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NZQF Programme Approval and Accreditation Rules 2021

3. Interpretation

In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires:

accreditation means accreditation to provide all or part of an approved programme under section 441 of the Act

Act means the Education and Training Act 2020

approval means approval of a programme under section 439 of the Act

Category 1 institution means an institution (other than a university) that has received, in the most recent external evaluation and review (EER) carried out by NZQA in respect of that institution, statements of confidence that are either:

(a) Highly Confident in educational performance and Highly Confident in organisational capability in self-assessment; or

(b) Highly Confident in educational performance and Confident in organisational capability in self-assessment

credit recognition and transfer means a formal process whereby credit for outcomes already achieved by a student in relation to a qualification is recognised as credit for comparable outcomes in another qualification

Data Requirements means the details required to be filled out in the fields in the relevant online application form available on NZQA's website

external evaluation and review, or EER, means the quality assurance system known as EER that is set out in the rules from time to time made under section 452 of the Act

industry qualification means a qualification maintained by a WDC for the purposes of section 366(1)(c) of the Act

institution, for the purposes of accreditation to provide approved programmes, has the same meaning as in section 10(5)(b) of the Act

institution, for the purposes of approval of programmes, has the same meaning as in section 10(5)(a) of the Act

level means any of levels 1 to 10 on the NZQF

NZQF means the New Zealand Qualifications Framework

programme has the same meaning as in section 10(1) of the Act

qualification means a qualification listed on the NZQF

recognition of prior learning means a process that involves formal assessment of a student's relevant and current knowledge and skills (gained through prior learning) to determine achievement of learning outcomes of a qualification for the purpose of awarding credit towards that qualification; and for the avoidance of doubt it does not include credit recognition and transfer

Te Hono o Te Kahurangi quality assurance means applying Te Hono o Te Kahurangi whare ako framework and quality assurance tools for programmes and accreditation, as that framework and those tools are published by NZQA from time to time on its website

Type 1 change means one or more changes to components of an approved programme which do not impact on the programme as a whole

Type 2 change means one or more changes to components of an approved programme which do have an impact on the programme as a whole

Universities New Zealand means the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee continued by section 311 of the Act

WDC means a workforce development council as defined in section 10(1) of the Act.

2. For the purpose of applying Te Hono o Te Kahurangi quality assurance, unless the context otherwise requires references in these Rules to:

1. “educational performance” are to be treated as references to “organisational performance”:
2. ”self-assessment” are to be treated as references to “self-reflective practice”:
3. “Highly Confident” are to be treated as references to “He pounamu kahurangi”:
4. “Confident” are to be treated as references to “He pounamu whakairo”.

3. Rules 4.1, 5.1 – 5.3, 8.1 – 8.6 (in relation to programme approval), and 11 of these Rules do not apply to industry training programmes as defined in, and approved under, the NZQF Industry Training Programme Approval Rules 2021 (or any replacement of those Rules).

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