Human Resource Management Advisor

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to function as a Human Resource Management Advisor. A Human Resource Management (HRM) Advisor works in a range of public and private sector organisations as a strategic partner to the organisation. A HRM Advisor proactively contributes to organisational success by providing professional advice and support relating to the attraction, procurement, maintenance, development, and separation of Human Resource Assets (Human Capital). The HRM Advisor must ensure optimum compliance with legislative requirements, national and international professional practice standards, collective agreements, and leading practices within the HRM discipline. A qualified learner will demonstrate the following key attributes: collaborative decision-making, analytical problem-solving, service-orientated leadership, people-orientated, team building and strategic thinking. A qualified learner will be able to: • Design and develop appropriate Human Resource Management strategies, derive dynamic employment value propositions, and advise on the effective implementation and maintenance of these strategies and value propositions. • Facilitate, drive, and advise on the design and development of appropriate talent management and workforce architecture strategies and initiatives. • Design, integrate and advise on the implementation of strategically appropriate Learning & Development (L&D) and organisational growth plans and initiatives. • Facilitate and advise on the implementation and use of world-class employment relations practices and initiatives. • Oversee and advise on the effective delivery of all Human Resource Management services.

Organisational survival, growth and sustainability are the key focus areas of management and leadership. The health of organisations in the public, private and non-governmental service sectors are critical for the nation and the economy. The single most important element of any organisation is its human capital, and this has become a key factor in creating a competitive edge for organisations. In South Africa and globally, the professional and fair utilisation of human capital is increasingly being entrenched as a way of life and a key determinant for success. Therefore, all organisations require professional guidance relating to the utilisation and management of their human capital. Because of this strategic imperative, the need for obtaining and developing human capital is firmly entrenched into the South African Constitution and national development planning processes and forms the cornerstone of the South African National Development Strategy. The importance of professional guidance in Human Resource Management has led to the development of several qualifications registered on the Occupational Qualifications Sub Framework of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). In collaboration with industry representatives, a process to re-align these qualifications and replace them with Occupational Qualifications were initiated. The result of this realignment process is a suite of three qualifications, starting at NQF Level 5 and culminating in the Advanced Occupational Diploma: HRM Advisor at NQF Level 7. The employment of practitioners with professional HRM capabilities to navigate through the complex legislative and social dynamics that workplaces find themselves in is essential for organisational success. It is also critical to standardise the various approaches to Human Resource Management and to ensure that they are aligned with the national transformation agenda and the national and global professional standards for HRM. This aspect of organisational management is daily becoming more important because of the ongoing technical, environmental, and social evolution confronting organisations. The Advanced Occupational Diploma: HRM Advisor will serve as a platform for developing and nurturing the skills required for HRM practitioners to become strategic partners in organisations guiding them through these turbulent organisational dynamics. Furthermore, this qualification will have broader social benefits and will promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. It will also contribute towards supporting the development of ethical and socially responsible HRM practices at all levels of society. It will also provide individuals with recognised and portable credentials that will enable them to work in HRM roles across different industries and geographies, increasing their employability and contributing to the development of a globally competitive workforce. The typical learners who will access the occupational qualification will be individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in HRM or those who are currently working in HRM roles and wish to formalise their skills and knowledge. Furthermore, this qualification may also appeal to individuals currently working in technical and managerial roles and require formal education in the HRM discipline to enable them to take up senior roles in organisations. After successfully completing this qualification, learners will be able to operate in several senior HRM roles, such as HRM Business Partner, HRM Specialist and HRM Manager, amongst others. Apart from the legacy qualifications being replaced through this realignment process, no other similar Occupational Qualifications are registered on the NQF. This qualification does not require professional registration.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): • RPL for Access to Training/Exemption: Learners may use the RPL process to gain access to training opportunities for a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme if they do not meet the formal, minimum entry requirements for admission. RPL assessment provides an alternative access route into a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme. Such an RPL assessment may be developed, moderated, and conducted by the accredited Skills Development Provider which offers that specific qualification/part qualification/skills programme. Such an assessment must ensure that the learner is able to display the equivalent level of competencies required for access based on the NQF level descriptors. For exemption from modules through RPL, learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme through any means of formal, informal, or non-formal learning and/or work experience, may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded. • RPL for Access to the External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA) or Final Integrated Supervised Assessment (FISA) Learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme through any means of formal, informal, or non-formal learning and/or work experience, may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded. A valid Statement of Results is required for admission to the EISA in which confirmation of achievement is provided that all internal assessment criteria for all modules in the related curriculum document have been achieved. For a Skills Programme, the accredited Skills Development Provider (SDP) must ensure all modular competency requirements are met prior to the FISA and keep record of such evidence. Upon successful completion of the EISA/FISA, RPL learners will be issued with the QCTO certificate for the qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme. Quality Partners are responsible for ensuring the RPL mechanism and process for qualifications and part-qualification is approved by the QCTO. Entry Requirements: The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is: • Advanced Occupational Certificate: Human Resource Management Officer, Level 6.