In direct response to the systemic challenges facing government departments, the National School of Government’s (NSG’s) mandatory and compulsory programmes were launched on Monday, in Pretoria.

The launch follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s statement during his State of Nation Address last month, that “in improving the capabilities of public servants, the NSG [will] introduce a suite of compulsory courses, covering areas like ethics and anticorruption, senior management and supply chain management, [as well as the] deployment of managers to the coal face to strengthen service delivery”.

In a speech delivered on her behalf by Public Service Commission (PSC) chairperson Richard Sizani on Monday, Public Service and Administration Minister Ayanda Dlodlo said a focused NSG would be required to occupy the public sector training space, which will assist government in building a developmental and capable State to take the country forward on an improved economic growth trajectory.

She added that the NSG must play a central coordinating role in capacitating employees in all spheres of government, provide support for talent management and provide guidance for appointments, succession planning and career development.

These will require specific interventions, such as the establishment of a national competency assessment function, the implementation of a public service-wide skills database, and policy proposals for the setting of compulsory competence requirements for certain occupation categories for entry and mobility within the public service space.

The National Treasury will also be providing a direct financial allocation to the NSG for a three-year period, and Cabinet has approved the direct payment for compulsory programmes to the NSG.

Further, the NSG will be reviewing its funding model and include the provision of the compulsory programmes, which are binding for all public servants to enroll in and complete, as well as the mandatory programmes, which are aimed at identified government departments and public servants.

“The successful rollout of the mandatory and compulsory programmes requires the strategic repositioning of the NSG, including high levels of collaboration with national, provincial and local government departments and entities,” Dlodlo said.

Newly appointed Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority (Pseta) CEO, Bontle Lerumo, also spoke at the launch event, stating that Pseta supports the mandatory and compulsory programmes.

She explained that, as Pseta is mandated by Section 20 of the Skills Development Act to ensure that all skills programmes, once completed, constitute credit towards qualifications which are registered in terms of the National Qualifications Framework, the authority intends to engage with the NSG to ensure that all its courses are accredited accordingly.

Compulsory programmes include:

• Compulsory Induction Programme
• Executive Induction Programme
• Khaedu Training
• SMS Pre-Entry Programme Targeting Entry
• Ethics in the Public Service
• Managing Performance in the Public Sector
• Introduction to Financial Management Delegations of Authority in the Public Sector
• Supply Chain Management for the Public Service
• Re-Orientation in the Public Service

Mandatory programmes include:

• Orientation and Support to the Public Service Formal Graduate Recruitment Scheme
• Citizen-Centered Service Delivery
• Art of Facilitation for progressive realization of socioeconomic rights
• Supply Chain Management for the Practitioners
• Avoiding Irregular, Fruitless and Wasteful Expenditure
• Programme and Project Management
• Evidence-based Policy Making and Implementation
• Coaching for Leadership Development Workshop