The Authority known as the Botswana Training Authority, established under section three of the repealed Vocational Training Act, is continued under the new name of the Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA). It is a parastatal organisation under the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, established by the Botswana Qualifications Authority Act, No 24 of 2013. The Authority was established with the following principal objectives: • To provide for and maintain the National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCQF) • To coordinate the education, training and skills development quality assurance system. BQA Functions a. Be responsible for all qualifications, from early childhood to tertiary level; b. Design, develop and implement a common quality assurance platform, and regulate compliance therewith; c. Register and validate qualifications and part qualifications, and ensure their relevance to social and economic needs; d. Develop, implement and maintain an overarching national credit and qualifications framework; e. Set teaching and learning standards for education and training providers; f. Develop policy and criteria for work-based teaching, workplace learning and work-based learning programmes, the recognition of prior learning (RPL) and the credit accumulation and transfer system (CATS); g. Ensure international recognition for the national qualifications system and the international comparability of qualifications; h. Develop standards for the recognition of external qualifications; i. Evaluate and register local and external qualifications; j. Maintain a national database of qualifications; k. Maintain a national database of assessors, moderators, education and training providers and learners; l. Register and accredit education and training providers, assessors, awarding bodies and moderators;