Implementation of the Human Resource Development Strategy for South Africa ANDREW WILLIE BARTLETT 21936048 Mini-dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master’s degree in Development and Management at the Potchefstroom campus of the North- West University SUPERVISOR: MS LUNI VERMEULEN 2011 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to hereby express my sincere gratitude and appreciation towards the following persons for their support and assistance throughout this study:  My Heavenly Father who blessed me with the opportunity, ability and strength to try to make a difference through this study.  My wife, Elaine, without whose support, encouragement and assistance this study would not have been possible.  My children, Elandre and Jade, for their support and understanding; may this achievement motivate you in your studies and development.  My personal mentor and supervisor, Ms Luni Vermeulen, for her highly professional guidance, motivation, continuous support and patience.  To all the respondents at the various institutions for their participation and valuable contributions. Thank you very much for your selfless assistance. ii ABSTRACT In 2001 the first Human Resource Development Strategy of South Africa (HRDSA) was implemented. The lack of institutional arrangements, structures, procedures, processes and capacity and the location of the HRDSA, 2001, at both the then Departments of Education and Labour, severely hampered the implementation and effective functioning of the Strategy. This study aims to find solutions to the main implementation difficulties experienced with the HRDSA, 2001, in order to ensure increased performance regarding the strategic priorities of the revised HRDSA, 2010 - 2030. An empirical study was conducted to determine potential challenges pertaining to the implementation of the revised HRDSA. Interviews were conducted with senior officials and experts at relevant national departments and with the Gauteng Provincial Government and social partners and relevant stakeholders, including organised labour and organised business. Questionnaires distributed among human resource development (HRD) practitioners addressed matters pertaining to possible solutions with regard to the appropriate location of the HRDSA, challenges in implementing the HRDSA, capacity needs, appropriate governance structures, political support and budgetary constraints. Best practice for the implementation of a national HRD strategy in a number of countries is outlined and discussed with a view to benchmarking the HRDSA and learning from the mistakes made by them in the implementation of their national HRD strategies. Based on these lessons learnt by those countries, and valuable information gathered through the results obtained from the questionnaires and interviews, recommendations are made to support the successful implementation of the revised HRDSA. The recommendations are focused on the effective, efficient, economic and sustainable implementation of the revised HRDSA commitments, strategic priorities, strategic objectives, programmes and projects to improve social and economic growth, as well as HRD, human development (HD) and accelerated quality service delivery in South Africa. iii Keywords: National Human Resource Development Strategy, implementation challenges, social, economic and human development, service delivery. iv OPSOMMING Die eerste nasionale Menslike Hulpbronne Ontwikkelingstrategie (bekend as HRDSA) is in 2001 geïmplementeer. Die gebrek aan interne instellings, strukture, prosedures, prosesse en kapasiteit en die ligging van die HRDSA in die Nasionale Departement van Onderwys en die Departement van Arbeid het die implementering en die effektiewe funksionering van die HRDSA, 2001, gekniehalter. Hierdie studie poog om oplossings te vind vir die hoof implementeringsprobleme wat ondervind is tydens die implementering van die HRDSA, 2001, ten einde prestasies rakende die strategiese prioriteite van die HRDSA, 2010 - 2030, te verseker. ʼn Empiriese studie is onderneem om potensïele uitdagings en probleme vas te stel rakende die implementering van die HRDSA, 2010 - 2030. Onderhoude is gevoer met senior beamptes en deskundiges van die relevante nasionale departemente, die Presidensie, die Gauteng Provinsiale Administrasie en sosiale vennote soos die georganiseerde arbeid en georganiseerde besigheid. Vraelyste is geadministreer met praktisyns op die gebied van menslike hulpbronne-ontwikkeling, met betrekking tot moontlike oplossings ten opsigte van die toepaslike ligging van die HRDSA, implementeringsuitdagings, kapasiteitbehoeftes, toepaslike beheer en bestuurstrukture, politieke ondersteuning en begrotingstekorte en -beperkings. Die beste praktyk ten opsigte van die implementering van ʼn HRD-strategie in ʼn paar lande word uiteengesit en bespreek, waaruit die HRDSA kan leer van die implementeringsfoute wat begaan is aldaar. Gebaseer op die lesse waaruit geleer kan word asook die waardevolle inligting wat ingesamel is deur middel van die onderhoude en vraelyste, is aanbevelings gemaak om die implementering van die hersiene HRDSA te ondersteun. Die aanbevelings is gefokus op die effektiewe, ekonomiese en volhoubare implementering van die hersiene HRDSA se strategiese prioriteite, strategiese objektiewe, programme, projekte om sosiale en ekonomiese groei asook v menslike hulpbronne-ontwikkeling, menslike ontwikkeling en kwaliteit dienslewering in Suid-Afrika te versnel. Sleutelwoorde: Nasionale Menslike Hulpbronne Strategie, implementerings- uitdagings, sosiale, ekonomiese en menslike ontwikkeling, dienslewering. