|
|
In striving for the above vision, the policy will seek to achieve the following mission:
The values and principles that underlie the above vision and mission include -
[ Top ] 4. Policy Options Four policy options were considered:
The last option was selected because it combines maximum creativity and flexibility at the delivery end, but without undermining the need to build a unified public service with a common culture and value system. 5 Training Principles, Priorities and Guidelines 5.1 A systematic and comprehensive review of existing procedures and regulations pertaining to public service training and education will be carried out, and appropriate changes made, with a view to overcoming constraints and facilitating the successful implementation of the principles, policies and interventions recommended in the GPPSTE. 5.2 Particular attention will be focussed on current systems of access and entitlement to training, prescribed courses, accreditation, and the operation of the personnel administration standard (PAS), as well as the relation of training and education to policies and procedures on job grading, remuneration, promotion, performance appraisal and recruitment and selection. 5.3 Changes in existing procedures and regulations will be accompanied, where necessary, by enabling legislation, in line with the proposed changes envisaged in the Green Paper on Policy Proposals for a New Public Service Statute. 5.4 Based on this review of public service training and education, new and revised national norms and standards will be developed by the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), in accordance with the principles, priorities and guidelines outlined in Chapter 5 of this document, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders at national and provincial levels, and in negotiation, where appropriate, with the employee organisations represented in the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council. 5.5 More specifically, a review of prescribed courses will be undertaken with a view to promoting greater flexibility and relevance by replacing the prescription of courses with the prescription of core competencies for different grade levels. The responsibility for realising such competencies through the design and delivery of appropriate courses will be left to individual departments and provinces, in collaboration with training providers. 5.6 In order to ensure the uniformity and quality of training outcomes, steps will be taken to establish more effective structures, procedures and criteria for accreditation and quality assurance. The DPSA and the proposed Public Service Learning Organisation (PSLO) will take the lead role in this respect, in consultation with key stakeholders. 5.7 Effective forms of liaison will be established with the Departments of Education and Labour to ensure that these structures, procedures and criteria can be effectively integrated into the NQF and SAQA framework, as well as into the framework of Sectoral Learning Organisations (SLOs) and learnerships proposed in the Department of Labour's Green Paper on a Skills Development Act. 5.8 The new system of accreditation will apply to all training providers, whether in-house or external. Courses will no longer be accredited individually. Instead training providers will be assessed for accreditation under one or more broad fields of competence, linked to the NQF. They will then only be allowed to tender for public service training and education in the specific fields or areas in which they have received accreditation. [ Top ] 5.9 Departmental and provincial training plans will be based on a detailed assessment, analysis and prioritisation of individual and organisational needs. The analysis of organisational needs will relate in particular to such issues as the improvement in service delivery and service ethos, the creation of rationalised and cost-effective structures, institution building and management, representivity and affirmative action, and the promotion of greater internal and external accountability. 5.10 The assessment of individual needs (personal, performance-related and career-related), will be facilitated by the introduction within departments and provincial administrations of a system of personal development plans for all employees. These will be designed to identify the needs of staff, and appropriate forms of staff development, training and education through which they can be met. 5.11 Personal development planning will need to be positively related to the introduction and operation of new and improved forms of performance appraisal, promotion and career progression opportunities more generally. 5.12 Departments and provincial administrations who develop effective forms of needs assessment and strategic planning will be eligible for the award of the Capacity Development Standard (CDS), signifying excellence in the field of training and education. Awards will be presented annually by the Minister for the Public Service and Administration. 5.13 Tendering systems will be reviewed and improved in ways which support the new approach to training and education outlined in this document. 6 Coordinated Institutional Arrangements 6.1 An efficient, cost-effective, consultative and well coordinated institutional framework for public service training and education will be established, centred around the following key processes:
6.2 The DPSA will facilitate the establishment of the following organisations and ensure that they become operational as soon as possible:
6.3 Constructive forms of liaison and cooperation will be fostered between the DPSA and the Departments of Labour and Education, to ensure that policies for public service training and education are effectively integrated into the new HRD strategy (proposed in the Department of Labour's recent Green Paper) and the NQF. 6.4 Clear roles and responsibilities will be allocated to the principal bodies and role-players at national and provincial levels who will play a key part in driving these processes, in particular the DPSA, the PSC, Heads of Departments and Provincial Administrations, Employee Organisations, Departmental and Provincial Training Committees, and the PSLO once it is established. Key Institutional Processes and Role-Players
[ Top ] 6.5 Measures will be taken to strengthen the capacities of these bodies, to ensure the effective coordination of their work, and to clarify and, if necessary, restructure their respective roles and relationships. 6.6 National departments and provincial administrations will be required to produce strategic plans for training and education. These will include priorities, objectives and targets; action plans for their implementation; the identification of the necessary financial and other resources to support such plans; and the mechanisms that will be used for internal monitoring and evaluation. Strategic plans for training and education will be linked to broader institutional plans for service delivery, human resource development and organisational development, as well as to the budget planning process. 6.7 A representative National Advisory Panel for Public Service Training and Education will be established, to build consensus around a common vision and mission for public service training and education, and to play a key advisory role in relation to the above processes, with particular respect to strategic policy formulation, quality assurance, and the organisation and coordination of training provision. 6.8 The role and functions of SAMDI will be reviewed, with a view to:
