Progress and Challenges of the Development Process of the National Qualifications Framework of Mozambique

By Jeffy Mukora

1. Introduction

Since 2018, entities responsible for the governance and management of the various subsystems of the National Education System, have promoted debates and prepared documentation with a view to establishing a National Qualifications Framework of Mozambique (NQF), which promotes the articulation and harmonization of the already existing "sub-frameworks", namely:

• National Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (QUANQES);
• National Framework of Professional Qualifications (QNQP); and
• General education qualifications (as outlined in the Primary and General Secondary Education Curriculum Plans).

The Working Group engaged in the NQF design resulted from the expansion of the team initially established jointly by the Minister of Science, Technology, Higher and Technical Vocational Education and the Minister of Education and Human Development in late 2017 for the preparation of the ratification of the Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Certificates, Diplomas, Titles and Academic Degrees of Higher Education in African States (Addis Ababa Convention 2014), which Mozambique subscribed to in 2014.

The team created by the Ministers comprised CNAQ, National Directorate of Higher Education (DNES), Directorate of Quality Assurance in the Ministry of Education and Human Development, ANEP and the National Institute of Examinations, Certification and Equivalency (INECE) with technical advice from UNESCO. The team concluded that even if the Addis Ababa Convention 2014 was signed, if the country did not have sufficient instruments for quality assurance and the transparency and comparability of qualifications it could "fall into a dead letter" (“cair em letra morta”).

Thus, the team decided that ahead of the ratification of the Convention, "The country should seize the opportunity that arose with the launch of the "SADC Qualifications Framework" (SADC QF) by the Ministers of Education, Training and Innovation to reactivate the process of drafting a National Qualifications Framework of the entire education system."

It was in this context that, alongside the preparation of the ratification of the Addis Ababa Convention 2014 started the activities of design of the Mozambique NQF, aiming at (i) the harmonization of qualifications offered within the National Education System, ensuring its transparency, comparability and integrated vision of qualifications; (ii) the alignment of the Mozambique NQF with the SADC Qualifications Framework (SADCQF) and with the principles of the Continental Strategy for Education in Africa (CESA) .

This short article summarizes the main elements of progress and challenges of the development of the Mozambique NQF, that concludes with its approval by the Council of Ministers on October 5^th, 2022 in its 34^th Ordinary Session.

2. Progress achieved

2.1 Collective construction, consultations, and consensus

The main mark of the progress achieved in the process of developing the NQF of Mozambique is based on the consensus on the importance of this instrument and the great existing expectation that the NQF may offer not only the articulation and harmonisation of the qualifications conferred within the National Education System, but also the resumption of a debate already started on the definition of professional careers based on the competences acquired and demonstrated by individuals competing for entry or progression in a given professional area.

In addition to the technical discussion between the entities directly involved, the consensus reached resulted from the debates stimulated by presentations made, sharing processes, results and challenges at the following events:

• National Conference on Education;
• National Council for Higher Education;
• Joint Technical Council between the Ministry of Science and Technology, Higher and Vocational Technical Education and the Ministry of Education and Human Development;
• National Meeting of Heads of Higher Education Institutions and Provincial Directors of Science and Technology, Higher and Technical Vocational Education on Quality-oriented Governance and Management;
• 4 Workshops involving course coordinators and Directors of all Faculties or Organic Units of higher education institutions offering courses in the following areas of knowledge: Health and Welfare; Education; Business and Law; and Engineering;
• Workshop on NQF Development and Implementation Experiences in Europe and other parts of the world, held in Maputo, with support from the ACQF Project (January 2020)
• Regional and continental forums on quality of higher education, recognition of academic degrees and on qualifications.
• TCCA - SADC Technical Committee on Certification and Accreditation;
• Webinars and training programmes organized by ACQF Project.

The first comprehensive report on the state-of-play of the NQF of Mozambique was developed in the context of the ACQF Mapping Study of National and Regional Qualifications Frameworks in Africa. The country report on the NQF Mozambique is available at: https://acqf.africa/resources/mapping-study/mozambique-national-report.

2.2 Documents produced

From the process of development of the Mozambique NQF, resulted the production of several versions of policy and technical documents such as:

• Rationale of the NQF proposal
• Proposal of the ten (10) level NQF;
• Proposal of level descriptors;
• Proposal of decree approving the NQF, including definition of general lines for the design of the structure of governance, coordination and management of the Implementation of the NQF

3. Challenges

The main challenge of developing the NQF in Mozambique has to do with building technical consensus, in a context in which the main actors do not have previous experience of articulated work between the three qualifications sub-frameworks already being implemented in the country.

On the other hand, the fact that there were qualifications authorities for each sub-framework, at an early stage, created a sense of "overlap" or relative threat of "loss of power" when discussing about the coordination and management entity for the implementation of the NQF. Although this was overcome by the technical team, it should be taken into consideration in future discussions.

The main technical challenges were linked with the levelling of the qualifications from occupational training (Occupational Certificates 1 to 5), of the vocational certificate 5 and the diploma of 12^th grade (complete secondary education). A model for a cohesive governance setting was also subject of much reflection.

1. Conclusion and next steps

The working team recognises that it has been a long time coming to reformulate the documents according to the debates and consensus reached. The team decided to put the country first and the agreed proposal was finally submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval. It was a long journey worth the travel. The NQF Mozambique has been approved by the Council of Ministers in October 2022.

The next steps will be to draw out a roadmap and a strategy that will ensure the implementation of this vital instrument. The road to operationalisation and full implementation of the NQF will require coordinated efforts and resources to deal with the key priorities such as capacity development and dissemination of information on the NQF; development of the range of technical tools foreseen in the text of the new NQF decree; put in motion an efficient implementation institutional setting.