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Constitution and legislative frameworks
The cornerstone and supreme law of the South African democratic state is the Constitution. It spells out values and principles that should characterise public service and administration (s195(1)). As outlined in Chapter 1, these include a high standard of professional ethics; efficient, economic and effective use of resources; impartial, fair and equitable provision of services; active participation of citizens in policy making; accountability; transparency; representativeness; and good human resource management and development practices. Public Service Regulations (PSR) are in place to bring into operation the Public Service Act (PSA), 1994, as amended. The revised PSR (2016) replace the 2001 version and provide a combination of new, expanded and revised sections. The Code of Conduct (regulation 11) sharpens the relationships between public service employment and the Constitution. All employees are required to: be faithful to the Republic and honour and abide by the Constitution and all other law in the execution of their official duties; put the public interest first in the execution of their official duties; loyally execute the lawful policies of the Government of the day in the performance of their official duties; abide by and strive to be familiar with all legislation and other lawful instructions applicable to their conduct and official duties; and co-operate with public institutions established under the Constitution and legislation.
Predating and succeeding the proclamation of the Constitution, legislative work was undertaken in several critical areas towards the construction of a public service that enables social transformation and development. Below are some of the germane outputs of the “rationalisation and policy development (1994–1999)” phase (PSC 2008:7).
The White Paper on Reconstruction and Development (WPRD 1994): The Reconstruction and Development Plan (RDP) was offered as a vehicle to meet the objectives of freedom and an improved standard of living and quality of life for all South Africans, within a peaceful and stable society characterised by equitable economic growth. Plans for the initial implementation work were developed but there was full recognition that not every expectation would be met immediately.
Notably, the White Paper pronounced (WPRD 1994:42): “The responsibility for the renewal and transformation of our nation is, however, not the responsibility only of the Government, nor of particular elected officials. It is a joint responsibility of all sections of our nation, and calls for all to put their energy and creativity into finding ways of doing things better and differently”.
White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service (WPTPS 1995) and White Paper on Transforming Public Service Delivery (Batho Pele) (WPTPSD 1997): In support of the RDP, the purpose of the WPTPS was to guide the introduction and implementation of new policies and legislation aimed at creating a transformed public service. This public service had to be “a coherent,
representative, competent and democratic instrument for implementing government policies and meeting the needs of all South Africans” (WPTPS 1995:par1.1). With emphasis on putting citizens first, the concept ‘customer’ was introduced as a useful term “because it embraces certain principles which are as fundamental to public service delivery as they are to the provision of services for commercial gain” (WPTPSD 1997:par1.3). The Eight Principles of Batho Pele that must be observed by all public service officials and departments for internal and external ‘customers’ are: consultation; service standards; access; courtesy; information; openness and transparency; redress; and value for money. These principles are reinforced by the belief set: We belong. We care. We serve.
White Paper on Human Resource Management in the Public Service (WPHRMPS 1997): In breaking away from the pre-1994 conditions and practices, the WPHRMPS made an upfront move from ‘personnel administration’ to ‘human resource management’. The HRM framework would be underpinned by the values derived from the Constitution, namely, fairness; equity; accessibility; transparency; accountability; participation and professionalism. In guiding public service HRM, the White Paper laid emphasis on valuing diversity, increasing the delegation of managerial responsibility, and striving for efficiency and effectiveness.
White Paper on Public Service Training and Education (WPPSTE 1998): Among the challenges that were identified in the public service were the inappropriateness of the training and education provided by numerous in-service and external providers; and absence of a strategic, outcomes- and competency-based approach to public service training and education. What the White Paper advocated was training and education that is directly related to the developmental needs of the public service, and linked to the principles of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and guidelines of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). Norms and standards would be set centrally to build a unified public service with a common culture and value system, but provision would be decentralised to state and non-state providers through a competitive framework.
The SAMDI, higher education institutions (HEIs), provincial public service training institutes (PSTIs) and private providers would operate “as equals in a market environment” (WPPSTE 1998:par 4, 6.6, 6.7).
Many policies and strategic frameworks have since been developed and revised to strengthen the public service for accelerated policy and programme implementation (PSC 2008:10). The overriding tone of the discourse – probably ‘big D’ Discourse (Gee 2014:24) – is that of loyalty to the state, professional competence, procedural compliance, and structural uniformity, consistent with bureaucratic administration. The outward orientation is for the caring, effective and efficient provision of service to internal and external customers. There are apparent incongruities and tensions. For example, government remains at the centre of regulation while the project of national renewal and development is a responsibility of all sectors of society. Collaboration among role players is critical yet the environment in which they operate is competitive. The values of service, creativity, equality and inclusivity are nested within a regulatory discourse with commercial overtones.
Hierarchy
Discourse is structured; and so is human interaction. In formal relationships and spheres of work, we relate through orders of discourse (ways of representing, ways of acting, and ways of being) and social orders which are structured by the institutional and societal systems present. We observe the superiority of some knowledge sources and forms over others, and we structure spaces of engagement by roles, occupational groupings and locations. In the web of language and social activity are strands of power at different levels in the institution. In a bureaucracy, these practices typically follow vertical lines of authority and accounting. Apart from the cascade of power by legislation and regulation, hierarchy is an organising feature of the social structures of the public service (Martín Rojo 2001:61; Fairclough 2001a:24,31; Jørgensen & Phillips 2002b:62; Apple 2004:24; Lassen 2016:415). The codes of remuneration (CORE) for the public service make classifications according to the nature and demand of various occupational categories (DPSA 2002). For example:
a) Elementary Occupations as well as Administrative and Service Workers (Levels 1–8).
b) Junior Management Service (JMS) Levels 6–8.
c) Middle Management Service (MMS) Levels 9–12:
Assistant Director (Levels 9–10), and
Deputy Director (Levels 11–12). The use of the MMS Competency Framework has transferred reference to MMS only to Levels 11–12, thereby pushing back (or down) Levels 9-10 to the JMS category.
d) Senior Management Service (SMS) Levels 13–16:
Director (Level 13) and Chief Director (Level 14), and
Deputy Director-General (Level 15) and Director-General (Level 16). Although included in SMS, this layer of Heads of Department (HoDs) is also referred to as the Executive Management. Incidentally, heads of state owned enterprises and agencies commonly use the title Chief Executive Officer or Group Executive.
CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Research problem
1.3 Background to the study
1.4 Purpose of the study
1.5 Personal and professional interest
1.6 Theoretical orientation of the study
1.7 Concept clarification and conceptual framework
1.8 Methodological orientation of the study
1.9 Delimitation and limitations of the study
1.10 Anticipated contribution of the study
1.11 Structure and outline of chapters
1.12 Conclusion
2. LINGUISTIC TURNS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION KNOWLEDGE AND SOCIAL PRACTICES
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Worldviews
2.3 Public administration
2.4 Language stratifications and intersections
2.5 Conclusion
3. DISCOURSES OF LEADERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Public service lifeworld
3.3 Notions of leadership and leadership development
3.4 Appropriation and recontextualisation
3.5 Curriculum as discourse
3.6 Conclusion
4. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
Introduction
4.2 Research purpose and questions
4.3 Design underpinnings
4.4 Research methodology
4.5 Ethical considerations and reporting
4.6 Conclusion
5. DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Recap of the procedures used
5.3 Textual analysis
5.4 Relationship between texts and institutional practices
5.5 Relationship between discourse and social context
5.6 Legitimation of leadership development intentions and practices
5.7 Conclusion
6. FINDINGS, IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Main findings
6.3 Implications
6.4 Limitations and significance of the study
6.5 Recommendations
6.6 Conclusion
REFERENCES
