The analysis of the implementation of the AgriSETA’s Internship Programme by the Department of Higher Education and Training

Abstract

Programme implementation must be driven by clear implementation plans or project plans that have measurable deliverables, milestones and financial resources. Programme implementation and policy formulation are meant to work together and complement each other for the attainment of policy objectives. In essence, public policy should be underpinned by practice and practical programme implementation as opposed to the emphasis that is often placed more on the theory of policy formulation. The practice of policy implementation should be preoccupied with and entail what activities need to be executed by implementers at the policy implementation phase in order to achieve the performance and outcomes set out in policy objectives. The effectiveness of a policy could be determined by the ability of the implementers to put into practice the expected outcomes indicated in the policy, despite various challenges in the policy implementation process.

The study assessed the policy and legislative framework that guides the implementation of the Skills Delivery Programme (SDP). A policy implementation framework has been applied to the AgriSETA Internship Programme to assess and analyse how the programme is doing. The Mazmanian and Sabatier framework, with its six categories of variables, the 7-C protocols of implementation as well as a set of seven questions were adopted to analyse the implementation of AgriSETA’s Internship Programme. The theoretical programme implementation framework presented in this research has provided an analysis that has revealed the strengths and shortcomings of AgriSETA’s policy formulation and policy implementation process. The analysis has provided AgriSETA with findings and recommendations that need to be considered by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and AgriSETA in order to improve the implementation of their internship programme.