About this qualification
The Higher Certificate in Public Administration and Management programme is intended for public officials and elected political leaders involved with service delivery activities and strategic-level objectives for communities.
This type of programme contributes to the development of management skills for political executives, executive managers, and other role-players who contribute to the development of improved service delivery in the public sector. The knowledge and skills will equip students to function in the highly complex and dynamic public arena where state, market forces, and civilians interact in the shaping of society.
8 credit-bearing modules
- 24 months part-time
- 15 – 30 notional hours / week
Lecture-led online distance learning
MODE:
Fully Online
NQF LEVEL:
5
SAQA ID:
118443
CREDITS:
120
DURATION:
Flexible payment options available
Programme syllabus
This qualification contains 8 credit-bearing modules and aims to develop vocational, theoretical, and applied competencies at NQF level 5 in the interpretation and application of national and provincial government sector legislation and policies on national and provincial government levels, good governance, and public management principles and methods.
- Module 1: Academic Literacy | Credits: 10
Module 2: Government in Focus | Credits: 20
- Module 3: Foundations of Public Administration, Public Management and Governance | Credits: 15
- Module 4: Selected Public Management Applications, Skills and Competencies | Credits: 15
Module 5: Service Delivery Excellence | Credits: 15
Module 6: Public Sector Human Resource Management | Credits: 15
Module 7: Ethics Management in the Public Sector | Credits: 15
Module 8: Public Organisational Design and Development | Credits: 15
- Total Credits: 120 | NQF Level: 5
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More about this qualification
The programme is focused on the development of management skills for political executives, executive managers and other role-players who contribute to the development of improved service delivery in the public sector. Therefore, this programme would be relevant for the following individuals:
- Public Sector Administrators
- Public Sector Managers
- Public Sector Officials
- Local Government Officials
- NPO Administrators/Managers
- Politicians
- Students wanting to enter the Public Management space
Additionally, this qualification would benefit you if you are looking to grow your career:
Government remains the single largest employer in South Africa. Once qualified, students will be able to take up a position in any of the three spheres of government or in arms-length agencies. The specialised modules in this programme allow students to explore a variety of possible career options such as:
- Government officials
- Managers and advisors in Government Departments
- Public Sector Administrators
- Public Sector Human Resource Officers
Upon successful completion of this programme you should be able to:
- Utilise the required academic knowledge and skills to function optimally at the entry level of higher education learning;
- Provide knowledge and insight regarding the meaning, nature, scope of the state and government as well as the different stakeholders in the public sector. This includes an overview of power relationships, functions, systems, structures and processes within the state and government;
- Explain the theoretical underpinnings of Public Administration and Management (PAM) that impact the executive arm of government responsible for policy implementation;
- Critically discuss the requirements for effective public sector management which are relevant to management applications, skills and competencies;
- Address the dynamic nature of service delivery in government and types of services as well as the government’s machinery to successfully render essential services;
- Explain the significance of sound labour relations and healthy human resource management in the public sector to improve productivity, teamwork, and the quality of supervision;
- Identify ethical issues and critically analyse ethics management and a code of conduct within the public sector and propose ways to strengthen ethical practices and evaluate a code of conduct accordingly; and
- Provide knowledge and insight regarding the theories and principles in public organisational design and development so that public sector organisations can be effectively utilised to optimise service delivery objectives.
- 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