1 / 15

Historical overview

The African Public Service and Administration Charter: Aspirational statement or Implementable change initiative. Hanlie van Dyk-Robertson, CEO, AMDIN and Research Fellow at the Graduate School for Public and Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

izzy
Download Presentation

Historical overview

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The African Public Service and Administration Charter: Aspirational statement or Implementable change initiative Hanlie van Dyk-Robertson, CEO, AMDIN and Research Fellow at the Graduate School for Public and Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

  2. Historical overview

  3. Charter time-line Rabat Declaration, December 1998: Mandate to develop Charter Algiers, December 2007 North & West Africa + Revision workshop Addis Ababa, December 2006 Algeria entrusted with revision process Windhoek, February 2001 Adoption Charter for African Public Administration Midrand, Oct 2008 African Charter for the Values and Principles of Public Service and Administration Gaborone, July 2007 SADC revision workshop

  4. Content changes

  5. Comparison of content between 2001 and 2008 versions • 2008 version structured in 7 Chapters, with 31 Articles (previously 3 main parts with 29 Articles) • 2008 version less elaboration, more point form • Choose to define different concepts • Substantial objectives statement (9) replaces articles on purpose and scope • Norms and principles in line with what deemed international practice: • respect for human right, • Rule of Law; • accessibility of public services; • people-centred public service; • open information systems; • efficiency and quality services; • modernisation and • provision for popular participation

  6. Comparison of content between 2001 and 2008 versions • Some noticeable variations: • Issue of skill and updating of knowledge removed from discussion re “professionalism” • However, training systems and a network of training institutions specifically provided for • New chapter dealing with rights of public service employees, most notably introducing right to freedom of speech and association, i.e. public service unionisation, social benefits • Separate chapter re management and development of human resources

  7. Comparison implementation modalities • 2008 version much more extensive, distinguishing roles at national; regional and continental level. Previously focussed on sensitisation – now legislative, executive and administrative initiatives and alignment of national reform initiatives with Charter content • Much stronger role at continental level with special role for the Ministers’ Conference • Reporting requirement to the African Union and its structures, with scope for the AU Assembly to take measures against defaulting state members

  8. What made implementation difficult during 2001-2008 period

  9. Workshop findings 2007/2008: Problems with implementation • Instability at the political level • Inertia and active resistance by public servants to embrace a changed public service culture; • Challenges with aligning national and sectoral programmes of public service change/ reform with the Charter • Resource constraints • Little financial incentives available to support and reward change • Training budget which is constantly under threat for re-allocation to other tasks • Complex institutional arrangements • Inadequate monitoring and evaluation systems to track the change process; • Little attention to sensitization about and training programmes in terms of the Charter – both public servants and ordinary citizens • Accessibility of the Charter document • The initial Charter not a formally adopted AU document with enforceability in the AU structures

  10. Implementation of the African Public Service Charter

  11. Implementation Analysis Substantive content of the policy. • The more complex and far reaching the change the least likely the chances of successful implementation. • The Charter is a wide raging document, touching on a very broad range of issue, seeking change on a wide front of many intractable problems. The context in which the change is being sought. • Africa is the most difficult continent to achieve policy implementation • Many policy demands and resource restrictions • The political and administrative cultures themselves are also significant obstacles to implementation. Champions and commitment • The status of the “Champion” in the Minister’s Conference • The Ministers conference also saw a change in leadership that may affect the championing of this particular initiative. • African Union processes and the structural relation of the AU with the Ministers conference is also likely to make adoption and domestication challenging. Communications and consultation: • Charter consulted within relative closed policy community • No broad processes of communications and consultation have been opened up prior to the October conference, nor in the subsequent 6 months. • Important constituencies that could make a significant contribution regarding the implementation process is hitherto left out of the process, vide the SIAs and MDIs.

  12. Source: Brinkerhoff, 2002

  13. Source: Brinkerhoff, 2002

  14. Concluding statements

  15. CONCLUSIONS • Implementation road will be difficult • Will not be able to prove causal relationship • Symbolic policy • Opening the space and providing structure to extensive public sector change on the continent

More Related