Government celebrates five years since launch of Nyukela Senior Management Programme
It has been five successful years since government introduced a compulsory pre-entry programme for persons applying to be appointed as senior managers in the Public service – the Nyukela (Step-Up) senior management service (SMS) Pre-Entry eLearning course.
The launch of the Nyukela programme in April 2020, offered by the National School of Government (NSG), was a decisive step towards professionalising the Public Service, and towards pushing the boundaries of performance and leadership.
Anyone from within government seeking a promotion, or someone outside the Public Service wishing to join the SMS, must complete the Nyukela programme and pass the necessary assessments before being considered for the post. Nobody will be appointed as a Director, Chief Director, Deputy Director-General (DDG) or Director-General (DG) in the Public Service, without producing a Nyukela certificate. The purpose is to ensure that only those who demonstrate the competencies and mindset needed for optimal performance are entrusted with leadership roles.
Since its inception, 20 436 participants have completed the course, equipping them to take on critical leadership responsibilities. This also demonstrates commitment towards professionalising the Public Service.
Catering for various levels
The NSG is now expanding this initiative to make it more inclusive and tailored to various occupational levels. A special pre-entry programme for the executive management level 15 and16, the DDGs and DGs as well as special advisors to Ministers and other political executives, will be introduced.
Currently there has been one Nyukela programme for everyone in the SMS and with this new development, the executive managers will have their own programme.
The executive Nyukela programme will incorporate more rigorous evaluations to ensure readiness for the complex demands of executive management leadership. The NSG will also extend the Step-Up approach to local government, state-owned entities and security sector institutions.
As we celebrate five successful years of Nyukela, the NSG will continue contributing to the efforts of building a public service staffed by skilled, selfless and honest professionals.
Nyukela is part of a suite of compulsory programmes that have been introduced by the NSG, following approval by Cabinet. These include the following;
- Compulsory Induction Programme (salary levels 1 – 14);
- Executive Induction Programme (salary levels 15 – 16);
- Khaedu training and deployment to service delivery sites (salary levels 13 – 16);
- Ethics in the Public Service (salary levels 1 – 16);
- Managing of Performance in the Public Service (salary levels 6 – 12);
- Supply Chain Management for the Public Service (salary levels 9 – 16);
- Financial Management Delegations of Authority (salary levels 9 – 16);
- Re-orientation in the Public Service (salary levels 1 – 16);
- Basic Project Management for the Public Service (6-12); and
- Advanced Project Management for the Public Service (6-12)
These courses contribute to the implementation of the National Framework towards Professionalisation of the Public Sector, which promotes a stronger emphasis on merit-based recruitment and appointments, as well as lifelong learning for public servants.
To enrol and complete the Nyukela programme, please register for the self-paced course on the NSG’s website at: https://www.thensg.gov.za/ training-course/sms-pre-entry-programme