Contextualising RPL

(Recognition of Prior Learning)

– The role of Line Management
in the RPL process
By Ivor Blumenthal
CEO : Services SETA
 What is RPL ?

R.P.L. is nothing other than recognising

current competence, as evidence of
the quality of integration of education,
training, coaching, mentoring and
other life skills and processes.
At the heart of all RPL
activities are ………

NQF STANDARDS
 Standards are :
 The bases for writing Training
Curriculum
 The basis for SETA’s Accrediting
Learning Programmes
 The foundation of knowledge-based
Assessments
 The building blocks of Professional
Certification
 Including in Job Descriptions and
Performance Appraisals
 Where does the Line
Manager fit-in ?
 The Line Manager is responsible for
Performance Management
 The Line Manager is responsible for
measuring competency against standards
 The Line Manager is responsible for
Performance Counselling
 The Line Manager is responsible for
Career Counselling
 The Line Manager is the RPL Advisor
 What is the SDF’s
responsibility vis-à-vis RPL ?
 The SDF is a Process Engineer
 The SDF is responsible for conscientising the
workplace to the role of RPL in the Performance
Management structure of the workplace
 The SDF is responsible for initiating the
development processes of Line Management
 The SDF is responsible for measuring and
reporting on the successful implementation of
RPL in the workplace
 How does RPL fit into the
Workplace Skills Planning
Process, and what is the role
of the Line Manager in that
process ?
 The Workplace Skills Planning Process –
Stage 1
Recognising the
highest level of Job-
Related competency
(RPL)

Analyse the Identifying Performance

Company, GAP’s
identifying
all possible
Jobs, and Developing and getting to
tasks which “yes” on strategies for
need to be addressing the GAP’s
executed including combining
jobs, additional staff to
compliment existing
worker gaps etc.
The Workplace Skills Planning Process – Stage 2

Agree on strategies,
targets and
responsibilities
within the company
Analyse the Identify Skill for addressing
Company, DEFFICIENCIES these
identifying DEFFICIENCIES
all possible This is the component
Jobs, and of the Workplace
tasks which Skills Plan in-which
need to be opportunities for full
executed, and partial
defining
them in
Learnerships and
terms of Skills Programmes
Standards are identified
How can Line Managers add
value to the Standards
Generating Process ?
 Standards become part of the language of the
workplace
 Line Managers and their subordinates work and
are measured according to these Standards daily
 Line Managers are ideally placed, working
through their SDF’s to be continuously referring
Quality issues regarding Standards back to
respective SETA’s and their ETQA’s
What specific input can Line
Managers have into Quality
Assurance of Standards ?
 Line Managers become the vehicles for
ETQA’s to use in testing Standards for
Reliability and Validity
 Line Managers become the vehicle to test
and expand Range Statements and
Assessment Methodologies in Standards,
given their daily application of these
instruments
 Line Managers are the catalysts
required by SAQA and the National
Skills Authority, to ensure that
Standards and Qualifications
become part of the language of the
workplace, becoming operational
vehicles for measurement and
change, upon which reward
systems of the future are based,
and recruitment practices are
standardised.