ABET for the Public Service Indaba
Date: 29 January 2009Venue: Southern Sun, Pretoria
Purpose
To retreat, regroup and revitalize the implementation of ABET as a sector.
Background
The first and second decades of democracy have enabled the state to firmly lay the foundations for the fundamental transformation of the South African society through the legislative framework which provides for redress, equity and access to services. At the centre of the transformational agenda of the government and the creation of a developmental state, is the capacity of the government to provide services to its people and to decisively intervene where socio-economic fault lines emerge. The capacity of the government to deliver services to the citizens has, however, been constrained by the systemic deficiencies in the Human Resource Development (HRD) programmes for the public servants. The inefficiencies in the systems create contradictions and incoherence of Human Resource Development interventions.
Furthermore, institutional arrangements, the environment and policy intersects within government departments to manage training and development initiatives lack synergistic interactions that help to produce relevant skills. The development of human resources need to meet the skills requirements of a dynamic and changing Public Service, capable of appropriately responding to needs of the society in a developmental state. Government departments have not been able to create stable and conducive environments for Human Resource Development across occupational classes and levels to take place, especially for employees with low levels of skills.
Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) programmes for public servants have consequently suffered the effects of the incoherence within programmes, systems and institutional deficiencies as well as indifference towards the training and development needs of lower levels of employees in the Public Service.
Objectives
- The main objectives for the ABET Indaba session can be summarized as follows:
- To examine the Macro-Policy issues affecting ABET in the South Africa
- To deliberate on the state of ABET in the Public Service.
- To discuss critical success factors affecting ABET delivery in the Public Service
- To share best practice
Outcomes
- An examination of the state of ABET in the country and Public Service
- Concrete strategies to revitalize ABET implementation
- Solicit inputs for the ABET Implementation Guide
- Institutionalize the ABET Indaba as an annual event
Programme
- ABET Policy Framework
Framework
Sally Rowney (DPSA)
