Advanced Diploma in Public Administration

Purpose

The qualification is directed to people who are working or want to work in the public service. The Advanced Diploma will capacitate public officials with skills and expertise in Public Administration and Management, Finance, Human Resource Management, Local Government, Supply Chain, Control Measure and Development Activities that support public service delivery. It will further enable learners to understand the role and the impact of economic factors to public service delivery.

The qualification is responding to the specific skills and competencies in broader public service environment. It allows the learners to articulate to various institutions of higher learning with similar offerings.

Rationale

In view of local and global transformation, the introduction of the new public management approach and transformation of the higher education landscape primarily due to the new Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF) is imperative.

Against this background, it has become significant to review and transform the existing curriculum and qualifications to ensure relevance and applicability within the local and international arenas. Consequently, the department of Public Administration embarked on a process to facilitate this review of its current programme offerings.

The programme review and design took into account the National Skills Development Strategy III, and bench marked against North London School of Public Management and other relevant stakeholders in the field of Public Administration.

In light of the above, various gaps were identified in the current offering, hence highlighting the need to improve and amend the current curriculum and introduce new areas of specialisation. As such, this qualification will address the needs of all spheres of Government, to capacitate public officials in Leadership, Programme Management, Financial Management, Human Resource Management, Disaster and Risk Management, Supply Chain Management, Ethics and Integrity.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The structure of this qualification makes the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) possible. This provider based qualification may therefore be achieved in part through the Recognition of Prior Learning, which includes formal, informal and non-formal learning and work experience. The learner is thoroughly briefed on the mechanism to be used and support and guidance is provided. Care is taken to ensure that the mechanism used provides the learner with an opportunity to demonstrate competence and is not so onerous as to prevent learners from taking up the RPL option towards gaining a qualification.

If the learner is able to demonstrate competence in the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes implicit in this qualification the appropriate credits should be assigned to the learner. Recognition of Prior Learning will be done by means of Integrated Assessment as mentioned above.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entrance requirement is

• A three year Diploma in Public Administration.

This qualification consists of compulsory modules at NQF Level 7 totalling 112 and a 16 Credit Elective Module for specialisation.

Compulsory Modules, 112 Credits

• Advanced Finance, 24 Credits.
• Advanced Research Methodology and Project, 16 Credits.
• Policy Management and International Relations, 24 Credits.
• Advanced Monitoring and Evaluation, 24 Credits.
• Advanced Leadership and Governance, 24 Credits.

Elective Modules

Specialisation 1

Public Management, 16 Credits

• Advanced People Management, 16 Credits.

Specialisation 2

Supply Chain Management, 16 Credits

• Advanced Procurement, 16 Credits.

Specialisation 3

Local Government, 16 Credits

• Advanced Local Economic Development, 16 Credits.

Specialisation 4

Specialisation Disaster and Risk Management, 16 Credits

• Advanced Disaster and Risk Management, 16 Credits.

Total Credits 128.

1. Execute and manage budgets for all spheres of government.
2. Provide Leadership and adhere to good governance in the public sector.
3. Examine and apply good practices of people management.
4. Evaluate and review procurement and supply chain processes.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Financial Management is critically discussed and analysed for the purpose of improving Public Financial Management.
• The different role players in Financial Management are evaluated against the provision of the Public Financial Management Act and Treasury regulations.
• The inter-governmental relationships between the different spheres of government are critically discussed.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• The principles of good governance and supporting frameworks are critically discussed.
• Models of policy formulation for all spheres of government are explained.
• Policies for all spheres of government are implemented.
• Policies for all spheres of government are monitored and evaluated.
• Current and existing policies and programmes are analysed and reviewed.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Principles underpinning human resource management practice are discussed.
• Human Resource Policies for all spheres of government are formulated and executed.
• Human Resource Policies and Practices for all spheres of government are monitored and evaluated.
• Current and existing Human Resource policies and practices are analysed and reviewed.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Procurement and Supply Chain processes are critically discussed.
• The principles underpinning Procurement and Supply Chain processes are explained.
• Procurement and Supply Chain processes are implemented at all spheres of government.
• Current and existing Procurement and Supply Chain processes are benchmarked and reviewed against national and international best practices.

Integrated Assessment

The following are standard statements for integrated assessment. However, these statements are contextualised for the qualification:

• Assessment practices must be open, transparent, fair, valid, and reliable and ensure that no learner is disadvantaged in any way whatsoever, so that an integrated approach to assessment is incorporated into the qualification in the Practice modules for all streams in the third year of the Diploma in Public Administration.
• Learning, teaching and assessment are inextricably interwoven. In project assessments conducted at all levels, the assessment of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values shown in the qualification have been integrated.
• Assessment of fundamentals and critical cross-field outcomes is integrated as far as possible with other aspects and uses practical contexts. 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 or will work. 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 have been used to provide a context appropriate to the assessment.
• The theoretical and practical components have been assessed together. The assessor makes use of a range of formative and summative assessment tools methods and assess combinations of practical, applied, foundational and reflective competencies.

Formative assessment is provided through

• Portfolios.
• Simulations.
• Workplace assessments and practical workbooks.
• Written assignments.
• Written tests.
• Case studies and case presentations.
• Peer group evaluation.
• Face to face contact with students.