HUMAN RESOURCES CROSSROADS CONFERENCE

1. HUMAN RESOURCES CROSSROADS CONFERENCE The SABPP Perspective

2. International Trends • The United Kingdom - the first Chartered Institute for the registration of HR professionals (1 July 2000) • A comparative survey indicates that the USA has a certification institute (HRCI), that Canada has a certifying body (HRPAO) as does New Zealand (HRINZ) and Australia has a membership body (AHRI). • The IPM established South Africa’s professional registering body, the SABPP in 1982. Recognition by Government came when we received our ETQA status in 2002.

3. Designatory letters (UK) • Only corporate members of the CIPD (Members, Fellows and Companions) are entitled to use abbreviated designatory letters. • Non-corporate members (Affiliates, Associates, Licentiates and Graduates) are not entitled to use designatory letters. • Members, Fellows and Companions - MCIPD, FCIPD and CCIPD respectively.

4. The HR Profession • Legitimate • Internationally recognised as a profession • With a body of knowledge • System of self regulation • Bona fides unquestionable

5. The oldest profession? HR was for blacks in the white business world • Point of entry • Managerial experience • New breed of entrepreneurs and business leaders

6. The SABPP • The SABPP was established by the Institute for Personnel Management (IPM) about 20 years ago • Fulfilled the function as • standards body • professional registration body • accrediting providers and • guarding ethics.

7. Membership profile • The membership of the SABPP Board is in the process of transformation • Where the intake of professionals used to be predominantly white, the vast majority of new registrations are from the previously disadvantaged communities. • The Board has 150 Mentors situated in all provinces with some in the SADC region as well. Black mentors are emerging.

8. Profile (cont) • The practitioners registered with the SA Board for Personnel Practice are • from all Provinces in South Africa • from most economic sectors. • Reflects representation of key stakeholders in education and training in the field of human resources management and practices.

9. Board’s outputs • Papers on HR competencies • HR Profiles • Benchmarking studies, • Launching a Continued Professional Development (CPD) programme in 1994 • publishing research • Publishing an HR dictionary

10. Outputs (cont) • Developing NQF levels of registration • Initiating the SGB for HRMP • Establishing an ETQA for HR • Initiating the HR Council of SA • Initiating the Benchmarking Forum for HR SA (BEFOHR)

11. Early years • When the Board was formed in 1982 it adopted a basic premise of no discrimination and members of the previously disadvantaged groups were elected to all Boards since inception. • Our current Chairman Prof Nicky Morgan, a person from the Cape flats with noted struggle credentials, registered with our Board in 1984.

12. A bit of struggle history • The first Chairperson accused organised business in 1991 of dragging its feet on Black economic advancement “Business leaders have been paying lip service to Black empowerment for a long time. Now they have got to stop just talking about it and do something significant.” • He endorsed the Nafcoc resolution that within a period of 10 years at least 30 percent of corporate board members must be black; at least 40 percent of their shareholding must be black. “It is an urgent socio-economic necessity to distribute wealth more effectively and to advance the opportunities of (the) blacks. It is a critical issue that needs to be put on the table and debated more openly” This ‘scathing attack on white business featured in all the main newspapers and quoted in Parliament - nogal.

13. A responsive organisation • Fully supports the new quality and skills initiatives • Supports all efforts to make South Africa a more equal place for everyone people of all colour, cultures and beliefs, women and men, rural and urban, young and old.

14. A responsive organisation Initiated the SGB for HRMP (putting a substantial part of its development fund money into plenary stakeholder meetings for the SGB, and carrying its costs until it was on its feet and recognised by SAQA. • This SGB has since registered a framework of qualifications on the NQF and has written over 50 unit standards for the HR field.

15. NQF aligned Registration • The Board has recently launched new professional levels and categories of registration, aligned to the NQF and based on the work of the SGB for HRMP • This establishes a career path in HR with no ceilings. • From certificate level (plus experience) to doctorate level • Challenging the profession to new heights in knowledge acquisition, bottom-line contribution, professional conduct and a responsible work ethic.