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii OPSOMMING v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES xi LIST OF DIAGRAMES xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND AND ORIENTATION 1 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT 6 1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 7 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 8 1.5 CENTRAL THEORETICAL STATEMENTS 9 1.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 10 1.6.1 Literature review 10 1.6.2 Design 10 1.6.3 Empirical investigation 11 1.6.3.1 Interviews 11 1.6.3.2 Questionnaires 13 1.6.4 Sampling 13 1.6.5 Processing and verification of data 14 1.6.6 Procedure 14 1.7 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS 15 1.8 CHAPTER OUTLINE 15 CHAPTER 2: NATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES: BEST PRACTICE 2.1 INTRODUCTION 17 2.2 CRITICAL LEVERS FOR QUALITY AND ACCELERATED 18 SERVICE DELIVERY vii 2.2.1 Accelerated quality service delivery 18 2.2.2 Human Resource Development 20 2.2.3 Good Governance 22 2.2.4 Outcomes-based Governance 23 2.3 ALTERNATE MECHANISMS TO IMPROVE SERVICE DELIVERY 25 2.4 BEST PRACTICE: IMPLEMENTATION OF HUMAN RESOURCE 28 DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES 2.4.1 The case of Brazil 29 2.4.1.1 Human Resource Development Good Practice 30 2.4.2 The case of Malaysia 33 2.4.2.1 Human Resource Development Good Practice 35 2.4.3 The case of Finland 37 2.4.3.1 Human Resource Development Good Practice 39 2.4.4 The case of Ireland 43 2.4.4.1 Human Resource Development Good Practice 44 2.5 CONCLUSION 44 CHAPTER 3: THE STATUTORY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR THE REVISED HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OF SOUTH AFRICA (HRDSA) 3.1 INTRODUCTION 46 3.2 THE STATUTORY FRAMEWORK FOR HUMAN 47 RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT 3.2.1 The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 47 of 1996 3.2.2 White Paper on Transforming Public Service Delivery 48 (Batho Pele) 1997 3.2.3 White Paper on Public Service Training and Education, 1997 49 3.2.4 Skills Development Act 37 of 2008 49 3.2.5 Green Paper on National Strategic Planning, 2009 50 viii 3.2.6 Green Paper: Improving Government Performance: 50 Our Approach, 2009 3.3 THE INITIAL HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 51 FOR SOUTH AFRICA (HRDSA, 2001) 3.3.1 Challenges experienced with the implementation of the HRDSA, 53 2001: The Gap Analysis 3.3.2 Challenges experienced with the implementation of the HRDSA, 55 2001: The interviews 3.4 RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO ADDRESS AND ARREST 57 CHALLENGES IN THE REVISED HRDSA, 2010 - 2030 3.5 CONCLUSION 63 CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH FINDINGS 4.1 INTRODUCTION 63 4.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 63 4.3 RESEARCH FINDINGS AND SUMMARY 66 4.3.1 Biographical findings of the respondents (Section A of the 67 Interview questionnaire) 4.3.2 The HRDSA: Challenges, recommendations and main 68 Ingredients Section B of the interview questionnaires) 4.3.3 Question 1: What do you perceive as the challenges in the 69 Implementation of the HRDSA, 2010 - 2030? 4.3.4 Question 2: How do you recommend that the Human 80 Resource Development Council address and arrest these implementation challenges? 4.3.5 Question 3: What do you think are the necessary ingredients 85 for the effective implementation of the HRDSA? 4.3.6 The analysis of questions on the improvement and acceleration 87 of quality services (Section C of the interview questionnaire) 4.3.6.1Question 1: What is your general view on service delivery 88 in the public service in South Africa? ix 4.3.6.2 Question 2: In your view, what are the key challenges with 89 service delivery in South Africa? 4.3.6.3 Question 3: How best can government in collaboration with the 92 public servants address and arrest these service delivery challenges in your view? 4.3.7 Views of respondents on key ingredients for the effective and 95 efficient implementation of the HRDSA 4.4 CONCLUSION 97 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 INTRODUCTION 99 5.2 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS OF CHAPTERS 99 5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS 103 5.4 FURTHER RESEARCH 108 5.5 CONCLUSION 108 REFERENCES 121 ANNEXURE A: CONSENT FORM 109 ANNEXURE B: STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE 112 ANNEXURE C: SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW SCHEDULE 118 x