Compulsory training aims to improve public service

South Africans could in future be dealing with better-trained public servants as government moves to make certain training programmes compulsory across the public sector.

Recent amendments to the Public Administration Management Act require the National School of Government (NSG) to design and provide compulsory education and training across national, provincial and local government.

The changes mean that specific training will increasingly form part of a public servant’s job, rather than being something officials attend only when they choose to or when their department prioritises it.

According to Dino Poonsamy, Chief Director for Strategy and Systems at the NSG, training in the public service has for many years largely been encouraged rather than compulsory. This resulted in uneven levels of training, which could ultimately affect the standard of service members of the public receive.

Courses covering areas such as ethics, anti-corruption, supply chain management and induction are among those that are no longer optional.

There are currently 10 compulsory courses offered by the NSG, while Cabinet has directed that a further 10 be added. In some cases, completing required training can affect whether an appointment is confirmed or whether an employee qualifies for a salary increase.

Senior managers face additional requirements, including completing a pre-entry certificate before appointment and undergoing further training while occupying senior positions. For residents, however, the most important question is whether the changes will translate into better service delivery.

The intention is that officials responsible for decisions affecting members of the public should have been properly trained and assessed for the work they perform.

According to the NSG, there are already signs that compulsory training can make a difference. Officials at one Limpopo municipality who completed compulsory supply chain management training reportedly showed improved compliance and stronger audit outcomes afterwards.

While the amended legislation extends the NSG’s mandate across all three spheres of government, on-going training for municipal employees in particular still often depends on management approval rather than being a standing compulsory requirement.

This is significant because municipalities are where many South Africans have their most direct interaction with government, from accounts and infrastructure to hou-sing, licensing and other everyday services.

The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) has also argued that leadership training in local government should not be optional.

Whether residents ultimately notice a difference at government offices and municipalities will therefore be the real test of the new approach.

As Poonsamy noted, the success of the reforms will ultimately be measured by whether compulsory trai-ning results in improved public services over the coming years.

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