The National School of Government (NSG) is inviting public servants to sign up for the new Championing Anti-discrimination in the Public Service and Managing Performance in the Public Service courses.

The courses are currently available on the e-learning platform, at no cost.

According to the NSG, the Championing Anti-Discrimination in the Public Service course targets senior managers, while the Managing Performance course is for middle managers, who want to better understanding the public service performance management and development system.

The NSG said it has waived the fees for the Championing Anti-Discrimination in the Public Service to enable a speedier self-enrolment and access by public servants. The participants will study at their own pace online.

The Championing Anti-Discrimination in the Public Service course, according to the NSG, was developed explicitly to empower public servants with information and tools to end discrimination in the public service amongst public servants, and by public servants against the public.

Meanwhile, the Managing Performance in the Public Service course is designed to assist employees, who are not part of the Senior Management Service, to manage their performance and abide by the public service performance management system prescripts.

It will also enable them to, amongst other things, write performance goals that are measurable, clear, achievable and aligned to organisational objectives, assess performance continuously, identify gaps and compile a suggested plan of action, and revise performance objectives where required.

NSG principal, Professor Busani Ngcaweni, said the courses will help public servants to critically reflect on their own beliefs, attitudes, thought patterns, and behaviour.

“They will identify and apply relevant strategies and principles to challenge discrimination in all contexts, examine legislation that addresses discriminatory processes and plan how these principles can be applied.

“They will also be able to assess their departmental policies and practices in light of global anti-discrimination standards. Importantly, they will be empowered to initiate and support anti-discriminatory behaviour in the public sector,” he explained.

He has called on senior managers to undertake the course.

The NSG is mandated with the responsibility of ensuring that public servants comply with the provisions of established legislation, regulations and systems, and can exercise proper discretion and innovation in solving routine and complex delivery problems.

“The courses have been deliberately converted to free courses that are easily available on our e-learning platform so that public servants can enrol themselves easily and quickly, and be able to undertake the courses at their pace and convenience,” said Ngcaweni.

How to enrol for the courses:

Go to the NSG website (https://www.thensg.gov.za/).

Click on “Open eLearning courses” under the eLearning tab on the NSG website.

Follow the on-screen instructions to register an online profile (if they have not done so yet).

For enquiries contact: elearning@thensg.gov.za.

Source: South African Government News Agency