Applications for Inclusion or Alignment

Applications for Inclusion in, or Alignment with, the National Framework of Qualifications, 8 September 2006

The National Qualifications Authority has now set out arrangements for the implementation of the recently established Policies and Criteria for the Inclusion in, or Alignment with, the National Framework of Qualifications of the Awards of Certain Awarding Bodies. To view these policies please click here:

Policies and Criteria for Inclusion / Alignment (111 KB)

Policies and Criteria for Inclusion / Alignment (94 KB)

Alignment of UK awards with the National Framework of Qualifications

The Authority agreed a policy approach in 2006 for the alignment of the qualifications of UK education and training awarding bodies (delivered in Ireland) with the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). The main purpose of aligning these qualifications is to provide learners with clear information regarding the qualification and the level at which it best fits on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications.

All of the UK qualifications that have been aligned with the National Framework of Qualifications are:

included in the National Qualification Frameworks of England, Wales and Northern Ireland or the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework of Scotland

delivered in Ireland to the same specification as they are in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland

subject to external quality assurance processes and procedures

Further information and listing of UK awards which are aligned with the NFQ

Guidelines for Awarding Bodies in Accessing the National Framework of Qualifications

To view guidelines on the implementation of the policies - Click here for more information

The policies identify three different groups:

Group A: Certain Irish Bodies which make awards on a statutory basis
Group B: Certain Irish Bodies which regulate professions
Group C: Certain Bodies from outside the State which make awards in Ireland

The Authority invites applications from bodies within Groups A and C to have their awards included in or aligned with the Framework. To this end, the Authority has drafted application forms relevant to each Group.

Group A

The application forms for Group A comprise two forms:

Stage 1 - Application for Eligibility (Group A) (35 KB)

Stage 2 - Application to have awards included in Framework (Group A) (50 KB)

Group B

Bodies who fall into Group B of the Policies: Certain Irish Bodies which regulate professions, apply to the appropriate awards Council; the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC), or the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC). They can be contacted at http://www.fetac.ie, http://www.hetac.ie. Both awards Councils are developing application procedures.

Group C

The application forms for Group C are subdivided:

For a body located in the UK that makes awards in Ireland

Stage 1 - Application for eligibility (Group C) (36 KB)

Stage 2 - Application to have awards aligned with Framework (Group C) (50 KB)

For use by a UK Body which has signed up to the Pilot regulatory arrangements

A pilot project was commenced by the regulatory bodies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on 7 May 2008. The objective of the pilot is to extend the quality assurance procedures of Ofqual, DCELLS and CCEA to facilitate recognition and regulation of those same qualifications when they are offered in the Republic of Ireland. This application form is to be completed by awarding bodies which have signed up to take part in this pilot project.

Application form to have awards aligned with the Irish National Framework of Qualifications

Outside Ireland and the UK

For a body located outside the State (but not in the UK) which makes awards in Ireland

Stage 1 - Application for eligibility (54 KB)

Stage 2 - Application to have awards aligned with Framework (37 KB)

The Authority recognises that there are bodies which make awards in Ireland and which do not have the formal recognition of the State in so doing. The Authority notes that many of these bodies have been operating for many years and considers it very important that the learning outcomes associated with the awards that these bodies make can also be recognised in the context of the Framework. The Authority notes the clear provisions of the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 1999, which allow for the submission of programmes for validation to the two Awards Councils – the Further Education and Training Awards Council and the Higher Education and Training Awards Council. Thus, the Authority notes that Ireland is in a unique position in international terms in having State awards available for all provision of learning opportunities within the State and considers that no learning provider or non-statutory awarding body should feel excluded from working with the Awards Councils. Indeed, such providers and awarding bodies also have the opportunity of working with other State awarding bodies such as the universities and the Dublin Institute of Technology.

For further details, please contact the awards Councils.