6.9 With regard to provision, the Government will encourage the development of a multiplicity of education and training providers operating as equals in a market environment. These will include internal (e.g. SAMDI) and external providers such as universities, technikons, NGOs and private training organisations. 6.10 Making use of a more varied and competitive range of training and education providers has the potential benefit of improved flexibility, quality and cost-effectiveness. The attendant risk of uneven standards will be alleviated by the introduction of improved forms of accreditation and quality assurance, within the proposed SAQA framework and managed by the PSLO once fully operational. The establishment of an Association of Accredited Training and Education Providers should also help in this respect. 6.11 In order to improve communication and information about training provision, a computerised national data-base will be established, containing details of accredited providers and their courses. 7 Monitoring and Evaluation 7.1 Improved mechanisms for the monitoring and evaluation of training and education will be introduced, both at the national level and at departmental and provincial levels, where departmental and provincial training committees will have a particularly important role to play. Specific criteria and performance indicators will be drawn up to form the basis for effective monitoring and evaluation. 7.2 At the national level, a monitoring unit will be established within the Training Policy component of the DPSA to monitor and evaluate the overall effectiveness of the implementation of the new training and education policy. This unit will liaise closely with the PSC. The unions and the PSLO, once established, will also have important roles to play in the monitoring and evaluation processes. 8 The Development of Institutional Support Programmes 8.1 A number of institutional support programmes will be established to assist in the operationalisation of the new policy framework for training and education set out in this document. Donor funding will be sought to support such initiatives. The institutional support programmes will include:
[ Top ] 9 Financial Provisions 9.1 The DPSA will liaise with the Departments of Finance and State Expenditure, and with donors, to ensure an adequate, sustainable and equitably distributed funding source for public service training and education. 9.2 At the departmental and provincial levels, a formula will be developed and introduced which will make it compulsory for budgets to contain a line item on training and education. In particular the formula will require Heads of Departments to ensure that an appropriate budgetary allocation is made for training and education in proportion to the number and type of staff employed. 9.3 The formula will be based on agreed norms and standards in relation to -
9.4 A more sophisticated formula will be developed as more reliable data becomes available. This will be based, amongst other things, on the number and type of staff in each department and the training needs that have been identified and prioritised. 9.5 Funds for PSTE could be allocated from a National Training Fund, as suggested in the Department of Labour's Green Paper on a Skills Development Act, although further consideration will clearly have to be given to the financial implications of this suggestion for Government as an employer. 9.6 The proposed new national institutional arrangements for PSTE (such as the PSLO and NAP) will be financed out of the budget of the DPSA in the short-term. If it is decided to convert a section of the training policy component of the DPSA to lay the groundwork for the PSLO, additional donor funds will also be sought to enhance capacity for this unit for the funding of additional short-term personnel and programmes. 9.7 The DPSA will also liaise with the Department of Education, with a view to securing changes in the current subsidy formula that will provide tertiary institutions involved in the training and education of public servants, and prospective public servants, with greater incentives than at present to develop and expand their activities in the fields of public and development management. This would serve to promote the greater involvement of tertiary institutions (and especially HDIs) in public service training and education, in line with the recommendations in this document and the White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service. 9.8 A review will be carried out of the current schemes for financial assistance to employees (and prospective employees) for purposes of training and education. One of the main aims of this review will be to identify ways of ensuring greater equity in the access to training and education opportunities, particularly for lower level employees, many of whom until recently, were disadvantaged by regulations which did not provide for financial assistance to employees seeking training and education at the pre-tertiary education level. [ Top ] PART 1: CONTEXT AND VISION
1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 The government has committed itself to transforming the public service through its White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service (WPTPS, 1995). This transformation is inspired by the vision of a people-centred and people-driven public administration characterised by the principles of equity, quality, high ethical standards and professionalism. A critical element in transforming the public service is through training and education for public servants. 1.1.2 The introduction and extension of adequate and appropriate training and education programmes for public servants is seen as an essential condition for the successful implementation of the WPTPS. It is internationally accepted that the performance of public servants can be substantially improved via training and education programmes. 1.1.3 Currently, training and education for public servants is governed by provisions in the 1994 Public Service Act (as amended), Chapter L of the Public Service Staff Regulations and Chapter C of the Public Service Staff Code. These provisions need to be comprehensively reviewed if the demands of transformation are to be met. The main aim of this Green Paper on Public Service Training and Education (GPPSTE) is to provide a new national strategic policy framework on training and education for public servants which contributes positively to the goals of public service transformation. It also aims to bring public service training and education in line with international best practices, current global trends in human resource development, and the national strategic policy context. 