Applications for Inclusion in or Alignment with the NFQ

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

The National Qualifications Authority set out arrangements for the implementation of the Policies and Criteria for the Inclusion in, or Alignment with, the National Framework of Qualifications of the Awards of Certain Awarding Bodies in 2006. To view these policies please click here:

Policies and Criteria for Inclusion / Alignment (94 KB)

Policies and criteria for the alignment of the awards made by certain international sectoral certifying bodies in Ireland

Groups A, B, C and D – applications for inclusion in or alignment with the National Framework of Qualification

The policies identify four 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
Group D: Certain international sectoral certifying bodies which issue certification in Ireland

The Authority invites applications from bodies within Groups A, C and D 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 FETAC and HETAC.

From July 2010, alignment activity under Group B was suspended subject to a review of the alignment policy. A new draft policy has recently been developed, Draft Professional Award Alignment Policy and Criteria 2011. It proposes the development of a new professional award-type descriptor at levels 7 – 10 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).

Consultation documents have now been published and are available here. Comments are welcome to alignment@hetac.ie by Wednesday 7 September 2011.

Group C

Group C relates to international awarding bodies operating in Ireland. The application forms for Group C are subdivided:

For a body located in the UK that makes awards in Ireland, with the exception of Ofqual recognised Awarding Organisations

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

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

For Ofqual recognised Awarding Organisations

In March 2011, the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) and the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) put in place a revised agreement for the quality assurance and alignment of the qualifications of Ofqual recognised awarding organisations, awarded to learners in the Republic of Ireland, with the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). The alignment process relating to the revised agreement opened on 28 March 2011. Further details are available here.

For Bodies 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)

Group D

In June 2010, the Authority adopted policies and criteria for the alignment of the awards of certain International Sectoral Certifying Bodies with the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). The policies and criteria are intended to provide the opportunity for international sectoral awards, such as those made in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Sector, to be aligned with the NFQ.

The policies and criteria are being tested on a pilot basis. A number of applications have been received from International Sectoral Certifying Bodies that wish to align their qualifications with the NFQ and these application are being processed. No further applications are being accepted currently.

Application forms and related information are available below

For information, the application for eligibility form for alignment under the Group D pilot project is available below.

Pilot Stage 1 – Application for eligibility (Group D)

Pilot Stage 2 – Application Form (Group D)

Pilot Stage 2 – Application Form Award Information (Group D)

NFQ Level Indicators and Major Award Type Descriptors