TÍTULO DÉCIMO Prevenciones Generales

During the interviews, I asked first-year PM Diploma lecturer participants to give me an overview of their module course content. Although I did not expressly ask for their understandings of what the course content was for, the vocational purpose of the PM Diploma was strongly evident in all of their responses. The grammar was strong for their descriptions of this vocational nature of the Diploma, for example, in their explanations they all spoke of the connection between principles taught and PM practice. The following extracts were examples of lecturer understandings of the centrality of preparation for the workplace in the PM Diploma curriculum: “[My

module] is aimed at training middle level managers” (Interview: Sam) and “We always expect you need to manage yourself well in the work environment” (Interview:

Akhona).

However, some differences were evident of the degree to which theoretical versus practical components were present in PM curricula. I asked lecturers if they thought their first-year modules were more theoretical or practical. I was attempting to see here if PM was drawing more on its singulars or facing more outward to external practice. For Akhona, the external identity of a region was stronger in the first year

than the internal identity that considered theories from the singulars that it drew on. Although Akhona felt that while there were aspects of theory in the Self-Management module, he did not give much attention to this. He felt that theories distracted first- year students from the focus of what is needed in PM practice: “theories, like under

course management there will be Maslow’s hierarchy of needs… remember it’s a first year module so I don’t delve much on theories, once you get to the theories you will be confusing them so I just limit” (Interview: Akhona).

However, some modules placed more emphasis on theory. Natasha and Rebecca, who had also highlighted the practical and work-place nature of their modules, emphasised the dominance of theory in their modules: “It’s more theoretical. I would

say about 60% theory and 40% practical because they need to know…” (Interview:

Natasha) and “more theory based so knowing what the legislature is made up of,

knowing what the executive is made up of” (Interview: Rebecca). Sam, however,

only emphasised the theoretical nature of his course in the interview: “Since it’s a

first year, it’s more of an introductory programme. It is more conceptual, leading to practical” (Interview: Sam). The knowledge focus as well as the workplace concern

in the extracts above was evidence of PM as region looking inwards to its singulars but using the principles from the singulars to face outwards towards practice.

Pedagogical practices as described in the interviews with lecturers, also revealed the emphasis on the workplace. The following extracts demonstrated the importance of application of principles learnt to the workplace. The application took the form of case studies, for example: “what I did with them last year was a lot of case studies in

class so they look at the things…I take them off the Internet, I don’t take them out of the book because I find an article where it’s about office administration or personnel and then how they apply their work duties, and then I ask them simple questions and then they go through it in class” (Interview: Rebecca) and “I try as much as possible to have case studies,… where I would find an article in the newspaper and I would tell them, tell me how you would apply rational decision-making to this article or what do you think that the government should do in order to ensure that there’s proper service delivery” (Interview: Natasha). The rationale for Rebecca and Natasha’s use

of case studies, to the extent that they did in the Public Service Delivery, Public Office Management and Public Decision-Making modules, was for application to practice. Akhona’s reasons for using examples were also to make his content workplace focused so that students: “come to understand the concepts, in particular,

... actually they need to imagine them in the work environment” (Interview: Akhona).

Related to the vocational nature of a diploma was experiential learning (internship), which is a significant component in the PM Diploma. This demonstrated the importance of the external world of practice in the PM Diploma. In their third year PM Diploma students complete a minimum of three weeks internship training at an approved institution. Thereafter, they have to do a PowerPoint presentation to PM lecturers on their work experience. They also have to submit an assignment and complete a log book that was signed off by the mentor at the selected institution. The following extracts showed a common belief among lecturers that the experiential learning component in third year should involve practical application of learning from years one to three: “At third-year level they do experiential training and then there

they will go out into the real world and apply decision-making” (Interview: Natasha)

and “third year when they do the experiential training and when they have their

presentations, this module of Self-Management always surfaces as one that has been useful to them in their training” (Interview: Rebecca). Having shown that

lecturers strongly foregrounded the vocational nature of the PM Diploma, I need to assess textbook findings for a PM Diploma workplace focus.

5.3.2.2 Textbooks

The prescribed and recommended textbooks for the PM Diploma underscored the significance of the workplace in the curriculum. The preface of the prescribed

textbook used in PM Diploma modules, started off with the question “What would

anyone want to know about the subject of Public Administration to become an efficient and effective chief executive officer or….a good public administrator?”

(Gildenhuys, 2004: 1)20 and the premise that “Our final products, in the form of

academically qualified public administrators, must be able to apply their acquired academic knowledge and skills in practice.” (Gildenhuys, 2004: 3). The Public

Decision-Making module used Chapter Five of this textbook where there was a strong emphasis on the external world of practice as seen in the following excerpt: “Decision-making is an omnipresent function in the life of every public administrator.” (Gildenhuys, 2004: 174). Chapter Two in the textbook covered Maslow’s hierarchy of needs21 which was the one of the focus areas of the Self-Management module. Not surprisingly, this chapter related Maslow’s needs to public needs that officials were

confronted with in practice and that which they would have to attend to. This was apparent in the following quote: “Public needs form the basis for deciding on the

nature of public functions to be executed for delivering public services to satisfy such needs” (Gildenhuys, 2004: 75). The chapter on Public Resources Management also

foregrounded the organisational context: “After mastering the knowledge and skills of

the Public Management functions, the public administrator is ready to manage the resources required for executing the programme to realise the organisation’s long- term objectives and short-term targets” (Gildenhuys, 2004: 243).

