Responsive education and training for
public service in Africa: the
challenges for African SIAs
Hanlie van Dyk-Robertson, CEO, AMDIN and
Honorary Professor, Faculty of Management,
University of the Free State, South Africa
Introductory comments
MDIs cannot afford to lose sight of their ultimate role and service, the
development of the public sector. … MDIs must redefine their training agenda to
suit that of their main client, the African Public Service.
Prof. Victor Ayeni, 2001
Conference reminded itself of the fact that MDIs have a responsibility to redefine
their own relevance within their national, sub-regional and regional contexts, if
they are to respond to the capacity deficits that exist and optimise their roles in
the policy domain with respect to public administration. Conference noted that
such a responsive relationship should be supported by governments nurturing
their respective MDIs over a sustained period.
Communiqué following AMDIN 2007 conference
• Paper draws on personal exposure
heading up AMDIN since December
2006
• Specifically 3 AMDIN regional
workshops hosted during June and July
2008
– Dakar, Senegal, Regional workshop for West
and Northern Africa
– Nairobi, Kenya, Regional workshop for East
and Central Africa
– Mohale, Lesotho, Regional workshop for
Southern Africa
Overview of AMDIN
– Objective of AMDIN is to facilitate the optimal functioning of
African MDIs (TDIs), including Schools and Institutes of Public
Administration at Universities (SIAs)
– AMDIN
• Advocates for a conducive policy environment in which African MDIs
are to function; and
• Strengthens the collective capacity of MDIs through sharing of
resources and developing relevant skills of management and other
employees of MDIs
– Values informing AMDIN activities: African Ownership &
Strength in collective action and cooperation
AMDIN IS A DEVELOPER OF CAPACITY IN THE CAPACITY
DEVELOPERS OF AFRICA
AMDIN’s Footprint
2009
Background on MDIs/ PSTIs
• Colonial legacy – left behind as important institutional capacity
to train indigenous public servants post colonial dispensation
• Using the idea of Schools and Institutes of Government
(SIAs) in an inclusive manner. Therefore include and
interchange with:
– Management Development Institute (MDI)
– ENA(M) and ENAP
– Public Sector Training Institute (PSTI)
• Huge differentiation in this broad class: very important
distinction between placement institution in the French tradition
and predominantly short course interventions supplementing
existing education
• Many of the issues are connected in cause and effect-loops
A comprehensive role for
MDIs
• Training PLUS full spectrum of HRD tools &
techniques: e.g. Experiential learning; mentoring &
coaching, etc.
• Training PLUS policy think tank and applied research;
• Consulting function (organisational development) PLUS
training;
• Cultural change agent;
• Key role in “professionalisation”
Drilling down on issue of
responsiveness
The reality/ perception of
unresponsiveness
Capacity development efforts criticized  not sufficient
impact
– Stature of SIAs being questioned and suspected of inferiority by
practitioners/ policy making leadership – no longer at apex of thinking re
public administration
– Piecemeal and fragmented capacity building interventions
– Training initiatives removed from programme logics of government policy
initiatives
– No proper M&E of impact, return on investment, to serve as refuting
evidence etc.
– “Short-termism” in thinking & impatience for results undermines preparatory
processes
– Material used not context sensitive to Africa realities – originate in
developed world context, advances models ill suited for African needs
– Training facilitators increasingly not rooted in public sector praxis – straight
from University, with PhD or less (often educated outside of Africa)
Some dimensions that
underpins any answer re
responsiveness
•
What is the role of the SIAs?
•
What are their key priorities?
•
Who are their main clients?
•
How does the context look that SIAs training/ building capacity for?
– Training, education, placement, consultancy, research,
– Public service focus or wider (private sector, NGOs, communities, etc)
– Government institutions or individuals who wishes to advance own careers
– Which level of government
– Donors and development partners or national governments
– Current prevailing situation or for the future?
– What most important – perceived quality, available with immediate effect,
or context specific?
“Central powers are hesitating re where
itself is heading. This makes it impossible
for MDIs to function properly.”