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1: ELO 1: Use globally recognised methods and procedures to analyse and evaluate the organisational environment and develop strategically aligned Human Resource Management (HRM) strategies. • Apply integrated knowledge of the central areas of Strategic Management and Strategic HRM to analyse the micro and macro environment and clarify the current and future HRM needs of the organisation. • Analyse organisational strategies and environmental dynamics to forecast and derive future workforce requirements. • Facilitate the design, development, and approval of HRM strategies and plans in such a way that they align with organisational needs and future HRM requirements. • Monitor and evaluate the implementation of HRM strategies and plans to ensure their sustained alignment with organisational requirements. • Guide the use of HRM technologies and people analytics and provide advice to ensure their ethical use in the execution of HRM processes, services, and initiatives. • Provide advice to mobilise stakeholders and ensure optimum compliance with and support for agreed HRM strategies and plans. Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2: ELO 2: Use critical thinking and complexity analysis techniques to advice on the design, development and implementation of talent management and workforce architecture strategies and initiatives. • Use integrated knowledge and understanding of the theories, principles, and concepts of creating and implementing workforce architecture to evaluate and customise organisational structures, work profiles and remuneration packages. • Demonstrate the ability to provide oversight and advice for the implementation of strategic workforce and talent management plans and initiatives. • Provide oversight and advice on the recruitment, selection, induction, on-boarding, transferring and termination of staff through the creation of appropriate policies and procedures. • Select and implement work design and job analysis tools effectively ensuring the integration of the results of the work design and analysis processes within organisational HRM architecture and remuneration practices. Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3: ELO 3: Use globally recognised HRM methods and procedures to design, integrate and advise on the implementation of Learning and Development and Organisational Growth plans and initiatives. • Demonstrate the ability to provide oversight and advice for the creation and implementation of learning and development strategies and plans. • Provide oversight and advice for the creation and implementation of performance management strategies and plans. • Demonstrate the ability to provide oversight and advice for the creation and implementation of recognition and reward strategies and plans. • Provide oversight and advice for the creation and implementation of career management strategies and plans. • Demonstrate the ability to provide oversight and advice for the creation and implementation of wellness strategies and plans. • Provide oversight and advice for the creation and implementation of organisational development strategies and plans. Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4: ELO 4: Facilitate and advise on the implementation and use of employment relations practices and initiatives to ensure regulatory compliance and the promotion of the achievement of the national transformation agenda. • Adhere to procedural, substantive, and legal compliance of all employment relations practices through professional participation in and guidance of organisational disciplinary and grievance handling processes. • Evaluate and improve organisational employment relations policies, procedures and practices. • Provide oversight and advice to ensure the effective and consistent implementation of all employment relations policies, procedures, and practices. • Research global leading practices in employment relations management. to identify possible improvements to organisational employment relations management practices. • Conduct ongoing monitoring and reporting on the levels of organisational compliance with HRM legislation and collective agreements. • Take enforcement action to deal with noncompliance to HRM legislative requirements and collective agreements. Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5: ELO 5: Apply problem-solving and strategic management processes to oversee and advise on the effective, efficient, and ethically compliant delivery of all HRM services. • Provide oversight and advice for the delivery of internal and outsourced HRM functions and services. • Provide oversight and advice for the procurement, implementation, and utilisation of HRM management systems and the ethical use of people analytics. • Measure, evaluate and report the value of HRM services relevant to organisational strategies and national transformation agendas continually. Integrated Assessment: Formative Assessment The skills development provider will use the curriculum to guide them on the stipulated internal assessment criteria and weighting. They will also apply the scope of practical skills and applied knowledge as stipulated by the internal assessment criteria. This formative assessment, together with work experience, leads to entrance into the external integrated summative assessment. Summative Assessment An external integrated summative assessment, conducted through the relevant QCTO Assessment Quality Partner is required for the issuing of this qualification. The external integrated summative assessment will focus on the exit level outcomes and associated assessment criteria. The assessment will be conducted through written assessment and the evaluation of practical tasks at decentralised approved assessment sites by a panel of assessors within a period of 1 day.