Capacity Building Programme for RPL Practitioners in Botswana | 5–9 October 2026
The Capacity Building Programme for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Practitioners in Botswana will take place on 5–9 October 2026 in hybrid modality. The programme is organised as part of the preparations for the forthcoming Botswana RPL pilot and will equip the practitioners who will be directly involved in its implementation with the practical knowledge, methods and tools needed to deliver RPL effectively and consistently.
The RPL pilot is being implemented through a partnership between the Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA), the Rapid Skills Development Centre (RSDC) and ACQF-II. BQA leads the pilot and retains responsibility for its regulatory framework, quality assurance and certification, while RSDC acts as the operational partner, supporting candidate mobilisation and providing the occupational expertise, assessors and moderators, facilities and equipment required for implementation. ACQF-II provides technical support, including the development of practical tools and capacity-building materials, expert guidance throughout the pilot, and support for documenting lessons that can inform the further development and scaling-up of RPL in Botswana.
The programme will bring together RPL advisers, assessors, moderators, occupational experts, administrators and other practitioners involved in the pilot. It will use the practical capacity-building package developed with ACQF-II support, comprising six complementary manuals and operational resources covering the main stages of the RPL process, including candidate guidance and mobilisation, identification and documentation of prior learning, collection and evaluation of evidence, design and use of assessment instruments, practical assessment, moderation and quality assurance.
The training will have a strong practical orientation, enabling participants to apply the tools to the occupations and qualifications selected for the pilot. It will also provide an opportunity to test and refine the materials and procedures before implementation, helping to ensure a common understanding among practitioners and generate lessons for the subsequent development and scaling-up of RPL in Botswana.
| Date | Start | End | Session and activity | Lead and participants |
| 2026/10/05 | 09:00 | 09:30 | Welcome and practical goals for the week Participants share their roles, experience and questions. Focus on bricklaying. Introduce the Friday readiness target. Output: Personal learning priorities and group roles. |
Patrick Werquin online All participants |
| 2026/10/05 | 09:30 | 10:30 | RPL philosophy and the practitioner’s role Discuss demonstrated learning outcomes, candidate ownership, the same qualification standard and flexible evidence routes. Alternate short inputs with experience sharing. Output: Shared explanation of RPL and its purpose. |
Patrick Werquin online All participants |
| 2026/10/05 | 10:30 | 10:45 | Short break | - |
| 2026/10/05 | 10:45 | 12:00 | The candidate journey and role boundaries Walk through advice, readiness screening, evidence development, assessment, moderation and feedback. Discuss selected boundary dilemmas. Output: Initial role map and questions about local responsibilities. |
Patrick Werquin online All participants |
| 2026/10/05 | 12:00 | 13:30 | Lunch break | - |
| 2026/10/05 | 13:30 | 14:30 | How the six documents support the work Demonstrate a candidate case, evidence map and assessment coverage matrix. Show when to use the manuals, workbook and operational forms. Output: A practical route through the toolkit for each role. |
Patrick Werquin online All participants |
| 2026/10/05 | 14:30 | 14:45 | Short break | - |
| 2026/10/05 | 14:45 | 15:45 | Worked occupational example and discussion Use one illustrative occupational case to connect evidence, practical performance, knowledge, reasoning and assessment decisions. Explain pre-moderation and adaptation to the selected standard. Output: Shared understanding of how evidence supports a decision. |
Patrick Werquin online All participants |
| 2026/10/05 | 15:45 | 16:30 | Open Q&A and preparation for Tuesday Participants bring practical questions and agree the next day’s work. Flexible close: shorten live discussion if concentration drops and use remaining time for local preparation. Output: Question log and agreed priorities for Tuesday. |
Patrick Werquin online All participants |
| 2026/10/06 | 09:00 | 10:00 | Morning discussion: candidate advice and readiness Review Monday’s questions. Demonstrate an initial interview and discuss readiness, support needs, consent and the limits of the adviser/ECF role. Output: Clear instructions for the day’s simulations. |
Patrick Werquin online All participants |
| 2026/10/06 | 10:00 | 10:15 | Short break | - |
| 2026/10/06 | 10:15 | 11:00 | Candidate journey and responsibility map Occupational groups allocate tasks and discuss selected role-boundary dilemmas. Identify who makes decisions and who receives referrals. Output: Revised role map with escalation contacts. |
Local facilitation team Occupational groups |
| 2026/10/06 | 11:00 | 12:00 | Initial interview and readiness screening Run triads with candidate, adviser and observer roles. Use the case profile and selected standard to identify evidence and support needs. Output: Interview feedback and draft screening record. |
Local facilitation team Occupational groups |
| 2026/10/06 | 12:00 | 13:30 | Lunch break | - |
| 2026/10/06 | 13:30 | 14:45 | Readiness recommendation and candidate agreement Complete and explain a reasoned recommendation. Record candidate responsibilities, support, consent and next steps. Output: Screening recommendation and draft candidate agreement. |
Local facilitation team Occupational groups |
| 2026/10/06 | 14:45 | 15:00 | Short break | - |
| 2026/10/06 | 15:00 | 16:00 | Peer review of the candidate entry process Test whether another team can follow the file. Clarify local procedures and unresolved questions about scope, eligibility or support. Output: Reviewed entry file and list of matters requiring clarification. |
