Training and capacity
development
The South African case study
J de Beer
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Mandate and context
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Statistics Act, 6 of 1999
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Purpose of the Act
o Advance planning, production, analysis, documentation, storage, dissemination and
use of official and other statistics
o Provide for coordination with other organs of state (section 5, 7 & 14)
o Provide for cooperation between producers of official statistics
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Role players in the Act
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Minister in the Presidency responsible for National Planning: Approval of plans
Statistician-General: Producer, Coordinator and Certification
Statistics Council: Advisory
Heads of Organs of State: Producer
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Vision:
Your leading partner in quality statistics
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Mission:
To lead and partner in statistical production systems for evidence
based decisions
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Why must we train?
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Statistics South Africa
o Staff mostly 1st degree from University, limited work experience
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Hard issues: Statistics, Economics, Demography, Methodology
Soft issues: Management, Leadership, Finance, Labour relations
o Theory vs Practice
o Vacancy rate high
o Improve quality of statistics and service delivery
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Other organs of state
o Data compilation
 Health, Education, Crime, Home Affairs
o Data analysis
 Health, Education, Crime, Home Affairs
 Plus Economic development, Planning, Water, Housing etc
o SASQAF
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How are we training?
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Stats SA employees
o On the job training
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Continuous by work areas
Importance of metadata
o In-house courses
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IT, soft skills, statistical training
SADC survey methodology training
E-Learning
o Bursaries
o Foreign study
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Tanzania: EASTC – Certificate and Diploma
Uganda: SSAE – Post graduate diploma, degree, Master’s degree
Ivory Coast: ENSEA – Certificate, diploma, degree (French!)
School leavers
o Bursaries (local and foreign universities)
Internship programme
o 1 year; focused training and job-rotation
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The need for a training Institute
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Require capacity to train “government”, not only Stats SA
Focus on members of SANSS
Courses must be accredited – Quality Council for Trade and Occupations
Various modalities
o Internal institute
o Partner with 1 or more University
Certificate in official statistics
o No relevant qualification; school leaver (mathematics required)
o 1 yr, 5 modules
Diploma in official statistics
o Has relevant qualification, working in field of statistics
o 2yr, 10 modules
Custom modules available – ad hoc basis
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Progress with training Institute
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Certificate
o Modules developed
o 1st pilot group (internal staff) 2011
o External students in 2013
Diploma
o Modules partly developed
o Discussions with accredited universities
o First group in 2014
Funding
o HCD = 2% of Personnel costs => R39m
o Training institute additional R10 million
"It is easier to educate a man
when he wants to learn."
(Nelson Mandela)
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Thank you
Joe de Beer
DDG: Economic statistics
joedb@statssa.gov.za
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