16. The Board works • As an effective custodian of standards in education for the people management profession • more than 7000 professionals have been registered over 20 years • about 900 HR Candidates taken through a two-year Candidateship programme under Approved Mentors of the Board.

17. Audits and accreditation of HEIs • Over the past 12 years more than 30 tertiary institutions have been audited on a three-year cycle and accredited • good relationships established with these institutions. • the senior practitioners and senior academics on the evaluation teams of the SABPP. • Increasingly more senior black registered practitioners get involved in audits as they become available, • In partnership with the CHE, the SABPP will continue evaluating HR programmes and providers at all levels

18. A complex environment • The new education and training structures informed by the SAQA Act and the Skills Development Act among others, create a particularly complex environment for the HR Practitioner. • HR is practiced within the jurisdiction of twenty-five different SETAs. • In addition, crucial components of HR are inextricably connected to fields such as education and training, labour law, financial management, labour recruitment, dimensions of the psychological profession and social work.

19. Politics of partnerships This is the crossroads challenge • Same challenges • Different roles • Doing it together

20. The HR Fraternity • HR standards and qualifications: All the HRCOSA member bodies, IPM and HR providers have a stake in the SABPP and should endeavor to strengthen the SABPP as the custodian of quality HR standards and qualifications (by active involvement). • Best practices and benchmarking: All the HR role players and bodies have an interest and can share through focused conferences, seminars, articles and information sources on best practices and benchmarking standards for HR and HRD.

21. SABPP and SAQA • SAQA has recognised the importance of an ETQA for HR to prevent the fragmentation of the profession. • Their official endorsement of the work of the Board and the accreditation of the SABPP as ETQA for HR, is an acknowledgment of the place and the importance of the HR profession

22. SABPP and the SETAs • SETAs (their constituent employers, learners and providers) require persons certificated with skills development and human resource development competencies. • HR practitioners function in all SETAs • Levies should also be used to develop HR

23. HR and the NQF • HR was included in the general NQF framework when the SABPP initiated the SGB in 1998 and was accredited as ETQA at the end of 2002. • While a fully accredited ETQA, HR is not funded as are all other sectors, by the levy funds for this purpose

24. An Efficient Professional Body The Board has kept itself financially viable and stable with careful management and a small infrastructure. The Board thus has a track record of delivering high quality services at very competitive costs relative to the market rate.

25. SABPP and Transformation • As the quality assurance and standards body of HR in South Africa, the SABPP is vitally concerned with overcoming unnecessary barriers and providing a way for new entrants to gain the relevant learning and work experience in the HR field through quality assuring education and training. • If HR is practiced well, South Africa will be well served.

26. SABPP is working for you • The SABPP is the accredited ETQA for HR qualifications and standards • There is agreement with the CHE to cooperate in the evaluation of HR learning programmes in the HET sector. • Responsible for the accreditation of: • small business HR providers and their programmes • large institutional HR programmes • large institutions’ skills programmes (short courses)

27. SABPP is working for you • Verification of moderation systems of all HR training providers is done by the SABPP. • The registration of all HR assessors is done by the SABPP • The certification of all HR learners is the responsibility of the SABPP.

28. Coherent policy for all sectors • A sector strategy that is inclusive must be implemented (Sectors are currently applying their resources to their own needs and not holistically) • The SABPP ETQA should have a place on the SETA forum • Collaboration on skills formation must be strengthened • Policy coherence and consistency of application by DoL and DoE must be improved • HR is forming strategic partnerships to strengthen its ability to deliver effective service not only to employers and employees, but to the economy

29. Conclusion It is imperative that HR practitioners are properly trained, properly accountable and properly registered in order to serve the country, and serve employers and employees effectively We believe statutory recognition is necessary