Continuing research and development into improving the internal systems, processes and governance of South Africa’s public service departments were critical for effective service delivery and should be encouraged internally, said Public Service and Administration Ministerial special adviser Professor Sipho Seepe.

Addressing delegates at the Public Service Research and Innovation conference, in Pretoria, on Monday, he said that, for public administration structures to remain relevant, they should exploit internal innovation capacity to improve responsiveness to public concerns.

“The management of ideas in the organisation and the ability of an organisation to leverage the talent and motivation of its people is crucial in enabling it to thrive and adapt,” said Seepe.

Public Administration Leadership and Management Academy (Palama) director-general Professor LS Mollo added that a culture of research in any organisation was essential for building good practice.

“For the realisation of the National Development Plan (NDP) goals, the country needs to address the deficit in skills, poor performance and the lack of professionalism affecting certain areas of the public service.

“At the centre of these, is a need for research and innovation,” he said, adding that the NDP would aid in the creation of an open, responsive and accountable public service.

Further, research may identify the need for extensive restructuring of an organisation, which Seepe asserted should be embarked on, if required.

Underpinning the ideal of innovation in the public sector was the ability of an organisation to encourage the assimilation of ideas and the establishment of processes through which these ideas could be managed.

This would require the development of internal processes through which employee and customer input was processed and feedback given.

“Responsiveness is key,” Seepe said.

“The public are not going to wait for the public service organisation while it is developing a strategy. They want delivery immediately.”

He added that solutions and ideas should be encouraged and fostered across the entire scope of the organisational hierarchy.

“Just because individuals are members of executive management, does not mean that they are the alpha and omega of problem solving,” he said.

In addition, Mollo noted that research and innovative thinking in government and public institutions were essential in assisting the navigation of complex government processes, as well as documenting excellence in governance and management practices.

“Innovation also ensures that capacity-building institutions remain credible, relevant and up to date with current trends, both nationally and internationally,” he advanced.

Palama was a government department established in 2008 and was primarily mandated with the training and development of public servants.

The Public Service Research and Innovation conference was a partnership between the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management and Palama, and would provide a forum for the exchange of innovation, knowledge and practice relating to citizen-centred service delivery.