The Ethiopian National Qualifications

Framework: reflections on the development

of an African initiative
የ ኢትዮጲያ አ ገ ር አ ቀፍ የ ትምህ ር ትና ሥልጠና ብቃት ማዕ ቀፍ፤
ቀፍ፤

በ ዚህ አ ፍሪ ቃዊ ጅማሮ ሂ ደቶች ላ ይ የ ተደረ ገ ምልከ ታ

James Keevy, Shirley Lloyd, Ephrem Bekele and Amarech Mekonnen1

1
Paper prepared for the 1st International Conference hosted by the Education Strategy Centre, Addis Ababa, 10-11
June 2014. The views expressed in this paper are our own and do not necessarily reflect those of the South African
Qualifications Authority or the Education Strategy Centre.
Acknowledgements

We recognise the contributions of various colleagues to the ENQF process over the period 2007
to 2014. These include (in alphabetical order according to last names): Ato Tizazu Asare, Ms.
Mariarita Capirci, Dr Wondimagegne Chekol, Ato Asmare Demilew, Prof Zinabu Gebremariam,
Dr. Aklilu Hailemichael, Mr. Sebastiano Longs, Dr Ian McFarlane, Dr. Solomon Mogus, Ato
Tesfaye Negewo, Ms. Alison Schmidt, Ato Solomon Shiferaw, Ato Getachew Solomon, Ato
Tibebu Tegegne, Ato Ayalew Teklehaymanot, Ato Assegidew Tesfaye, Dr Henk van der Heuvel
and Ato Anteneh Worku. The many others, who cannot all be listed here, that served on the
technical task teams, participated in national consultations, and the ENQF Advisory Group are
also acknowledged. A special word of thanks is due to Prof Zinabu Gebremariam and Ato
Tibebu Tegegne for their comments on earlier drafts of this paper.

2
Abstract

The formal structuring of learning as ‘qualifications’ on the African continent may seem like a
fairly recent phenomenon, possibly first considered only a few decades ago, and seemingly
directly linked to numerous colonial influences that have influenced the continent. More
recently, the development of qualifications frameworks as mechanisms through which
qualifications are ordered and interrelated have featured in Africa. Today more than twenty
African countries are actively engaged in qualifications framework development, including
Ethiopia, the only African country never to be colonized, and generally regarded as the source of
humanity some two million years ago. In this paper we reflect critically on the development of
the Ethiopian National Qualifications Framework (ENQF) since 2007 by focusing on the
following: (1) the extent to which the ENQF has been developed as an African initiative, suited
to the Ethiopian context; (2) the ENQF design, including a brief overview of the development
process to date; (3) progress made to date through consultations and pilot projects and the need
to move from conceptualization to implementation. The paper concludes with insights that may
be applicable to other African countries that are in the process, or considering, the
implementation of a qualifications framework.

3
Introduction

Since the first qualifications frameworks were introduced in the United Kingdom in the mid-
1980s, more and more countries have developed their own frameworks. While such
developments were initially confined to the Anglophone countries of the Commonwealth, the
interest has more recently extended to a much wider range of countries including Mexico and a
number of countries in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa and the Asia- Pacific region
(Keevy, Chakroun and Deij 2010). At a basic level a qualifications framework can be seen as a
hierarchical classification for levels for formal learning programmes and their associated
qualifications and certificates (Coles et al 2014).

Today there is increasing activity from international agencies in the area of qualifications
frameworks, including the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD),
the International Labour Office (ILO), the World Bank and the European Union. In addition
countries with “explicit frameworks” (also referred to as first generation qualifications
frameworks) such as England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are regularly
engaged with other countries and in effect support a general international movement towards the
development of qualifications frameworks. The key underlying drivers for this increased interest
and activity has been the need to improve people’s employability in the emerging knowledge
economy, together with increased internationalisation and globalisation of learning and the
development of wider regional and transnational labour markets.

