An exploration of the performance management and development system in the department of education in the Eastern Cape

Date
2021-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : The Department of Education is a government department that is given a constitutional mandate to educate learners by equipping them to become better citizens in the future and to increase the country’s economic and social development of the country by the future job positions that these learners can occupy. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (RSA, 1996: s29) states that education is a basic right that needs to be available and accessible to all. To ensure that the mandate is followed, a Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) was developed to monitor the performance of employees in the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE). The purpose of this research study was to explore the implemented PMDS in this particular education department and to determine: • the perceptions of employees concerning the implemented PMDS and challenges the ECDoE may be facing concerning the PMDS; • if the payment of incentives and bonuses is informed by the overall performance of employees within ECDoE; • if performance agreements and performance appraisals (PAs) were submitted timeously to the members of the ECDoE; • the policy framework that is governing the PMDS in the ECDoE. Literature was reviewed on relevant policies, legislation, documents, annual performance plans, articles, journals and books pertaining to performance management. The data which was analysed in this research study was collected from both female and male managers, supervisors, and subordinates and the research instrument used was a survey in the form of a questionnaire. The findings indicated that there are challenges concerning the implemented PMDS in the ECDoE. Employees were/are not trained by the HR unit and, as a result, they feel that the PMDS is not serving its purpose because the PAs are not correctly implemented and, thus, the results are poor. The ECDoE is not responding to employees’ personal development plans for improving their performance and they are not given feedback by their supervisors regarding their performance. The researcher also found out that the ECDoE is utilising the Eastern Cape Provincial Administration (ECPA) PMDS policy and that the payment of incentives was informed by the employees’ performance, as indicated by the results of the PMDS. However, when these facts were passed on to employees, they argued that while they submitted performance agreements and appraisals on time, these were captured very late on the Persal system by the HR unit. The researcher has recommended that all employees should be trained as training is a fundamental issue that tabulates what is expected when it comes to PMDS and proper feedback should be given in order to enhance performance.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die Departement van Onderwys is 'n staatsdepartement wat 'n grondwetlike mandaat kry om leerders op te voed deur hulle toe te rus om in die toekoms beter burgers te word en om die sosiale en ekonomiese ontwikkeling van die land te vergroot deur die toekomstige posisies wat hierdie leerders kan beklee. Die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika (RSA, 1996: s29) sê dat onderwys 'n basiese reg is wat deur almal beskikbaar en toeganklik moet wees. Om te verseker dat die mandaat gevolg word, is 'n Prestasiebestuur- en Ontwikkelingstelsel (PBOS) ontwikkel om die prestasie van werknemers in die Oos-Kaapse Onderwysdepartement (OKOD) te monitor. Die doel van hierdie navorsingstudie was om die geimplenenteerder PBOS in hierdie spesifieke onderwysdepartement te ondersoek en te bepaal: • die persepsie van werknemers rakende die geimplementeerde en uitdagings wat die OKOD in die gesig staar ten opsigte van die PBOS; • as die betaling van aansporings en bonusse ingelig is deur die prestasie van die lede van die OKOD; • indien prestasie-ooreenkomste en prestasiebeoordelings (PB's) betyds by die lede van die OKOD ingedien is; • die beleidsraamwerk wat die PBOS in die OKOD beheer. Literatuur is hersien oor toepaslike beleide, wetgewing, dokumente, jaarlikse prestasieplanne, artikels, tydskrifte en boeke rakende prestasiebestuur. Die data wat in hierdie navorsingstudie geanaliseer is, is van sowel vroulike as manlike bestuurders en studieleiers versamel, en die gebruikte navorsingsinstrument was 'n opname in die vorm van 'n vraelys. Die bevindings het aangedui dat daar uitdagings is rakende die implementering van die PBOS-stelsel in die OKOD. Werknemers is nie opgelei deur die MH-eenheid nie en gevolglik voel hulle dat die PBOS nie sy doel dien nie, omdat die PB's nie korrek geïmplementeer is nie en die resultate dus swak is. Die OKOD reageer nie op werknemers se persoonlike ontwikkelingsplanne om hul prestasie te verbeter nie en hulle toesighouers kry geen terugvoer oor hul prestasies nie. Die navorser het ook uitgevind dat die OKOD die Oos-Kaapse Provinsiale Administrasie (OKPA) se PBOS-beleid gebruik en dat die betaling van aansporings deur die werknemers se prestasie ingelig is, soos aangedui deur die resultate van die PBOS. Toe hierdie feite aan werknemers deurgegee is, het hulle egter aangevoer dat, hoewel hulle betyds prestasie-ooreenkomste en -beoordelings ingedien het, dit deur die MH-eenheid baie laat op die Persal-stelsel vasgelê is. Die navorser het aanbeveel dat alle werknemers opgelei moet word as opleiding is 'n fundamentele kwessie wat tabuleer wat verwag word wanneer dit kom by PBOS en behoorlike terugvoer moet gegee word om prestasie te verbeter.
Description
Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Keywords
Performance -- Management -- Eastern Cape (South Africa), Performance -- Management -- Information technology, Employees -- Rating of, South Africa. Department of Education -- Eastern Cape (South Africa), UCTD
Citation