1.1.4 This Green paper is divided into two main parts. Part 1 provides an overview of the policy context and the current challenges and constraints facing public service training and education (PSTE). It also provides a new vision and mission for PSTE. Part 2 sets out a framework through which the main policy proposals in the document can be effectively implemented. The main body of the document is accompanied by an Executive Summary which sets out the purpose of the Green Paper, together with the key recommendations. 1.2 National Strategic Policy Context Before the advent of democracy in April 1994, public service training and education was limited to meeting a narrowly defined band of needs, with a particular emphasis on management which was predominantly white and male in composition. The new policy proposed in this Green Paper advocates a radical departure from that approach and is guided by a combination of policies, which include:
1.2.2 The new policy context that emanates from these policies points to the need for a major investment in skills development and capacity building to improve the performance, productivity, quality and cost-effectiveness of the public service. In particular it points to the need to bring public service training and education policies in line with the international trend towards competency based training and education, the emerging South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), a consideration for equity in the provision of training and education, and new approaches towards Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET). [ Top ] 1.3 Scope 1.3.1 The policy proposals outlined in this Green Paper focus on those public servants employed under the Public Service Act (1994). However, in line with policy proposals in the recent Green Paper on a new Public Service Statute, the principles and overall approach in this document will be deemed to be applicable to other sectors of the public sector where training and education fall under sectoral regulatory frameworks, i.e. police, defence, education, health, parastatals and local government. 1.3.2 According to the 1995 Annual Report of the Public Service Commission, there were 1 270 112 people employed in the public service as at 30 September 1995. This comprises 412 405 (32.5%) public servants employed by national government departments and bodies, and 857 707 (67.5%) employed by provincial governments. Major sectors such as health, education, police and defence have their own sector-based training and education policies, regulatory frameworks and delivery institutions. 1.3.3 The transversal training and education of the approximately 20 per cent of personnel not covered by sector-based arrangements forms the core focus of the Green Paper on Public Service Training and Education (GPPSTE). However, the GPPSTE seeks to put in place a national framework that will have implications for the structure, management and delivery modes of training and education for all public servants, including those covered by sector-based arrangements. 1.3.4 Whilst this document concentrates on the training needs and requirements of serving officials, it also recognises the importance of improving the current systems of pre-service training and education. This will be vital in ensuring that the service is able to attract and recruit high quality personnel, particularly from those sectors of society that have been historically disadvantaged. 1.4 Focus 1.4.1 This Green Paper addresses itself to the following two issues. 1.4.2 In the first place, it addresses the qualitative and quantitative dimensions of the training and education programmes that are designed and delivered by institutions located within and outside the public service. These programmes should build the knowledge, skills and attitudes required by both serving and prospective public servants if they are to become efficient and effective members of the type of public service envisaged in the WPTPS. This combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes is what is referred to in more general terms as the capacity that public servants are expected to develop both prior to joining the service, and subsequently. The GPPSTE is concerned with the training and education services that both prospective and serving public servants can access. 1.4.3 In the second place, the GPPSTE addresses the training and education needs of three broadly defined categories of personnel1, namely:
These categories overlap in reality. They are therefore indicative categories for the purposes of this paper. [ Top ] 1.5 Training versus Education 1.5.1 This Green Paper rejects the rigid distinction between education and training that has been inherited from the past, which equated education with knowledge acquisition and training with operational skills development - a division that was in the past associated with the split between tertiary education and skills training by training institutions. It is now national policy that tertiary institutions must also take responsibility for skills training within a competency framework particularly in relation to PVET. In line with international trends, as expressed most clearly in the Green Paper on a Skills Development Act, training and education are equally weighted components of the entire learning process. 1.5.2 In line with these trends and developments, the GPPSTE will therefore be based on the assumption that training and education are equally weighted components of a holistic capacity building process that should become the foundation for all programmes that cater for the training and education needs of the public service, no matter who is responsible for delivering them. 1.6 Challenges and Opportunities for PSTE 1.6.1 Challenges 1.6.1.1 In developing a coherent, relevant and needs-based system of PSTE, capable of playing an integral and strategic part in the process of building a new public service for a new and democratic society in South Africa, a number of important challenges and constraints will need to be faced and overcome. Chapter 2 provides greater detail on such constraints. 1.6.1.2 At the general level, key challenges that will need to be addressed by the policy framework for PSTE proposed in the document include:
1.6.2 Opportunities 1.6.2.1 It is equally important to recognise that there are positive opportunities, as well as challenges, that can be exploited in transforming the current system of PSTE. What is needed is a pro-active and visionary approach which recognises and addresses problems, but which also exploits opportunities and builds upon current strengths. 1.6.2.2 Amongst the strengths and achievements that can be built upon are the improvements in PSTE that have taken place in recent years. Examples include the restructuring and re-organisation of the South African Management Development Institute (SAMDI), and the introduction of an improved set of principles and procedures for guiding PSTE in the form of the amended Chapter L (on Training) of the Public Service Regulations. 1.6.2.3 Significant opportunities for PSTE are also presented through the emerging National Qualifications Framework (NQF), and through the new HRD strategy outlined in the Department of Labour's Green Paper on a proposed Skills Development Act. 1.6.2.4 The HRD strategy provides the most significant framework for guiding the development of a policy framework for public sector training and education. In particular, the strategy allows for a multiplicity of providers who are required to operate within a uniform qualifications framework. This allows for the standardisation of outputs without undermining flexibility when it comes to choice of training and education providers. Furthermore, it allows for the establishment of Sectoral Learning Organisations (SLOs) that will develop qualification specifications that are directly relevant to the sector, but consistent with the NQF in general. [ Top ] 1.7 Main Stakeholders The main stakeholders who are deemed to have a stake in this Green Paper and who will play a role in its formulation, adoption and eventual monitoring and evaluation during implementation are as follows:
2.1 Dimensions of the Problem 2.1.1 In developing this policy document, primary and secondary research was undertaken to identify the dimensions of the current problems and the implications for the process of public sector transformation. 2.1.2 Despite recent improvements that have been introduced in the system of PSTE, the research revealed a wide range of current problems related to the quantity and quality of training and education provided to public servants. 2.1.3 This chapter summarises the magnitude of the current problems by drawing on relevant literature and legislation, discussions and interviews with various stakeholders and intensive investigations by officials from the DPSA. Further details, especially of a quantitative and statistical nature, are provided in Appendix A. 2.1.4 While care has been taken in assessing the problem and highlighting the main problem areas, considerable difficulty was encountered in securing accurate statistics that adequately illustrates the nature, scope and depth of the problem. This in itself reflects the extent of the problems related to public service training and education, especially with regard to the monitoring and evaluation of training programmes and outcomes. 2.1.5 The main focus in this chapter is on problems relating to transversal training, although the issues raised will undoubtedly have relevance for sector-specific training and education. Although research evidence suggests that significant progress has been made with respect to sector-specific training, particularly in the area of professional development (especially in the education, health, police and defence sectors), the general trend is that such sectors have not yet adopted new competency-based approaches to adult learning. [ Top ] 2.2 Key Problem Areas The main problems and concerns raised during the process of research and discussions with stakeholders will be considered under the following broad headings:
2.2.1 Low Priority and Uneven Nature of Provision Historically, PSTE has been accorded relatively low priority, particularly in the area of transversal training and especially at the lower levels. This has manifested itself in a number of related ways:
2.2.2 Financial and Human Resource Problems 2.2.2.1 National and provincial departments have failed in general to make adequate financial and human resource provision for training components within their organisational structures. External donor funds, where these have been available, have often been fragmented and poorly managed (See Note 3 of Appendix A). As a result, many training units are seriously understaffed and under-resourced, and have very limited capacity to handle and service training needs of their departments. 2.2.2.2 Annual expenditure on training as a percentage of the annual salary bill reveals the very small amounts devoted to training and education by most national departments and provincial administrations. In the majority of cases, the actual expenditure on training and education represents less than 1% of annual salary expenditure (See Figure 1 in Note 4 of Appendix A). 2.2.2.3 Training expenditure per employee, as well as the frequently insignificant sums, spent on training and education by different national departments and provincial administrations demonstrate tremendous unevenness (See Figure 2 in Note 5 of Appendix A). 2.2.2.4 Despite the low level of funds committed to PSTE, many departments and provincial administrations still fail to effectively utilise their entire training budgets (See Figure 3 in Note 6 of Appendix A). While a range of factors (lack of suitable courses, the pressure of rationalisation, transition, etc.) might help to account for this, many stakeholders are of the view that unspent funds are a reflection of the reluctance by senior management to provide decisive and visionary leadership with respect to training and education. [ Top ] 2.2.3 Lack of Coordination and Communication 2.2.3.1 The existing institutional regime for training and education is devoid of a commonly binding strategic focus and well coordinated institutional arrangements, resulting in confusion, duplication, and overlapping of functions, responsibilities and powers (See Figure 4 in Note 7 of Appendix A). 2.2.3.2 Poor communication, conflicting information and a lack of coordination of training and education between and among different levels of training structures and providers, complicate training delivery (See Note 8 of Appendix A). 2.2.3.3 The absence of a central and provincial database for human resource development and training related matters inhibits information sharing and interchange. Many stakeholders consulted in the preparation of this documented expressed concern that information about training opportunities is often poorly communicated to staff. 2.2.3.4 Establishing a harmonious and integrated relationship between human resource development, strategic planning, organisational realignment and budgeting is extremely difficult under the existing institutional training regime. 2.2.4 Problems with the Number and Quality of Trainers 2.2.4.1 The low and inadequate ratio of training officers to staff complements (1:3 818 for the service as a whole, rather than the PSC's approved ratio of 1:2 000), places training staff and infrastructure under considerable pressure with attendant consequences on quality and impact (See Table 1 and Table 2 in Note 9 of Appendix A). 