Qualifications and Experience for the highest Public Service Positions in Embassies required by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation
QOUTE
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO: 2736
PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO: 30 OF 23 SEPTEMBER 2010
Mr S Mokgalapa (DA) to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation:
(1) (a) What (i) qualifications and (ii) experience does her department require for the highest Public Service positions in embassies, (b) what is the nature of the experience that is required and (c) how are decisions to appoint senior public servants to the various embassies made;
(2) whether her department conducted a skills audit of staff and management at all our embassies in the past five years; if not, why not; if so, how many staff do we have at our embassies;
(3) whether there are any vacant posts; if so, in each case, (a) what specified posts are vacant, (b) at which embassies are the vacancies, (c) how long has it been vacant and (d) how many management personnel in her department’s embassies do not meet the qualifications requirements stipulated above? NW3408E
REPLY:
(1)
Parliamentary Question |
HOM |
Counsellor Admin |
(i) Qualification |
A relevant Bachelors Degree and or equivalent qualification/relevant experience |
A relevant Bachelors Degree and or equivalent qualification and /or relevant experience |
| (ii) Experience |
The experience and knowledge of
Understanding South Africa Politics
Communication
Managerial and liaison experience
Understanding South Africa Foreign policy framework |
The experience and knowledge of the work of International Relations with specific reference to Administration support issues. |
| (a) Nature of experience |
The HOM should be operating at Director-level and above for a minimum period of 3 years. |
The Counsellor should be operating at a Deputy Director level and above for a minimum period of 3 years and above. |
(b) In making recommendations on Head of Mission and Counsellor Administration appointment the following is taken into account:
- Experience and profile of the recommended official
- Priorities and needs at Head office and Mission
(2)
- The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has conducted Skills Audit in 2005. Staff members from both Head Office and Missions abroad participated in the process. In 2005, five hundred and eighty two (582) officials were at the missions.
- Since then, the fundamental and critical skills are identified through the Performance Management and Development System where officials complete the Personal Development Plans (PDP). Competency gaps are also identified during the recruitment process. The identified skills gaps are integrated in a Workplace Skills Plan.
(3)
There are three (3) vacancies at Head of Mission and Counsellor Admin level.
| (a) Post Level |
(b) Embassy |
(c) Duration |
Head of Mission |
Bujumbura and Cairo |
Became vacant in January 2010 |
Counsellor Admin |
Maputo |
Became vacant in January 2010 |
| (d) None |
UNQOUTE
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