Date: 10 Sep 2009 - 11 Sep 2009
Venue: Sibaya Casino and Entertainment Kingdom KZN
Aim of the annual conference
The overall aim of the conference is to create a platform and an opportunity for SMS members in the public service to convene as a group for the following reasons:
Networking
Motivational sessions
Proffessionalism
The 8th SMS Conference
Following the 7th SMS Conference in 2008, delegates showed a keen interest in taking leadership discussions into specific sectors. The dpsa would like to take the lead in this by utilising the SMS Conference as a structured platform for discussion on key arenas of service delivery and investigate some of the best practice as well as some of the challenges for purposes of gaining a more articulated view of where pockets of excellence exist and how SMS managers can capitalise on this to improve service delivery.
The over-arching theme of leadership will run through all future SMS conferences but the concentration will be sectorised.
The 8th SMS Conference will focus on leadership in the public health services sector, the intention for 2010 SMS Conference will thereafter focus on leadership within the education sector, and the intention for the following year will analyse leadership in infrastructure and transport. The main goal of the conference is to focus on pertinent issues that influence the level and quality of leadership within the specific sectors within the South African public service.
The theme for the 2009 SMS conference will be "Building collaborative leadership within the Public Health Sector." The theme aims to stimulate discussion on the various interventions made by government over the last 15 years of freedom and provide an understanding of the status of skills available as well as assess the initiatives directed at improving the skills of hospital managers.
The first day of the conference will assess some of the challenges in health as well as some of the successes: it will further illustrate best practice in public health and also consider effective partnerships between government and the private sector. The partnership being highlighted is between the Eastern Cape government and the Netcare group.
The workshops are expected to provide delegates with information regarding the state of the public service report specifically focusing on health delivery, the second Workshopwill focus on the South African health review and the strengthening of human resources and the third Workshopwill assess a case study of the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
A gala dinner will be held on the evening of the first day, the President of the Republic of South Africa as well as the Mayor and Premier of the host province will be invited.
The second day of the conference will focus on effective human resource mechanisms. Guidelines for the promotion of good practice in health care professions will be discussed as well as remunerations aspects linked to the Occupational Specific Dispensation. Further to this the Human resources for health draft national strategy as well as capacity building initiatives will also be discussed.
The Conference also provides various platforms for discussions which attempts to look at the health care spectrum to address challenges and identify a practical way forward through recommendations.
Programme
Day 1
Sub-theme: "Understanding Management within the Health Sector in South Africa."
Chairperson: Ms R Makhubela, Chief Director: Department of Public Service and Administration
Day 2
Sub-theme: "Exploring Effective Management Strategies to Improve Health Services"
Chairperson: Ms V Nxasana: Acting Director-General: Department of Women, Youth, Children and People with disabilities