Nearly 1,000 public servants have taken advantage of a range of learning opportunities arising from agreements with foreign academic and training institutions. This information emerged from a recent reply to parliamentary questions posed to the Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi, regarding the nature of the short courses and the total number of public servants who had participated in them over the past five years.
Through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between the National School of Government (NSG) and external providers, public servants can access skills needed to improve the performance of the public sector, Minister Inkosi Buthelezi responded.
According to the reply, the public servants received tuition from 47 NSG partner institutions between 2019 and 2024. The short course offerings were diverse, with subject matter ranging from agriculture and design thinking to public administration, poverty alleviation, and sustainable development.
The course providers’ countries of origin included higher education institutions in China, France, Chile, and the United Kingdom, with some courses delivered virtually by non-state organisations. The data sheet also indicated that short courses were offered by the Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires (INSEAD), the Institute for Sustainability and Development, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Chandler Academy of Governance.
Annualised data for each course indicated that most participants successfully completed their chosen short courses, with only a small number of dropouts. In terms of accreditation, some of the courses could be linked to the South African Qualifications Framework, while others were more focused on skills acquisition and personal development. In such cases, students were issued with non-credit-bearing certificates of participation or completion, according to the parliamentary reply.
“The NSG also receives offers for short learning programmes through embassies. This is consistent with the NSG Partnership Strategy, which seeks to expand learning opportunities for public officials to access skills needed to enhance public sector development and performance,” said Minister Inkosi Buthelezi.