2.2.4.2 The relatively low number of professional training staff is compounded by the absence of continuous and effective programmes of training and development for public service trainers. Present policy does not allow for the professional development of trainers and training units, thereby limiting the potential contribution of training and education to the broad transformation goals of reconstruction and development. This has cast doubt on the competence and ability of trainers to meaningfully contribute to changing the ethos and culture of the public service (See Figure 5 in Note 10 of Appendix A). As a result, the training of trainers was identified in all provinces as a key priority area (See Note 11 of Appendix A). 2.2.4.3 The current racial and gender profile of public service trainers (predominantly white and male) also has a potential to compromise the ability of training providers and institutions to play a pro-active role in changing the ethos and culture of the bureaucracy (See Note 12 of Appendix A). 2.2.5 Concerns about SAMDI 2.2.5.1 The role, image and status of the South African Management Development Institute (SAMDI) in the administration, design and delivery of courses/programmes are widely perceived in a far from positive light. The reason for this is part historical, (i.e. SAMDI's origin in the old regime), and partly shaped by the perception that SAMDI's previous role of monopoly training provider and course developer, served to socialise a culture and ethos that stifled initiative and creativity. 2.2.5.2 Many constituencies express reservations over SAMDI's ability and capacity to deliver training courses and programmes that are needs-driven, relevant, and congruent with the aims of `training for transformation'; i.e. training in areas such as affirmative action and gender awareness (See Note 13 of Appendix A). 2.2.5.3 Concern was also expressed on the lack of clarity with respect to the role, responsibilities and functions of SAMDI in relation to provincial training bodies and external training providers. Such confusion is exacerbated by the nature of South Africa's transition and the consequent absence of firm policy guidelines in this regard. This seriously hampers the provision and delivery of training, resulting in no training taking place at all in some instances, and unnecessary duplication in others. Where training does take place, it tends to be executed on an ad hoc or crisis intervention basis without clear strategic goals. [ Top ] 2.2.6 Barriers to Access and Entitlement 2.2.6.1 The lack of effective educational opportunities for a large portion of staff, especially front-line workers, is compounded by a number of existing discriminatory barriers. Under current procedures, for example, bursaries for formal studies are not available for courses at the pretertiary education level, thereby restricting access to effective educational opportunities at lower levels (See Note 14 of Appendix A). 2.2.6.2 Similarly, current regulations pertaining to the recruitment and appointment of people with disabilities, serve to confine many disabled workers to the status of temporary rather than permanent employees, effectively precluding such employees from participating in the full range of training and education opportunities (See Note 15 Appendix A). The temporary status of disabled employees and the limited range of training and education opportunities available, restrict disabled employees to particular occupational classes, with very little prospect for upward mobility. Such prospects are further constrained by the fact that special provision is not made for them in the various courses and programmes that they are able to access (See Note 16 of Appendix A). 2.2.7 Inflexible and Discriminatory Rules and Regulations 2.2.7.1 In many instances (including those cited in Section 2.2.6 above), regulations and procedures governing training in particular and personnel issues more generally, reinforce historical patterns of discrimination, domination, manipulation and control. By so doing, they help to augment a regimented and mechanistic bureaucracy that stifles innovation, creativity and individual initiative, thus constituting a significant obstacle in the way of implementing new policy proposals (See Note 17 of Appendix A). 2.2.7.2 Key examples of inflexible and discriminatory rules and regulations include the current systems of:
2.2.8 Prescriptive, Supply-driven and Outdated PSTE 2.2.8.1 Concern was expressed by many stakeholders that many current training courses and programmes continue to be prescriptive and supply-driven. What is really needed is a flexible, needs-based, outcomes-based and competency-based approach to PSTE. 2.2.8.2 Consultation with stakeholders revealed a number of problems with the current system of prescribed training courses. These generally refer to the fact that training policy is overly prescriptive and lacks flexibility in relation to the changing work environment, organisational development and strategic planning. Problems identified, include:
2.2.8.3 Concern was raised with the fact that the content of many training courses lacks relevance to the needs of the new public service (See Note 24 Appendix A), and that teaching and learning methodologies are often outdated and not in line with new experiential and interactive approaches to adult learning. [ Top ] 2.2.9 Problems with Accreditation and Quality Assurance 2.2.9.1 The current system of accreditation of training providers and their products is too ad hoc to permit the development of effective uniform standards across the public service as a whole. The absence of commonly accepted norms for evaluating training courses and programmes impact negatively on the timely and effective delivery of training. 2.2.9.2 Lack of clarity regarding accreditation has frustrated provincial governments' planning with respect to staffing, human resource development and organisational capacity building, tailored to service delivery needs and broader RDP goals. Provincial government officials are unclear about who is responsible for setting the norms and standards for training. 2.2.9.3 The ad hoc nature of the current accreditation system has contributed to the rapid increase of training courses and programmes, offered by private external providers. The quality and effectiveness of many of such courses and programmes are generally not controlled through accreditation requirements and there are no follow up impact studies. Concerns have therefore been expressed about the quality, standards and relevance of such programmes (See Note 25 of Appendix A). 2.2.10 Lack of Effective Systems for Strategic Planning and Review 2.2.10.1 Many of the above problems point to a central weakness in the current system of PSTE - the absence of effective systems of strategic planning and review, both at the departmental and provincial levels, and in terms of the strategic direction and coordination of the PSTE system as a whole. 