of local governance with specific reference to the developmental mandate, statutory obligations, structures, and systems of municipalities.
- Provide knowledge and insight into objectives, approaches, types of stakeholders, and mechanisms to continuously improve service delivery within a local government context.
- Develop an integrated knowledge of community participation mechanisms and priorities in urban planning.
- Enable students to interpret the principles of strategic budgeting and financial corporate governance within a local government context.
- Critically evaluate the potential consequences and impact of various key trends in urban governance.
- Apply theories and techniques to participate in local government policy-making and analysis. Develop an integrated knowledge of local government leadership issues and good governance within the context of African and Ubuntu-leadership
- During this programme you will complete various types of assessments, namely Formative and Summative.
- There are 2 formative assessments which contribute 30% toward the final mark and 1 Summative assessment which contributes 70% towards the final mark. The course pass mark is 50%.
- Assessment dates will be available in iCan, via the programme calendar. These dates will also be published by the lecturer during orientation week.
A module lecturer is assigned to each module in this programme. As the mode of delivery is distance education, all instruction will take place via iCan, our online learning platform. Your module lecturer will provide a teaching and learning plan for the duration of the module as well as lesson plans for each week.
Students are required to adhere to these schedules. Lecturers will also host regular online classes. The content covered in each class will be in line with the module schedule and weekly lesson plan. Sticking to the schedules provided will ensure you don’t miss out on any opportunities to learn and ask questions.
In between classes you can engage with your lecturer directly on iCan or you can discuss the learning content with other students in the discussion forums, which are set up per module for your convenience.
The following learning activities form part of your overall learning path:
- Orientation week (included in the course duration)
- Self-directed reading and activity completion
- Multimedia activities such as video clips and podcasts
- Completion of quizzes and continuous assessment opportunities on iCan
- Online announcements of activities and assignment submission
- Participation in discussion forums
- Self-reflection
- Case studies
- Online/Live lectures using Microsoft Teams/Zoom
- Assessment activities and compulsory submission of formative and summative assessments per module
Programme Semester Dates
Programme Admissions
Academic requirements:
- National Senior Certificate (NSC), or Senior Certificate (NC), or National Certificate Vocational (NCV level 4)
- At least 30% in the language of teaching and learning
- Matric exemption certificate optional
- Candidates of a mature age may also be considered for entry, based on their experience in a managerial/supervisory capacity.
- Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): Candidates may apply for admission through the process of RPL.
Institutional requirements:
- At least 18 years of age
- Ability to read and write in English, which is the language of instruction
- Students should also possess a basic level of digital literacy skills
- If candidates do not meet the minimum requirement, they may still enrol based on relevant work experience or mature age exemption
South African citizens:
- Certified copy of Grade 12 certificate [NSC, NC, NCV (NQF Level 4)]
- Certified copy of Identity Document/Card
- Students without Grade 12 are required to prove 12 months of relevant appointment
Non-South African citizens:
- Copy of highest school qualification
- Copy of passport
- Copy of study permit and copy of SAQA evaluation
At iQ Academy, we have transitioned all of our programmes to be exclusively delivered through online learning. This means that our students must have regular access to a device and a stable internet connection, whether it’s through a mobile device or any other means.
Don’t worry about course materials, as they are all available online and can be downloaded. Although we do not provide printed textbooks, most of our courses have printable e-books that you can access at your convenience. If you prefer printed materials, you can easily download and print them yourself.
Our teaching and learning activities primarily occur online, which means that you will participate in online classes and learning activities. If you require more information please feel free to enquire now.
- A PC, Tablet or Smartphone
- Access to a reliable internet connection
- Web browser (Chrome or Firefox)
- An active email account
Recommended data:
- At least 1GB of data per month for online-only programmes
- +/- 500MB of data for internet-supported programmes
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Expert support
Dedicated programme lecturer and specialised academic support.
Structured learning
Weekly lesson plans, regular live classes and special webinars.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, all qualifications are registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). You can find the SAQA ID listed on our website for each of the qualifications we offer. You can also search for a qualification on SAQA at: https://pcqs.saqa.org.za/search.php?cat=qual
iQ Academy is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a Private Higher Education Institution (PHEI) under the Higher Education Act, 1997. Learn more about our accreditations.
An iQ Academy Higher Certificate Programme is an industry-ready qualification that is offered through the convenience of online distance learning. All Higher Certificate courses are on NQF level 5 and are registered with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and accredited by the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) and Council on Higher Education (CHE).
All of our qualifications are lecture-led. The mode of delivery for our qualifications is distance education and all instruction takes place via iCan, our online student portal. Your lecturer will provide teaching and learning plans for the duration of the programme as well as lesson plans for each week.
Students are required to adhere to these schedules. Lecturers will also host regular online classes. The content covered in each class will be in line with the module schedule and weekly lesson plan. Sticking to the schedules provided will ensure you don’t miss out on any opportunities to learn and ask questions.
In between classes you can engage with your lecturer directly on iCan or you can discuss the learning content with other students in the discussion forums, which are set up per module for your convenience.
The following learning activities form part of your overall learning path:
- Orientation week (included in the course duration)
- Self-directed reading and activity completion
- Multimedia activities such as video clips and podcasts
- Completion of quizzes and continuous assessment opportunities on iCan
- Online announcements of activities and assignment submission
- Participation in discussion forums
- Self-reflection
- Case studies
- Live online lectures
- Assessment activities and compulsory submission of formative and summative assessments per module