DPMN Bulletin: Special Issue, Volume X, Number 5, November 2003

The contents of this Bulletin reflect both an unfolding process and a commitment to action. They reflect the will of individuals and institutions, at all levels, to engage in dialogue, debate and action on leadership capacity development. Central to this are critical policy engagements and debates on, amongst others, the content of public sector leadership development, the methodologies that would be appropriate for leadership development and the strategies that would be put into place for the development of public sector leaders.

Whilst raising the critical policy issues, all the papers are driven by a commitment to action. This commitment to action is particularly evident from the inclusion, in this Bulletin, of an Aide Memoire for a planned workshop on `Public Sector Leadership Development.' The workshop will be held in January 2004 in Kampala, Uganda. The initiative has its origins both in the commitment of Africans and African institutions to address the challenge of leadership development and in a commitment of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) to assist the realization of these commitments, by supporting the planned workshop and its anticipated outcomes.

The commitment of African institutions is reflected both in the commitment to the Uganda workshop and in the DPMF-led effort to establish an African Management Development Institutes Network (AMDIN). The overall objective of the effort is to establish the network as a mutually supportive base for the exchange of knowledge and development of the institutions that are part of the network. The initial result of the effort is the adoption of the draft strategic plan for the network. The plan, as adopted at a meeting of African Management Development Institutes in Ethiopia (5^th December 2003), is included in this Bulletin, to enhance participation and broaden commitment to supporting an African-initiated effort.

As the momentum and commitment to action unfold, the articles in this Special Issue raise critical thoughts on the nature of leadership interventions and how these need to be configured and visualized for the African context. Whilst we focus on the details of what is possible, the reader is cautiously reminded that many of the challenges that face the continent are rooted in the overall structure of the global economy and the consequences of globalization. In so doing, we are reminded that if we don't address the many constraints faced by public sector leaders in the continent, our efforts to establish better leadership capacity will not have the desired impact.

Whilst recognizing the many constraints, there is also a growing recognition that a public sector leadership that is capable can be very instrumental to the construction of a `developmental state'. That is, a state that is appropriately configured and operates in a manner that demonstrates, in practice, the commitment to sustainable development and poverty eradication. It is contended that there is a recognized correlation between good public sector leadership and sustainable development and effective poverty eradication. We thus have much to achieve, if we are to ensure that we establish the best possible interventions for the development of public sector leaders. As the articles in this Bulletin demonstrate, this is no easy task and requires deep reflection and engagement amongst all of us. The articles and the actions they suggest and commit to are both a call for further debate and an effort to mobilize further partnerships for the public sector leadership development challenge.

We are thankful for the global and African partners and individuals who have provided the articles for this Special Issue. We anticipate that the initial effort will go a long-way towards enhancing our collective commitments and efforts for the African continent. We are particularly grateful to GTZ, who have provided the resources for the development and publication of this Special Issue of the DPMN Bulletin.

 

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*Dr. Latib is Senior Manager, International & African Affairs, Dept. of Public Service and Administration, South Africa.