Raising the position of the training function

Subsidiarity is moving management responsibility down to the lowest reasonable level. The different aspects of capacity development and HRD need to be developed to different extents at different levels; technical staff are being given more responsibility and so they need additional skills to manage delivery. Sector wide and strategic responsibilities cannot be delegated and there is an argument for giving the development of people a higher status within the organisational structure to reflect its importance. For example, for the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), staff costs are one of the biggest areas of operational expenditure, exceeded only by plant costs. Man-aging that expenditure is a key activity if the organisation is to produce value for money.

Decentralisation and fragmentation of the sector will mean that it is becoming more difficult to provide ‘people development’ support, hence district engineers being provided with interim support through the Technical Support Units (TSUs). Increasing private involvement may promote a short-term approach to staff training and lead to qualified and experienced staff being poached from government and NGO organisations The human resource of the sector is a common resource and may be vulnerable to market forces.

These circumstances call for expertise in training and human resource development to make sure investment is sustained and the benefits reaped. People working in training are professionals and need the support afforded to other cadre, engineers and doctors for example.

Strengthening capacity involves more than the development of skill

The quality of the human resource is often called its capacity. This has three components:

1. Group factors (the working environment, institutional arrangements, organisational structures);

2. Individual factors, such as attitudes, skills, knowledge and experience; and

3. How the individual relates to the group (social environment, motivation, views of the rewards and leadership the organisation offers).

People require the following factors to be in place if they are to work to their full potential:

- The work environment must be right (such as management structures, institutional arrangements, allocation of responsibilities);

- They need to be motivated to work (adequate rewards (e.g. financial, career paths, recognition) and working conditions, leadership, social environment and enthusiasm); and

- They need the correct attitudes, skills, knowledge and experience for the job (which requires the job to be adequately understood and described.

So for example: Investment in developing IT and computer skills will only be effective if staff then have computers to work on. It will only increase performance if the work requires computers. It will only contribute to reaching the goal if other factors, such as data for analysis or funds for delivery, are also available. And, a computer on the desk of the manager’s secretary does not constitute organisational ‘internet access’ if only a few can use the machine. (Reed and Coates (2003))

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