Question NW3198 to the Minister of Public Service and Administration

Reply:

a) (i) and (ii):

The Minister for the Public Service and Administration (MPSA), guided by section 3 (c) of the Public Service Act (PSA), issued a Directive guiding national and provincial departments on Compulsory Capacity Development Mandatory Training Days, and Minimum Entry Requirements, specifically for Senior Management Service (SMS) roles. The Directive sets forth mandatory requirements and standards which define qualification criteria that must be met for recruitment into SMS positions.

Since the Directive was issued the following has been noted:

• The majority of officials that do not meet minimum entry requirements, entered into those positions before the Directive was issued and at a time when they were meeting the requirements. This means that departments are complying with the Directive.
• As South African law does not allow for retrospective application unless specifically ordered by a court of law, the officials are being encouraged to improve their qualifications either through academic study or Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
• Most of the Public Servants have since secured improved qualifications, however these are yet to be captured on PERSAL by their departments.
• The DPSA is working with relevant departments to ensure that improved qualifications are correctly updated and captured on PERSAL.

Within the context of the Directive, the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), fulfilling its role, compiles qualification data solely for SMS members in compliance with this Directive. The total number of SMS Members in each national and provincial government department is attached as Annexure A:

b) (i) and (ii):

The total number of SMS members with qualifications not specified on PERSAL as of 30 September 2023 is 1 801.

SMS Members with Qualifications Unspecified on PERSAL

Occupational Classification	Date Appointed In SMS	Total
	Before 1 August 2016	From 1 August 2016
Total	1 259	542	1 801
Administrative Related	91	55	146
Advocates		1	1
Agriculture Related	2		2
Communication And Information Related	4	2	6
Computer Programmers.		1	1
Computer System Designers and Analysts.		1	1
Crime Investigators/ Misdaad Ondersoekers		1	1
Custodian Personnel		1	1
Economists	2		2
Finance And Economics Related	20	6	26
Financial And Related Professionals	18	11	29
Financial Clerks and Credit Controllers	2		2
General Legal Administration & Rel. Professionals	2	1	3
Head Of Department/Chief Executive Officer	20	6	26
Health Sciences Related	3	2	5
Human Resources & Organisational Development & Related Professions	10	4	14
Human Resources Related	11	4	15
Identification Experts	3		3
Information Technology Related	4		4
Legal Related	4	1	5
Natural Sciences Related	2	2	4
Operational Planning		1	1
Other Administration & Related Clerks and Organisers	2	3	5
Other Administrative Policy and Related Officers	2		2
Other Information Technology Personnel.	8		8
Other Occupations	9		9
Police.		1	1
Professional Nurse	1	1	2
Prosecutor		1	1
Risk Management and Security Services	4		4
Saps	1	1	2
Secretaries & Other Keyboard Operating Clerks		3	3
Security Officers	1		1
Senior Managers	1 027	432	1 459
Social Sciences Related	1		1
Social Work and Related Professionals	2		2
Trade/Industry Advisers & Other Related Profession	2		2
Veterinarians	1		1

Table 1: PERSAL Data as of 30 September 2023 Occupation Specific

End