Question NW477 to the Minister of Public Service and Administration
09 May 2022 - NW477
Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
(1)As at January 2022, what number of senior managers in the Public Service do not have the qualifications required for the positions that they currently occupy; (2) what number of government departments have been able to update the qualifications of their staff members on the PERSAL system; (3) whether there will be repercussions for government departments and/or senior managers who have failed to ensure that their qualifications are updated on the PERSAL system; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. The reply to Parliamentary Question 152 on 7 April 2021, highlighted that the information available from PERSAL, indicated that over 35% of senior managers (SMS) did not have the requisite qualifications for the positions that they occupied. By 31 January 2022, the figure reduced by almost 10% to 25.9%. As it stands, a total of 2412 out of 9309 senior managers do not have their qualifications reflected on PERSAL.
2. 50 departments updated the qualifications of their senior managers on the PERSAL system between 31 October 2021 and 31 January 2022.
3. The DPSA is monitoring the updating of PERSAL data and continues to remind Accounting Officers of the importance of maintaining this information. The current exercise has indicated that there might be SMS members who possess proper qualifications but such are not reflected on the PERSAL system. It is however clear that departments are gradually responding to
Circular HRD0301 to update PERSAL data, therefore further punitive measures might not be needed. It is important to reiterate the fact that the matter of the senior manager’s or other employees’ qualifications be understood within the broader context of the professionalization of the public service efforts that are underway.
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