2.2.10.2 Until recently, few departments employed a strategic approach to the planning of their training and education provision, based on a systematic analysis of individual and organisational needs. Few attempted to link plans for training and education to broader plans of institutional development and service delivery, or to the budget planning cycle. Although a number of national departments and provincial administrations are now moving in this direction, a considerable scope for improvement still exists. 2.2.10.3 An indispensable part of the move towards more effective forms of on-going planning and review of PSTE will be a significant improvement in current systems of monitoring and evaluation, many of which are ad hoc and rudimentary. The introduction of improved mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation will need to be accompanied by improved forms of data collection and retrieval. 2.3 Core Policy Problems 2.3.1 Unleashing the transformation potential of training and education in accord with the principles contained in the Constitution, the developmental objectives of current government policy and the strategic priorities of the different provinces and departments will necessitate a decisive and radical overhaul of the training and education regime inherited from the past. 2.3.2 The core problem that this Green Paper seeks to address comprises three related elements:
[ Top ] CHAPTER 3: 3.1.1 Public service training and development will be founded on the following vision:
3.1.2 This vision is based on the belief that any organisation is only as strong as the people who work for it, and in particular on the conviction that training should and must play an integral and strategic part in the processes of building a new public service for a new and democratic society in South Africa. 3.1.3 Whilst acknowledging the danger of seeing training as the solution to all organisational problems, the Government nevertheless recognises the significant contribution that training can make, as part of a broader strategy for human resources development, to the efficiency, effectiveness, accountability, responsiveness and representivity of the public service. In particular, training and education, if properly conceived and structured, can:
3.1.4 The above vision is based on the underlying values and principles expressed in the Constitution, the RDP, the WPTPS, the Department of Labour's HRD Strategy, and other policy statements. In summary, the relevant principles include the promotion of -
3.2 Mission 3.2.1 In pursuit of the above vision, the Government sees its mission as:
[ Top ] 3.2.2 Through the creation of such a national policy framework for training, the Government will seek in particular -
3.3 Goals 3.3.1 In putting the above vision and mission into practice, the central goals will be:
3.4 Policy Indicators 3.4.1 The realisation of the above vision, mission and goals will be evaluated in terms of the following indicators on an annual basis: Vision Output: Whether the capacity of public servants has
improved in accordance with an agreed measurement. Mission Output: Whether an efficiently and effectively
coordinated framework for ensuring the provision of appropriate and adequate public
service training has been established and sustained. [ Top ] CHAPTER 4: 4.1 Scenarios 4.1.1 Four broad scenarios have been drawn from the international context and have been used here to identify an appropriate institutional framework for public service training and education:
Option 1: Centralised Model Option 2: Decentralised State-Provision Model Option 3: Decentralised Non-State Model Option 4: Coordinated Flexible Competency-Based Model Such an approach would be based on the understanding that actual provision would be provided by inhouse and external providers on a competitive basis. 4.2 Analysis of Alternatives 4.2.1 Whilst affording the opportunity for central strategic direction and coordination, the first option would undoubtedly encounter the problems associated with the prescriptive rigidities of the past (see Chapter 2). Moreover, it would be in sharp contrast to the declared intention of the Government, expressed for example in the RDP White Paper and the WPTPS, to encourage flexibility and creativity in meeting local needs through the devolution and decentralisation of managerial responsibility. The first model is also potentially very costly and is often unable either to meet specific needs or to do this in a flexible manner. 4.2.2 The second and third options would offer the benefits of decentralisation and maximum flexibility, but at the serious risk of the emergence of an uncoordinated and inefficient provision of public service training and education characterised by an uneven adherence to national norms and standards, and a potentially wasteful duplication of programmes and activities. 4.2.3 For these reasons, the Government will base its institutional arrangements for the new public service training and education policy on the fourth option above. This should ensure a balanced mix between-
[ Top ] PART 2: IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK CHAPTER 5: 5.1 Goal Statement The purpose of this Chapter is to establish a clear and effective basis for the development of national norms and standards to inform and guide public service training policy, particularly in relation to such issues as training priorities, certification and accreditation, access and entitlement, and the relationship of training to policies on job grading, remuneration, probation, promotion, performance appraisal, and recruitment and selection in the public service. 5.2 Objectives The key objectives of the Chapter are:
5.3 Norms and Standards 5.3.1 The principles, priorities, guidelines and recommendations set out below will help to provide the basis for the development of new and revised national norms and standards for public service training and education. 5.3.2 The principle responsibility for drawing up such norms and standards, and embodying them in revised regulations for the public service, will rest with the Department of Public Service and Administration, following a process of consultation with all relevant stakeholders at the national and provincial levels and, where appropriate, following negotiation with employee organisations in the Coordinating Bargaining Council. 5.3.3 In developing such norms and standards, the Department will be mindful of the need to avoid the over-centralised and prescriptive rigidities of the past, and to give effect to the decentralised forms of managerial responsibility and accountability called for in the White Paper on Transformation of the Public Service. 5.4 Scope 5.4.1 The principles, priorities and guidelines outlined below will apply specifically and directly to transversal training and education in those parts of the public sector, both national and provincial, which are regulated by the Public Service Act of 1994 (Proclamation 103/94). 5.4.2 However, it is the Government's intention that they should also guide and inform, where appropriate, the provision of sector-specific training and education in those parts of the service covered by the Act, as well as the provision of training and education more generally in those parts of the public sector which fall outside it. [ Top ] 5.5 Learning Principles 5.5.1 The formulation, implementation and evaluation of programmes of public service training and education will be carried out in accordance with the following broad principles:
