Page 11 - SDR_V15_No1 2022_V5

News in Brief

The NSG move fast to provide educational
training for SMS without qualifications

“This will assist the NSG to apply its RPL Policy to
recognise the knowledge and experience acquired
by the public servants who enrolled and completed
these programmes previously through formal, infor-
mal and non-formal learning,” he said.
Once the qualifications have been registered on the
NQF, the NSG will also implement its RPL policy to
recognise the experience and knowledge acquired by
the public servants through formal, informal non-for-
mal learning in the following manner:

• The RPL grants access to study for a quali-
fication to public servants who do not meet
Principal of the NSG, Mr Busani Ngcaweni the admission requirements;
• The RPL for credits by exempting public
servants to study specific modules of the
The National School of Government (NSG) is in the qualification to recognise the knowledge
final stage of awarding a tender to one of the High- and experience acquired through studying
er Education Institutions (HEI) to collaborate in the specific courses with the NSG that are re-
accreditation and registration of a Postgraduate Di- lated to the qualifications that are registered
ploma in Public Affairs and African Governance at on the NQF;
National Qualification Framework (NQF) Level 8, it • The RPL for access to the External Integrat-
emerged from a parliamentary question answer re- ed Summative Assessment (EISA): Public
cently. servants will be given access to write an
external integrated summative assessment
“The NSG is at its final stage of granting a bid/ten- (final examination) if they demonstrate that
der to one of the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) they have met the outcomes required for the
to collaborate in the accreditation and registration of qualification.
a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Affairs & African
Governance at NQF Level 8,” Public Service and Ad- The other initiative for professionalising the public
ministration Acting Minister, Thulas Nxesi made this service space, according to Minister Nxesi, is the col-
announcement on his written Parliamentary question. laboration with statutory and non-statutory profes-
sional bodies recognised by the South African Quali-
“Public servants will be recruited to study this qual- fication Authority (SAQA).
ification through that institution, and some modules
will be offered by the NSG. For this qualification, the “Various departments, including the NSG, will collab-
Institution’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) pol- orate with professional bodies in their area of work
icy will be used to recognise the prior learning of the for professional registration of public servants with
public servants.” professional bodies. This means that public servants
who do not meet the criteria for registration or to be
“The NSG finalised the design of an executive man- awarded professional designations will be required
agement qualification that will be registered at NQF to go through the professional bodies’ processes to
Level 8 with the Council on Higher Education,” Min- meet the requirements through RPL or studying spe-
ister Nxesi said. cific programmes designed by the professional bod-
ies in collaboration with the NSG or Higher Education
The NSG is working with the Department of Higher Institutions.
Education & Training to declare it as a College to offer
Higher Education Qualifications without changing its “Professional bodies will also play a critical role in
current structure like other existing government col- designing programmes in collaboration with the NSG
leges. Minister Nxesi singled out the Western Cape for continuing professional development of the pub-
Government College of Emergency Care as one of lic servants. The above initiatives will assist in the
those who have already registered qualifications on professionalisation of senior government officials to
the NQF. ensure that qualified and competent officials fill posi-
“This qualification is meant to professionalise the tions,” said Minister Nxesi.
executive management [officials], who do not have
qualifications in the public sector. It has also been de- Nthambeleni Gabara | The Public Servant Online
signed using some of the content of the existing NSG
suites of non-credit-bearing executive programmes.”

SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 15 • No. 1 of 2022 11