Public service reform in Namibia : a case study of cadre appointments in the central government

Abstract

The study examined the effects of Public Service Reform in the appointments of management cadres in the Public Service of Namibia from 1990 to 2005. Specific focus was given to the Office of the Prime Minister, the core institution in the management of the Central Government operations. The study found that the need for a new post-colonial dispensation compatible with the requirements of statehood prompted the structuring of Government institutions. The Research Question explicitly sought to explain the extent to which the Post-independent Public Service Reform initiatives have transformed the structures and reoriented the government institutions to adopt the New Public Management principles, which can ensure efficiency and effective delivery of services. The legislative frameworks, particularly the Constitution of Namibia and the Public Service Act, 1995 (Act 13 of 1995), have provided the bases for analyzing the Recruitment Policy in the Public Service of Namibia. A systematic semi-structured interview with respondents has significantly unveiled a highly structured institution, with complex mechanisms of planning and executing programmes within managerial frameworks. The empirical research conducted for the study explored the political, economic, social and historical significance of Public Service Reform and indeed produced sufficient evidence confirming the adoption of new ways of improving performance and of enhancing accountability of the civil servants. Qualitative research methods were employed to evaluate the participants’ daily life experience for the purpose of describing the Public Service Reform from the insider’s perspective. The findings show that the traditional culture of administration is evidently being phased out and the New Public Management is gradually taking root. The Merit System has given way to new practices without loss of values that are generic to the selection of the “right type of people” for the meritocratic Public Service. Nevertheless, the current managerial reform initiatives appear to be superficial, taking a pragmatic approach with no serious provisions for structural change. Options for Namibia should include adopting structural changes that responds to its social, economic and political conditions in the face of globalisation. The study has ultimately recommended Competency-Management as the best approach to achieve a meritocratic and professional civil service.