In theory the benefits accruing from the careful design and implementation of qualifications
frameworks to address specific educational, social and economic issues are considerable, but in
practice implementation has often been controversial and attracted strong criticism and
resistance. Despite being apparently valid responses to the issues that were being addressed,
some features and dimensions of qualifications frameworks have proved in the translation of
theory into practice to be unpopular, costly, time-consuming, difficult to manage and even
unworkable. The learning to be gained from such issues needs to be understood within in the
context of a highly complex web of situational factors unique to each framework development.
Thus while much can be learnt from past experiences, there are no simple solutions and many
issues remain unresolved (Keevy and Samuels 2008).

4
It is against this backdrop of the global trend towards qualifications frameworks, including also
African countries such as Ethiopia, that this paper has been prepared.

With the Plan for Accelerated and Sustainable Development to End Poverty (PASDEP), the
Industry Development Strategy and other sector development strategies, the Ethiopian
Government initiated a new push towards creating frameworks conducive to economic and social
development. The intention has been to move Ethiopia towards a knowledge-based economy
capable of sustainable economic growth, with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion
that brings new challenges to the development of human resources. The Education Sector
Development Programme proposes to improve educational quality, relevance, efficiency and
equity, and expand access to education through the establishment of the Ethiopian National
Qualifications Framework (ENQF).

At present, there are pressing concerns about the quality and relevance of education and training
in Ethiopia, and there exist only very limited pathways between the different education sectors.
Transitions from non-formal learning environments to formal programmes are particularly
difficult. After completing 10th Grade, students are assigned to the different education tracks –
they either to go on to preparatory school (Grade 11 and 12) and then to university, or to
technical and vocational education and training (TVET). Transferring between TVET and higher
education is possible to only a very limited extent. In order to support the development of a
comprehensive, integrated system of education encompassing all the education and training
sectors, and building on prior work on a qualifications framework for TVET, the ENQF is being
developed. Based on this framework, qualifications from each of the different educational sectors
(namely higher education, general education and TVET) are to be made more comparable, thus
creating the possibility for pathways between the different streams. The ENQF intends to assure
the quality of qualifications and the quality of education provision. It is envisaged that the ENQF
will constitute a means of coping with the increasing complexity and diversity of education and
training offered in Ethiopia as well as enabling transfer between different sectors.

The Ministry of Education of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia determined the need
for the development of the ENQF in 2007. In December 2007 an ENQF Taskforce was
established to oversee the initial phases of the development of the ENQF, namely the
development of an ENQF Consultative Document (Ministry of Education 2008a), the preparation

5
and finalisation of an ENQF Implementation Plan (Ministry of Education 2008b), and awareness
creation and implementation of the ENQF. Between January and April 2008 the ENQF
Taskforce, with support from the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), and supported
by the Italian Cooperation, engaged in initial research, including review of international theory
and practice, an analysis of the existing Ethiopian education and training system, and stakeholder
consultations. Further development work took place between 2010 and 2014, overseen by the
Ethiopian Higher Education Strategy Centre (HESC), later renamed the Education Strategy
Centre (ESC), with technical support from SAQA through a Nuffic-funded project managed by
the Vrije Univeristeit Amsterdam.

The next section of this paper focuses specifically on the extent to which the ENQF initiative can
be described as African, considering that is being developed in Africa and by Africans, although
with strong influence from other parts of the world. This discussion is followed by a more
detailed overview of the ENQF design, the progress made to date through consultations and pilot
projects; and lastly, some reflections on the need to move from the conceptualisation phase to
implementation.

The ENQF as an African initiative

In recent years Africa has seen the development of qualifications frameworks as mechanisms
through which qualifications are ordered and interrelated in many of its countries. While the
general perception may be that Eurocentric and Western concepts (in this case qualifications
frameworks) are being transposed into Africa with potentially disastrous consequences, this
perception remains to be tested in practice. The development of the ENQF between 2007 and
2014 provides an excellent case study for this purpose.

At the outset it is important to note that the earliest qualifications structures were not all
European or Western in origin, in fact, there were strong influences from Egypt and Islamic
countries (Higgs and Keevy 2008). It was only in the 11th century that universities (as new
schools for higher education) with the specialised field of education were developing in Europe.
This was also the time when the term ‘qualification’ acquired a more definite meaning, yet
retained its emphasis on social class structures (Serpell 2007). As is well documented, education

6
development then accelerated in Europe, developing a unique focus that soon became foreign to
similar developments in Africa, and that resulted in an extremely negative impact during the
period of colonisation (Omolelwa 2007: 594).