[ Top ] 5.5.2 The above principles are taken to be applicable to education as well as training activities. 5.6 Priorities 5.6.1 In line with the trend towards greater flexibility and decentralisation in the public service, the setting of priorities for training and education will be the responsibility in the main of individual departments and provincial administrations. This is to ensure that programmes of training and education are tailored effectively to meet local needs and circumstances. 5.6.2 Departmental and provincial training priorities will need to be set, however, in accordance with the principles outlined above. They will also need to conform to the broad national training priorities laid down for the short to medium term in the WPTPS, as follows:
5.7 Operational Guidelines 5.7.1 Introduction 5.7.1.1 In order to realise the above principles and priorities at the operational level, policies and programmes of public service training and education will need in particular to be implemented in ways which are -
[ Top ] 5.7.2 Needs Assessment 5.7.2.1 If programmes on training and education are to succeed in building the motivation, capacity and performance of the workforce, it is increasingly recognised, both at home and abroad, that they must be based in the first place on an objective and systematic assessment of the expressed rather than perceived needs of individual staff. 5.7.2.2 Such needs may be personal, performance-related or career-related, and will include, amongst other things -
5.7.2.3 Whilst departments and provinces will devote a large proportion of their staff development resources to assisting staff in identifying and meeting their individual needs, the process will clearly need to be situated within the broader context of the institutional needs and priorities that have to be met, particularly in relation to -
5.7.3 Personal Development Plans 5.7.3.1 In order to ensure a needs-based approach to the training and education, personal development plans will be drawn up for all members of staff. These will be designed to identify the needs of staff and measures to achieve them, within the context of the individual's overall career progression, as well as within the context of the organisational objectives and priorities of the department or province concerned. 5.7.3.2 The introduction of a personal development plan system in all departments and provincial administrations will help to ensure that the principle of access and entitlement of all staff to meaningful training and education opportunities becomes a practical reality. 5.7.3.3 Personal development plans will seek to identify in particular -
[ Top ] 5.7.3.4 Personal development plans will be drawn up in a negotiated way between the line manager/supervisor and the individual staff member. They will be regularly reviewed, and will be formally appraised and updated on an annual basis. 5.7.3.5 To carry out their work effectively supervisors will require training and on-going advice and support, in particular from the organisation's human resources specialists, who will also be responsible, together with departmental and provincial training committees, for monitoring and evaluating the general operation and effectiveness of the personal development plan system. 5.7.4 Adding Value through Positive Learning Outcomes 5.7.4.1 A major shift in the process through which public service training and education programmes are designed and delivered is clearly required. In the past such programmes were essentially supply-driven and input-based. They reflected the views of the various training providers (internal or external) about what should be learned and the ways in which it should be learned. Public servants either volunteered or were required to sign-up for what were essentially pre-determined programmes. 5.7.4.2 In the future, training providers will now be required to move towards a demand-driven and outcomes-based approach to their work. Such an approach will be designed to promote access to competence and accreditation by recognising that there are many different routes to obtaining knowledge and skills, and that the choice of best route for an individual will depend on a variety of circumstances, including the experience and learning that have occurred to date. 5.7.4.3 A key assumption of this approach is that learning will be more effective when individuals are enabled to use learning styles and contexts that most closely match their needs. 5.7.4.4 The move towards an outcomes-based approach to public service training and education will place the service firmly in line with current developments within the NQF. 5.7.5 A Competency-Based Approach to Training and Education 5.7.5.1 Learning outcomes will often be expressed in fairly broad and general terms (for example, greater effectiveness in one's work, or enhanced opportunities and prospects for career progression). In order to apply such outcomes in terms of specific programmes of staff development, training and education, it will be important to express them in terms of measurable competencies. 5.7.5.2 A competency-based approach to training and education will therefore be an integral part of the move towards a broader needs-based and outcomes-based approach to public service training and education. 5.7.5.3 Competence can be defined as the application of skills, knowledge and attitudes to tasks or combination of tasks to standards under operational conditions. As such competence does not refer to the unique characteristics of an individual worker, but rather serves as a measure against which individuals may be judged for the purposes of formal or informal evaluation and accreditation. 5.7.5.4 All public service institutions will be required toconduct job evaluations or re-evaluations of all posts, with the purpose of ensuring that they are expressed in terms of the essential competencies required for effective job performance in the context of the new vision and mission laid down for the public service in the WPTPS. This will involve both sector-specific competencies and core transversal competencies. [ Top ] 5.7.5.5 In the case of core transversal competencies, the definition of competence will encompass a broad range of skills, knowledge and attitudes, including -
5.7.5.6 The introduction of a competency-based approach will assist the development of an outcomes-led model of training and education in a number of important ways. These will include forming an effective and measurable basis -
