Diploma in Public Affairs

Purpose

The purpose of the qualification is to equip learners with foundational and practical knowledge, competencies and contextually relevant skills required to optimise the administration. The modules that comprise the curriculum for the qualification were developed; each with Exit Level Outcomes which is linked its purpose. The first-year level modules focus on the fundamentals of managing public affairs. In other words, the modules have been designed to provide fundamental knowledge to learners Subsumed in these are policy design, analysis, interpretation and implementation, including the politics and economics of its administration. Furthermore, learners will be able to apply key terms, concepts, facts, principle and theories of the discipline. There are also fundamental modules that will provide learners with skills that would enable them to communicate and interact effectively in the public space, be able to engage in systematic inquiry, gather and analyse information, and optimise decision-making using statistical models for managing public affairs. Also, learners will be able to gain problem-solving skills, ethics and professional ethics, management of information and its communication, context and systems, management of learning and accountability.

Upon completion of the qualification, learners will be able to

• Read, write, conceptualise, analyse, interpret, historicise, narrate, engage, articulate, communicate and be able to interact in the public space.
• Engage in systematic inquiry, gather information, make decisions and act appropriately in familiar and new contexts.
• Articulate the evolution of the study of public affairs from the historical-descriptive perspective.
• Articulate the philosophical and theoretical foundations of public affairs as a science and art.
• Demonstrate a practical understanding of managing a State in a developmental context.
• Apply the concepts, theories and philosophies of managing public affairs.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between systems, and how actions, ideas, or developments in one system impact on other systems.
• Demonstrate the ability to evaluate performance against given criteria, and accurately identify and address task-specific learning needs and provide support to the learning needs of others.
• Demonstrate the ability to effectively work in a team or group, and to take responsibility for the decisions and actions of others within well-defined contexts, including the responsibility for the use of resources.
• Analyse, interpret and apply the principles of managing public affairs.
• Manage communication and knowledge for strategic utilisation to optimise the efficiency of the State.
• Provide administrative leadership for effective management of public affairs to optimise public governance.
• Engage in public policy processes, provide support and administrative insight into the feasibility and implication of public policies.
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of the politics and economics of public affairs.
• Gather information and conduct research in public affairs, and interpret the results to inform policy praxis.
• Manage human and financial capital in the public sector.
• Model and apply statistical data using computer simulation or other relevant technology to optimise decision-making in the management of public affairs.
• Articulate and apply the values and principles of running the State.
• Demonstrate ethical leadership in building organisational integrity.
• Manage development in a political system.

Rationale

The rationale for this qualification required a rethinking of its epistemological and ontological disposition in crafting a qualification for education and training for those that chose a career in the administration of the state. The complexities of the 21st century as they relate to statecraft requires that the state should be staffed with the best, highly educated, sophisticated and capable with rounded knowledge, coupled with strategic and technical skills to function in a public space with efficiency and commitment to the common good. This emerged in many interactions with the public sector, where it was said that the existing qualifications lack the rigour and have largely been outpaced by the changing world where fundamental questions are how should the education and training of the 21st-century officials of the state respond to Fourth Industrial Revolution and the decoloniality imperative. Advisory board meetings urged that curriculum development endeavours should try to attend to these questions, which the South African Association of Public Administration and Management (SAAPAM) reiterated. This is a professional association in the field which provides a platform for the intersection of ideas in the conferences it hosts annually. Scholars in academy and practitioners meet each year to reflect on the state of the discipline and its contribution to building the capacity of the state. Insights from all these, coupled with the outcomes of the analysis of global trends relating to the organisation of the public affairs qualifications and the epistemological shift in the discipline, were used to conceptualise the Diploma in Public Affairs.

The public management qualification, as currently offered, was introduced for the technikons, which their designations as the universities of technology did not immediately result in re-curricular. Almost a decade after the reconfiguration of the institutional landscape of higher education, universities of technology are still largely etched in the technikon culture in terms of their curricula orientation. This is so in the field of public management, where the curriculum, along with other pedagogical aspects and research, continue in the technikons, with its philosophical and theoretical bases anachronistic in the changing society. The neoliberal logic that informs the philosophical and theoretical foundations of public management no longer holds. It is against this background that a Diploma Public Affairs was conceptualised, and is for consideration to replace the existing National Diploma Public Management and National Diploma Local Government.

The Diploma in Public Affairs assumes a two-stream approach. This maximises the employability prospects of the graduates. Local government is an important aspect of public affairs, in the same way, the administration of the state is. It is therefore not a different field of study as if often made to be. The existing approach of educating either for employment in the administrations of the national/provincial spheres of government or those in the local sphere limits the employability prospects of learners. It is against this background that the design of the qualification adopts a two-stream approach, where the administration of the state and local government streams are integrated rather than disaggregated as different fields of study. Therefore, the local government stream of the qualification will enable learners to be employed in the municipalities so that they remain highly marketable in other parts of the public sector. The converse applies with those who pursue the administration of the state stream.