Here it is important to note that Ethiopia was never colonized, despite an invasion from Italy
under Mussolini in the 1930s, which was thwarted by the defeat of the Italians by British and
Allied Forces in World War II. The Organisation of African Unity (later renamed the African
Union) was founded in 1963 with strong support from Ethiopia. To this day the AU headquarters
constitute an important feature of Addis Ababa. Following a period of Communist influence, the
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was established at the end of the 20th century.

During the same period that Ethiopia entered its democratic phase, early NQF developments
were gaining ground in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, France and also South
Africa. These developments influenced by the English competence-based model as well as the
development of the Scottish outcomes-based approach, with its strong focus on lifelong learning.
As more and more countries followed suit it soon become evident that the level of economic
development in a country or region did not preclude qualifications frameworks development.
More importantly though, albeit with a few exceptions, it was evident that the regional dispersion
of qualifications frameworks were taking place from a more developed country (at least in
comparison to the region wherein it is located) to less developed countries that stand to benefit
economically from greater alignment with their stronger counterparts.

Despite the global spread of qualifications frameworks, several areas have been contested,
resulting in an evolution of the original idea that emerged in the 1980s. A key area that stands
out is the concerns about the diffusion of qualifications frameworks and, to a lesser extent, also
outcomes-based education, into Africa (Chisholm 2007). Under the broader discourse of policy
borrowing (Chakroun2010), qualifications frameworks are seen as exemplars of foreign (mainly
European and Western) policies that are imported into developing countries (mainly in Africa)
without the necessary “indigenization” taking place. As noted earlier, this is a flawed view,
based on the incorrect perception that formal education with its institutions and systems
originated in the West. As noted by Higgs and Keevy (2008:697) ‘it would be easy, but just as
inappropriate, to perceive qualifications frameworks as antithetical to learning in an African
context’. However evidence does not warrant an outright rejection of qualifications frameworks

7
in the African context. What is of more concern is the extent to which policy borrowing may be
taking place in Africa, including in Ethiopia. A qualifications framework as a construct is not
necessarily Western or European.

Even if one accepts the argument that NQFs can be African, there are some risks that must be
mitigated. Firstly, a specific implementation model of a qualifications framework being
developed in a Western, European or even another African country, cannot simply be borrowed.
As will be pointed out later in this paper, great care should be taken to avoid the creation of
“zombie frameworks” as referred to by Adam (2013) which are copied from other countries
without the necessary contextualization. Secondly, an underlying influence on NQFs has been
the attempt to shift the control of vocational education away from providers to employers.
African countries considering qualifications frameworks that do not engage with this important
aspect run the risk of perpetuating a Western epistemological paradigm that will attempt to retain
primacy and dominance in present decolonised Africa (Higgs and Keevy 2008).

African countries, including Ethiopa, also need to explore and understand how the notions of
ubuntu and communalism are framing the discourse of indigenous African knowledge systems
and how this can impact upon the design and implementation of qualifications frameworks in
Africa. Importantly, African countries need to consider how such new thinking on qualifications
frameworks within Africa differs from qualifications frameworks which derive their impetus
from Western and Eurocentric forms of knowledge, specifically when we consider the
importance of a humaneness in the development of people as reflected in the shift of focus from
human resources development, to the development of resourceful human beings (Ibid.).

There is no doubt that qualifications framework development is currently impacting on African

countries. Ethiopia cannot afford to be excluded from the construction and design of knowledge
and education in a manner that is increasingly becoming a global phenomenon. The ENQF can
be truly Africa, but it must go about this development in a reflective manner, with strong
cautions to not only avoid policy borrowing, but also to avoid the unintentional entrenchment of
concepts and influences that may be anti-African. Paradoxically, such global influences may
limit the extent to which a country like Ethiopia is able to be more globally competitive. Ethiopia
must build on its own strengths and proud history as African country that was never colonized,

8
as it considers the development of the ENQF. This process will be elaborated on in the next
section.

