An update on the Public Administration Leadership and

Management Academy (PALAMA)

Select Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

8 March 2011

Presented By: Prof. S Mollo; Director General PALAMADate: 8 March 2011

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Problem Statement

3. Pronouncements by the Executive on PALAMA

4. Towards a strategic framework for repositioning PALAMA

5. Key elements of the strategic framework to reposition PALAMA

6. Process map towards Cabinet approval

7. Concluding Remarks

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Introduction

• The South African State is developmental.• Being developmental requires of the State to be able to lead in

the strategic orientation of the country.• For the State to lead, technical and organizational capability

key.• Such capability must allow the State to translate broad

objectives into programmes and projects for implementation, which requires –

• Proper training at all levels,• Leadership development both at executive and civil service

levels,• Re-orientation, engendering new doctrines, culture and

practices at all levels, and • Acquiring and retaining skilled personnel.

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Problem Statement

• PALAMA mandate is to improve the capacity for service delivery and implementation of government initiatives through training; however,• Training remains uncoordinated, incoherent, and largely outsourced -

• Private and public providers, training academies, independent individual contractors etc.

• Public service training coverage remains inadequate – • About 38 000 of the 1.5 million public servants covered

• Impact of training on service delivery not assessed.• Training narrowly focused on junior, middle, and senior managers –

• Administration, support, and frontline staff not covered – more than 70% • The Executive largely not covered.

• Local government training neglected.• Relevance and responsiveness of programme provision insufficient.• Cost recovery model too expensive

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Pronouncements by the Executive on PALAMA

• Hon State President JG Zuma underlined the importance of an effective Public Service in his 2009 State of the Nation Address:“… working with the people and supported by our public servants, we will

build a developmental state, improve public services …”“…ensure courteous and efficient service from front-counter staff…”“…our commitment to fight corruption in the public service.”

• Hon Minister for the Public Service, MR Baloyi further elaborated in his 2010 budget vote speech:“…We are placing PALAMA at the level where the agency ought to be a

preparatory school for entry into public service, incubate them through in-service development intervention. Of course, for PALAMA to do what we call for, the agency itself has to be transformed”.

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Pronouncements by the Executive on PALAMA cont…

• PALAMA’s key challenges raised by the MPSA

• What defines and distinguishes the Academy from just being a broker of training services?

• What defines the state of a government training academy?

• What is the most appropriate institutional form for PALAMA?

• How can existing public service capacity be used to strengthen PALAMA capacity?

• What is PALAMA’s strategic thrust and what is PALAMA’s niche area?

• What is the preferred and most feasible financial model?

• If key programmes are made compulsory would PALAMA cope with the demand?

• Should PALAMA remain focused on leadership and management?

• What is PALAMA’s role vis-a-vis other state funded training units, e.g. provincial academies, etc.?

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Towards a strategic framework for repositioning PALAMA

• Misty Hills• Proposed Strategic Thrusts1. Train and develop public servants across the three spheres of government

and related organs of state in administrative, management and leadership competencies.

2. Professionalise the public service through values, ethos and service culture that supports the implementation of government’s developmental agenda.

3. Lead the provision of high quality training and development programmes through on-board capacity and strategic partnerships.

• Proposed Strategic Goals1. Curricula informed by the developmental needs of the state and related

government strategic frameworks. 2. Relevant and high quality public sector training and development. 3. A high-performance organisation.

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Towards a strategic framework for repositioning PALAMA

• Lesedi• Vision and mission - Fully funded and resourced; Public service

training provider of choice; Residential institutional base; Operating nationally with provincial satellites; Provides high quality, relevant training; Leads training policy development and coordination; Moulds the South African public service mode of thinking and doing.

• Objectives - Develop officials across the public sector who are passionate, trained to perform, and committed to improving service delivery and development. PALAMA graduates exhibit the values, ethos and culture of public service, as government’s corporate identity. In-service, professional skills development supported by research intelligence and advice for individuals and organisations

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Key elements of the strategic framework to reposition PALAMA

Inculcating attributes of a developmental public servant:Break new ground: being innovative and not shying

away from coming up with new ideas for the public good.

Inspire success: is self motivated and ready to motivate others to service the public.

• Innovation course has been developed and piloted in collaboration with the Center for Public Service Innovation;

• 198 officials trained in Introduction to Monitoring&Evaluation (M&E);• Collaborative work is being undertaken with the Department of

Performance Monitoring and Evaluation to align M&E courses to the outcomes based approach of government

• Virtual network for Regional Capacity Building Project developed and implemented for improved sharing of information.

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Key elements of the strategic framework to reposition PALAMA

Inculcating attributes of a developmental public servant:Raise the standard: is capable of giving her/his best regardless of whether she/he is in the front office or at management level.Believe that nothing is impossible: comes up with turn-around strategies to salvage a failing situation.

•The compulsory induction programmes (Wamkelekile and Public Service Induction) for public servants have been aligned to the Public Sector Charter through inclusion of the attributes of a good public servant and outlining ethical principles of a public servant

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Key elements of the strategic framework to reposition PALAMA

Inculcating attributes of a developmental public servant:Take collective responsibility and teamwork: must

believe in partnership and be practically seen to work with other people.

Be on-board and owning service delivery processes: owns the processes of service delivery.

• 725 unemployed graduates trained in the Breaking Barriers to Entry programme;• 671 officials have been trained in Anti-corruption;• A web-based Anti-corruption discussion forum has been

established and handed over for management and implementation by the DPSA.

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Key elements of the strategic framework to reposition PALAMA

Inculcating attributes of a developmental public servant:Make a difference to the people: understands that the public service has to serve a larger population, and this population has expectations that should always be considered when doing work.

•2 963 participants trained in all leadership programmes, including:•1 400 officials have been trained through the Executive Development Programme•578 officials trained in the Khaedu Programme (“Khaedu” is a Venda word for “challenge”, and relates to the challenge posed to senior managers to be deployed to service delivery sites annually in order to make a direct contribution to the removal of blockages and improvement of the quality of services delivered).

•275 Legislature Capacity Building Programme•138 Protocol and Diplomacy•573 Other Programmes

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Key elements of the strategic framework to reposition PALAMA

Inculcating attributes of a developmental public servant:Be an international activist: is an active agent in implementing the public service agenda on the continent and in the world

•Four international capacity building programmes implemented with 3 Management Development Institutes;•Hosted a study tour programme in November 2010 for 9 senior officials of the Socialist Republic of the Government of Vietnam;•India Brasil South Africa (IBSA) Capacity building seminar hosted•Executive programmes are undertaken to be implemented collaboratively with country partner (Namibia)•Championing the capacity building of Conference of African Ministers of Public/Civil Service (CAMPS)

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Process map towards Cabinet approval

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Outcome Performance Indicator Target Date Key Stakeholders

Repositioning of PALAMA

1. Consultations on draft framework.2. Reviewed institutional , funding, and governance model approved.3. Ministerial approval on compulsory and targeted programmes.4. Revised PALAMA funding model.

July 2010 to May 201131 July 2011

31 March 2012

31 March 2012

MPSA, Parliament, Executive, DepartmentsCabinet

MPSA

National Treasury

In Conclusion

• By 2014, all public servants should be:• Trained under an integrated public service framework;• Receiving targeted mandatory training in specified

fields;• Receiving minimum five days training per annum; and• Serving for minimum five days at service delivery points

of government per annum.• Implementing revolving door policy –

partnership/experience sharing with academia/private sector and second officials to academia and vice versa.

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