SAQA All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Maintain intellectual property processes 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
252448  Maintain intellectual property processes 
ORIGINATOR
SGB Marketing 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-  
FIELD SUBFIELD
Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies Marketing 
ABET BAND UNIT STANDARD TYPE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL CREDITS
Undefined  Regular  Level 5  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5  10 
REGISTRATION STATUS REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 		 2018-07-01  2023-06-30  SAQA 06120/18 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2024-06-30   2027-06-30  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This unit standard does not replace any other unit standard and is not replaced by any other unit standard. 

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD 
The purpose of the learning is to be able to maintain various processes related to the protection and exploitation of intellectual property, to ensure sustainability. Credited learners are able to develop procedures for monitoring intellectual property portfolios that adhere to given policies, and can determine whether intellectual property infringements are taking place. They understand how intellectual property is applied (exploited), and can identify where new registration applications may infringe on existing registrations.

Developing procedures within the parameters of a give policy is a generic competence, and learners achieving this unit standard can also apply their learning in other sectors. By maintaining the processes that protect intellectual property, intellectual property creators are protected from infringements and the application of intellectual property can be consistent over time.

Credited learners are capable of:
  • Developing procedures for intellectual property protection.
  • Reporting intellectual property infringements.
  • Recommending intellectual property policy improvements.
  • Monitoring the status of intellectual property portfolios. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    The credits and level assigned to this unit standard is based on the assumption that learners have already attained the following competencies:
  • Communication and language (NQF Level 4).
  • Computer literacy (NQF Level 3). 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
    Intellectual property procedures relate to registration follow-up processes, expansions, and infringements. At this level, the learner will probably be under the supervision of a legal professional (e.g. lawyer) and is required to be able to provide information and recommendations regarding intellectual property portfolios to clients and/or legal professionals. Other range statements are provided with specific outcomes and assessment criteria where relevant. 

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Develop procedures for intellectual property protection. 
    OUTCOME RANGE 
    Procedures should cover follow-up processes, expansions, and infringements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Procedures include all activities, in sequence and prioritised, necessary for effective intellectual property protection. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Resource allocation is feasible for specific contexts, allocated according to application, purpose and expertise requirements, and all activities are resourced. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Resources include time, people, budget, etc.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Scheduling is feasible/practical for specific contexts and deadlines are adhered to. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Optimum effectiveness and efficiency of procedures are verified with all relevant persons and costing, scheduling, prioritisation and allocation support achievement of stated objectives. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    Procedures add value to and ensure quality of process outputs. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    Legal and ethical requirements, and organisational policies are adhered to. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Report intellectual property infringements. 
    OUTCOME RANGE 
    Infringements include all forms of unlawful use, or unacceptable conduct. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Infringements are identified for all intellectual property within scope of responsibility. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Remedies are identified that are appropriate for specific infringements. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Remedies include, for example, suing for damages, obtaining interdicts, confiscation, etc.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Proposed remedies address specific infringements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Action is recommended to all relevant persons according to organisation procedures. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Recommend intellectual property policy improvements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    The purpose of relevant policies is accurately identified. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Identified policy shortcomings are described based on verifiable evidence. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Recommendations are recorded and disseminated in accessible format and according to agreed procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Recommendations are justified based on specific examples from own experience. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Examples can relate to infringements, expansions, procedural problems, etc.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    Recommendations are presented to all relevant stakeholders, and feedback is integrated as agreed. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    Recommendations are made within specific areas of responsibility to specified persons according to agreed procedures. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4 
    Monitor the status of intellectual property portfolios. 
    OUTCOME RANGE 
    Status refers to application, exploitation and implementation of intellectual property portfolios. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Current status of all intellectual property portfolios within scope of responsibility is determined according to given organisation procedures. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Developments and/or expansions are within intellectual property portfolio protection parameters. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Follow-up processes are implemented on time for all intellectual property portfolios within scope of responsibility. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Follow-up processes include, for example, regular re-licensing, renewals, etc.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    New applications that impact on all intellectual property portfolios within scope of responsibility are recorded and all relevant persons are informed of current movements. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    Records regarding the status of intellectual property are accurate and current. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    Procedures are implemented according to policy requirements. 


    UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS 
  • Assessment of learner achievements takes place at providers accredited by a relevant ETQA (RSA, 1998b) for the provision of programs that result in the outcomes specified for this unit standard.
  • Anyone assessing a learner against this unit standard must be registered as an assessor with a relevant ETQA.
  • Any institution offering learning that will enable achievement of this unit standard must be accredited as a provider with a relevant ETQA.
  • The relevant ETQA according to the moderation guidelines and the agreed ETQA procedures will oversee moderation of assessment and is responsible for moderation of learner achievements of learners who meet the requirements of this unit standard. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE 
    Credited learners understand and can explain:
  • Procedures for intellectual property protection.
  • Resource allocation, scheduling, prioritisation, effectiveness and efficiency.
  • Legal and ethical requirements.
  • Intellectual property infringements and remedies.
  • Developments and/or expansions within intellectual property portfolio protection parameters.
  • Follow-up processes.
  • Intellectual property registration applications. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME 
    N/A 

    UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES 
    N/A 


    Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO): 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING 
    Identify and solve problems where responses to problems show that such critical and creative thinking has been used to make responsible decisions when procedures include all activities, necessary for effective intellectual property protection, procedures add value to and ensure quality of process outputs, proposed infringement remedies address specific infringements, intellectual property developments and/or expansions are within intellectual property portfolio protection parameters, and new applications that impact on all intellectual property portfolios within scope of responsibility are recorded and all relevant persons are informed of current movements. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING 
    Work effectively with others as a member of a team, group, organisation or community when resource allocation is feasible for specific contexts, allocated according to application, purpose and expertise requirements, and all activities are resourced, optimum effectiveness and efficiency of procedures are verified with all relevant persons, action regarding infringements is recommended to all relevant persons according to organisation procedures, feedback regarding policy recommendations is integrated as agreed, and policy recommendations are made to specified persons. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING 
    Organise and manage oneself and one's activities responsibly and effectively when scheduling is feasible/practical for specific contexts, deadlines are adhered to, legal and ethical requirements and organisational policies are adhered to, costing, scheduling, prioritisation and allocation support achievement of stated objectives, policy recommendations are made within specific areas of responsibility according to agreed procedures, follow-up processes are implemented on time for all intellectual property portfolios within scope of responsibility, and procedures are implemented according to policy requirements. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING 
    Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information when infringements are identified for all intellectual property within scope of responsibility, the purpose of relevant policies is accurately identified, identified policy shortcomings are described based on verifiable evidence, and current status of all intellectual property portfolios within scope of responsibility is determined according to given organisation procedures. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING 
    Communicate effectively using visual, mathematic and/or language skills in the modes of oral and/or written presentation to report intellectual property infringements, when policy recommendations are recorded and disseminated in accessible format and according to agreed procedures, recommendations are presented to all relevant stakeholders, and records regarding the status of intellectual property are accurate and current. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO SCIENCE 
    Use science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING 
    Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation when remedies are identified that are appropriate for specific infringements, and policy recommendations are justified based on specific examples from own experience. 

    UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA 
    N/A 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this unit standard was Reregistered in 2012; 2015. 

    UNIT STANDARD NOTES 
    Notes to Assessors:

    Assessors should keep the following principles in mind when designing and conducting assessments against this unit standard:
  • Focus the assessment activities on gathering evidence in terms of the main outcome expressed in the title to ensure assessment is integrated rather than fragmented. Remember we want to declare the person competent in terms of the title. Where assessment at title level is unmanageable, focus assessment around each specific outcome, or groups of specific outcomes.
  • Make sure evidence is gathered across the entire range, wherever it applies. Assessment activities should be as close to the real performance as possible, and where simulations or role-plays are used, there should be supporting evidence to show the learner is able to perform in the real situation.
  • Do not focus the assessment activities on each assessment criterion. Rather make sure the assessment activities focus on outcomes and are sufficient to enable evidence to be gathered around all the assessment criteria.
  • The assessment criteria provide the specifications against which assessment judgements should be made. In most cases, knowledge can be inferred from the quality of the performances, but in other cases, knowledge and understanding will have to be tested through questioning techniques. Where this is required, there will be assessment criteria to specify the standard required.
  • The task of the assessor is to gather sufficient evidence, of the prescribed type and quality, as specified in this unit standard, that the learner can achieve the outcomes again and again and again. This means assessors will have to judge how many repeat performances are required before they believe the performance is reproducible.
  • All assessments should be conducted in line with the following well documented principles of assessment: appropriateness, fairness, manageability, integration into work or learning, validity, direct, authentic, sufficient, systematic, open and consistent. 
    		•

    QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
      ID QUALIFICATION TITLE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL STATUS END DATE PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
    Core  59387   National Certificate: Intellectual Property Administration  Level 5  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2012-06-30  CATHSSETA 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    NONE 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.