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Towards the Professionalisation of the Public Sector Framework

The lack of representation below the MMS grouping public servants, a meagre 4 523 (or 0.3% of the total)
is of concern as the expectation has been that more employees are responsible for indeterminate ICT
young people would swell the pre-management ranks tasks in their departments.
and certainly the specialist layers.
The Public Service needs to increasingly embrace the
Moreover, the showing in this category is disappointing so-called “gig economy” along with the lessons and
given the attention youth unemployment continues insights on how the Public Service could digitise its
to get through various interventions including processes to aid internal efficiencies and interfacing
amendments to the Public Service Regulations and with members of the public. Technology provides
the Public Service Graduate Recruitment Scheme, us with the single most leverage for catapulting the
amongst others. Public Service into the digital age. For this reason,
there is a need for an HR forecast on the digital skills
Twenty-three (23) percent is not a good enough required to keep up with the rapid changes that will
representation of young people below MMS, and the likely confront the Public Service of the future.
ideal remains to move the figure upwards of 40%.
Achieving this target recognises the need to create a What is professionalism?
recruitment pipeline that attracts youth into internship
and learnerships programmes in their early 20s and The Framework puts a high premium on the
provides them with opportunities to work their way individual’s agency in driving professionalism in the
up to the Public Service decision-making structures. Public Service. To the DPSA, which is the guardian
of norms and standards in the Public Service,
The State of ICT in the Public Service
a professional is a person whose orientation is
towards the public good. It is the kind of person
Information Communication Technology (ICT) remains who displays effective leadership skills and a keen
a critical instrument for transitioning the current pool
of public servants to the demands of an increasingly sense of distinguishing right and wrong in line with
digitised world of work. Yet despite the R20 billion that the public administration values of Chapter 10 of the
Government invests in ICTs annually, the potential of Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
technology in bringing about the modernisation of the
Public Service remains under-exploited for several Navigating the minefield of a bureaucratic environment
reasons. requires a collaborative mind-set and the ability to
break down the silos that are a creation of a rules-
According to the Annual Review of ICT Expenditure bound public service. Additionally, several other traits
data, the single most significant disability to adopting define the ideal public servant of the future. Most
technology in the Public Service is how thinly spread significant is being tech-savvy and comfortable with
(if not non-existent) the ICT function is within national technology’s many possibilities.
and provincial departments. Out of the 1 234 442

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