Setlhare, Itumeleng E.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In order to enhance human resource development in the public service, the South African Government launched its first human resource development strategy in 2002. This strategy was implemented over a period of four years. It was subsequently followed by another strategy, called the Human Resources Development (HRD) Strategic Framework Vision 2015, which was published by the Department of Public Service and Administration (the DPSA) in 2008. One of the pillars of the latter strategy, which is also the focus of this study, is organizational support systems.
The aim of this study was to determine whether the Chief Directorate: Strategic Health Programmes (CD:SHP) successfully implements, as designed in the departmental HRD plan, the three strategic interventions related to organizational support systems. The objectives were to – assess the alignment of the organizational support systems in the Chief Directorate with the overall departmental organizational support systems (as stated in the HRD plan);
- identify factors that hamper proper implementation of the departmental organizational support systems in the Chief Directorate; and
- propose key strategic interventions to ensure successful implementation of the departmental organizational support systems.
The organizational support system pillar has eleven strategic interventions, but, due to resources constraints, only three were investigated. These are:
- to promote effective human resource planning in terms of demand for skills and training in public sector organizations;
- to strengthen structures, systems and processes for the performance management and development in the public service; and
- to groom and foster in-house capacity through effective career planning and talent management in departments of government.
The process/implementation evaluation approach, with semi-structured interviews and questionnaire, was employed for this study. A mixed methodology, which covered the breadth of the quantitative method and the depth of the qualitative method, was used in this study. The findings indicated that the CD: SHP is not successfully implementing the pillar as designed by the departmental HRD plan. Among others, the following were identified as responsible for poor implementation:
- lack of policy, strategy or guideline on HRD;
- understaffed HRD units;
- lack of coordination and cooperation between and among the stakeholders responsible for HRD (e.g. Human Resource Management( HRM), Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) and line managers); and
- abdication of the performance management responsibility vested in managers.
Key strategic interventions proposed to remedy the situation, among others, include:
- reviewing the structure of the HRD directorate and filling, as a matter of urgency, all vacant posts;
- reviving the committee responsible for coordinating HRD activities;
- implementing and coordinating all HRD activities, from the HRD directorate, aimed at developing workplace skills plans and the effective utilization of personal development plans;
- developing the blueprint for succession-planning and staff-retention strategies; and
- assuring that PMDS becomes one of the key performance areas of all supervisors and managers in the Chief Directorate and that, regarding non-compliance, consistent sanctions be applied across all levels. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering het in 2002 sy eerste menshulpbronontwikkeling (MHO)-strategie vir die staatsdiens in werking gestel om die uitbouing van dié hulpbron te bevorder. Hierdie strategie is oor ‟n vier jaar periode geïmplementeer en in 2008 opgevolg deur nog een, naamlik die Visie 2015 Strategiese Raamwerk vir Mensehulpbronontwikkeling (SRM), soos gepubliseer deur die Departement Staatsdiens en Administrasie (DPSA). Een van laasgenoemde strategie se steunpilare, wat ook die hooffokus is van hierdie studie, is organisatoriese ondersteuningstelsels.
Die doelwit van hierdie studie was om te bepaal of die Hoofdirektoraat: Strategiese Gesondheidsprogramme (H:SG) sukses behaal met die implementering van programme, soos uiteengesit in die departementele MHO-plan se drie strategiese intervensies, veral met betrekking tot die organisatoriese ondersteuningstelsels. Die doel was om – te bepaal hoedanig die gerigdheid is tussen die organisatoriese ondersteuningstelsels in die Hoofdirektoraat en die algemene departementele ondersteuningstelsels (soos uiteengesit in die MHO-plan);
- te identifiseer watter faktore behoorlike implementering van die departementele organisatoriese hulpsisteme in die Hoofdirektoraat belemmer; en
- strategiese sleutelintervensies voor te stel wat suksesvolle implementering van die departementele organisatoriese hulpstelsels sal verseker.
Die organisatoriese ondersteuningstelsel-pilaar het elf strategiese intervensies, maar, as gevolg van beperkings op beskikbare bronne, is net drie ondersoek. Hierdie intervensies is nodig om:
- die beplanning van effektiewe mensehulpbronontwikkeling, in terme van die bestaande behoefte na vaardighede en opleiding in openbaresektor organisasies, te bevorder;
- strukture, sisteme en prosesse vir prestasiebestuur en ontwikkeling in die staatsdiens te versterk; en
- bestaande kapasiteit ten opsigte van mensekapitaal voor te berei, touwys te maak en te koester, deur effektiewe loopbaanbeplanning en talentbestuur binne regeringsdepartemente. Die proses/implementering evaluasie-benadering, met gedeeltelik gestruktureerde onderhoude en vraelyste, is vir hierdie ondersoek gebruik. ‟n Gemengde metodiek, wat die wydte van die kwantitatiewe metode en die diepte van die kwalitatiewe metode inspan, is vir hierdie studie aangewend.
Die bevindings het aangedui dat die H:SG nie daarin slaag om die betrokke pilaar, soos deur die departementele MHO-plan ontwerp, te implementeer nie. Die volgende redes is, onder andere, geïdentifiseer as verantwoordelik vir die swak implementering:
- gebrek aan beleid, strategie en leiding ten opsigte van MHO;
- onderbemande MHO-eenhede;
- gebrek aan koördinasie en samewerking tussen belanghebbendes (asook onderling) wat verantwoordelik is vir MHO (byv. Mensehulpbronbestuur (MHB), Prestasiebestuur en Ontwikkelingsisteem (PBOS) en lynbedtuurders); en
- afstandoening van hulle prestasiebestuursverpligtinge wat aan bestuurders opgedra is.
Strategiese sleutelintervensies wat voorgestel word om die situasie te herstel, sluit o.a. in:
- die hersiening van die struktuur van die MHB-direktoraat en, as ‟n saak van dringendheid, die vul van alle vakante poste;
- die herinstelling van die komitee verantwoordelik vir die koördinering van MHO-aktiwiteite;
- die implementering en koördinering van alle MHO-aktiwiteite van die MHO-direktoraat, sodat vaardighede by die werkplek ontwikkel word en die effektiewe aanwending van persoonlike ontwikkelingsplanne plaasvind;
- die ontwikkeling van ‟n bloudruk vir personeel opvolgbeplanning en strategieë om personeel te behou; en
- die versekering dat PBOS een van die sleutel prestasie-areas sal wees wat alle supervisors en bestuurders in die Hoofdirektoraat sal toepas en, in geval van nalatigheid in hierdie verband, strafmaatreëls op alle bestuursvlakke toegepas sal word. Description:
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