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The University of the Free State Business School has been appointed as a service provider of the National School of Government (NSG) to provide education, training, and development programmes to the public sector for a period of five years.  The UFS was one of ten South African higher education institutions (HEIs) selected to perform the functions, the objective being to expand the skills base of the public sector in line with government’s commitment to create   a capable, ethical, and developmental public service.

Prof Philippe Burger, Vice-Dean (Strategic Projects) in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, joined Mr Busani Ncgaweni, Principal of the National School of Government, and senior executives of ten HEIs at the signing ceremony in Pretoria on 3 June 2021 to seal the partnership with the UFS and the NSG.  “The University of the Free State, and in particular the UFS Business School, takes pride in establishing a partnership with the National School of Government (NSG),” says Prof Burger. The aim of this partnership is the professionalisation of the civil service through a number of activities. These include the UFS offering short learning programmes that will assist the NSG in its aim to create a capable state in line with the objectives of the National Development Plan.

A call for partnerships with higher education institutions (HEIs) was issued by the NSG in 2020 through an open bid process, followed by the successful selection of ten institutions that met the criteria to perform the education, training, and development functions. The institutions will be appointed from time to time for specific projects.

The UFS joins the University of Fort Hare, Nelson Mandela University, University of Pretoria, Tshwane University of Technology, University of Johannesburg, Rhodes Business School, Durban University of Technology, Stellenbosch University, and North-West University to partner with the NSG.

The partnership will make public servants and employees of all organs of state eligible to enrol for programmes on a cost recovery basis. The partnership will allow for the expansion of the scope of professional development for public sector employees and leaders, and in some cases help participants with the recognition of prior learning, while also opening opportunities for further study in relevant fields.

Some of the key deliverables of the partnership will be the development and review of curricula in various areas related to public sector performance and development, quality assurance, and joint certification of programmes. The partnership will also entail the co-development and delivery of NSG programmes, undertaking research projects with the NSG, as well as the provision of coaching and mentoring services to various levels of public sector officials.