17Feb
HRDC conducts Provincial Dialogues with the nine Provincial HRDC Governance Structures
HRDC conducts Provincial Dialogues with the nine Provincial HRDC Governance Structures
17 February 2022
The HRDC Secretariat started a series of engagements with all the nine (9) provincial HRD Councils in this quarter, as mandated by the (national) Council. The purpose of these engagements is, in the main, to ensure alignment between the HRDC and the provincial Councils to positively impact on the human capital development in the country, as well as to measure accurately the implementation of the HRD Strategy Towards 2030. The visits will also assist in the monitoring and evaluation of the targets set in the Strategy.
The first of these visits was on 14 February with the Eastern Cape Provincial Human Resource Development Council (ECPHRDC). The meeting was held in East London and had representatives from Members of the provincial Council, officials from the office of the Premier all led by the Provincial HRDC Secretariat in the Eastern Cape. The ECPHRDC is located in the office of the Premier within the Eastern Cape Socio Economic Consultative Council (ECSECC). The HRDC delegation was led by Ms Azola Mayekiso who is the Deputy Chairperson of Council as well as the Co-Chair of the HRDC EXCO, while the Eastern Cape delegation was led by Ms Nomonde Hlatshaneni, the ECSECC provincial head of HRDC Secretariat.
The second visit took place in Polokwane with the Limpopo Provincial HRDC. The Limpopo team was led by the MEC for Education, the honourable Ms Polly Boshielo. The local delegation included the Director General in the province Mr N Chabeleng, officials from the office of the Premier, the Provincial Secretariat, COSATU representative in the provincial Council as well as the provincial Chamber of Business. The PHRDC was in the Premiers office with the Premier as Chairperson and the MEC for Education as the Deputy Chairperson. The Structures for the province, unlike those of the Eastern Cape, did not closely mirror those of the HRDC at national level. That was not a challenge if effective implementation was taking place. The HRDC delegation was led by Ms N Nxesi and Dr J Gule who are both Council and EXCO members.
In terms of alignment with the five goals of the HRD Strategy and implementation, both provinces were very clearly aligned with the key pillars of the Strategy. The key priority sectors for the Eastern Cape province were Agriculture and motor manufacturing and assembly. The province planned that they would source funding from various funders in the province to develop agriculture and related projects in the near future. The provincial structures were also not very removed from the HRDC governance structures. The plan was to use people from the province as champions of the strategy in their areas of expertise.
For the Limpopo province, Mining and Agriculture were the key focus economic drivers that the province was focusing on in terms of human resource development. Their programmes were also highly aligned with the five pillars of the HRD Strategy and implementation projects were effectively being run.
The key challenges for both provinces were highlighted as monitoring, reporting and evaluation of the HRD work at provincial level. The reporting against the Strategy did not seem to reflect the successful implementation that was taking place at the provinces.
The role of the DHET regional managers in both provinces was critical to the success of key HRD projects and in coordination between the Department, the Secretariat and the provincial structures.
It has become very clear that these visits are critical and that they must be conducted for all provinces to realise the intended outcome of successful implementation of the HRD strategy nationwide. Leadership of the EXCO members in these visits has proven to be an important factor.
The next visit is scheduled for 4 April 2022 to the Western Cape Province.
Full reports, presentations and more details relating to the various visits can be obtained from Ms B Chabani at Chabani.b@dhet.gov.za or 067 053 7145 and Ms MakkieNthite at Phathudi.m@dhet.gov.za, Ext: 3182 Ndinaye House.
Enquiries:
Mr S Mhlongo
012 943 3186
Issued by the Human Resources Development Council of South Africa
