**SayPro Buy Public Administration Level 5Training Material 50060

The purpose of the NQF level 5 Public Administration qualification is to provide a structured programme for public officials that work with senior management officials so as to provide support to strategic leadership and management needed to transform all spheres of government. The need for well-qualified efficient, client-oriented public officials is therefore identified as a priority in all the three spheres of government. The National Certificate in Public Administration (NQF Level 5) is aimed at practitioners working in the public sector. It is a qualification in a career pathway towards an accomplished public administration and management specialist.

The National Certificate in Public Administration consists of Exit Level Outcomes covering service delivery, knowledge management, formulation of public sector policies, risk management, applying the public sector legislative framework, managing people, leadership, financial administration, project management and information technology for the public sector. The competencies covered in the proposed unit standards encapsulate the competencies required by public officials working at the operational level.

The qualification will therefore enhance the ability of the qualifying learner as a public finance official to perform the necessary administration tasks expected as well as improve management abilities. In this way, the qualification enhances transferability of skills within different spheres of the public sector. At the same time, a learner will gain a firm foundation required for furthering studies at NQF levels 6 and 7. This qualification enables transferability of skills between the private and public sector.

With regard to the implementation of public administration and management reforms, the qualification serves, as a basis of an effective implementation process by defining and identifying those competencies required by technical public officials. The possession of relevant knowledge, skills and attitude by public officials is crucial to the implementation of public sector administration and management reforms. Thus, the qualification contributes to the upfliftment of South African economy in line with the aims of existing skills development legislations through enhancing of skill levels of public sector employees.

Qualifying learners could follow a career within the Public Sector’s:

• Financial Services.
• Administration.
• Management.
• Accounting.
• Project/Public Entity Management.

  Rationale:

  The public officials in South Africa operate in a wide variety of roles within the public administration and management structures. Often they work in diverse operating and service delivery circumstances. Therefore, they have to be widely acknowledged for their understanding and awareness of the unique characteristics and challenges they may face in the process of service delivery.

  The sustainability of South Africa’s democratic process and developmental governance are strongly linked to capacity building within the three spheres of government, i.e. the national, provincial and local spheres of government. It is imperative that public officials receive an up to date relevant and respected public administration and management qualification that recognises that the knowledge and skills which South Africa’s public sector require has been satisfactorily obtained. In order to do that most effectively, public officials need to have excellent awareness and understanding of the changing needs of today’s public service delivery systems and to identify very clearly the highly relevant expertise which these officials bring to their roles in the public sector.

  The Exit Level Outcomes highlight many of the public administration skills required within public sector. Such skills and knowledge are geared towards enabling public officials in all spheres of government to operate effectively and successfully in a demanding environment. Therefore, exit level outcomes and related assessment criteria are outlined for the areas of competence, which mark out public administration as key and highly influential in the public service delivery.

  It is understandable that most public officials will occupy specialised positions that do not require all of the contributions outlined in this qualification. In that sense, some of the exit level outcomes are shown as electives that address specialised knowledge and skills.

  The Certificate in Public Administration is a specialised Qualification which offers administrative, managerial and knowledge and skills that contributes to service delivery in the public sector to learners who:

• Have attained the National Certificate in Business Administration: Level 4 or any related financial, accounting, or public administration qualifications and wish to continue on a path of life-long learning within the Public Administration or related qualifications.
• Have worked in Public Administration, Accounting, Public Financial Management, Municipal Financial Administration/Management for many years, but have no formal Qualifications in their area of expertise.
• Wish to extend their range of skills and knowledge of Public Administration and Management so that they can become knowledgeable workers.
• Are contracted in a learnership agreement.
• Have recently taken up a position in Public Administration and Management.
• Have not yet acquired the skills and competencies required for learning higher level Public Administration and Management.

  The skills, knowledge, values and attitudes reflected in the Qualification are building blocks that will be developed further in a related NQF Level 6. The intention is:

• To promote the development of knowledge and skills that are required for the efficient performance of Public Finance Management and Administration functions.
• To release the potential of people.

  The Certificate in Public Administration Level 5 should produce knowledgeable, multi-skilled workers who are able to contribute to improved productivity and efficiency within the public sector. It should provide the means for current workers to receive recognition of prior learning, to upgrade their skills and achieve a nationally recognised qualification. It should also assist new entrants to the public sector.

  It will ensure that the quality of education and training in the public sector is enhanced and of a world-class standard.

  The Certificate at NQF Level 5 allows the learner to work towards a nationally recognised qualification. The qualification will allow both those in formal education and those already employed in organisations in the Public Administration and Management field of learning in the public sector access to a Qualification that can be used as a benchmark to gauge their competence against local and international standards.

Recognition of prior learning

The structure of this Unit Standard based Qualification makes the Recognition of Prior Learning possible. Learner and Assessor will jointly decide on methods to determine prior learning and competence in the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes implicit in the Qualification and the associated Unit Standards. Recognition of Prior Learning will be done by means of an Integrated Assessment as mentioned in the previous paragraph.

This Recognition of Prior Learning may allow for:

• Accelerated access to further learning at this or higher levels on the NQF.
• Gaining of credits towards a Unit Standard in this Qualification.
• Obtaining this Qualification in whole or in part.

  All recognition of Prior Learning is subject to quality assurance by the relevant ETQA or an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the relevant ETQA.

  Access to the qualification

  Access to this Qualification is open, bearing in mind the Learning Assumed to be in Place itemised below. It is recommended that learners are competent in the Qualification- National Certificate in Business Administrative Services: Level 4 or Financial Management: Level 4 or FETC: Accounting, before accessing this Qualification. This help to ensure that the learner has a broad understanding of the basic principles of Finance and Administration before proceeding with the more specialised requirements of Public Finance Management and Administration at Level 5.

The Certificate is made up of a planned combination of learning outcomes that have a defined purpose and will provide qualifying learners with applied competence and a basis for further training.

The qualification is made up of Unit Standards that are classified as Fundamental, Core and Elective. A minimum of 160 credits is required to complete the qualification.

In this qualification the credits are allocated as follows:

Fundamental: 27 credits, 19%
Core: 94 credits, 67%
Electives: 20 credits, 14%
Total: 160 credits, 100%

Motivation for number of credits assigned to fundamental, core and elective.

Fundamental Component

Unit Standards to the value of twenty-seven credits are allocated to the subject areas of communication, ethics and self-development.

The communications aspect of the fundamental component focuses on intermediate communication skills required to effectively fulfill public administration and management functions within the public sector and this component caters for nine credits.

Eight credits have been allocated to ethics and professional codes of conduct required in the public sector.

It is also viewed that self-development and awareness are an integral part of the effective public finance administration and management function. For this reason, ten credits have been allocated to this learning area, covering all aspects of self-development, ranging from awareness of self and interactions with others, and developing a career plan within the public sector.

All the Unit Standards are compulsory.

Core Component

Ninety-four credits have been allocated to Unit Standards in the Core Component of this Qualification. This is to ensure that the Qualification has a strong Public Administration concentration. The Unit Standards classified as Core describe Public Administration knowledge and skills that are generic to various public sector contexts where Administrative and Management functions of one kind or another are executed. They provide an opportunity to develop knowledge of Public Sector Administration through research, formal learning and workplace practice and/or simulated situations. The Unit Standards encourage application of knowledge and skills in real situations. The Core Unit Standards provide the basic knowledge and skills that all workers need to know about Public Administration and Management.

All Unit standards are compulsory.

Elective Component

There are Unit Standards totaling two hundred and six credits in this Component. These Unit Standards continue from the Core component in focusing on learning areas to pertinent to Public Administration and will enable learners to gain specialist knowledge and skills, which are particularly relevant, or of interest to the learner or a particular learning context. Learners are required to select Electives that add up to at least nineteen credits. While learners may choose any of the Electives to make up the 20 credits, it is preferable that the learner chooses the complete set of Standards listed even if this should mean that the minimum number of credits is exceeded.

1.Manage service delivery improvement and employ client service delivery techniques.
2. Manage and lead human resources in the workplace.
3. Apply the principles of knowledge management to public sector administration.
4. Plan strategically to improve business performance.
5. Apply South African legislation and policy affecting public administration.
6. Apply the principles of risk management to manage risk situations in the public sector.
7. Design, formulate public sector policies and regulations.

• The relationship between public service communication and client behaviour and characteristics is explained with examples.
• Client service techniques are applied to customer and high-risk clientrelations.
• A service delivery improvement plan is designed in alignment with organisational targets.
• Service delivery improvements are applied to ensure service delivery enhancement on an ongoing basis.