Historical overview of the development of the ENQF

The need to have a mechanism that systematically manages the Ethiopian education and training
system in producing qualified learners has been indicated, at least implicitly, in some major
government documents for many years. These include the 1994 Education and Training Policy,
Higher Education Proclamation, Growth and Transformation Plan, and Education Sector
Development Plan IV (Assegidew Tesfaye 2012). However, the drive towards the development
of a comprehensive NQF for Ethiopia was made explicit when the National TVET Qualifications
Framework (NTQF) with a strong assessment regime was drafted by the Ministry of Education
(MoE) in 2006. As a sub-sector qualifications framework for the TVET sub-sector, the NTQF
established its relationship with the proposed ENQF, envisaging the development of the ENQF
only after the establishment of the NTQF (NTQF 2006).

The following year, in 2007, conceptualization of the ENQF kicked off swiftly when the MoE
established a national task force consisting of national education experts (representing the three
educations and training sub-sectors namely General Education, TVET, and Higher Education)
and supported by international experts. The taskforce, after a serious of in-depth consultations
with relevant stakeholders in the education and training sector, produced a draft consultative
document outlining the concept of the ENQF based on an overview of the Ethiopian education
and training system. The taskforce also submitted an implementation plan to the MoE before it
was dissolved in 2008.

Between 2008 and 2010 the development of the ENQF slowed down, partly because of the lack
of a body responsible for spearheading the process in the MoE. The NTQF progressed over the
years, while in higher education three universities collaborated in a project that investigated a
qualifications framework for the higher education sub-sector. In 2010, there was a renewed urge
from the MoE to develop the ENQF following the promulgation of Proclamation 691/20102

2
This is a federal government proclamation to provide for the definition of powers and duties of the executive organs
of the federal democratic republic of Ethiopia.

9
which legally commissioned the MoE to develop the ENQF. In the same year the MoE mandated
the then Higher Education Strategy Center (HESC) to develop the framework. The Center, in
2011, developed a Strategy and Roadmap in collaboration with the South African Qualifications
Authority (SAQA). The Strategy and Roadmap, building on the work undertaken by the
Taskforce in 2008, provided a clear and concise picture of the major ENQF building blocks and
also how it is going to be further conceptualized. Subsequent discussions and iterations both at
the technical and decision making levels led to both consolidation and modification of concepts
characterizing the current ENQF which will be discussed in the next section. One crucial
development has been the re-establishment of HESC as the Education Strategy Center (ESC) in
January 2013. This step marked an essential progress as it legally crystallized the role of the
Center with a broader mandate, including also the development and implementation of the
ENQF.

The ENQF, although it has many things to learn and adopt from other NQFs, has its own
peculiar characteristics that make it Ethiopian. Consultations and research that formed the basis
for development of the ENQF Consultative Document, in 2008, had a major influence in shaping
the ENQF. Generally speaking the philosophical underpinnings guiding the ENQF are:
outcomes-based education, localization, social redress, international context, and reform
orientation. The ENQF is based on the outcomes-based education concept in that programmes
leading to the award of qualifications should introduce curriculum which state the outcomes
expected from learners. The ENQF has a built-in mechanism that evaluates whether learners are
assessed to predetermined learning outcomes and whether education and training institutions
have the proper institutional settings to enable learners to achieve those outcome statements.
There are fertile grounds to implement this concept since all the three education and training sub-
sectors overtly propagate for it. The NTQF is driven by this philosophy and it has been
implementing it from the outset. The higher education sub-sector, through harmonization and
modularization of curricula, has adopted outcomes-based education although one can argue that
this practice is not yet augmented by an outcomes-based assessment to attests to whether learners
have achieve learning outcomes. The general education sub-sector, through the National
Education Assessment and Examinations Agency, has also been standardizing national
examinations which could be evolved to the concept of outcomes-based education.

