How many subjects are there in public administration?

The management of all government departments and related sectors, including the day-to-day affairs and implementation of public policies, falls under the purview of public administration. Public administration serves society and its communities to ensure the smooth and efficient running of departments such as public health and social services, education, transport, housing, public works (roads, water and sewerage etc), law enforcement, disaster and emergency management, and so on. 

In this article:

• What do public administrators do?
• The purpose of the National Diploma in Public Administration 
• What the National Diploma in Public Administration at Regenesys covers 
• Your next step

What do public administrators do?

Public administration professionals are required to plan, strategise and implement various projects across departments, so need a wide array of skills, from good interpersonal and human resource management to budgeting, financial management, data analysis, sound decision making ability, and operations management. 

They also need to be closely acquainted with the law of the land and its policies to carry out their mandate professionally. 

The purpose of the National Diploma in Public Administration 

The National Diploma in Public Administration (NDPA) is a specialised programme that provides the knowledge public administrators need and helps them develop the communication, analytical mindset and leadership skills they require to implement various policies and strategies successfully. 

Regenesys School of Public Management has rolled out a comprehensive NDPA programme to cultivate leaders who are able to implement policy and day-to-day operations in real time. The programme is designed to turn out professionals who provide strategic leadership in, and support to, the government, improving efficiency and productivity in the public sector.

This Council on Higher Education-accredited, NQF level 7 qualification also provides a much-needed bridge for working officials who wish to further their studies with a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management (NQF level 8), a Master of Public Management degree (NQF level 9) and a doctorate (NQF level 10).

What the National Diploma in Public Administration at Regenesys covers 

This programme incorporates:

• Public project management, including public sector project management requirements; the different needs of projects, portfolios and projects; the project management life cycle (planning, execution, monitoring and control, closure, evaluation and improvement strategies); how to use a systems approach in project management; project management roles and responsibilities; communication management; project team management; and stakeholder analysis and engagement, without which projects are doomed to fail;
• Public sector management principles and theories, and the conceptualisation, design and implementation of a public development management framework;
• Public sector human resource management and ethics;
• Public finance and administration, examining public finance and functions in a market economy, its administration under rule of law, its governance, and how it is handled from regional and decentralised perspectives;
• The fundamentals of research, from the research process, research design, data collection, recording and analysis, to practices in public administration research;
• Public strategic management, in which strategic management, change management, and knowledge management are explored;
• Public policy management – the theories and models for analysing public policy, organisational and institutional policy development, policy monitoring and evaluation; and 
• Public communication strategies, examining negotiation and conflict management, public sector communication strategy and campaigns, and South Africa’s foreign policy and its role in international organisations.

On completion of the programme students will be equipped to be effective public administrators, with an understanding of policy frameworks and legal and regulatory mandates. They will also be familiar with the policies and procedures pertaining to the human resource development domain in the public sector, and with project management requirements. Project management skills are essential for anyone who wants to get ahead in the public service.

Your next step

Interested in becoming one of the capable, career-oriented and professional public servants the Public Service Commission (2016) envisions effectively transforming and building our country? If you can see yourself fulfilling that role, streamlining operations and providing strategic vision and leadership, find out more about the National Diploma in Public Administration at Regenesys here. 

At Regenesys, we awaken your potential! 

References

• Public Service Commission. (2016). Building a capable, career-oriented and professional public service to underpin a capable and developmental state in South Africa.
• SAQA. (2018). National Diploma: Public Administration. 
• Regenesys. (2023). Regenesys School of Public Management
• MPA@UNC. (2023). What is public management?