Corporate Learning & Knowledge Management; Update on Labour Relations Policy for the Public Service; Human Resources Development

Meeting report

PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SERVICES AND ADMINISTRATION
22 August 2001
CORPORATE LEARNING & KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT; UPDATE ON LABOUR RELATIONS POLICY FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE; HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE; INTERNSHIP FRAMEWORK FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE; UPDATE ON COMPLIANCE WITH THE NMIR.

Chairperson: Mr N Nhleko

Documents Handed out
Corporate Learning and Knowledge Management in Public Service
Update to Compliance on NMIR

SUMMARY
The presentations were based on updates of projects in the Department of Public Service and Administration. Members were more interested in the actual progress at grassroots level rather than at policy level. They were also interested in pointing out possible loopholes in policies and strategies that were presented.

MINUTES
Corporate Learning and Knowledge Management In The Public Service
Ms Radebe stated that it was imperative for government to deliver its services the same way private services are offered. Part of achieving that vision was to transform the public service through learning and knowledge management. By learning and knowledge management she meant the process of acquiring and sharing knowledge to plan, implement, review and innovate or improve services. In summary she meant knowledge or research based services.

The purpose of corporate learning and knowledge management was to deal with problems such as: unimplementable policies; insufficient capacity; immense backlogs and the materialising the Batho Pele project. Through learning and knowledge management, the public service would be able to be competent, productive and efficient.

The DPSA had developed a public service document management whereby public service documents are searched, co-ordinated and repackaged for easy access. Moreover, the DPSA was developing a web site to link official materials and share data and facilities with provinces. There was also a journal (Senior Management Services Review) to be developed to allow local and international reflections and learning on public service management. National and provincial learning networks and sessions would support these endeavours during which there would be sharing and dissemination of information on an ad hoc basis.

Labour Relations Policy For The Public Service
Mr Rapea presented the sixth draft of the labour relations policy for the public service. He outlined the profile of the public service by indicating that it consisted of 1.1 million workers and makes up about a fifth of formal employment and about a tenth of the entire labour force. Within the public service, education, police, health and welfare, and the general public service were the main sectors.

There was a need for such a policy to co-ordinate and consolidate all other regulations governing labour relations. This national policy would be based on three principles namely: reconstruction and development based on sound industrial and economic strategy; the public sector to harness the direction and trend of the economy; and human resource management and career development to enhance its human resource potential. The relations governing this policy would be based on the attendant contract of employment. There would be collective bargaining structures form the level of the PSCBC to sectors and departmental levels and chambers. This policy would recognise freedom of association and transparency.

Human Resource Development Strategy
Mr Rapea proceeded to this section by stating that there was a need for developing a dynamic human resource base in the public sector. An unstructured and uncoordinated training and a high rate of resignation also compelled this need by skilled personnel. Lack of strategic and needs-based public service training and education weakened the human resource base in the sector. Weak human resource base was also attributed to HIV/AIDS and other diseases.

There was policy framework to deal with the challenge of weak human resource base. This framework included; The White Paper on the Reconstruction and Development Programme; the Skills Development Act; National Human Resource Development Strategy and the baseline information on Public Service training and education. All these policies were geared towards ensuring a dynamic skill based public personnel. The National Human Resource Development Strategy was a combination of the Skills Development Act, the South African Qualifications Authority Act, Baseline Information on the Public Service Training and Education and the White Paper on Public Service Training and Education.

The strategic objectives of this policy are to reduce backlogs and complaints to increase the number of Public Service department that achieve investors in people accreditation. This process would be monitored, reported and continuously evaluated by bodies such as PSC and HSRC.

Internship in the Public Service
Mr Rapea linked this section to the Human Resource Development Strategy by stating that internships are necessary to deal with shortage of skills, low levels of practical work and poor access to work experience. This programme would expose junior graduates to the public service and improve access to employment in the public service. The purpose of this programme would be "an effective system for continuous development of qualified and committed candidates for future appointments in the public service established’ The outcome of this programme is to produce interns with basic competencies and relevant work experience.

Each department's strategic staffing and organisational needs should guide the development of an internship programme. This would be the responsibility of management. However, interns would be expected to meet certain standards during their training. This process would also involve the tertiary institutions from which interns are drawn. This implies that their curriculum must satisfy the needs of the public service sector or of a particular department.

Update on Compliance with the National Minimum Information Requirements (NMIR)
Mr I Patel reminded the committee of the purpose of the NMIR and refreshed their memory by stating that it was a necessary project to address unreliable human resource information in the public sector. Moreover, the NMIR would provide information on employee profile and posts and would help ‘outsiders’ to have an idea of such information.

At the moment there NMIR had eight categories namely: Biographical Information; Occupation; Education; Career; Disciplinary Matters; Organisational and Geographical Information; and Posts on approved establishment (e.g. vacancy planning).

Discussion
Mr Sithole (ANC) asked how the DPSA planned to co-ordinate with sector specific publications to avoid duplication between them and the Senior Management Service Review journal.

Ms Radebe said that all departments were welcome to submit their articles and that the journal was not for the DPSA alone.

Mr Sithole asked if the problem of capacity and co-ordination would ever end.

Ms Radebe said that this was a national problem and that there were initiatives such as clustering of government departments and co-ordination of government policies. The government could not deal with capacity problems in the short term but that it was a question of investing in skills and retention of human resources.

One member asked why government policies are always not implementable.

Mr Ngema said that the government needed policies that were politically agreeable, financially viable and administratively feasible.

One member asked if there were plans to award public servants for good innovations.

Mr Ngema said that there were no such awards but that the government is looking into that and busy doing some research to avoid duplication of awards.

Mr Mthembu (ANC) asked Ms Radebe to explain what she meant by "transforming our Public Service for accelerated service delivery is a paradox".

Ms Radebe explained that transformation was daunting and endless. It was a process with continuous review, rethinking and redesigning.

Mr Mthembu asked how would it be ensured that management is reflective of its practice. This question was however not answered.

One member asked for the source of funds of the R850 bonus agreement between the government and civil servants last year.

Mr Rapea said that it was budgeted for but not yet used until workers agree on pay progression for next year.

One member asked why the idea of a third party did not work in the negotiations between government and civil servants. Mr Rapea said that it was voluntary for negotiating parties to invite a third party but that it was agreed that the government and workers had not had enough one to one negotiations.

Mr Mohlala (ANC) asked who would commission the service providers of training programmes.

Mr Rapea said it would be management.

Mr Mohlala asked if AIDS was really eroding the skill base.

Mr Rapea said that there was an impact analysis done but not yet released.

Mr Mohlala asked how interns would be made committed the programme and avoid deflecting to the private sector after acquiring skills. How long would the internship would be?

Mr Rapea said this was difficult to ensure but that incentive scheme could be one way of retaining interns. The period for internship would be twelve months.

One member asked if the department had programmes to invite retired colleagues as consultants.

Mr Rapea stated that was not allowed by Public Service regulation because there was a contractual "cool off’ period after retirement.

One member asked how the department could stop incompetent ex-colleagues from opening private consultancies.

Mr Rapea said that structures such as South African Qualifications Authority have accreditation standards to curb such activities.

One member asked if the department could consider recruiting skills from Southern African Development Countries.

Mr Rapea said that the department was trying to reduce reliance on foreign skills.

One member asked about the role of Sector Education and Training Associations in the department.

Mr Rapea stated that the issue was not technology but getting information from human resource departments.

Mr Mohlala commented that he had heard the presented information on NMIR for the third time and was of no use for him.

The meeting was adjourned.