10
Despite the interdependence between the ENQF and NTQF development processes there remain
some differences. The TVET sector has resisted the inclusion of credits based on total learning
hours as proposed in the ENQF, as this is viewed as an incommensurable with the competence-
based model on which the NTQF is based3. This dilemma can however be overcome and is by-
and-large caused by a difference in interpretation. Considering that the NTQF has been used to
assign salary for government employees and others, based on the levels and their descriptors set
in the NTQF, this difference is a fundamental issue that will require elaboration in the final
ENQF regulations (see the last part of this paper). The relationship between the level descriptors
of the ENQF and the NTQF also require attention as the more than 400 occupational standards
from which curricula are derived, as well as all assessment tools developed on the federal level
also refer to the NTQF level descriptors. Taking note that the NTQF has been in place for a few
years, and that the ENQF is a new development, these difference will require careful negotiations
and also some compromises. Here also, this difference is not so substantial that it should impede
the progress of either of the frameworks.

A strong re-iteration was made by the HESC team which developed the ENQF Strategy and
Roadmap Document in 2012 that the ENQF needs to fit to local realities (HESC 2012). This
concern was also echoed during the several technical, advisory and ministerial discussions that,
although reforming in nature, the ENQF needs to build on existing initiatives. To this end, the
framework was designed in such a way that it could accommodate the NTQF and the curriculum
harmonization and modularization initiatives as well as some sound quality assurance procedures
being deployed in the higher education sub-sector. Implementing capacities of education
providers were investigated through pilot qualification registration processes.

Historically, there is a fair share of the society deprived of their rights in terms of getting access
to quality education and training. Current efforts by the MoE to achieve the enhancement of
access to quality education for all Ethiopians, despite their social, ethnic, religious, gender, and
physical circumstances, will be facilitated through the ENQF as it emphasizes on special needs

3
The TVET position is that the ENQF model is limited in that it proposes credit transfer, based on total notional
learning hours, which does not account to actual assessment against predetermined learning outcomes. From the
ENQF position it is argued that the actual assessment of learners is one of the key requirements for credit transfer.
Considering international practice related to both the qualifications framework and TVET, this difference can be
resolved. The two approaches may use different terminology (which results in the misinterpretation) but the
purposes are very similar.

11
education including gender disparity. The ENQF is bold in this regard as it states, both implicitly
and explicitly, the guiding principles when it comes to achieving key objectives in addressing
special needs (inclusive) education through the proposed ENQF Regulation4 and other directives
and guidelines to be issued by ESC.

Current and future considerations for the ENQF

Raffe (2009) classifies NQF as communicative, reforming, and transformational. He describes

communicative frameworks as effective tools for improving the description of existing
qualifications systems and thereby clarifying available options for stakeholders. He also points
out that reforming frameworks focus on improving the existing system through certain changes
such as by strengthening its coherence, relevance and quality. Part of this reform may imply the
development of new pathways and programmes or to change the division of roles and
responsibilities of stakeholders. Transformational frameworks are considered as radically
breaking away from previously existing institutional arrangements and practices. Although
localization is emphasized, the ENQF is a reforming framework as it takes the existing system as
a starting point, and seeks to address the existing problems in the Ethiopian education system
(HESC 2012). The ENQF is defined in the draft regulation (ESC 2014) as instrument for the
regulation of the development, classification and comparison of Ethiopian qualifications and for
the recognition of learning in terms of agreed upon national standards. It is an eight level
framework with an access level and 12 qualifications types that exist in the education and
training system of Ethiopia. The framework is a linked framework made up of three sub-
frameworks (General Education, TVET, and Higher Education sub-frameworks)5 where the
ENQF serves as an umbrella overarching these sub-frameworks.

4
The draft ENQF Regulation (ESC 2014) is submitted to the MoE which them is expected to be promulgated by the
Council of Ministers before the end of 2014.
5
These are the governing agencies for the three sub-frameworks with substantial autonomy to manage their own sub-
frameworks as long as they conform to the nationally agreed principles.

