HRD TRAINED SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS TO BE LEADERS OF EXCELLENCE

Recently 32 employees of the Department successfully completed the Supervisory or Middle Management Development Programme and received certificates at the Central University of Technology (CUT) in Bloemfontein in the Free State Province. 

On the occasion of the Certification Ceremony the Program Director, Mr. Kgotso Thole, who is also the Manager of Business Development at CUT alluded that the purpose of the day was threefold to: 

•Award a certificate of attendance to individuals who partially completed the program, 

•Secondly to award certificates to those who successfully completed the programe and 

•Thirdly to acknowledge to those who passed with merit. 

The Central University of Technology Innovation Services (CUTIS) partnered with the Department of Roads and Public Works and trained 35 employees in the junior and supervisory management categories, in order to prepare them for possible advancement in the Department. 

The candidates resembled a kaleidoscope as they were from various units across the five districts. The Supervisory Management Development Programme equivalent to a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 5 included the following modules: Supervisory Leadership, General Management, Project Management, Ethics and Governance, Financial Management, Labour Relations and Research Methodology. The top performer of this training course is Mrs. Gillian Williams an HR specialist, based at Head Office. 

The Middle Management Development Programme equivalent to a NQF Level 7 included the following modules: Public Sector Leadership, Public Sector, Strategic Management, Financial Management, Project Management, Leadership, Human Resource Management and Research Methodology. The top performer for this training course is Ms Crystal Robertson, the Communication and Marketing Manager based at Head Office. 

The curriculums of both programmes were intense, requiring that employees work individually and collectively as a group submitting research assignments. The classroom set-up allowed for critical engagements, dialogue and debate as well as presentations. These are crucial skills that supervisors and managers must be able to demonstrate and master in the workplace. The facilitator of this course, Mr. Deon Barnard reflected on his journey with the ‘DRPW-students’. 

He highlighted some of the challenges which employees encountered, balancing family, work and study time remained a huge challenge for many who still had to travel to projects in this vast province, while others had their personal studies. Another huge challenge which he addressed was the inability of all group members to be equal contributors towards the successful delivery of an output. He reflected on the very first day in class when he encouraged all to “look in the mirror’ (conduct introspection), acknowledge their weaknesses, develop and grow into the better person that brings about change in the organisation.

Advocate Mbulelo Phetheni delivered his address under the theme: “The Importance of professional development within the public sector”. “Employees should embark on a process of lifelong learning and development,” he said. Furthermore, he eluded that in the spirit of Ubuntu employees have the responsibility to share their acquired knowledge with others and to transform someone’s life. He even challenged all the candidates to mentor someone and change their career prospects. 

The Head of the Department (HOD), Dr. Johny MacKay, in his address stated that employees should allow themselves to be transformed by the knowledge that they have gained and the experience they acquired and in the same vein transform the organisation to be an institute of excellence. In addition to this, the HOD encouraged the Human Resource Development (HRD) Unit, to ensure that there is a second intake for both the Supervisory and Management Development Programmes. 

Furthermore, it is anticipated that the employees who successfully completed the Supervisory course will be afforded the opportunity to enrol for the Middle Management Development Programme, whilst the candidates who completed the Middle Management course will be enrolled for the Executive Development Programme. 

Dr. Johny MacKay contextualized these training initiatives in the context of the National Development Plan (NDP), which states that we need to build a capable, ethical and developmental state. This is a vision of strong leadership, a focus on people and improved implementation capability. Facilitating this vision into action will involve a transition to a more functional and integrated government, which is capacitated with professional, responsive and meritocratic public servants to strengthen relations and efficiency. Intergovernmental and citizen engagements are also key enablers of this priority to ensure the joint pursuit of a capable state.