Local facilitation team Occupational groups |
| 2026/10/06 | 16:00 | 16:30 | Flexible clinic and questions for Wednesday Revise the day’s outputs. Each group prepares two practical questions or one unresolved case for the next morning. The team agrees an earlier finish if needed. Output: Questions and revised files saved in the shared workspace. |
Local facilitation team All participants |
| 2026/10/07 | 09:00 | 10:00 | Morning discussion: evidence mapping and quality Answer the groups’ questions. Demonstrate linking a claim to an outcome and checking validity, authenticity, currency and sufficiency. Output: A common approach to evidence planning. |
Patrick Werquin online All participants |
| 2026/10/07 | 10:00 | 10:15 | Short break | - |
| 2026/10/07 | 10:15 | 12:00 | Evidence mapping and quality workshop Map selected outcomes for the case candidate. Audit several evidence items and identify checks, gaps and additional evidence. Output: Evidence map and individual collection plan. |
Local facilitation team Occupational groups |
| 2026/10/07 | 12:00 | 13:30 | Lunch break | - |
| 2026/10/07 | 13:30 | 14:45 | Workplace collection and evidence control Plan a visit or observation. Agree permissions, consent, safety, witness evidence, labelling and records. Practise using one evidence record. Output: Workplace collection plan and traceable evidence records. |
Local facilitation team Occupational groups |
| 2026/10/07 | 14:45 | 15:00 | Short break | - |
| 2026/10/07 | 15:00 | 16:00 | Portfolio control and handover simulation Build the portfolio index and cross-references. Identify outstanding gaps and simulate handover without advocating a competence decision. Output: Indexed case file and completed handover checklist. |
Local facilitation team Occupational groups |
| 2026/10/07 | 16:00 | 16:30 | Flexible clinic and questions for Thursday Resolve weak evidence links, update the file and prepare questions about assessment design. Agree any adjustments to the next day’s programme. Output: Revised evidence file and design questions. |
Local facilitation team All participants |
| 2026/10/08 | 09:00 | 10:00 | Morning discussion: assessment instrument design Answer questions and demonstrate the sequence from the registered standard to methods, practical tasks, questions and decision rules. Output: Shared design approach and clarified work priorities. |
Patrick Werquin online All participants |
| 2026/10/08 | 10:00 | 10:15 | Short break | - |
| 2026/10/08 | 10:15 | 12:00 | Standard analysis, coverage and method selection Confirm the source, version and scope. Map outcomes, criteria and conditions to evidence and methods. Record ambiguities for authorised clarification. Output: Design brief, coverage matrix and method plan. |
Local facilitation team Occupational groups |
| 2026/10/08 | 12:00 | 13:30 | Lunch break | - |
| 2026/10/08 | 13:30 | 14:45 | Draft an integrated practical task Draft one task with candidate instructions and assessor instructions. Check resources, occupational realism and links to the standard. Output: Draft task and separate candidate and assessor instructions. |
Local facilitation team Occupational groups |
| 2026/10/08 | 14:45 | 15:00 | Short break | - |
| 2026/10/08 | 15:00 | 16:00 | Observation, questions and decision rules Write observable criteria, targeted questions and answer guidance. Identify critical errors and compare judgements on a short common case. Output: Draft observation record, question set and decision rules. |
Local facilitation team Occupational groups |
| 2026/10/08 | 16:00 | 16:30 | Flexible design clinic and Friday questions Consolidate the pack, list missing components and prepare questions on moderation and live implementation. Output: Versioned draft pack and unresolved-issues log. |
Local facilitation team All participants |
| 2026/10/09 | 09:00 | 10:00 | Morning discussion: readiness for the pilot Address practical questions. Review fairness, safety, pre-moderation and release controls. Explain the evidence each participant and group must show by the end of the day. Output: Clear readiness criteria and remaining questions allocated. |
Patrick Werquin online All participants |
| 2026/10/09 | 10:00 | 10:15 | Short break | - |
| 2026/10/09 | 10:15 | 11:00 | Implementation controls Check accessibility, safety, resources, timing, security, records and role conflicts against the occupational pack. Output: Control checklist and assigned corrective actions. |
Local facilitation team Occupational groups |
| 2026/10/09 | 11:00 | 12:00 | Peer pre-moderation exercise Exchange packs and trace findings to the standard. Record required corrections and distinguish peer practice from formal approval. Output: Peer-review record and correction log. |
Local facilitation team Occupational groups |
| 2026/10/09 | 12:00 | 13:30 | Lunch break | - |
| 2026/10/09 | 13:30 | 14:45 | Pack revision and short group demonstrations Revise priority issues. Each occupation briefly demonstrates its candidate-support pathway and assessment pack, explaining key decisions. Output: Consolidated occupational pack and recorded outstanding gaps. |
Local facilitation team Occupational groups |
| 2026/10/09 | 14:45 | 15:00 | Short break | - |
| 2026/10/09 | 15:00 | 16:00 | Individual readiness check and pilot action plan Each participant demonstrates or explains a task relevant to their assigned role. Teams confirm actions, owners, deadlines and the approval route before live use. Output: Individual readiness record and dated pilot action plan. |
Local facilitation team All participants |
| 2026/10/09 | 16:00 | 16:30 | Flexible close and operational handover Confirm first pilot steps, supervision or further practice needs, outstanding approvals and support contacts. Collect feedback on tools and remaining practical questions. Output: Agreed next steps, contacts and follow-up dates. |
Local facilitation team All participants |