Continuing Education and Training Act, 2006 (Act No. 16 of 2006)NoticesNational Norms and Standards for Funding Technical and Vocational Education and Training CollegesH. The Annual Joint DHET-College Planning Process95 - 100. Basic elements |
| 95. | For the purposes of the paragraphs that follow, the 'medium term' means the coming three (3) college years for which planning must occur. This is partially in accordance with the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) of the Public Finance Management Act, the difference being that the college year begins in January, whilst the government's financial year begins in April. The term 'first MTEF year' refers to the first college year within the medium term. The term 'current year' refers to the college year immediately prior to the medium term, and 'previous year' refers to the college year prior to the current year. |
| 96. | Section 10 of the CET Act, requires public TVET Colleges to develop strategic plans. This requirement is being fulfilled across all colleges, though the medium-term joint DHET-college planning process described here has wide-ranging implications for the formats and contents of the college strategic plans, and the annual processes that lead to the finalisation of strategic plans. For example, the formula funding grid in Appendix A of this policy should form part of the strategic plan of each college. |
| 97. | It is vital that various stakeholders apart from the DHET and colleges should comment on the medium-term joint DHET-college planning process. DHET must hence ensure that a minimum level of broad consultation occurs with a range of stakeholders, which should include, as a minimum, employers, employees, and private providers of TVET training. At least one regional consultation and at least one college-specific consultation per college should occur in each year. These consultations should be strongly guided by the national strategic priorities referred to in paragraph 91 and 92. |
| 98. | It is crucial for the medium-term joint DHET-college planning process to be informed by reliable and timely data. This implies major improvements to information systems which, as indicated in paragraph 24 require national funding. In particular, existing unit record systems that house data on individual college students would need to be enhanced, partly to deal adequately with student-level data relating to socio-economic status and with the aggregation of part-time students to full-time equivalent students. |
| 99. | The medium-term joint DHET-college planning process is partly about learning from experience, and thereby improving the capacity of colleges to deliver quality training efficiently and equitably. It is therefore important that this process should be characterised by honest and informed assessments of past performance. Such assessments should include analyses based on the available financial and non-financial data, as well as the consideration of the qualitative inputs of the various TVET College stakeholders. There should be a strong focus on building relationships of trust and mutual respect between stakeholders for this process to be successful. |
| 100. | Below, the medium-term joint DHET-college planning process is described with reference to, firstly, capital investment planning, secondly, a review of past formula funding and, thirdly, the forward planning of formula funding. All these activities should be scheduled in such a way that strategic plans, with finalised funding components approved by the DHET, are ready by 31 October of each year. The resultant plans must cover, as a minimum, the medium term. |