The Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Ms Ayanda Dlodlo will officially open the 22nd Public Sector Trainers Forum (PSTF) hosted by the National School of Government on 29-30 November 2021 in Kempton Park, as part of improving the capacity of the state to deliver services that improve the quality of life.

The PSTF, which is supported by the European Union in partnership with the NSG, will bring together the trainers and human resource development (HRD) practitioners in the national, provincial and local government spheres to share their experiences. The goal is to improve the capacity and functioning of the state and to build a caring, citizen-centred and professional public sector. Minister Dlodlo will open the session on 29 November 2021, at the Radisson Hotel and Convention Centre in OR Tambo, Kempton Park.

The PSTF was established in 1997 as a non-statutory body to advocate for Human Resource Development (HRD) within the Public Sector. The Forum provides a platform for public sector trainers to co-operate across national, provincial, and local government departments.

“The NSG’s mandate has been expanded to include education, training, and development (ETD) intervention in the three spheres of government, State Owned Entities (SOEs) and organs of state. This expanded mandate necessitates that the NSG positions itself for greater outreach and impact. Within this context, it needs to focus on building capacity to deliver ETD interventions using knowledgeable and experienced trainers who have been exposed to the Art of Facilitation, which is the theme of the 22nd PSTF”, explained the Principal of the NSG, Professor Busani Ngcaweni.

Under the theme of Art of Facilitation and Trainer Professionalisation, the conference will focus on building trainer capacity at all performer levels with a specific objective of immersing trainers in the Art of Facilitation. It will target three main groups of facilitators, namely: NSG internal staff who conduct training interventions, the Panel of Experts (formerly known as Individual Independent Consultants (IICs); and trainers in government departments who expressed an interest to train on behalf of the NSG.

In addition, the Panel of Experts for the Ministerial Professionalisation Advisory Team will share insights into the practicalities of the implementation of the professionalisation of the public sector, as well as expectations from the trainers.

The conference is the culmination of a series of provincial PSTF Peer Learning Exchange Seminars which have taken place during the year. These seminars have provided a platform for conversations on topical issues affecting the day-to-day operations of HRD practitioners.

The conference will be hosted in a blended mode with a limited number of delegates at the venue while the delegates will join on a virtual platform.

Source: Government of South Africa