Abstract
M.Com. (Business Management)
The National Treasury, and its government component, the Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC), pride itself in attracting high caliber personnel in order to execute its mandate of ensuring effective spending of public funds through capacitation of government departments on public finance management. In the last four financial years, the National Treasury and GTAC has seen a consistent high turnover rate of staff employed as technical specialists and supervisors, remunerated on salary levels 9-12 and 13-16. The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) prescribe remuneration policy for the Public Service, where National Departments are categorised into three employment categories, including: 1) Non-Management Services (Salary levels 1-10), 2) Middle Management Services (Salary levels 11-12) and 3) Senior Management Services (Salary levels 13-16). The GTAC’s staff establishment consists largely of employees in the Senior Management Services (SMS). This is due to the fact that Government’s remuneration structure does not make provision for a pure technical stream for personnel on SMS level.
The exorbitant Public Service Wage Bill received scrutiny amid challenging economic conditions faced by South Africa in recent years. For this reason, restrictions have been placed on Public Service spending, including the reduction of Departmental Wage Bills. In an effort to curtail public spending, Government Departments are discouraged from filling vacant positions, with departmental compensation budgets unilaterally reduced by 10%, with effect from the 2017/18 Financial Year. In addition to this, DPSA has issued the revised Public Service Regulations of 2016 which no longer permit the granting of higher remuneration for retention purposes above the grade of the position. In previous years, departments were able to, at the discretion of the Executive Authority of the particular department, set the remuneration level of an employee above the salary grade of the position for retention purposes. With this provision rescinded, departments are encouraged to seek alternative means of retaining critical staff.
Government’s restricted ability to retain its talented, skillful, and critical workforce is a grave challenge, as it translates to the knowledge gap in the Public Service and weakening service delivery. As policy makers, Government should be capacitated with a mix of experienced, educated visionaries, and youthful thinkers in order to develop solutions to the challenges facing our country. The lack of talent retention, and continuous search to fill the intellectual gap is not only time but also resource consuming. Lack of continuity of critical staff not only impedes on service delivery, but brings about changes in personnel morale, work ethic, management styles, and business conduct...