NQFs – transparency tools or enablers of change?
National Qualification Frameworks (NQFs) have become a global phenomenon. According to the ETF Report of 2021 over 150 countries were actively involved in developing an NQF.
TAICEP also produced a recent list showing over 180 countries.
Many countries are using NQFs as a vehicle for educational reform often linked to economic and political drivers. Do they provide the answer to many of our issues around mobility, transfer of credit and mutual recognition or are they simply a construct which provides a vehicle for some better analysis of education and training issues? The answer to these questions is dependent on the purposes identified initially. You need to be clear about what problem or problems you are trying to solve before identifying the type of NQF that will provide the necessary solutions.
A number of reviews have cited the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) as mainly a communication or transparency tool probably because some of the other common features of an NQF - use of learning outcomes, credit and a modular approach already existed in Scotland before 2001. However, the collective vision for the SCQF was of a Framework which would recognise and validate a much more diverse range of learning offered by a much wider group of owners. So, whilst the change has been incremental over the last 21 years it has been transformative.
The SCQF database currently includes over 11,500 qualifications and learning programmes owned by over 130 different organisations from the public, private and third sectors.
In 2001, only Universities and the national awarding body were recognised as Credit Rating Bodies (CRBs). Today there are 56 organisations recognised as CRBs for the SCQF. There was a realisation that Recognition of Prior Learning has to be a key feature of a successful NQF and the Partnership has developed itself as a “centre of excellence” in relation to RPL. Alongside that, concerted efforts have gone into supporting different types of providers from schools to universities in making the most effective use for the SCQF to benefit learners. A wide range of case studies and videos (www.scqf.org.uk) exist which showcase how the SCQF has been used to transform learner journeys, benefit credit transfer and increase understanding of the diversity of qualifications and learning provision. The Partnership also provides direct support in the form of workshops and capacity building and this has had a real and defined set of benefits across the education and training landscape which was recognised by Scottish Government in a recent review of education in 2022.
Owning, managing and developing an NQF is a constant iterative process and the most successful are those which evolve and adapt and put in effective impact assessments to be able to evidence change. Each NQF has to tell its own story and I think we all know that simply transferring one country solution to another does not work. However there is a growing body of evidence identifying impacts and I, like many others, will continue to follow the SCQF journey as well as other NQFs to see what these are.
Aileen retired in December 2022 after 15 years as the CEO of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership.
The Partnership is the body responsible for maintaining the National Framework for Scotland – the SCQF. Prior to joining the SCQF Partnership Aileen was Head of Policy Development, Scotland with the Sector Skills Development Agency for 3 years. This role included the supporting of Sector Skills Council to develop occupational standards and to link with Scottish Government priorities.
Before joining SSDA in 2004 Aileen had worked with the Scottish Qualifications Authority and its predecessor SCOTVEC for 16 years in a range of roles around qualifications development and quality assurance.
In addition she previously served for six years as a member of the Hong Kong Council for the Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications and has acted as an international expert for a number of countries developing Qualifications Frameworks. She is also a non-executive Director of the Advisory Board of Education Scotland.