  2.

• A learning culture in organisation is promoted in line with human resources plans.
• An understanding of the importance that emotional intelligence plays in leadership is demonstrated with examples of typical public sector situations.
• Team building is undertaken to ensure the meeting of set goals and objectives.
• Conflicts in the workplace are managed in a professional manner.
• Diversity programmes are designed and managed in the workplace.
• Performance levels of employees are monitored and managed on an ongoing basis.

  3.

• The essential elements of knowledge management are analysed in a pubic sector context.
• Information is analysed and stored against knowledge categories.
• Communication information is presented as part of a knowledge management network.
• Knowledge management principles, techniques and tools are integrated into leadership service delivery.
• Knowledge management is applied to achieve organisational transformation.

  4.

• The concept of strategic planning is discussed and explained in relation to the managing of business performance.
• The role of the various organisational structures is discussed and explained in relation to business performance.
• Expenditure is monitored as a crucial aspect of business performance.
• Marketing objectives are analysed in relation to business performance.
• Performance problems are identified and rectified to ensure that service delivery is not compromised.
• Business attributes are developed in a specific context to enhance performance.

  5.

• The techniques of sound public sector management are applied in the implementation sector specific policy programmes.
• The key elements in the structure of public policy making in the South Africa are explained in relation to the connections and power relations between them.
• The elements of initiatives taken through various pieces of legislation are explained in relation to how they promote sound public sector management.
• An understanding is displayed through analysis of the environment in which policy-making takes place with particular emphasis on factors that affect on policy making.
• An understanding of the principles of good governance and ethical behaviour are explained within a public sector setting.

  6.

• An understanding of risk is demonstrated as it applied to the public sector.
• Potential risks are identified and the consequences outlined for the public sector.
• Risk management procedures are designed and implemented to ensure proactive public sector administration and management.
• Risk management procedures are assessed and reviewed to ensure that risk management procedures are current and appropriate.

  7.

• The role of government frameworks and institutions are explained and discussed as they relate to act and policy formulation.
• Basic public policy issues and problems are identified and diagnosed as they relate to policy imperatives of the country.
• Policy design through evaluation is conducted of different policy alternatives.
• Basic cost-benefit analysis techniques are applied to evaluate different policy alternatives.
• Foundations of ethical behaviour are applied to policy design and analysis.

  Integrated assessment

  Because assessment practices must be open, transparent, fair, valid, and reliable and ensure that no learner is disadvantaged in any way whatsoever, an integrated assessment approach is incorporated into the Qualification.

  Learning, teaching and assessment are inextricably lined. Whenever possible, the assessment of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values shown in the unit standards should be integrated.

  Assessment of the communication, language, literacy and numeracy should be conducted in conjunction with other aspects and should use authentic Debt Recovery contexts wherever possible.

  A variety of methods must be used in assessment and tools and activities must be appropriate to the context in which the learner is working. Where it is not possible to assess the learner in the workplace or on-the-job, simulations, case studies, role-plays and other similar techniques should be used to provide a context appropriate to the assessment.

  The term ‘Integrated Assessment’ implies that theoretical and practical components should be assessed together. During integrated assessments the assessor should make use of formative and summative assessment methods and assess combinations of practical, applied, foundational and reflective competencies.

  Assessors and moderators should make use of a range of formative and summative assessment methods. Assessors should assess and give credit for the evidence of learning that has already been acquired through formal, informal and non-formal learning and work experience.

  Assessment should ensure that all specific outcomes, embedded knowledge and critical cross-field outcomes are evaluated. The assessment of the critical cross-field outcomes should be integrated with the assessment of specific outcomes and embedded knowledge.

• Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland:

  The Institute for Development Management (IDM) ) is a regional organisation s a regional organisation in Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland (BLS) countries to help meet the management needs of the Region through management development activities including training, consultancy, research, and the establishment of a Management Resource Centre. IDM offers a Certificate in Public Administration and Management.

  This 36 week certificate course aims to meet the need for continuous training and development in Public Sector. Stated course outcomes include:

  > Use the computer in information management.
  > Demonstrate knowledge of numeric skills.
  > Demonstrate knowledge of Occupational Health and Safety.
  > Demonstrate knowledge of HIV/AIDS.
  > Communicate effectively in the workplace.
  > Demonstrate knowledge of the role and scope of Public Administration.
  > Demonstrate knowledge of decentralization and the role of local authorities in national development.
  > Apply basic principles of management in the workplace.
  > Demonstrate understanding of the various statutes which affect their day to day work.
  > Manage records and information in their organisations.
  > Demonstrate an understanding of basic principles of financial management.
  > Demonstrate an understanding of basic principles of economics.
  > Apply research methods by undertaking a work related project.

  The course comprises the following modules:

  > Introduction to Public Admin.
  > Local Govt Administration and Management.
  > Principles of Management.
  > Legal Aspects of PA.
  > Introduction to PC.
  > Communication skills.
  > Introduction to Financial Management.
  > Introductory Economics.
  > Occupational Health and Safety.
  > Records Management.
  > Numeric skills.
  > HIV/AIDS Awareness.
  > Basic Research Methods.

  A comparison of the above programme with the Qualification in Public Service Administration, Level 5 shows the qualification to be more comprehensive and, with regard to its elective components, more flexible.

  No other certificate courses in public management and administration could be found. University graduate courses (Public Management or Administration) and post graduate course Master of Business Administration (MBA) course majoring in Public Management and Administration are naturally more comprehensive and framed at a higher level than NQF Level 5 and are not within the scope of this purview. Having said this qualification, the National Certificate: Public Administration, provides a selection of important topic areas commonly found in graduate and post graduate studies.

  Summary:

  Benchmarking was done by comparison to Unit Standards/Outcomes of learning against the Unit Standards on Public Administration in the Qualification. The National Certificate: Public Administration compares favourably against similar certificate qualifications found in the SADC region.

  The following First World Countries with National Qualifications Frameworks were also looked at as they too have efficient public service departments. Training is done according to the following courses:

• United Kingdom:

  The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority of the United Kingdom ), and a search of the open qualifications database ) could not find any relevant qualifications or unit standards pertaining to public administration of management itself.

• New Zealand:

  The New Zealand Qualifications Authority ) has a Diploma in Local Government and administration at NQF (NZ) level 8 worth 120 credits.

• Australia:

  However, the Australian Qualifications Framework ), the National Qualifications authority of Ireland ) all failed to reveal any specific qualification of a similar nature to this qualification. On the other hand qualifications at diplomas and degree levels relating to public administration and management were available on the various university websites.

  These diplomas and degrees are comparable to this qualification but allowance is made for the fact the university degrees would be on an equivalent NQF level 6 or 7.

• Financial Management (NQF Level 5 and 6)
• Financial Services (NQF Level 5 and 6)
• Business Administration (NQF Level 5 and 6)
• Public Finance Management and Administration (NQF Level 5 and 6)
• Municipal Finance Management and Administration (NQF Level 5 and 6)
• Generic Financial Management, Leadership in Local Government (NQF Level 5 and 6)
• Generic Management (NQF Level 5 and 6)
• Certificate: Public Administration and Management (NQF Level 5)
• Advanced Diploma: Governance and Public Administration (NQF Level 6)
• Bachelor of Administration: Public Administration (NQF Level 6)

• Anyone assessing a learner or moderating the assessment of a learner against this Qualification must be registered as an assessor with the relevant Education, Training, Quality, Assurance (ETQA) Body, or with an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the relevant ETQA.
• Any institution offering learning that will enable the achievement of this Qualification must be accredited as a provider with the relevant Education, Training, Quality, Assurance (ETQA) Body, or with an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Financial Services (FASSET) ETQA.
• Assessment and moderation of assessment will be overseen by the relevant Education, Training, Quality, Assurance (ETQA) Body, or by an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the FASSET ETQA, according to the ETQA’s policies and guidelines for assessment and moderation.
• Moderation must include both internal and external moderation of assessments at exit points of the Qualification, unless ETQA policies specify otherwise. Moderation should also encompass achievement of the competence described both in individual Unit Standards as well as the integrated competence described in the Qualification.

  Anyone wishing to be assessed against this Qualification may apply to be assessed by any assessment agency, assessor or provider institution that is accredited by the relevant ETQA.

• A minimum of 2 (two) years’ practical, relevant occupational experience in Administration.
• To be declared competent in all the outcomes of the National Assessor Unit Standards as stipulated by South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).