The qualification is designed to ensure that their disciplinary orientations are grounded in the theories and philosophies of managing public affairs. The focus to a particular area of public affairs is the reason behind the two-stream approach, the idea is to educate for rounded knowledge. In other words, public management and local government are all aspects of managing public affairs. The qualification follows an integrated approach for the entirety of the public sector, rather than differentiation. The Diploma in Public Affairs is designed to prepare learners for the entire area of the public sector in which they will operate: public service (national and provincial spheres of government), municipalities, public entities, government enterprises and public sphere institutions. They can also work in the public affairs divisions of the private companies.

This qualification is designed to articulate to Advanced Diploma in Public Affairs. Learners with this qualification could further enrol for Postgraduate Diploma in Public Affairs, which articulates to Master of Public Affairs. Ultimately the candidates can pursue Doctor of Public Affairs. Graduates of this qualification are expected to be responsible citizens with a strong sense of ethics and the ability to make a significant contribution towards building the capacity of the state in the pursuit of the public good.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

RPL refers to the recognition of knowledge acquired either formally, non-informally or informally elsewhere, which is considered against the requirement for credit for inclusion or advancement in the formal education and training system. Access into the qualification through RPL can be at either entry or an advanced level. Advanced RPL level refers to the second or higher level qualifications the applicant wishes to access. Typically, this follows the RPL application to access the qualification. "Equivalence" status can also be granted. This is another dimension of RPL. It refers to an arrangement where the applicant is granted admission into the qualification based on the fact of his/her current qualification "which is similar to granting admission into the qualification based on "equivalent qualification". RPL employing "equivalent qualification" means a qualification completed at an accredited institution of higher learning which is not identical to the admission requirements of the qualification but which is evaluated to be on the same National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Senior Certificate without endorsement.

Or

• National Senior Certificate granting access to Diploma studies with appropriate subject combinations and levels of achievement.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory and elective modules at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Levels 5 and 6 totalling 360 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at Level 5, 100 Credits (Choose all modules from either Stream 1 or 2)

Stream 1: Administration of State Stream

• Public Affairs 1A, 12 Credits.
• Governance and Public Leadership 1A, 12 Credits.
• Life Skills 1A, 2 Credits.
• Communication for Academic Purpose 1A, 10 Credits.
• Public Sector Economics 1 A, 10 Credits.
• Public Affairs 1B, 12 Credits.
• Governance and Public Leadership 1B, 12 Credits.
• Statistics for Managing Public Affairs 1B, 8 Credits.
• Public Sector Economics 1B, 10 Credits.
• Computer Literacy 1B, 10 Credits.
• Information Literacy 1B, 2 Credits.

Stream 2: Local Government

• Public Affairs 1A, 12 Credits.
• Local Government 1A, 12 Credits.
• Life Skills 1 A, 2 Credits.
• Communication for Academic Purpose 1A, 10 Credits.
• Local Government Economics 1 A, 10 Credits.
• Public Affairs 1B, 12 Credits.
• Local Government 1B, 12 Credits.
• Statistics for Managing Public Affairs 1B, 8 Credits.
• Local Government Economics 1B, 10 Credits.
• Computer Literacy 1B, 10 Credits.
• Information Literacy 1B, 2 Credits.

Elective Modules, Level 5, 20 Credits

Stream 1: Administration of State Stream

Select one.

• Introduction to the theory of knowledge 1A, 10 Credits.
• Introduction to Political Theory 1A, 10 Credits.

And Select one

• Public Sector Ethics 1B, 10 Credits.
• Constitutional Law 1B, 10 Credits.

Stream 2: Local Government

Select one

• Introduction to Theory of Knowledge 1A, or, 10 Credits.
• Introduction to Political Theory 1A, 10 Credits.

And Select one

• International Trade and Local Government 1B, or, 10 Credits.
• Local Government Investment 1B, 10 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at Level 6, 205 Credits (Choose all modules from either Stream 1 or 2)

Stream 1: Administration of State Stream

• Public Affairs 11A, 10 Credits.
• Governance and Public Leadership 11A, 10 Credits.
• Managing Human Capital in the Public Sector 11A, 10 Credits.
• Public Sector Economics 11A, 10 Credits.
• Information and Knowledge Management 11A, 10 Credits.
• Public Affairs 11B, 10 Credits.
• Governance and Public Leadership 11B, 10 Credits.
• Managing Human Capital in the Public Sector 11B, 10 Credits.
• Public Sector Economics 11B, 10 Credits.
• Information and Knowledge Management 11B, 10 Credits.
• Public Affairs 111A, 10 Credits.
• Governance and Public Leadership 111A, 10 Credits.
• Managing Human Capital in the Public Sector 111A, 10 Credits.
• Public Sector Economics 111A, 10 Credits.
• Policy Studies and Interpretation of Statutes 111A, 10 Credits.
• Public Affairs 111B, 10 Credits.
• Governance and Public Leadership 111B, 10 Credits.
• Managing Human Capital in the Public Sector 111B, 10 Credits.
• Public Sector Economics 111B, 5 Credits.
• Public Affairs in Praxis 111B (Experiential Learning), 20 Credits.

