, PLEASE USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A GUIDE ONLY
The National School of Government as a Catalyst for Public Sector Change: Evaluating the Role
of Training, Learning, and Development Programmes in Building a Capable Developmental
State
1. Introduction - Contextualising the NSG's Mandate: Professionalism and the Developmental
State
The National School of Government (NSG) occupies a pivotal position within the South African
public sector, serving as the primary mechanism for cultivating the human capital necessary to
realise the state's developmental objectives. The NSG's mandate, as articulated in its Strategic Plan
for the period 2015 to 2020 and its Annual Report for 2018 to 2019, is fundamentally concerned with
the professionalisation of the public service, a goal that is intrinsically linked to the broader project
of building a capable and developmental state. This mandate responds directly to the persistent
challenge of public sector performance, which, as noted in the study guide on development and
change in organisations, is often hindered by a misalignment between organisational development
interventions and the performance imperatives of state institutions (Study Guide, 2019).
The NSG is therefore not merely a training provider but a strategic agent of change, tasked with
embedding a culture of service, accountability, and ethical governance across all spheres of
government (NSG Strategic Plan, 2015-2020). Its mission, to be responsible for learning and
development programmes that foster a professional, responsive, and capable public sector, is driven
by the imperative of a developmental state, which seeks to leverage public institutions as the primary
instruments for addressing socio-economic challenges such as poverty and inequality (NSG Annual
Report, 2018/19). This positioning aligns with organisational development theory, which emphasises
that sustainable change requires interventions that target both individual competencies and systemic
structures within an organisation (Study Guide, 2019).
The NSG thus occupies a unique space at the intersection of individual capability building and
systemic organisational transformation, acknowledging that a truly transformed public service
requires not only skilled individuals but also a fundamental shift in organisational culture and ethos.
The School's commitment to values such as accountability, integrity, and social justice further
reinforces its role in institutionalising the constitutional principles that underpin South Africa's
democratic dispensation (NSG Strategic Plan, 2015-2020). Moreover, in response to contemporary
demands, the NSG has increasingly embraced digital transformation and open distance e-learning to
scale its impact, ensuring that professional development opportunities are accessible, flexible, and
aligned with the evolving needs of a modern public service (NSG Annual Report, 2018/19).
The National School of Government as a Catalyst for Public Sector Change: Evaluating the Role
of Training, Learning, and Development Programmes in Building a Capable Developmental
State
1. Introduction - Contextualising the NSG's Mandate: Professionalism and the Developmental
State
The National School of Government (NSG) occupies a pivotal position within the South African
public sector, serving as the primary mechanism for cultivating the human capital necessary to
realise the state's developmental objectives. The NSG's mandate, as articulated in its Strategic Plan
for the period 2015 to 2020 and its Annual Report for 2018 to 2019, is fundamentally concerned with
the professionalisation of the public service, a goal that is intrinsically linked to the broader project
of building a capable and developmental state. This mandate responds directly to the persistent
challenge of public sector performance, which, as noted in the study guide on development and
change in organisations, is often hindered by a misalignment between organisational development
interventions and the performance imperatives of state institutions (Study Guide, 2019).
The NSG is therefore not merely a training provider but a strategic agent of change, tasked with
embedding a culture of service, accountability, and ethical governance across all spheres of
government (NSG Strategic Plan, 2015-2020). Its mission, to be responsible for learning and
development programmes that foster a professional, responsive, and capable public sector, is driven
by the imperative of a developmental state, which seeks to leverage public institutions as the primary
instruments for addressing socio-economic challenges such as poverty and inequality (NSG Annual
Report, 2018/19). This positioning aligns with organisational development theory, which emphasises
that sustainable change requires interventions that target both individual competencies and systemic
structures within an organisation (Study Guide, 2019).
The NSG thus occupies a unique space at the intersection of individual capability building and
systemic organisational transformation, acknowledging that a truly transformed public service
requires not only skilled individuals but also a fundamental shift in organisational culture and ethos.
The School's commitment to values such as accountability, integrity, and social justice further
reinforces its role in institutionalising the constitutional principles that underpin South Africa's
democratic dispensation (NSG Strategic Plan, 2015-2020). Moreover, in response to contemporary
demands, the NSG has increasingly embraced digital transformation and open distance e-learning to
scale its impact, ensuring that professional development opportunities are accessible, flexible, and
aligned with the evolving needs of a modern public service (NSG Annual Report, 2018/19).
