Page 11 - Service Delivery Review

Towards the Professionalisation of the Public Sector Framework

Realigning the Public Service Commission (PSC) for

the Professionalisation of the Public Sector

ruption, are not helped by the fact that we do not have
a professionalised and meritocratic Public Service.

There are several root causes and possible solutions
to the deterioration in the State’s capacity. Howev-
er, reforming the Public Service emerges as the most
obvious and immediate of many possible solutions to
the challenges of state incapacity. While one might
find it difficult to change the political environment
within a short space of time. However, it is possible
to undertake initiatives that can begin to turn the situ-
ation around by reforming the Public Service quickly.
For that reason, Chapter 13 of the NDP strongly
pushes the imperative to develop an Ethical, Capable
and Developmental State. However, I believe Chapter
By Professor Somadoda Fikeni, Chairperson of 13 should have been made the first chapter of the
the Public Service Commission (PSC) and a National NDP because much of what the plan talks about in
Planning Commission (NPC) member. subsequent parts of the document is dependent on
the existence of a capable state. In other words, with-
out an Ethical, Capable and Developmental State,
It is not the intention of this presentation to get into everything else is bound to fail at the level of imple-
the specifics of the content of the National Frame- mentation.
work towards the Professionalisation of the Public
Sector. The Ministerial Review Panel has thoroughly Now that the Framework has been adopted and
examined the Framework. It has ensured that the re- launched, it becomes incumbent on us to follow
view process benefited from inputs from various pro- through the story that underpins the relationship be-
fessional organisations, from the South African Local tween the National Framework toward the Profession-
Government Association (SALGA) to the South Afri- alisation of the Public Sector and the development of
can Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). an Ethical, Capable and Developmental State. This
means keeping an eye on the legislation that is likely
However, I would want to focus on some of the points to be passed to give effect to the implementation of
we might have overlooked with the official release the National Framework toward the Professionalisa-
of the National Implementation Framework towards tion of the Public Service.
the Professionalisation of the Public Sector. It is my
contention that the adoption of the Framework rep- The PSC features prominently in the Framework in
resents a momentous occasion in the history of the terms of the role it is envisaged to play in ensuring
Public Sector that has received scant attention in the that it is successfully implemented. However, such
barrage of daily news headlines. support would hinge on the ability of the PSC to repo-
sition itself in such a way that it can assume a higher
A straightforward explanation of why this critical role and purpose. The ability of the PSC to perform
Framework seems to slip through the media and at a higher level would require simultaneous changes
public mind is that the nation is currently facing more within the commission itself.
pressing political crises. There is an overwhelming
sense of a country whose institutions are tearing Finally, the most difficult of the expected changes
apart and deteriorating at all levels of society. It is a in the wake of the Framework would not be about
sense of foreboding that several commissions of in- changes at the level of institutions nor about intro-
quiry confirm. ducing policy reforms. Instead, the most challenging
change revolves around changing the consciousness
From the Zondo Commission, the Nugent Commis- of public servants to embrace Chapter 10, section
sion, the High-Level Panel on State Security, or any 195 of the Constitution. As public servants, perhaps
other investigation, their conclusions point to the we have over-invested in a system that heavily relies
weakening of state institutions. Similarly, the reports on rules rather than intrinsic values, which makes un-
of the Auditor General (AG) consistently highlight the learning the old and relearning a new value system
problem of weakening state institutions, which ac- difficult.
counts for poor policy implementation and protests
over service delivery. These, along with rampant cor-

SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 15 • No. 2 of 2022/2023 11