Dr. Kingsley Nyarko
The National Accreditation Board (NAB) has launched a type of software — Credential Evaluation Management System (CEMS) — to check fake certificates.
It forms part of NAB’s strategic direction to automate its entire operations and fast-track its credential evaluation processes.
At the launch of the software in Accra, the Executive Secretary of NAB, Dr. Kingsley Nyarko, said the board was mandated to ensure quality standards for tertiary education, as well as establish the ‘equivalences’ of certificates awarded by recognized institutions.
“The credential evaluation unit was established to evaluate educational credentials including certificates, diplomas or degrees, earned locally and from other countries, and establish their equivalences in the Ghanaian qualification system,” he explained.
He said the unit would provide certificate evaluation and related services to assist employers, educational institutions, international organizations, among others, to appreciate the various academic, vocational and professional qualifications.
He said there were delays in the evaluation process due to the manual processing of application, thereby significantly affecting the turnaround time for the processing of applications.
“The evaluation services have been accessible only in Accra and thus foreign and local clients have to be physically present at the NAB Secretariat to apply for evaluation and pay for the application fees,” Dr. Nyarko indicated.
He said currently applicants would just have to create accounts, login and submit applications anywhere in the world.
“The system has a front end for clients and a back end for staff with unique login accounts and runs smoothly with all browsers and has online payment system embedded, including mobile money, visa card and option for direct deposit at the bank,” he added.
Reverend Ama Afo Blay, a member of the board, expressed her delight in the creation of the software which was done in-house with the help of Alhassan Huseine, a consultant.
She said this would help the public and other institutions to easily identify persons using fake certificates in the system.
Present were representatives of some educational institutions, staff of NAB, among others.
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey