1.1       Mission

• To ensure the sustainable impact and brighter perspectives of the ACQF and its Qualifications and Credentials Platform (QCP) in the interest of all African countries.
• To promote the development, recognition, transparency, articulation, innovation and harmonisation of skills, qualifications and credentials in a perspective of lifelong learning and employability for all population groups in Africa, fostering a qualified and agile workforce adaptable for the challenges of the 21st century and contributing to meet the goals and targets of relevant strategies and policies of the African Union, and of regional economic communities as adequate.

Main target groups of the ACQF Network:

Learners in all forms of education and training (formal, non-formal, informal, remote), workers in all sectors and forms of employment, youth and adults in vulnerable conditions, professionals, employers, innovators, the wider community of education and training stakeholders and policy makers, civil society organisations and other relevant groups.

1.2       Core values

In accordance with the ACQF Policy Document, and the aspirations of the member states and organisations supporting this initiative, the ACQF Network will respect and promote the core values:

1. Focus: on the key objectives of the ACQF and the QCP. Focus on the common interest.
2. African knowledge: continuously nurture development of African knowledge and good practices; share and promote methods, policies, tools, and publications of the ACQF Network and its partners in Africa and globally.
3. Inclusiveness: encompass all levels and types of qualifications and credentials, all forms and stages of learning and modalities of certification.
4. Innovation: support new developments related to green, digital, and other emerging skills; new roles and occupations; new technologies and societal demands; digital and micro-credentials for learning; new methods and tools to enhance the activities of the ACQF Network.
5. Supported by evidence: reliance and promotion of sound, substantiated and well-informed actions and outputs, based on data and analysis.
6. Collaborative approaches and participative governance: solidarity and mutual support between members states on the core matters of the network; participation of all stakeholders and member states who respect these core values; learn from experiences and good practice from Africa and other regions and continents.
7. Transparency and integrity: good governance, clarity and credibility for mutual trust.

1.3       Main objectives of the ACQF Network

1. To support and sustain the implementation of the ACQF and its Qualifications and Credentials Platform (QCP).
2. To foster further development of clear, meaningful, comparable and operational ‘green’ NQFs in African countries and support their cooperation, referencing, peer support and mutual trust.
3. To promote the use of ACQF levels on qualifications and credentials and databases of qualifications upon referencing to ACQF, facilitating mutual recognition of qualifications.
4. To contribute to change and reforms, supporting impact-oriented education and training, improved access and completion rates, accessible recognition of prior learning, functioning credit accumulation and transfer systems and quality assurance.
5. To support efficient management of qualifications and credentials and real-time information-sharing, through data analysis, anticipation of skills needs, and interoperable databases of qualifications connected to QCP, across all African countries and regions.
6. To cooperate and work in synergy with the Addis Recognition Convention, promoting linkages and synergies between ACQF-NQFs and facilitating the recognition of qualifications and credentials.
7. To contribute to improve global recognition and transparency of education, and qualifications and credentials from African countries.
8. To foster joint research projects for the advancement of the ACQF Network.
9. To collaborate with existing regional structures, especially with the regional economic communities, and relevant global networks and frameworks.

This Inception Document of the ACQF Network is elaborated in the context of the project “Supporting Implementation of the ACQF”, in accordance with the activities planned under Output 3.1 of the project.

Member countries (by: 31/Dec 2024): Angola, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, DR Congo, Eswatini, Guiné-Bissau, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tunisia. Ghana, Lesotho, Senegal, Somalia, Zambia, Zimbabwe.