5.7.5.7 The introduction of a competency-based approach will also form the basis for improvements in the current systems of performance appraisal, recruitment and selection, and promotion. Evidence from the stakeholders consulted in the drawing up of this document, demonstrated concern, for example, that the current systems of recruitment and promotion placed too much emphasis on the possession of formal qualifications and experience (which may not always be a reliable indicator of actual competency), and too little on prior learning and experience obtained through less formal means. There is no doubt that this acts to the detriment of historically disadvantaged groups, whether applying for jobs or for promotion. 5.7.6 Strategic Planning at Departmental and Provincial Levels 5.7.6.1 Historically human resources issues in the South African public service have been regarded as administrative or technical matters rather than the strategic management concerns that can, if properly managed, make a major contribution to the achievement of socio-economic goals. 5.7.6.2 This situation will clearly have to change if training and education are to make the kind of dynamic contribution to enhancing the individual and organisational capacity of public service institutions envisaged in this Green Paper. 5.7.6.3 At the level of individual departments and provincial administrations, a number of related elements will be involved in this process:
5.7.7 Capacity Development Standard 5.7.7.1 To encourage departments and provincial administrations to move increasingly towards this kind of strategic approach to training and education, it is proposed that a Capacity Development Standard (CDS) will be introduced, and that annual awards will be made to those institutions who meet its requirements. 5.7.7.2 The CDS will be defined in a document that will be distributed to all heads of departments and provincial administrations. This will contain a detailed set of criteria dealing with the following generic issues:
5.7.7.3 Responsibility for drawing up the detailed criteria for the CDS will lie with the DPSA, in consultation with other key stakeholders. Once all relevant bodies have approved the CDS, an annual review of all departments will be undertaken with a view to identifying those who qualify for the award. An appropriate decision-making process will be developed in cooperation with the PSC by the DPSA to apply this approach. 5.7.7.4 The end result will be a Ministerial event whereby the Minister for the Public Service and Administration will make the annual awards of CDS status. This will give political acknowledgement and backing to the achievement of a specific notion of excellence in the field of public service training and education. 5.7.7.5 The competitive approach to this sort of institutional development is seen as a positive way of building awareness of the need for effective training and education strategies, and their value and importance. 5.7.8 Prescribed Competencies rather than Courses 5.7.8.1 More specifically, a key strategic intervention at the national level concerns the issue of prescribed courses. In the present system, prescribed training and education courses are those that are deemed essential throughout the public service for appointed to or employment in a particular post grade. Such courses must conform to the curricula and/or other prescripts pertaining to the relevant courses set in the Training Course Standards (TCS) which form part of the Public Service Staff Code. 5.7.8.2 With respect to transversal training, responsibility for prescribing such courses was formerly the business of the PSC, but now rests with the DPSA. The DPSA is also responsible for registering training institutions that wish to conduct prescribed training courses. 5.7.8.3 Consultation with stakeholders has revealed a number of problems with the current system of prescribed training courses. These include the lack of flexibility in tailoring training and education to local needs and circumstances; the frequent lack of congruity between training courses and the actual competencies required to perform effectively at the particular level concerned; the lack of recognition for suitable competencies acquired through prior learning or experience; and the lack of cost-effectiveness when the relevant competencies could be acquired through alternative and less expensive forms of staff development experience. 5.7.8.4 It is therefore proposed that the public service will move from a system of prescribed courses to a system of prescribed core competencies at different grade levels, linked wherever possible to the NQF. [ Top ] 5.7.8.5 Responsibility for defining such competencies will rest with the DPSA, in consultation with national departments, provincial administrations, and employee organisations. It is also envisaged that the proposed Public Service Learning Organisation (PSLO), once established, will have a key role to play in this respect (see Chapter 6 for more detail). 5.7.8.6 The move towards the prescription of competencies rather than courses is in line with the overall thrust of this Green Paper, which seeks wherever possible, to promote flexibility and decentralisation in the provision of training and education inputs, within the context of broad and uniform outcomes and standards determined nationally. 5.7.8.7 Departments and provinces will be able to exercise greater flexibility and creativity in designing training and education programmes that meet the required competencies in ways which suit their specific circumstances and most closely match their particular learning needs. They will also be able to decide whether particular competencies can be better met through training and education courses, or through other forms of staff development activities. Possibilities for the recognition of prior learning will also be enhanced. 5.7.8.8 The move to a system of prescribed competencies rather than courses will also assist national departments and provincial administrations in introducing learnerships, as recommended in the Department of Labour's HRD strategy document. 5.7.8.9 Examples of competencies that might usefully inform the development of training and education programmes at different levels within the public service are provided in Appendix C. These are for illustrative use only. The actual competencies that are designed and introduced by the DPSA and the PSLO, in consultation with other key stakeholders, will obviously be much more detailed and specific. 5.7.9 Accreditation and Quality Assurance 5.7.9.1 Given that the new direction in public service training and education will be towards the achievement of consistent and standardised quality outcomes through a multiplicity of providers, a premium will be placed on quality assurance and the accreditation of training providers and their products. 5.7.9.2 Systems of quality assurance and accreditation will be designed to ensure the following:
5.7.9.3 In addition, systems of accreditation and quality assurance will need to strike a balance between -
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||