About Umalusi

The Executive Committee (EXCO) is a committee of Council established in terms of section 8(1) (a) of the General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance ACT (GENFETQA), of 2001 as amended. Council has delegated its day to day oversight functions to the EXCO in terms of section 8 of the GENFETQA Act.

EXCO has the following roles, responsibilities and powers:

• To act on behalf of Council on urgent matters with subsequent reporting to Council.
• To approve the strategic plans, annual performance plans, annual reports and budget of the organisation on an annual basis.
• To approve transactions within its delegated authority limit.
• To review material strategic initiatives, and recommend such to Council.
• To consider emerging issues that may be material to the business and affairs of the entity and the realisation of the entity’s agreed strategy.
• To make recommendations to Council on policy issues.
• To review financial reports from management as well as approve fees and rates applicable to various processes within the organisation.
• To initiate any special investigations within the entity.
• To approve examination results as per Council delegation.
• To report to Council at each Council meeting and so often as may otherwise be deemed necessary.
• EXCO also deals with any other matter delegated to it by Council.

EXCO meets four times a year.

The Audit and Risk Committee provides independent, objective oversight and review. However, it does not assume any management responsibilities or perform any management functions. The Audit and Risk Committee makes decisions on matters relating to the scope of its responsibilities and presents such decisions to the Council for ratification.

The Audit and Risk Committee is tasked to assist the Council in discharging its duties relating to:

• the safeguarding of assets;
• Council’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements;
• the External Auditors’ independence: performance of the entity’s internal and external auditors functions;
• preparation of accurate financial reporting and statements in compliance with all applicable legal requirements and accounting standards; and
• overseeing the quality, integrity and reliability of Umalusi’s risk management.

The Council must approve the Charter of the Audit and Risk Committee, and must review these annually, to ensure their continued relevance. In addition, Umalusi must disclose in the Annual Report an adoption of the Charter for the Audit and Risk Committee; and whether the Audit and Risk Committee has satisfied its responsibilities for the year in compliance with the terms of reference.

The Assessment Standards Committee of Council fulfills the following functions:

• Supports the work of the Quality Assurance of Assessment and Statistical Information and Research units.
• Provides guidance to the Quality Assurance of Assessment and Statistical Information and Research units on matters relating to its work in establishing, maintaining and improving the standard and quality of assessments in the South African education system;
• Provides guidance to Council on all matters related to assessment standards and statistical research aimed at establishing and improving the standard and quality of assessments and examinations in the South African education system;
• Carries out the process of standardisation and statistical moderation of internal assessment and examination results for all qualifications that Umalusi certifies, including the Senior Certificate (SC) amended, the National Senior Certificate (NSC), the National Certificates (Vocational) NC(V), Report 190/191 and the General Education and Training Certificate (GETC): Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) Level 4;
• Receives reports on the quality of assessments in Schools, TVET Colleges and AET centres and report on the same to Council;
• Recommends to Council the release of results of exit qualifications registered on the GFETQSF and certified by Umalusi. Review, on a regular basis, the statistical and educational validity of the moderation and standardisation policies, processes and procedures;
• Provides input to development of policies on the quality assurance of assessment;
• Where applicable, the committee reports and advises Council on issues pertaining to statistical research studies planned and/or carried out by the SIR unit.

The Accreditation Committee of Council (ACC) fulfills the following functions:

• Supports the work of the Evaluation and Accreditation (E&A) unit.
• Considers the recommendations of the E&A secretariat in respect of the accreditation of an institution.
• Ratifies or denies the granting of the accreditation status to an institution.

The Qualifications Standards Committee fulfills the following functions in support of the work of Umalusi Council:

• Provide guidance in the formulation of suitable qualifications, which will meet the requirements of the Minister and South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA);
• Consider the implications of the development or review of a particular qualification/programme/curriculum and advise Umalusi with regard to the approach taken toward stakeholders, including departments;
• Provide in-principle agreement for the need to develop or review a particular qualification, programme or curriculum. Such a decision is based on an evaluation against predetermined criteria, and proposals resulting from Umalusi’s internal processes;
• Develop criteria for the appointment of members that will serve on Qualifications Reference Groups, which constitute sub-committees of the Committee and appoint the members when such a need arises;
• Approve the delegation of the responsibilities such as curriculum development to the relevant committee/department/ assessment body or other suitable body or bodies;
• Recommend the qualification in its final form to Council;
• Assist, as individual committee members, if requested, in advocacy of the qualifications on the GFETQSF;
• The committee may be requested to perform any other reasonable functions that Council may deem necessary and relevant to the role of committee.

• Even though it is not a Council Committee per se, the Research Forum is commissioned by Council to fulfill the following functions in support of the work of Council:
  • Members serving on the Research Forum provide input and support to Umalusi’s Statistical Information and Research unit.
  • The Forum strengthens the research function in the organization through support and guidance provided to the Statistical Information and Research unit with regard to:
    • the research agenda;
    • the theoretical framing of research projects; and
    • the dissemination of findings from the research conducted.
  • The Forum may be called upon to comment on research work emanating from the sub-committees of Council.
  • Members of the Forum may sometimes be commissioned to undertake or assist with research activities, in which case the copyright for the research output will reside with Umalusi.
  • Should a Forum Member be directly involved in working on a research project for Umalusi, ownership and management of the project will reside with Umalusi and the objectives of the project will be determined by Umalusi management.
  • The Forum will offer advice on matters concerning ethical clearance, if required for proposed research.
  • The Forum may be requested to perform any other reasonable functions that Council may deem necessary and relevant to the role of the Forum.