This skills audit was conducted within the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) to support the Department's commitment to developing a skilled and capable workforce. This initiative aligns with broader national directives, including the call in the State of the Nation Address to professionalize the public service to meet the objectives of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030. The primary objective of this skills audit is to assess the current skills profile of the Chief Directorate: Finance Management Services staff, identify key skills gaps and training needs relative to its mandate of ensuring sound financial stewardship and compliance, and provide recommendations for targeted skills development interventions that support the Department’s Financial Recovery Plan. This audit focused on staff at the Middle Management Service (MMS) and Senior Management Service (SMS) levels. The data was collected using a survey administered via an online platform between December 2024 and March 2025. The participation rate was 35% (6 out of 17 officials). This low response rate and small sample size constitute a limitation; the findings are indicative of this group only and cannot be generalized to the entire directorate. This executive summary presents the principal findings; the full report contains a more detailed and nuanced analysis.
Human Sciences Research Council (Fri,) studied this question.