Identifying needs and opportunities for local government environmental education and training in South Africa
- Olvitt, Lausanne L, Hamaamba, Tyson
- Authors: Olvitt, Lausanne L , Hamaamba, Tyson
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/370991 , vital:66400 , xlink:href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/122739"
- Description: Effective environmental management and public engagement with environmental concerns are needed for the attainment of sustainable development goals and socio-ecological balance in local government contexts. This vision is clearly articulated in international environmental policy frameworks and in South Africa’s national and regional legislation. However, policy and legislation fall short of identifying the range of a priori competences required by local government officials and environmental managers before well intended policy can be translated into effective practice. This paper reports on recent research into identifying the underlying competences required for better environmental management and the establishment of education and training processes for local government managers. The research draws on the notion of ‘applied competence’ put forward by South Africa’s National Qualifications Framework, and argues that greater attention needs to be paid to competence-based capacity building processes within local government departments if environmental sustainability and development goals are to be met. The paper draws on the researchers’ experiences of formulating a national level generic competence framework for environmental management, and conducting an education and training needs analysis for the Makana Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Early findings suggest that a broad range of competences all have a role in ensuring the capacity and effectiveness of local governments to better manage their local environment. The paper argues that these are significant for the development of environmental education and training programmes in local government contexts.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
- Authors: Olvitt, Lausanne L , Hamaamba, Tyson
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/370991 , vital:66400 , xlink:href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/122739"
- Description: Effective environmental management and public engagement with environmental concerns are needed for the attainment of sustainable development goals and socio-ecological balance in local government contexts. This vision is clearly articulated in international environmental policy frameworks and in South Africa’s national and regional legislation. However, policy and legislation fall short of identifying the range of a priori competences required by local government officials and environmental managers before well intended policy can be translated into effective practice. This paper reports on recent research into identifying the underlying competences required for better environmental management and the establishment of education and training processes for local government managers. The research draws on the notion of ‘applied competence’ put forward by South Africa’s National Qualifications Framework, and argues that greater attention needs to be paid to competence-based capacity building processes within local government departments if environmental sustainability and development goals are to be met. The paper draws on the researchers’ experiences of formulating a national level generic competence framework for environmental management, and conducting an education and training needs analysis for the Makana Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Early findings suggest that a broad range of competences all have a role in ensuring the capacity and effectiveness of local governments to better manage their local environment. The paper argues that these are significant for the development of environmental education and training programmes in local government contexts.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
Training needs for municipal employees: a case study of Makana Municipality
- Authors: Hamaamba, Tyson
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Municipal officials and employees -- Training of -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Environmental education -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Local officials and employees -- Training of -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Municipal water supply -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Sanitation -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Environmental health -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Environmental management -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Livestock -- Management -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Refuse and refuse disposal -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Fire departments -- South Africa -- Grahamstown
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1943 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007952
- Description: This study investigated the education and training needs for municipal employees in order to inform an education and training strategy that would address environmental management challenges in Makana local municipality in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape province. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study that made use of questionnaires, document analysis, focus group discussions and interviews as instruments for data generation. Samples of respondents were selected from Makana Municipality employees in top and middle management positions, professionals/technicians and workers, including elected councillors. The study was contextualised through establishing environmental management issues in Makana municipality; establishing organisational needs; development of a learner profile; and through a review of policies and recent trends in adult education. The study established that the Makana Municipality employees are most concerned with the following issues: sanitation; solid waste management; livestock management and fire management. These issues require primary environmental competences among all council employees (top and middle management, professionals and technicians, workers and councillors who work on part-time basis). The educational implications needed to respond to these issues also require an understanding of legislation. The study also established that technical education and training which includes planning, project management, and financial and budgeting competences are necessary amongst the management and professionals. These competences may enable them to develop capacity in environmental management. This study further established the need for social education which includes competences such as communication and social justice. These competences should be developed amongst members of the same group as they need to involve the community in management of the environment. This should enable the municipality to create job opportunities and help change negative attitudes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
- Authors: Hamaamba, Tyson
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Municipal officials and employees -- Training of -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Environmental education -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Local officials and employees -- Training of -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Municipal water supply -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Sanitation -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Environmental health -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Environmental management -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Livestock -- Management -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Refuse and refuse disposal -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Fire departments -- South Africa -- Grahamstown
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1943 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007952
- Description: This study investigated the education and training needs for municipal employees in order to inform an education and training strategy that would address environmental management challenges in Makana local municipality in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape province. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study that made use of questionnaires, document analysis, focus group discussions and interviews as instruments for data generation. Samples of respondents were selected from Makana Municipality employees in top and middle management positions, professionals/technicians and workers, including elected councillors. The study was contextualised through establishing environmental management issues in Makana municipality; establishing organisational needs; development of a learner profile; and through a review of policies and recent trends in adult education. The study established that the Makana Municipality employees are most concerned with the following issues: sanitation; solid waste management; livestock management and fire management. These issues require primary environmental competences among all council employees (top and middle management, professionals and technicians, workers and councillors who work on part-time basis). The educational implications needed to respond to these issues also require an understanding of legislation. The study also established that technical education and training which includes planning, project management, and financial and budgeting competences are necessary amongst the management and professionals. These competences may enable them to develop capacity in environmental management. This study further established the need for social education which includes competences such as communication and social justice. These competences should be developed amongst members of the same group as they need to involve the community in management of the environment. This should enable the municipality to create job opportunities and help change negative attitudes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
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