Stream 2: Local Government

• Public Affairs 11A, 10 Credits.
• Local Government 11A, 10 Credits.
• Managing Human Capital in the Public Sector 11A, 10 Credits.
• Municipal Finance 11 A, 10 Credits.
• Information and Knowledge Management 11 A, 10 Credits.
• Public Affairs 11B, 10 Credits.
• Local Government 11B, 10 Credits.
• Managing Human Capital in the Public Sector 11B, 10 Credits.
• Municipal Finance 11B, 10 Credits.
• Municipal Law 11B, 10 Credits.
• Public Affairs 111A, 10 Credits.
• Local Government 111 A, 10 Credits.
• Managing Human Capital in the Public Sector 111A, 10 Credits.
• Municipal Finance 111A, 10 Credits.
• Policy Studies and Interpretation of Statutes 111A, 10 Credits.
• Public Affairs 111B, 10 Credits.
• Local Government 111B, 10 Credits.
• Managing Human Capital in the Public Sector 111B, 10 Credits.
• Municipal Finance 111B, 5 Credits.
• Public Affairs in Praxis 111B (Experiential Learning), 20 Credits.

Elective Modules Level 6, 35 Credits

Stream 1: Administration of State Stream

Select one

• Political Economy 11A, 10 Credits.
• International Finance 11A, 10 Credits.

And (select one)

• International Relations and Diplomacy 111A, 10 Credits.
• International Trade 111A, 10 Credits.

And Select one

• International Politics 11B, 10 Credits.
• Administrative Law 11B, 10 Credits.

And Select one

• Organisational Theory and Institutional Design 111B, 5 Credits.
• Public Sector Marketing 111B, 5 Credits.

Stream 2: Local Government

Select one

• Management of Local Development 11A, 10 Credits.
• Political Economy of Local Government 11A, 10 Credits.

And Select one

• Governmental Relations 111A, 10 Credits.
• Property Valuation and Real Estate 111A, 10 Credits.

And Select one

• International Local Government Law 11B, 10 Credits.
• Organisation Theory and Institutional Design 11B, 10 Credits.

And Select one

• Environmental Management and Sustainable Development 111B, 5 Credits.
• Public Sector Marketing 111B, 5 Credits.

1. Demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of key terms, concepts, facts, principles, rules and theories of the public affairs field, in terms of its various paradigms or school of thoughts: public administration, public management and governance.
2. Demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of the evolution of the study of public affairs from the historical-descriptive perspective.
3. Analyse, interpret, historicise, narrate, engage, articulate, communicate, interact in the public space, engage in systematic inquiry and make decisions, gather evidence using the procedures appropriate to the field to identify, analyse and solve problems in the public affairs space.
4. Take decisions and act ethically and professionally and justify those decisions and actions drawing on appropriate ethical values and approaches within public affairs.
5. Manage communication, information and knowledge for strategic utilisation to optimise the efficiency and effectiveness of the state.
6. Develop and communicate their ideas and opinions in well-formed arguments, using appropriate academic, professional, or public affairs dialectics.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Apply fundamental knowledge of the public affairs field in terms of various paradigms or school of thoughts about public administration, public management and governance.
• Explain key terms, concepts, facts, principles, rules and theories of the public affairs field.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Explain and discuss detailed knowledge and understanding of the evolution of the study of public affairs from the historical-descriptive perspective.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Identify, analyse and solve problems in an unfamiliar organisational public affairs context.
• Solve problems within the public affairs space through engaging in systematic inquiry and decision-making process.
• Identify and gather evidence using appropriate procedures in the public affairs field.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical implications of decisions and actions taken by a public affairs practitioner in the public affairs environment in which he/she operates.
• Demonstrate awareness of and understand the complexity of ethical dilemmas within the public affairs environment.
• Understand and abide by and operate following the public affairs environment and establish relevant professional codes of ethics.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Evaluate different sources of information regarding communication in the affairs of the state.
• Select information that is appropriate to the task within the public affairs environment.
• Apply communication strategies and plans are and monitor the process, using appropriate conventions and formats relevant to the public affairs field.
• Identify, analyse, and evaluate sources of information, select information appropriate for policy development and implementation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Develop your ideas in well-formed contextual arguments.
• Communicate own opinions using appropriate academic, professional, or public affairs discussions.

Integrated Assessment

Formative Assessment is used to determine the progressive development of the learner's competence in the learning process. It is integrated into the process of teaching and learning. The formative assessment tools that would be used are: Assignments, portfolios, projects, research papers, case studies, role plays, self-assessment and fieldwork.

Summative Assessment is administered at the end of the learning qualification to make a judgement about the learner's achievement against the qualification's Exit Level Outcomes. It takes the form of either written, oral examination, or both.