Learning Champions Workshop

Workshop Rationale and Objectives

The learning and knowledge management programme is growing exponentially and it has become imperative to institutionalise it and, importantly, to put in place the required resources and processes to drive it. At this stage the programme is run largely by a national department (DPSA) and this is not convenient for maximum relevance, ownership and sustainability. The Department is supported by only one learning champion per province who, unfortunately, are not employed to drive learning programmes but get involved because they are passionate about learning issues.

In order to institutionalise the programme and to be able to entrench learning in the workplace, a need has been identified to increase the number of provincial learning champions. Importantly, these individuals should be equipped with appropriate knowledge, skills and attributes. It is against this background that this intensive two-day empowerment and information workshop is happening.

Learning champions are going to be entrusted with the responsibility of driving learning and knowledge management programmes within their provinces and departments, and will be instrumental in setting up appropriate systems and processes in their institutions for monitoring and evaluation. The workshop will also go a long way in addressing the identified needs.

This will be an empowerment workshop for a cadre of 70 public servants, largely from the provinces. The objective of the empowerment workshop is to equip provincial learning champions with knowledge, skills and competencies to drive learning in their departments, and set up appropriate workable and effective systems and processes, platforms, and structures for learning to take place and to be able to continuously monitor and evaluate progress and impact.

Methodology

Action learning will dominate the workshop to enable participants to learn from experience through reflection and action. Experts in various aspects of the learning and knowledge management discipline will make presentations and run interactive workshops in specific areas. Case studies will also be presented to give learning and knowledge management a 'practical face'.

• 60% will be devoted to formal presentations followed by interactive discussions and questions
• 40% will be devoted to interactive group and plenary sessions

Day 1, 11 March 2004

Programme Manager:
Dr Andrew Kaniki, Executive Director: Research & Knowledge Management, National Research Foundation

• Welcoming & Opening
  Mr Mashwahle Diphofa, Senior Manager, DPSA
• Creating effective individual & team performance
  Mr Steve Banhegyi, Transformational Consultant
• Sustainable communities of practice: The UK experience
  Mr Ken Watling, UK Public Sector Benchmarking Service
• A Knowledge & Learning Organisation: How do we do it (A case Study)
  Ms Debbie Blackburn, Development Bank of Southern Africa
• Knowledge Management in the public service: Towards a corporate framework
  Ms Thuli Radebe, DPSA

Day 2, 12 March 2004

• Reflections on previous day’s proceedings
  Andrew M. Kaniki
• More lessons from the UK
  Mr Ken Watling, UK Public Sector Benchmarking Service
• Learning networks as knowledge sharing & exchange platforms in the public service
  Mr Bongani Matomela, DPSA
• Closing Remarks
  Mr Khaya Ngema, Executive Manager: DPSA

• Report