Project management training for community development

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Government of South Africa introduced the Reconstruction and DevelopmentProgramme (RDP) as a means of addressing the sub-standard, living conditions many underprivilegedand disadvantaged societies were experiencing in the country. That gavecommunity development impetus. The RDP, as a government policy, presupposed that publicinstitutions would be responsible for its implementation. That implied that public officials,inter alia, would have to facilitate community development. This change agent status ofpublic officials also implied that they would have, out of necessity and demand, to acquire orto demonstrate knowledge of project and community development management skills.Management sciences argue that an organisations' effectiveness is, amongst other, the resultof interplay between the internal capacity (inputs), outputs (production) and outcomes(impacts). Internal capacity includes, among others, the training of personnel for theachievement of goals.This study, as stated in the research question, seeks to explain the relationship between projectmanagement training and effective community development. It seeks to establish whetherthere are a significant number of public officials who are trained in project management forcommunity development. The study focuses on the Province of the Eastern Cape, especiallythe Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, with special reference to culturalofficers. The study further presents the Willowvale Case Study to demonstrate in a practicalway the relevance of project management skills to the implementation of communitydevelopment programmes. This case study also serves as base to launch arguments in favourof trained public officials.The research results suggest that public officials, especially cultural officers, lack projectmanagement skills. These findings presuppose that the implementation of some communitydevelopment projects may be flawed, delayed or postponed. The study recommends that the Province of the Eastern Cape consider setting up aninterdepartmental body for the purpose of establishing an integrated project and communitydevelopment training policy, in consultation with relevant tertiary institutions for support andadvice.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University