Municipal human resource management

• HRM practices:
1. HR planning
2. Job analysis
3. Job profiling
4. Job design
5. Recruitment
6. Selection
7. Orientation
8. Training and development
9. Performance management
10. Compensation
11. Grievance management
12. Discipline
13. Good and sound labour relations
 Aim of HR

• Recruiting the right type of

employee
• Managing the employee optimally
• Developing employees to achieve
optimal performance
 Statutory framework HRM
• Namibian Constitution
• Local Authorities Act 1992 (Act 23 of 1992)
• Labour Act 2007
• Public Service Act 1990
• Employment Equity Act
• Skills Development Act
• Affirmative Action Act
 HRM systems and processes
• HR functions:
1. Human resources provisioning, HR planning, selection,
placement, induction, career management
2. HR maintenance, conditions of service, remuneration structures,
record keeping, monitoring, settlement of disputes, good
employer-employee relations, social responsibilities, affirmative
action, performance management
3. Training and development
4. Setting up HR structures
5. Setting up of contract of employment
 HRM strategy
• In line with strategic plan of local authority and indicate all HRM
activities to achieve the goals
• Specify
1. HR objectives
2. Strategies
3. Policies
• Use holistic approach, how to integrate SHRM with strategic plan of
institution
• Steps in design of HRM
1. Overall assessment of the current nature and extent of organisational
structure
2. collect data
3. Ask right questions
4. Decide best possible option
5. Decide on what positions are unnecessary
 HR Planning
• Process include
1. Analysis of external and internal factors influencing HR in public sector
2. Analysis of key priority areas in public sector
3. What HR required to achieve key priority areas
4. Current profile of HR in public sector
5. Projection of future HR
6. Development and training of staff
• Steps to follow
1. Link mission, goals, objectives of HR with strategy of institution
2. Evaluate current situation
3. Explore physical and human-changed environment
4. Place employees in clear categories
5. Select best HRM option
6. Plan of action
7. Implementation
8. Evaluation
• IDP (integrated development plan)
 HR provisioning, utilisation, development

• People with right skills, knowledge, qualifications,

experiences, attitudes
• Require proper HR plan
• Proper job and post description
• Screen candidates and interview short listed
• Staff costs largest expenditure
• Sound HR policies in place
 Training and development
• Move away from government (inward bureaucratic focus) to
governance (interaction between government and people,
outward focus)
• Move away from narrow service-delivery oriented character to a
developmental, participatory, responsive approach
• Restructuring training approach
• Training: activities to improve skills
• Education: knowledge transfer
• Capacity building: skills, knowledge, information transfer
• Reasons for training:
1. Vocational training related to profession or trade
2. Filling a skills gap, computer literacy
3. Induction, new, promoted, transferred official
4. On-the-job training, monitoring, in-basket training, etc.
 Performance management
• Monitoring and evaluation of work done
• Performance management system in place which include:
1. Meaning of performance monitoring and evaluation
2. Legislative provision in place
3. Key areas of monitor and evaluation
4. Performance measures and indicators
5. Links between monitoring, policy-making
 Labour relations
• Sound labour relations in place to address:
• Diversity management
• Conflict management
• Negotiations
• Fair labour practices
• Good employee relations
• What should be in place in work environment;
1. Departmental policies and procedures
2. Departmental work standards and performance rules
3. Limits of authority when dealing with labour issues, eg. unfair
discipline actions and dismissals
4. Understand the working environment
5. Develop special negotiating skills in dealing with conflict
 Professionalisation and codes of conduct

• Code of conduct for all public officials in Namibia

• Separate code of conduct for municipal managers
• Code:
1. Personal commitment
2. Non-engagement in private business
3. Disclosure of benefits
4. Unethical conduct
 Principles of good local governance: the human
resource connection
• Sound relations between all tiers of government, business, society
• Diverse needs and expectations
• Service groups:
1. Basis services, water, electricity
2. Personal services, salaries, leave applications
3. Community services, libraries
4. Development services, building plans
5. Social services, sport
• Challenges
1. Effective service delivery
2. Retaining effective managers and people
3. Coping with limited resources
4. Dealing with complex municipal structures
5. Managing performance
6. Integrating career and life goals
7. Managing impact of HIV/AIDS
8. Corporate governance
9. Co-operative governance
 Relationship between political office bearers and
municipal officials
• Councillors: political elected
• Municipal officials: appointed or promoted
• Poor interpersonal relations between above due to:
1. Different statements between councils and officials
2. Rivalries between mayors and municipal managers
3. Tension between senior and junior staff
4. Loss of moral
5. Complicated procedures and red tape
6. Appointment of unqualified staff
• Effective organisational arrangements in place
• Delegation of authority and span of control
• Proper communication, vertically and horisontally
 Intellectual honesty 7 accountability
• Office bearers and officials must comply with legislation, codes
• Accountability and responsibility
• Clear roles
• Non accountability and responsiveness must be dealt with
• The “buck stops somewhere”
Administrative transformation and way forward
• Adoption of strategic management type of organisational
structures and focusing on IDP
• Matrix-type structures of a project driven and geographic nature
• Include business approaches such as PPP, outsourcing, joint
ventures
• Appoint qualified people
• Retrain previous staff
• Improvement of horisontal and vertical co-operation and
communication between all tiers of government
• Investments in ICT to improve integrated enhanced service
delivery
• Transformation key priority for local authorities