Public Administration Training and Development in Africa: The Case of the Republic of South Africa

Abstract

South Africa is a developmental state that suffers from a lack of management capacity in the public service. Hence, a national imperative focuses on addressing talent management and building a cohort of qualified and competent public servants. The synergistic link between public sector management and the content of public administration can be associated with and contribute to addressing critical skills shortages in the public service. Training in this regard with the demand for and supply of competent managers raises some serious consideration. Given that academicians and scholars often criticize the history and evolution of education and training in public administration as being overly administrative and outdated, how has the need for a transformative management-governance context advanced in South Africa? In this regard, a range of “soft skills” deemed necessary for the developmental agenda in South Africa is a focal point of contemporary public administration. From a training perspective, methodologies include problem-based learning, performance-oriented and situation-emergent training, project management approach to managerial problems, and emphasis placed on indigenous management knowledge in a developmental context. We hope that these innovative approaches would address the wide managerial gap in the public administration environment.