Assessment of alignment of Training, Development and Personal Development Plans of South African Parliament employees: A case study of the Research Unit
| dc.contributor.advisor | Isaacs, Deyana | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Komle, Lindumzi Johnson | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2016-12-22T13:15:02Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2016-12-22T13:15:02Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2016-12 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2016. | |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH SUMMARY : Parliament is an organ of State that performs oversight over the Executive; consequently, it is crucial for Members of Parliament in their various committees to be well informed on the programmes and projects of various departments. Staff members in Parliament, and particularly researchers, are the ones that assist members of Parliament with the content knowledge of departments. In the dynamic nature of departments and Parliament, researchers need training from time to time; so that they can better advise the Members of parliament. The main objective of this study was to determine and explore the obstacles that hinder alignment between training and development, and the Personal Development Programmes (PDPs) of researchers in the Research Unit. A sample comprising 36 researchers was involved in this study. Using the mixed-method approach, where quantitative and qualitative methods were used sequentially, utilising questionnaires and interviews. The study found that researchers were not satisfied with the type of training to which they are exposed. This dissatisfaction is caused by various challenges, namely: Managers in the Research Unit fail to involve researchers in the planning phase of their training; although a training-needs analysis is done, researchers are not consulted on the form and type of training they need; funds are a challenge – to the extent that the Research Unit is unable to cater for each and every researcher’s training needs; and after training, evaluation is not conducted – so that the Research Unit can know the effectiveness of training, which could inform the Research Unit on its future training schedule. The study found that in answering the research question, the following obstacles were found to hinder the alignment between training and development, in addition to the researchers’ personal development plans: • The training policy is not adhered to because of the inadequate budget for training, as well as failing to respond to the employees’ training needs; • Where researchers without the necessary skills are appointed, the training provided is not aligned to the skills required; Even though the required skills are identified in the PDPs, the training provided does not appear to take the PDPs into consideration; • The budget is too small to accommodate the skills needed; and this is not always communicated properly to the staff. The study recommends the following: The Research Unit should ensure that ideally, it appoints researchers with the skills that are needed in Parliament. However, where this is not possible, training is required. It is fundamental that the appropriate training should be planned and provided for researchers requiring certain skills, in order to ensure that they perform their duties optimally. Managers should make sure that they communicate to researchers the details of their training budget, so that the researchers would know the kind of training for which they should apply. It is also important that the training sourced for the researchers is appropriate. Furthermore, the Research Unit should increase their training budget to cater for most, if not all, the employees. Another recommendation is that the researchers would need to be involved in the planning of the training programmes. The Learning and Development Unit of Parliament should make certain that all the units in Parliament follow the policy when it comes to training and development. A model, Nadler’s Critical-Events Model for training and development, is also recommended as a tool for an improved success rating in training and development in the Research Unit. It should be taken into cognisance that this study is a case study. It cannot be a generalisation for the entire Parliament. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die Parlement is ‘n staatsorgaan wat as deel van sy mandaat oorsig doen oor die uitvoerende funksies en uitvoerende amptelikes van die regering. Daarom is dit belangrik vir lede van die Parlement in hul verskeie kommittees om goed ingelig te wees oor die programme en projekte van die verskeie departemente. Werknemers by die Parlement, spesifiek die navorsers, is verantwoordelik daarvoor om die lede van die Parlement te ondersteun met inhoudskennis van die departemente se werk. Weens die dinamiese aard van die departemente en die Parlement is dit nodig dat navorers opleiding ontvang van tyd tot tyd sodat hul beter toegerus is om lede van die Parlement te adviseer. Die hoof doelwit van hierdie studie was om vas te stel watter hindernisse die samewerking tussen opleiding en ontwikkeling, en die persoonlike ontwikkelingsprogramme van navrosers in die navorsingseenheid affekteer. ‘n Steekproef van 36 navorsers was gebruik vir hierdie doeleindes. Deur die gemengde metode te gebruik waar kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe metodes saam gebruik word, was meningsopnames en onderhoude gebruik. Die studie het gevind dat navorsers ontevrede was met die soort opleiding wat hulle ontvang en kan aan ‘n paar faktore toegeskryf word, insluitend dat: bestuurders in die navorsingseenheid nie daarin slaag om navorsers te betrek by die beplanningsfase van opleiding nie; dat ten spyte van opleidingsbehoeftesanalises wat voltooi word, navorsers nie gekonsulteer word oor die soort en aard van opleiding wat hulle benodig nie; die begroting vir opleiding is ‘n beperkingsfaktor wat tot gevolg het dat die navorsingseenheid nie in staat is om aan die opleidingsbehoeftes van elke navorser te voldoen nie; dat evaluering na opleiding nie voltooi word nie, met ander woorde, dat die navorsingseenheid nie in staat is om die effektiwiteit van opleiding te bepaal om sodoende toekomstige opleiding in die navorsingseenheid te kan inlig nie. Deur die navorsingsvraag te beantwoord het die studie verder gevind dat die volgende hindernisse die samewerking tussen opleiding en ontwikkeling bemoeilik, bo en behalwe die persoonlike ontwikkelingsplan van navorsers: Die opleidingsbeleid word nie streng nagevolg nie weens die onvoldoende begroting vir opleiding en omdat navorsers se opleidingsbehoeftes nie aangespreek word nie; • Waar navorsers aangestel word wat nie die nodige vaardighede het nie, is die opleiding wat aangebied word nie in lyn met die vaardighede wat benodig word nie; • Selfs in gevalle waar die verlangde vaardighede in persoonlike ontwikkelingsplan aangespreek word, blyk dit nie asof die persoonlike ontwikkelingsplan in ag geneem word in die opleiding wat verskaf word nie; • Die begroting is te klein om die opleiding vir al die nodige vaardighede te akkomodeer en dit word nie altyd doeltreffend met werknemers gekommunikeer nie. Die studie stel die volgende voor: die navorsingseendheid behoort te verseker dat navorsers aangestel word wat die vaardighede besit wat benodig word by die parlement. Waar dit nie moontlik is nie, is opleiding nodig. Dit is belangrik dat daar beplan word vir beskikbaarheid van toepaslike opleiding van navorsers sodat hulle hul rol optimaal vervul. Bestuurders behoort seker te maak dat hulle die besonderhede van die begroting vir opleiding kommunikeer met navorsers sodat daar vir die regte soort opleiding aansoek gedoen word. Dit is verdermeer belangrik dat die opleiding wat aangebied word vir navorsers toepaslik is en dat die navorsingseenheid hul begroting vergroot om voorsiening te maak vir die meeste, as nie al die navorsers se behoeftes nie. Ander voorstelle sluit in dat die navorsers betrek word by die beplannngsfase van die opleidingsprogramme. Die Leer-en-Ontwikkelingseenheid van die Parlement behoort seker te maak dat al die eenhede van die Parlement die beleid vir opleiding en ontwikkeling nakom. ‘n Model, Nadler se Kritiese-Gebeure Model vir opleiding en ontwikkeling, word ook voorgestel as ‘n metode vir beter sukses van opleiding en ontwikkeling in die navorsingseenheid. Dit moet in ag geneem word dat hierdie studie ‘n gevallestudie is. Dit kan dus nie as ‘n veralgemening van die hele Parlement gesien word nie. | af_ZA |
| dc.format.extent | xiii, 122 pages | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/100098 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | |
| dc.subject | Research teams | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Evaluation -- Committees | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Legislators -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Endowment of research | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | UCTD | |
| dc.title | Assessment of alignment of Training, Development and Personal Development Plans of South African Parliament employees: A case study of the Research Unit | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |