5. RESULTADOS
5.3. Ondas de choque frente a tratamiento conservador
Interviewees also addressed matters pertaining to development, empowerment, and enhancement opportunities in the City; specifically, how they contribute to the progression and or advancement of women into senior positions. The following questions were used as the baseline for the discussion:
95 | P a g e
Does the organisation have succession plans? Do departments have succession plans, and are the plans aligned to the EE plan and meetings its set targets? How is the capacity of staff members developed to put gender equality policies
into operation in their daily duties/work environment?
How does the City ensure equal benefits for women and men in staff training and development activities?
What does it take to advance in the City? (a) Is the criteria/s written down? Is there a difference between what is written down and what is practiced? (b) If any, does the implementation of the advancement process differ for women and men? Are there proactive strategies implemented to recruit or promote women into
senior management positions?
Interviewee E (2017) indicated that intervention measures designed for development, empowerment, and advancement opportunities are not disaggregated based on gender, as distinction is not made insofar as gender breakdown for training opportunities. There are no designated strategies that focus on recruiting and promoting women into management positions (Interviewee E, 2017). The City has an advancement policy and procedure that is applicable to all staff members and to different designations. Nonetheless, there are generic targets with departments independently tasked with the internal development of interventions to empower, develop, and capacitate staff members (Interviewee A, 2016). Most developmental training programmes are supposed to be informed by WSP and it is the obligation of line managers in consultation with employees to determine training and development measures that are suitable for the WSP of individual employees. Interviewees E (2017); Interviewee D (2016) and Interviewee C (2016); however, indicated that there are current challenges within this process. Employees have raised concerns that line managers do not often consult employees on the training and development initiatives added in their WSP, or often approve training initiatives that are not developmental for career stream progressions of employees.
96 | P a g e
However, there are some departments (Information Systems and Technology; Safety and Security; Communications; and Finance) particularly those with gender forums who have done their gender analysis and identified areas where there is a gap in gender representation in the different occupational streams. As a redress measure these department try to priorities women by ring-fencing funds to provide training for the identified groups (Interviewee B, 2016). These trainings are specifically for women in areas where they are underrepresented or do not have the prerequisites skills to apply for positions that are dominated by males. Furthermore, Interviewee E (2016) indicated that majority of departments have no succession plans. Departments who adopt the approach of succession plans are often practises driven by individual line managers versus having succession plans that are part of the strategic planning process of that department. As such, it is challenging to ascertain or conduct an audit quantifying exactly how many departments have succession plans. A holistic overview of the City indicates that there are no succession plans put in place within the respective departments (Interviewee E, 2017).
Interviewee C (2016) and Interviewee D (2016) alluded that EE workshops were used at intervention measures to capacitate staff members about gender equality policies and how can they be operationalised into their daily duties/work environment. On the matter of advancement criteria, all interviewees (Interviewee A, (2016); Interviewee B, (2016); Interviewee C, (2016); Interviewee D, (2016); and Interviewee E, (2017) indicated that training initiatives and advancement criteria follow the same approach. They focus on individuals and are not disaggregated with the intention of developing and or progressing one sex over the other. There are different requirements in the respective departments that need to be met for employees to be able to advance into senior positions and these criteria’s do not look at gender equality representation.
5.3 Conclusion
This chapter has presented the findings of the research. The investigation of the study entailed assessing interventions and self-administered surveys to a population sample of 6 DGIS practitioners’, as well as interviews with two DGIS senior practitioners, and
97 | P a g e
three managers two from the EE unit and one from HR Training and Development. The interviews were on a one of one basis and survey questionnaires were self-administered by individual DGIS practitioners. Data collected through the surveys and the interviews has been presented above. The collated findings of the data consisted of areas, such as gender disparities; gender equality measures and frameworks; institutional practise and policies; and the development, empowerment, and enhancement measures. The next chapter will focus on the holistic interpretation and analysis of the findings within the context of existing literature.
98 | P a g e
CHAPTER SIX
INFERENTIAL INTERPRETATION, AND ANALYIS OF THE
FINDINGS
6.1 Introduction
The previous chapter summarised the findings of the perception survey, as well as interviews data. Given the interrelatedness of the different statements that have been organised according to themes, the analysis, and interpretation of the different statements will be discussed in a theme perspective. Data was analysed to identify, explore, and correlate DGIS practitioners’ perceptions of women’s progression into senior management positions; the responses from interviewees and the assessment of the City’s EE framework. This chapter focuses on correlating, interpreting, and analysing the data generated from the interviewees, the City’s EE framework, and survey questionnaires.
Data was collected through three methods: a short self-administered survey, semi- structured interviews, and a review of the City’s internal employment statistics and EE framework. Given that the research focused on assessing advancement of women into senior management positions, the target sample population for the self-administered survey were DGIS practitioners whom, based on their function and roles as gender equality advocate and champions should have a better understanding on the current state of gender equality in the City. This assumption surmised on the basis that the DGIS unit has the responsibility of advocating, monitoring, evaluating, and championing gender equality in the City. Interviews were conducted with two senior DGIS practitioners and three managers (two from the EE unit and one from HR training and development) who are responsible and/or involved in the oversight processes of advocating, monitoring, evaluating gender equality, and training and development aspects. To supplement the interviews and survey questionnaires data, internally EE framework documents were also reviewed in chapter four and will be further discussed. Six self-administered survey questionnaires were distributed and six were received back. Five interviews were individually held with – two senior DGIS practitioners; a
99 | P a g e
DGIS Head; the Human Resources Training and Development manager and the Director/Level 3 manager of the DGIS (formally manager of EE unit). Documents reviewed form part of the City’s EE framework. They consisted of the Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality Policy Discussion Document (2004); Employment Equity Policy (2005); Employment Equity Plan for City of Cape Town 2010-2015 (2009); Employment Equity Plan for City of Cape Town 2015-2019 (2015); Women Empowerment Strategy for Staff within the City of Cape Town (2009) and lastly, the City of Cape Town’s August 2016 staff profile. The surveys and interviews consisted of two sections:
Section 1 contained questions related to demographic information of the respondents and or interviewee.
Section 2 focused on organisational policies, human resources policies and practises, the City’s organisational culture, prioritisation of gender equality, adoption, and implementation of gender equality strategies and or measures.