Information technology competence in undergraduate public administration curricula

Abstract

This research was selected after the South African Minister of Public Service and Administration, Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi’s, statement in the Budget vote speech of 2002 that government spent an estimated R3 billion per annum on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) goods and services, but that only 20 percent of public servants are computer literate. In 2004, this was illustrated again by the Minister who stated that the government will be recruiting new skilled personnel and that the recruitment will take place primarily from African countries, India and Iran. During 14 to 17 November 2005 the Minister lead a delegation to India with the specific purpose of reaching agreements between the two countries for assistance by the Indian public service through the transfer of Indian public servants, as well as training interventions and mentorship programmes for South African public servants.technology is one of the key strategies that governments can use to reform and improve public service delivery. Large amounts of information are required to deliver public services, for example pension and unemployment administration. However, to make proper use of and benefit from information technology public servants will need information technology skills and knowledge. It is generally accepted that universities provide Public Administration education to students that will become the future workforce in the public service. It is the duty of a university to provide scientifically inspired career education to students. Universities undertake to provide the knowledge as well as higher education to students in order to function effectively in the workplace. A student studying for a career should be able to gain knowledge about the field of study and gain the necessary skills to be used in practice. Thus, students in Public Administration should not only have knowledge about the subject Public Administration, they should also be able to act as professional public servants that can serve the public. The question can however be asked whether the curricula provided to undergraduate Public Administration students at South African universities comply with the needs of the public work force when considering the use of information technology competencies?