12
 ENQF Sub-framework for Sub-framework for Sub-framework for ENQF
Levels General Education TVET Higher Education Levels

8 Doctoral Degree 8

7 Master’s Degree 7
Postgraduate Diploma
Professional Graduate Diploma
6 Bachelor’s Degree 6

5 TVET Certificate 5 5

4 TVET Certificate 4 4

3 TVET Certificate 3 3

2 Ethiopian Higher Education TVET Certificate 2 2

Entrance Certificate (EHEEC)
1 Ethiopian General Secondary TVET Certificate 1 1
Education Certificate (EGSEC)
Access Grade 8 Access

Figure 1: Hierarchical design of the ENQF

The ENQF is an abstract concept made explicit through the levels descriptors and other
important building blocks such as qualifications descriptors, ENQF guiding principles on
qualifications registration, quality assurance, award of qualifications, learner assessment, credit
arrangement, qualifications pathways, and part-qualifications6. For the last two decades the
education and training system of Ethiopia has undergone several reforms in line with the
country’s socio-economic development needs with positive achievements.However, challenges
in areas of relevance, quality, access, equity and management and leadership of education and
trainings still remain a concern.

In 2012, the ENQF unit, with the support of a long-term consultant from SAQA, Ms. Alison
Schmidt, led the development of the ENQF. As a platform for communication and collaboration,
Technical Working Groups (TWGs) and an Advisory Group (AG) were established with
members representing the three educational sub-sectors (General Education, TVET and Higher
Education).Four series of workshops were held with the TWGs on every aspect of the ENQF.
Critical issues requiring decision were identified. Consequently, the outputs of the TWG
6
Statement of Attainment is an award issued by an awarding body in recognition of the achievement of a discrete
group of learning outcomes or competencies which do not amount to full qualification

13
workshops were presented to the AG, discussed and refined. The way forward for further
progress was also recommended. Decisions were subsequently made by the relevant Ministers on
specific issues such as religious qualifications, levels and types of ENQF qualifications, general
education qualifications and secondary schooling curricula reform.

The implementation of the ENQF requires a comprehensive management information (MIS)

system that will contain information pertaining to qualifications and related information such as
approved work place assessors, quality assurance status of education and training providers,
recognized foreign qualifications, and a record of Learner Achievements (ESC 2014).To this
end, a contextual analysis has been undertaken through an environmental analysis followed by a
rigorous process of systems requirement specifications development for the ENQF-MIS. This
ENQF-MIS specification is based on international benchmarks and its development will be
completed in the coming months through further designing and development of the actual
system.

The need for focusing on gender equity has been acknowledged as the Ethiopian government
encourages the participation of women. To address this matter within the ENQF, feasible
possibilities and specific measures needed to be identified to promote learner mobility and career
development of women. To this end, professional advice from a gender expert was found helpful
to mainstream gender as an integral dimension of ENQF. Based on this advice, several aspects of
the ENQF were adapted. These included: recognition of prior learning processes to recognise the
non-formal learning of women; the inclusion of Integrated Functional Adult Education in the
ENQF to accommodate the vast majority of women and girls; inclusion of gender disaggregated
data on the ENQF-MIS; as well as female representation in the ENQF Advisory Group.

In order to equip the ENQF staff with necessary knowledge, skill and competence for
developing, piloting and implementing the ENQF several initiatives were undertaken. These
included: international exposure visits in matured NQF environments to South Africa and
Australia; short term in-house training by consultants from SAQA; and participation in a
distance education course on lifelong learning and NQFs offered by the University of Western
Cape.

Around 20 undergraduate programs being offered in four public higher education institutions

14
(Addis Ababa, Gondar, Jimma and Haromaya universities) were piloted against the requirements
for qualification registration. The piloting process was carried out by ENQF unit staff members
with the support of subject specialists from the education institutions. A qualification registration
pilot sheet, ENQF level descriptors, Bloom’s taxonomy and the curricula of the piloted programs
were used as input for the piloting. Based on the criteria the subject specialists evaluated the
curricula of the programs including the level of complexity of the learning outcome statements
(knowledge, skill and competence), assumed to be distributed through level four to level six of
the ENQF levels. The following observations were made after the piloting: the curricula used in
universities were in need of improvement; mostof the piloted curricula either had no learning
outcome statements or were not explicitly stated; the learning outcome statements of the courses
were focused mostly on knowledge and less emphasis was placed on skill and competence;
subject specialists lack curriculum development skills as the majority of them came from non-
education faculties; and the concept of an NQF is new for the majority of the faculty members.
Benefits of the piloting process included: the piloting has served as communication platform
about the ENQF and its development status; it helped to identify the gaps (the curricula and skill
of experts); and it also helped to identify the level of awareness and attitude towards the ENQF.

