PRESENTATION TO THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION Oversight Report on the Verification of Qualifications in the Public Service Service

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PRESENTATION TO THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC
SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATIONOversight Report on
the Verification of Qualifications in the Public
Service Service

• 25 June 2008

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OVERVIEW OF THE PRESENTATION

• Background
• Aim and Objectives of the Study
• Methodology
• Key findings
• Recommendations
• Conclusion

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BACKGROUND

• In 2000 - Minister for Public Service and
  Administration announced the need for the
  verification of qualifications of the SMS
• In terms of Cabinet decision of January 2002,
  each Accounting Officer must, for his or her
  department/organization-
• Verify the previous employment, qualifications,
  citizenship, and criminal record of all persons
  before they are employed
• The PSC verified qualifications of the SMS in
  2001 and the MMS in 2005 and produced reports on
  these
• In 2005 PSC published a set of Guidelines on the
  Verification of Qualifications in the Public
  Service
• The Guidelines detail the verification process
  and the protocols involved

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AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

• Aim
• Assess progress made by departments in verifying
  the qualifications of employees below level 11
• Objectives
• Evaluate the status of qualification verification
  procedures in departments
• Evaluate progress made with the implementation of
  the verification procedure
• Obtain feedback on problems that departments
  might have encountered during the verification
  process

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KEY FINDINGS
Breakdown of progress made by provinces in implementing the verification of qualification process Breakdown of progress made by provinces in implementing the verification of qualification process Breakdown of progress made by provinces in implementing the verification of qualification process Breakdown of progress made by provinces in implementing the verification of qualification process Breakdown of progress made by provinces in implementing the verification of qualification process
Province Commenced with planning Commenced with verification Received feedback Captured results on Persal
KwaZulu-Natal 7 6 0 0
Eastern Cape 6 6 0 0
Western Cape 9 8 0 1
Northern Cape 10 9 0
Free State 5 5 2 2
Limpopo 8 7 1 1
Mpumalanga 6 8
Gauteng 4 7 4 1
North West 2 4 1
Total 57 60 7 6
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KEY FINDINGS CONT
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KEY FINDINGS CONT
Outcome of the verification process

• 79 departments responded to our questionnaire
• 7 provincial and two national departments
  reported to have received feedback on
  verification of qualifications
• 59 (majority of departments) still busy compiling
  Feedback Report on the verification process to
  submit to HoDs

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KEY FINDINGS CONT
Challenges in verifying qualifications
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KEY FINDINGS CONT Main challenges

• Cost of verification
• Human Resource Constraints
• Liaison with external Stakeholders
• Lack of cooperation from officials

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KEY FINDINGS CONT
Verification process during recruitment
International
Qualifications only
Prior to
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appointment
18
On
appointment
64
Date of
interview
14
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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Strengthening the verification process

• Improve the appointment process
• Strengthen internal capacity to conduct
  verifications
• Improve relations with external stakeholders
  involved in the verification process
• Consider using a central service provider

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RECOMMENDATIONS CONT

• Leadership and advocacy
• HoDs should assume a more direct role
• HoD should avail adequate resources
• Policy Considerations
• Process to be incorporated into recruitment
  selection processes
• Verification of foreign qualifications to be
  addressed at a policy level
• Reporting on verification of qualifications be
  incorporated into standard reporting to the
  executive

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CONCLUSION

• Study established that the Public Service still
  faces challenges in the verification process
• Compliance with the Guidelines on the
  Verification of Qualifications is low
• At this stage the report has shown that the
  verification process for employees at levels11
  and below is largely still incomplete
• Ultimately, it is the final outcome of the
  verification process that will provide a picture
  of the authenticity of qualifications.

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THANK YOU