Capacity Building on National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs) ACQF-II – UEMOA Cooperation

The African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF) Phase II supports African countries and regional economic communities in strengthening qualifications systems as a foundation for skills transparency, mobility, and lifelong learning.
Capacity Building on National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs) ACQF-II – UEMOA Cooperation

Within this context, cooperation with the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) responds to a shared objective of reinforcing national capacities to establish and operationalise National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs), as a prerequisite for future regional convergence.

Recent monitoring and evaluation work carried out within UEMOA has shown that, while progress varies across Member States, National Qualifications Frameworks are not yet fully established in the Union. At the same time, UEMOA has adopted a strategic roadmap indicating that all Member States should have functional NQFs in place by 2030, which would represent a critical first step towards the development of a regional qualifications framework in the longer term.

Against this background, ACQF-II proposes a structured capacity-building programme targeting senior policymakers and technical leaders from UEMOA Member States. The proposed webinar series is designed to start from the fundamentals of NQFs, progressively address early implementation steps, and situate national developments within regional and continental perspectives, including links to the ACQF.

The initiative builds on ACQF-II’s recent experience with similar introductory and sequenced capacity-building activities in other African contexts and aims to support UEMOA Member States in developing a shared understanding, common language, and realistic pathways for NQF establishment. The webinars are conceived as a first, low-cost and immediately deployable step, which can later be complemented by more targeted technical assistance at national or sub-regional level.

Proposed Webinar Series

Target group

Senior officials and technical experts from ministries responsible for education, TVET, higher education, employment and skills development in UEMOA Member States (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo).

Format

  • 4 webinars
  • Duration of each webinar: 2 hours total
    • 60 minutes input
    • 60 minutes for Q&A and discussion
  • Online, in French and/or with French and Portuguese interpretation
  • Interactive, policy-oriented

Overall objective

To build a shared foundational understanding of NQFs among UEMOA Member States, support implementation at national level by 2030 in line with the UEMOA’s roadmap, and prepare the ground for future regional cooperation and an eventual UEMOA RQF, in alignment with ACQF.

  • When Apr 15, 2026 to May 28, 2026 (UTC / UTC0)
  • Add event to calendar iCal

Webinar Key Objectives Expected Outcomes Indicative Content Discussion Segment

Webinar 1: The basics of national and regional qualifications frameworks

15 April 2026

Duration: 120 min (including 20 min for official launch and series overview, plus 60 min Q&A)
  • Introduce the collaboration between ACQF and UEMOA and officially launch the webinar series
  • Introduce the concept and purpose of NQFs in simple, policy-relevant terms
 Participants will be able to:
  • Explain the purpose and key concepts of National and Regional Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs and RQFs)
  • Analyse the policy and technical options involved in developing an NQF
  • Describe how NQFs improve transparency, quality, mobility, and lifelong learning, and how they connect to regional frameworks through referencing processes
  • Identify priority actions to strengthen and operationalise their national qualifications system, including quality assurance, qualification registers, and stakeholder engagement
  • Qualifications, qualifications systems and qualifications frameworks
  • Technical features of NQFs
  • Typical objectives: transparency, mobility, trust, skills recognition
  • What happens when countries introduce an NQF?
  • Governance options, legislation, stakeholder involvement
  • Stages of NQF development
  • Pillars and tools: learning outcomes, quality assurance, RPL, NQF registers/qualifications databases
  • Regional qualifications framework and referencing process
  • Where do UEMOA countries currently stand? Self-assessment exercise
  • What concerns exist around NQFs?
  • Q&A

Webinar 2: Zooming in on implementation of NQFs

29 April 2026

Duration: 120 min (including 60 min Q&A)
  • Deepen understanding of the technical and institutional steps required to operationalise an NQF
 Participants will be able to:
  • Analyse institutional roles and responsibilities in NQF implementation, including ministries, QA bodies, and sector stakeholders
  • Describe the processes for developing, levelling, and registering new and existing qualifications within an NQF
  • Explain how quality assurance mechanisms underpin trust and credibility of qualifications
  • Identify practical next steps to operationalise qualification development, registration, and QA systems in their national context
 Roles of stakeholders
  • Who is doing what in the new landscape: NQF governance models
  • Typical roles and responsibilities related to managing the NQF
  • Stakeholder engagement at the onset of NQF work
New qualifications
  • Qualification design, description and development
  • Qualifications levelling and registration: criteria and processes
  • Curricula alignment and modular design
  • Competency-based training
  • Existing qualifications: how to integrate them into the NQF?
  • Inventory of qualifications: tools for data collection
  • National qualifications registers
NQF and quality assurance
  • Quality assurance system and principles
  • Accreditation of institutions and programmes
  • Assessment and certification processes
  • Verification of local qualifications
  • Recognition of foreign qualifications
  • Monitoring, compliance and evaluation
  • What are the main technical bottlenecks in implementing NQFs across UEMOA Member States?
  • How are qualifications currently developed and quality assured in UEMOA countries? Which elements would have to be additionally introduced?
  • Which institutions could lead NQF operationalisation – what options are under discussion?
  • Q&A

Webinar 3: NQFs as tools facilitating lifelong learning

13 May 2026

Duration: 120 min (including 60 min Q&A)
  • Demonstrate how NQFs support lifelong learning pathways through RPL and credit transfer systems
  • Explore inclusive approaches ensuring that NQFs benefit traditionally marginalised groups
 Participants will be able to:
  • Explain how Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL/VAE) functions within an NQF and what outcomes it can generate
  • Describe the principles and mechanisms of Credit Accumulation and Transfer Systems (CATS)
  • Identify policy conditions necessary to ensure inclusive and equitable use of NQFs
 RPL
  • Objectives and principles
  • RPL in various education and training subsystems, links to NQFs
  • Possible outcomes and benefits of the RPL process
  • Building blocks of RPL, necessary tools
  • Typical RPL process
  • Typical challenges
CATS
  • Definitions
  • Purposes and benefits
  • Principles
  • Allocating credits to learning outcomes
  • Modalities of credit transfer
  • Conditions for successful implementation, including QA
Micro-credentials
  • Definitions and conceptual foundations
  • Policy relevance for African qualifications systems
  • Linking micro-credentials to NQFs
  • Digital credentials and transparency
  • Opportunities and challenges
Supporting marginalised groups
  • Comprehensive and inclusive NQFs, bridging
  • Widening use of RPL
  • Information and outreach, guidance and counselling
  • QA standards promoting inclusion
  • What is the current status of RPL/VAE in UEMOA Member States?
  • Are credit systems used in any subsystem (TVET, higher education, adult learning)?
  • What measures could help improve access to qualifications for informal workers, migrants, women, and youth?
  • Q&A

Webinar 4: From national to regional and continental qualifications frameworks

28 May 2026

Duration: 120 min (including 60 min Q&A)
  • Explain how national qualifications frameworks connect to regional and international frameworks through referencing, data sharing tools and cooperation mechanisms
  • Present practical experiences and lessons from existing African regional qualifications frameworks
  • Introduce the African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF) and its tools supporting transparency, mobility and recognition of qualifications across Africa
 (Outcomes to be confirmed for this webinar) From national frameworks to regional cooperation
  • Why countries create regional qualifications frameworks
  • Functions of RQFs: transparency, comparability, mobility of learners and workers
  • Between transparency and harmonisation
Examples and lessons from RQF implementation
  • Example 1: SADC Qualifications Framework (SADCQF)
  • Example 2: EAC TVET Qualifications Framework or IGAD Qualifications Framework initiative
  • What worked well, common challenges
The African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF)
  • Policy rationale and development of the ACQF
  • Main functions: transparency, trust-building, and mobility
  • Governance arrangements: ACQF Network and technical cooperation
  • Referencing process and criteria linking national frameworks to ACQF
  • The Qualifications and Credentials Platform (QCP) as a transparency tool
  • What conditions need to be in place before regional qualifications cooperation can advance in UEMOA?
  • What lessons from other African regions are most relevant for UEMOA Member States?
  • How could ACQF tools and processes support national and future regional developments in West Africa?
  • Q&A