The recommended textbook for the Public Decision-Making and Self-Management modules also placed emphasis on the external world of practice “The contemporary

public manager should thus know how to work with the public in general...”, and

“This increased public involvement in decisions and Public Decision-Making

challenges the effectiveness of public managers” and “Once you have mastered the ability of self-management, managing others in the workplace will be a lot easier” (du

Doit, Knipe, van Niekerk, van der Waldt and Doyle, 2002: 336,381)22. du Toit et al (2002: 56) defined public service delivery as not only making reference to an outcome but also to “the results of intentions, decisions and action undertaken by

institutions and people.” This pointed to the close association the curriculum concept

of Public Service Delivery had with the workplace context. Chapter Two, Public Resource Management placed emphasis on macro and micro contexts of resources in practice that had become the focus of public managers (du Toit et al, 2002). The workplace emphasis was also obvious in “Public Resource Management therefore

aims to manage resources allocated by politically legitimate means to public institutions in the most effective and efficient way” (du Toit et al, 2002: 32).

The prescribed textbook for Public Office Management introduced its chapter entitled ‘The Administrator’s Duties’ with the following statement: “To plan and pave our

20 _{The Self-Management and Public Decision Making modules use “The Philosophy of Public}

Administration A holistic approach” by Gildenhuys (2004) as their prescribed textbook. It is the recommended textbook for the Public Service Delivery module.

21 _{Abraham Maslow postulated that human needs are hierarchical in nature and that they range from} lower order, for example, physiological needs, to higher order needs, for example, self-actualisation needs (Gildenhuys, 2004: 57-58).

22 _{“Service excellence in governance” by du Toit et al (2002) is the prescribed textbook for the Public} Service delivery and Public Office Management modules. It is the recommended textbook for the Public Decision Making and Self-Management modules.

careers in the administrative occupations, we need to ascertain what the duties and functions of an office administrator are” (Badenhorst, van Rooyen, Ferreira,

Groenewald, Marcus, Steenekamp, Swanepoel, van den Berg and van Heerden23_, 2005: 91). It went on to describe the specific functions within the administrative department.

5.3.2.3 Study Guides

The strong relationship between knowledge and practice was also reinforced in the module study guides. In the Public Decision-Making study guide, unit outcomes were clearly linked to external practice. For example, the focus of unit five, Policy Making, was on policy at different levels of practice: “Political party level, legislative level,” and “administrative level” and political policy at “central, regional” and “local

government spheres…”(Public Decision-Making study guide). In unit five of the

module, “Participants Instrumental in Making Policy Decisions”, attention was paid to identifying “policy actors” and decisions made by parliament, portfolio and select committees (Public Decision-Making study guide).

Unit five of the Self-Management module, “Principles of Enhancing Effectiveness

and Efficiency”, foregrounded the context “organisations” and the “delegation, control and supervision, flexibility and coordination” principles needed in self-management

(Self-Management study guide). A specified outcome24 _{for Public Office} Management was to “Identify important skills that are required in the administrative

environment” (Public Office Management study guide) and for Public Service

Delivery it was to “Be able to apply the principles of service delivery in an ethical

manner to ensure a high level of professionalism in the public sector” (Public Service

Delivery study guide). A specific learning outcome for the Public Resources Management module was for students to: “Describe and explain the institutional

arrangement of the public sector”. Examples listed under core content in the study

guide were: “The role of the following in Public Resources Management: The

legislature, The executive, ministry of finance and the treasury, The auditor-general”

and “The administrative authority”. Having provided evidence for a workplace

23

Business and Office Administration: An outcomes-based approach by Badenhorst et al (2005) is the prescribed textbook for Public Office Management.

24 _{A specified outcome makes reference to the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes students have} to demonstrate.

emphasis in the study guides, I now consider findings from selected curriculum materials.

5.3.2.4 Curriculum Materials

Class tasks focused student on problems to be solved in the workplace. For example, a PowerPoint slide asked that students imagine themselves to be managers and to consider ways in which to increase work performance:

Public Decision-Making PowerPoint slide

This workplace focus was also reflected in a Public Office Management lecture PowerPoint slide on the organisational structure of the workplace and in a Public Resources Management PowerPoint slide on the roles and functions of the Auditor General:

Public Resources Management PowerPoint slide

I now analyse module assessments to determine the extent to which it was influenced by workplace practice.

5.3.2.5 Assessments

Lastly, I consider findings from assessments regarding a PM Diploma workplace emphasis. The attention given to the external world of PM practice (both local and national spheres of practice) was also evident in the planned assessments. The following excerpts from examination papers showed the extent of this emphasis: “1.3

Describe in detail any six guidelines to managing yourself in the workplace” (Self-

Management examination); “2.2 Explain any five ways of time wasting in the work

environment” (Self-Management test one); QUESTION 2 “Policy affects people and it is in their interest to participate in public matters.” With reference to this statement, identify and discuss in detail four (4) actors in public policy-making” (Public Decision-

Making examination); “4. Briefly explain the importance of administering and

managing development at the national sphere of government.” (Public Service

Delivery Test); “Discuss the role of information technology in regulating Human

Resources in the public administrative environment of external clients in the public sector” (Public Office Management assignment topic) and “The role of the Municipal Council in the Management of Public Resources in South Africa” (Public Resources

Management assignment topic).

5.3.2.6 Conclusion

The multiple examples provided all demonstrate a deep curriculum concern with practice in the world of work, as evidenced in the interviews, study guides, assessments, textbooks and teaching material. In realist terms the PM Diploma

would have an internal relation (Sayer, 1992) with the working world as they are dependent on each other. Having discussed the relationship between the PM Diploma and the working world, I can now look at the second defining quality of a region, which is its interdisciplinary nature.