Suzan Chala
Lack of managerial expertise is often cited as one reason for government failure to deliver. But the Free State provincial government is targeting this area of vulnerability: it’s sending its most senior officials back to the classroom.
The Premier, Winkie Direko, senior politicians and heads of provincial departments in the provincial government have been enrolled this year in a three-month project management course offered by the Public Sector Management Programme of the University of the Free State.
The group of 52 candidates will be awarded certificates at the end of this month, and an additional 120 managers are expected to complete the course by the end of July next year.
According to the programme director, Professor Koos Bekker: “The course is relevant to politicians because in terms of public service regulations politicians like MECs are functioning as executive authorities of projects. To do this efficiently, they have to be skilled in the management of projects in order to ensure accountability under all circumstances.
“This gives a clear signal to the public that managers and legislators at the highest level in the province are dedicated to self-development and the broadening of their knowledge base.”
The course involves three contact sessions of three days each and practical work in which each group is required to identify projects and develop them through all the phases of project management.
The officials’ enrolment on the course is part of the Collaborative Public Management and Development Education and Training Project (Colmet). Colmet is a unique collaboration between the Free State government, the University of the Free State and the Flemish government, which funds the project. Colmet also runs other programmes, such as the annual Spring School in Public Policy Management.
Participation in the project management course forms one of several Free State provincial government initiatives aimed at restructuring and transforming government departments. The course will help managers at all government levels manage the variety of projects in the public sector. One of its objectives is to introduce and apply a uniform approach to project management in the Free State and to offer training and development to public functionaries.
Credits obtained in this course can be used towards other qualifications in the University of the Free State’s faculty of economic and management sciences.