Concluding comments

Currently, there are more some 140 countries and territories engaged in the development and
implementation of NQF worldwide (ETF 2013). In addition to addressing local issues such as
quality, equity, access, and relevance of education, many frameworks also attempt to enhance the
international credibility of their graduates by creating space for regional and global mobility of
workforce across countries (CEDEFOP 2010). Ethiopia is no exception. The ENQF, which has
been developed since 2007, has the potential to contribute to the development of its people’s
livelihoods. The ENQF can also fulfil an important pioneering role as more countries on the
African continent develop their own NQFs, not to mention the various regional initiatives taking
place across the African continent.

The ENQF, as many of reforming frameworks around the world, aspires to tackle some key
challenges in the education and training system with the following objective:

15
 1) To make Ethiopian qualifications relevant to the socio-economic needs of the country;
2) To ensure equity in, and enhance access to, education for promoting lifelong learning
through formal, non-formal and informal settings.
3) To establish national standards of knowledge, skills and competences the expected of
graduates of all ENQF qualifications;
4) To promote the quality of program development and delivery, and the credibility of
Ethiopian Qualifications both nationally and internationally, through the establishment of
national quality standards for quality assurance processes;
5) To make the comparability of qualifications more transparent by developing progression
pathways between them; and
6) To harmonize the three education and training sub-sectors through the provision of
common standards and systems.

The value of the ENQF lies in its potential to contribute policy goals in Ethiopia (see Tuck
2007). As a reforming NQF, the ENQF takes the existing system as the starting point but seeks
to influence its development to solve the problem of relevance, articulation, coherence, linkages
and credibility of qualifications provided by the education subsectors. Even at this relatively
early point in its development, the ENQF has already resulted in changes to the existing system
in Ethiopia. Examples include:

• Curriculum reform for secondary education where TVET competences are to be

integrated in the curricula to facilitate the employability of secondary school graduates
(grade 10and12 completers) who are not able to continue their further learning.

• The Diploma in Teaching and Integrated Functional Adult Education will be subsumed
into the TVET qualifications.

• Identification of the National Education Assessment and Examination Agency to be the

quality assuring body for the general education sub-sector (at present the quality assurance
of general education is distributed to different directorates under the Ministry of Education
and Regional Education Bureaus).

• Implementing outcomes-based pedagogy which calls for the review of curricula.

16
 • The Post-Graduate Diploma for secondary school teachers is not fulfilling the
competencies described by ENQF level descriptor this qualification type, hence the name
of the award may be changed to a professional Post-Graduate Certificate.

• The quality assurance role of HERQA will expand to oversee the higher education sub-
framework.

The most important implementation starting point for the ENQF remains the commitment made
visible through legislation of the ENQF and which organization will be tasked with the further
development and implementation of the ENQF. The ESC has come a long way since the design
of the strategy and the development of the roadmap for the ENQF. In February 2014 the draft
ENQF regulation was finalised for submission to the Ministry of Education. The ESC remains
poised to deliver on the ENQF mandate and only once the ENQF regulation has been
promulgated can the work begin in earnest. This remains the single biggest challenge for the
ESC and for the EQNF.

It is evident that the ENQF has learnt much from other first and second generation NQFs that
have preceded it. While great care has been taken by Ethiopia to ensure that the ENQF is suited
to both the Ethiopian and African contexts, the risk of policy borrowing will however remain.
ESC, together with HERQA, the TVET Agency and the National Education Assessment and
Examination Agency, will need to work together going forward to make the ENQF a reality. The
soon-to-be-promulgated ENQF regulation (ESC 2014) will represent another important step in
the history of this important African initiative. Capacity will have to be further developed in all
the agencies involved. Good progress has been made since 2007 and the impact of the ENQF is
becoming a reality as the international community is keeping a close watch on progress. Ethiopia
will not disappoint.

17
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