Manager – Institutional Audit – Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA)

Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Tertiary Education Research Science and Technology. It draws its mandate from the BQA Act No.24 of 2013. Its main objectives are to provide for and maintain the National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCQF) and to coordinate the Education, Training and Skills Development Quality Assurance System. BQA invites applications from qualified candidates to fill the following positions:

MANAGER INSTITUTIONAL AUDIT

Job Summary:

To plan, manage and coordinate institutional audits of education and training providers and awarding bodies in order to ascertain their compliance with the requirements of the National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCQF )and Quality Assurance Standards. To promote delivery of quality, competitive and internationally recognised education to meet the socio­economic needs of Botswana.

Main Duties

Divisional Strategies, Policies and Leadership

1. Formulates strategies and systems for institutional audits, ensuring they are aligned to the relevant legislation and BQA corporate objectives and values, for approval by the Director Quality Assurance.
2. Formulates the division’s operational plans and budgets, for the Director Quality Assurance’s approval as input into the preparation of corporate strategic/operating plans and budgets.
3. Develops, reviews and implements cost effective and value driven systems, standards, procedures, guidelines and instruments that will lead to effective institutional audit of educational and training providers and awarding bodies to enhance the quality, competitiveness and international recognition of Botswana higher education.
4. Plans the division’s activities and maintains direct oversight on its operations while maintaining overall accountability.
5. Provides professional inputs and makes technical recommendations on all matters relating to institutional audits.
6. Represents the BQA, as assigned by the Director Quality Assurance, at local, national, regional and international seminars and meetings related to institutional audit matters.

Institutional Audits

1. Plans, coordinates and manages institutional audits to carry out quality assurance of education and training providers.
2. Develops and implements procedures, guidelines and criteria for institutional audits and ascertains that divisional staff and subject matter experts are fully conversant with them.
3. Coordinates and manages regular quality assurance inspections to education and training providers to monitor and ensure compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements.
4. Reviews and validates audit reports before submission to Director Quality Assurance and Board Quality Assurance Committee for approval and decisions to render / reject or withdraw registration and accreditation certificates or to issue provisional certification pending improvements.
5. Undertakes ad-hoc visits to independently assess, reliability and integrity of education and training providers that institutions accredited with BQA meet the national standards in consolidation with audit officers and stakeholders.
6. Assesses, independently and objectively the controls, reliability and integrity of the ETP’s
7. Monitors conditional accredited ETP’s to ensure that they meet compliance for the set time frame to qualify for complete accreditation.
8. Ensures that final audits reports are sent to audited training providers with all accompanying documents.
9. Coordinates post audits and submits recommendation reports of approval structures to the Director quality assurance.
10. Provides guidance and support to ETPs on good quality and compliance management to ensure.

Monitoring Compliance

1. Coordinates continuous monitoring of ETP’s to ensure compliance with BQA registration and accredited regulations and that facilities are conducive for running the accredited programmes.
2. Monitors institutions through audits to ensure accredited ETPs maintain and continue to comply with BQA national standards.

ETP Learner Complaints Handling

1. Assesses and ensures the resolution of ETP’s and learner complaints
2. Safeguards interests of learners, by ensuring that quality of offered programs keeps improving not declining
3. Helps learners to be reimbursed for the programs they paid for if the ETP breaks the contract or fails to deliver on the program
4. Ensures that ETP’s resources still complies with the enrolment agreement

Capacity Building of Audits Staff and Panels

1. Trains and mentors other audit staff members
2. Ensures that members of the audit panels possess the necessary independence, experience, education and training skills to properly conduct assigned activities
3. Oversees the audit function and provides leadership and direction in communicating and monitoring audit policies, practices, programs and processes
4. Establishes clear lines of authority and reporting responsibilities for all levels of audit personnel activities
5. Oversees staff assigned to perform audit work, establishes expertise & resources to identify inherent risks and assess the effectiveness of internal control of the ETP operations

Reporting

1. Reviews and validates the periodic reports submitted by Institutional Audit officers, and engages them on operational issues and challenges raised in the reports, with a view to enhance the department’s performance and attainment of its mandate
2. Prepares quarterly and annual reports on the implementation, successes, and challenges of the division, with detailed and sound analysis and recommendations, and submits to Director-Quality Assurance,

Key Performance Indicators

• Quality and international recognition of Botswana educational system
• ETPS’ compliance with BQA and NCQF standards.
• Effective quality assurance and monitoring processes and procedures.
• Continuous improvement in educational standards and quality of out-put.
• Positive feedback from industry, employers and other key stakeholders on quality and responsiveness of learning programmes

Position Requirements:

Education:

• At least a Master’s degree in Education from a recognised institution or any other equivalent qualification acceptable to BQA
• Certification and working knowledge and / or experience in NQF systems would be an added advantage

Experience:

• At least 8 years of experience in registration and accreditation within an education and training environment, including a minimum of 4 years in a supervisory position

Required Competencies:

• Knowledge of Education and training sector in Botswana
• knowledge of methodologies of quality assurance and standards
• Computer literate. Experience with systems and applications in the specific work area.

Other competencies

• Team building, leadership and motivation
• People management and interpersonal skills
• Planning, organizing, budgeting, resource management
• Results oriented and performance driven
• Service oriented and client focus
• Emotional intelligence
• Communication, influence, impact

Decisiveness and assertiveness

Attention to detail