Participant, AMDIN regional workshop, North and West Africa,
June 2008
Capacity of the capacity developers
(MDIs) have been eroded and
neglected over past 30 years
• Budget cuts and pressures for self
sustainability
• As a consequence Human Resource
Issues in MDIs
• Research and OD functions sacrificed
Priorities influenced by resource considerations
Not Profitable
To be avoided Developmental,
public purpose
I
Private,
Individual
III
Tempting
cash-cows
II
IV
Strategic,
sustainable
Highly profitable
Government,
Institutional
Did not anticipate the future of
(African) public administration
adequately
• Reactive, not pro-active (needs assessment
methodologies currently applied focusses on
immediately experienced needs)
• Future influenced by changes in demand; development
in terms of technology; changes in PA paradigms, etc.
Insufficient understanding at most levels regarding this
• Planning & futures research capability poorly developed
Capacity Development Efforts delinked
• Delinked from context, country goals and objectives;
policy initiatives and organisational improvement
initiatives
• Too much and disjointed foreign influence through "best
practice transfers“ – tensions between models in use
• MDIs too far removed from the policy and planning
processes of governments
• Too much unfamiliarity with strategic directions & new
policy initiatives by role players, e.g. public servants/
managers; MDIs; etc.
General typology
Urgent
I
II
Goal
detracting
Goal
Supporting
III
IV
Long term
Current situation where effort focused
Urgent
I
Goal
detracting
II
III
Goal
Supporting
IV
Long term
Ideal situation where effort should be focused in
Standards of Excellence debate
Urgent
II
I
Goal
detracting
III
IV
Long term
Goal
Supporting
Absence of National and sub-national
Human Resource Development and
Training policies
• No practice of subscribing to continued HRD – African Public
Service Charter now address this issue, but implementation doubtful
in face of financial situation of governments
• As of yet no system of recognition of training institutions that meet
certain standards/ requirements, with few exceptions on the
continents. Standards of excellence will only be suitable for
accreditation far along the road
• Training resource assigned to meet institutional/ systems needs or
those of individual vacilating
• Professional requirements for placement and promotion/ career
progression not clear, not mandatory system in much of Anglophone
Africa
Much effort and resource
dedicated to CD without us
being able to tell what works
and what does not
• Efforts of many agencies/ role-players piecemeal and
not happening in integrated framework (each
decision-maker developing own frameworks/
methodologies/ reporting requirement, etc)
• Monitoring and evaluation frameworks inadequate
• Competencies to implement M&E/ review/
assessment poorly developed and institutionalised
Interventions to support
achieving
Recommendations on the table
in the African political structures
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Strong institutional relations between governments and their public sector
training institutions (both on national and continental level).
Government should involve MDIs and allied institutions in the policy
formulation process
Adopt comprehensive human resource development policies & strategies
Link capacity development to national development priorities and change
initiatives.
Strengthen relationship between the Ministers’ Conference and organised PA
knowledge community involved in capacity development e.g. AMDIN; AAPAM
& CAFRAD
Grow the African MDI network (and other similar networks)
Create and resource M&E capacity to track implementation of the initiatives
agreed on.
Initiatives to support
responsiveness of African SIAs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lobbying and advocacy for addressing MDI challenges
Support development of HRD/ Training policies in African countries
Building African networks in two interdependent and critically important
constituencies, i.e. HR managers (African HRM-Net and the African MDI Network
– AMDIN)
Build African capacity to develop original curriculum and support material
specifically for the African context, as well as that needed for effective
customisation of material that exist elsewhere
Support programmes of futures research to strengthen capacity of SIAs to
anticipate future needs and responds in a timely manner to those
Create and support platforms for regular exchange between political
leadership, technical experts and SIAs/ PSTIs/ MDIs, including working groups,
communities of practice, seminars, workshops, dialogues, etc.
Revolving doors and placement/ exchange between training institution and
public sector organisations
Performance review and evaluation, including 360 degree feedback and ROI
assessments
Thank you
More information at
http://www.amdin.net