Question NW759 to the Minister of Public Service and Administration
09 May 2016 - NW759
Lovemore, Ms AT to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
(1)Whether the Public Service use a framework of minimum qualifications for the recruitment of staff to each position in the senior management service in national departments; if not, (a) why not, (b) who has the discretion to decide on acceptable qualifications for a potential incumbent and (c) when will such a framework be available for utilisation; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether all incumbent members of the senior management service in national departments will be required to achieve a minimum level of qualification; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) whether the salaries of directors-general across all national departments are the same or similar; if not, (a) what differences exist in this regard and (b) on what basis are calculations of the specified salaries made; if so, (i) why are all directors-general paid at the same level, regardless of the size of their departments and (ii) what are the salaries of directors-general; (4) whether incentives are paid to employees possessing identified critical or scarce skills; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
- The Public Service has a framework of minimum qualifications in place for the recruitment of staff to each position in the Senior Management Service. The Directive on compulsory capacity development, mandatory training days and minimum entry requirements for senior management service issued for implementation on 1 April 2015, is a subordinate legislation to the Public Service Act, 1994, which stipulates the minimum entry requirements for Senior Management Service (SMS) posts.
The Directive, which is currently being implemented by departments, indicates the entry requirements in terms of educational qualifications and years of experience for the different levels of SMS posts.
2. The Directive mentioned in paragraph 1 supra, also provides for the management of development priorities for existing SMS members in-so-far as providing specific training and development opportunities in order to ensure that the incumbent members who do not meet the minimum requirements are capacitated, as well as mandating the expected minimum qualification requirements for progression to higher posts.
(3) (a) A uniform salary dispensation applies to Directors-General across all national departments who are appointed in terms of the Public Service Act, 1994. A different salary dispensation applies to Directors-General in the so-called "services departments" who are appointed in terms of the Police Act, the Correctional Services Act and the Defence Act.
(b) The reason for the differentiation is the difference in employer contribution towards the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) between Public Service Act appointees on the one hand and those appointed in terms of the Acts for the services departments on the other.
(i) Directors-General appointed in terms of the Public Service Act are paid at the same level irrespective of the size of budget of the department because of the core responsibilities performed as accounting officers.
(ii) The full-time salary scales (Total Cost-to-Employer packages) for Directors-General appointed in terms of the Public Service Act and the Acts for the services departments are contained in the Table below as follows:
|
PUBLIC SERVICE ACT |
POLICE ACT, CORRECTIONAL (Rpa) |
||||
|
1 |
656 |
618 |
1 |
686 |
438 |
|
1 |
681 |
464 |
1 |
711 |
737 |
|
1 |
706 |
694 |
1 |
737 |
414 |
|
1 |
732 |
299 |
1 |
763 |
475 |
|
1 |
758 |
285 |
1 |
789 |
929 |
|
1 |
784 |
661 |
1 |
816 |
782 |
|
1 |
811 |
427 |
1 |
844 |
037 |
|
1 |
838 |
601 |
1 |
871 |
700 |
|
1 |
866 |
183 |
1 |
899 |
771 |
(4) No additional incentives are payable to employees possessing identified critical or scarce skills. Special salary dispensations, called Occupation Specific Dispensations (OSDs), have been implemented for identified occupations to stimulate recruitment and retention of personnel in these occupations. The following OSDs have been implemented in the Public Service:
- Legally qualified personnel;
- Engineers, Technicians, Technologists and Artisans and related occupations;
- Nursing personnel;
- Medical Officers, Medical Specialists, Dentists, Dental Specialists, Pharmacologists, Pharmacists and Emergency Care Practitioners, Therapeutic, Diagnostic and related Allied Health Professionals;
- Correctional Services Officers;
- Educators; and
- Educators in the Department of Correctional services.