Strategic and Generic ManagementPKM401
Strategic Capability and Leadership in the Public Sector
This Strategic Capability and Leadership in the Public Sector programme is a practical, executive-level learning experience designed to empower current and emerging leaders in government institutions and agencies with the mindset, frameworks, and tools needed to lead strategically and deliver sustainable public value in complex environments.
Overview
Public sector leadership in Africa today demands more than compliance and routine administration, it demands strategic thinking, cross-sector collaboration, innovation, financial stewardship, accountable governance, and adaptive delivery mechanisms that respond effectively to citizen needs and national development imperatives.
The programme blends interactive sessions, real-world Africa cases, facilitation labs, strategic diagnostics, and capstone planning. Participants leave with a practical, context-driven strategic delivery plan that can be implemented in their institution, supported by tools and peer insights that reinforce sustainable capability building.
Programme objectives
By the end of the programme, participants should be able to:
- 01Understand the concept, principles, and evolution of strategic capabilities and leadership
- 02Diagnose strategic capability gaps in their institution (strategy, governance, people, processes, data, culture)
- 03Translate national/sector plans into clear strategic choices, measurable outcomes, and funded implementation roadmaps
- 04Build execution systems: priorities, portfolios, service standards, operating rhythms, and accountability mechanisms
- 05Lead change and delivery across silos (inter-agency coordination, stakeholder alignment, citizen engagement)
- 06Strengthen governance, ethics, and trust (transparency, redress, anti-corruption safeguards, integrity culture)
- 07Use performance management and M&E to learn, adapt, and sustain results—not just report compliance
- 08Apply lessons from African reforms (service centres, performance contracts, citizen charters, results initiatives)
Who should attend
- Executives and Senior Leaders
- Board Members and Executive Committees
- Consultants and Strategy Analysts
- Directors-General / Permanent Secretaries, Deputy DGs
- Chief Directors, Department Heads, Programme/Project Directors
- Municipal Managers, HODs, City/Town Managers
- Strategy, M&E, Planning, and Performance Management units
- Public finance leaders (CFOs, budget/programme finance), procurement leaders
- Digital transformation / eGovernment leaders, service delivery managers
- Policy advisors, change managers, HR/OD leads, PMO leads
- Regulatory and oversight bodies, SOE executives with public mandates
Programme outline
9 modules · 44 topics
01Africa’s public-sector leadership reality: strategy under constraint
- The public value challenge: legitimacy, trust, and delivery
- Political–administrative interface (managing priorities, mandates, and trade-offs)
- Strategic capability framework: direction → alignment → execution → learning → adaptation
- Activity: rapid institutional capability scan (participants assess their organisation)
- Case link: Why citizen expectations force “People First” service models (South Africa’s Batho Pele framework emphasises citizen-centred service principles and standards).
02Setting direction: from plans to strategic choices
- Turning broad plans into choices: what to start/stop/scale
- Strategy mapping for the public sector (outcomes, outputs, enabling capabilities)
- Risk-informed strategy: policy, operational, fiscal, and reputational risk
- Activity: build a one-page strategy map for your unit/department
03Governance for delivery: decision rights, accountability, and coordination
- Clarifying decision rights (who decides what, when, with which data)
- Cabinet/EXCO alignment mechanics; delivery units; inter-agency agreements
- Building accountability that improves performance (not fear/compliance)
- Activity: design a “delivery governance” structure and cadence (weekly/monthly/quarterly)
- Case lab (performance accountability): Rwanda’s Imihigo. How performance contracts evolved into a multi-layer performance- management and oversight mechanism supporting planning and accountability.
04Execution system: prioritisation, portfolio delivery, and operating rhythms
- Translating strategy into a prioritised portfolio (programmes/projects/services)
- Creating an execution rhythm: scorecards, stand-ups, escalation paths
- Service standards and process simplification (reduce friction; improve throughput)
- Activity: build an execution dashboard (inputs → outputs → outcomes) and escalation rules
- Case lab (service delivery design): Kenya Huduma Centres. One-stop citizen service centres and citizen-centred service delivery channels as an execution approach.
05People, leadership, and culture: building capability that sticks
- Leading through ambiguity: adaptive leadership and “mission clarity”
- Capability building: workforce planning, talent mobility, learning systems
- Culture levers: values, incentives, leadership routines, psychological safety
- Managing performance ethically (coaching, feedback, consequence management)
- Activity: create a capability-building plan (skills, roles, routines) for one priority
- Case link (performance systems in Africa): Botswana. Evidence and reflection on public-service performance management reforms and implementation challenges/lessons.
06Public financial management as strategic capability (budget, procurement, controls)
- Linking strategy to budgets: programme-based budgeting and costed plans
- Procurement as a delivery enabler (market shaping, contract management, transparency)
- Controls that protect value without paralysing delivery
- Activity: map your delivery bottlenecks to budget/procurement/control constraints and redesign
- Case lab (financial systems & accountability): Ghana GIFMIS. Integrated
07Digital transformation and data-driven leadership
- Digital isn’t “an IT project”: service redesign + policy + data + change
- Data governance, dashboards, and evidence-based decisions
- Citizen experience: access, inclusion, and multi-channel delivery
- Activity: design a “digital quick win” that improves a high-volume service end-to-end
- Case link: Kenya’s Huduma as a service delivery platform (citizen-centred channels and centres).
08Integrity, transparency, and citizen trust
- Ethics infrastructure: conflicts of interest, transparency, whistleblowing, audit follow-through
- Complaints and redress systems as strategic feedback loops
- Communicating with citizens: expectations, service charters, and openness
- Activity: design a complaints-to-improvement loop for one service
- Case lab (citizen-centred principles): South Africa Batho Pele. Batho Pele as a national framework for transforming service delivery and embedding “People First” principles.
09Results, learning, and adaptation: M&E that improves delivery
- Building outcome logic models (and avoiding indicator overload)
- Using M&E as learning: after-action reviews, delivery retros, adaptive management
- Activity: build a practical M&E plan (few indicators, clear data owners, review cadence)
- Case lab (results initiatives): Tanzania “Big Results Now” (BRNEd).
Upcoming dates
In-house training
Run this programme for your team
We can deliver PKM401 at your premises, anywhere in Africa, with content aligned to your organisation's internal policies.
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Questions about our courses
All frequently asked questionsHow do I register for a course?
Choose a programme and date, then send an enquiry from the course page — the course and dates are filled in for you. Our team replies with the programme information and registration forms. You can also contact us on WhatsApp at +27 73 708 3507.
Do you offer in-house training at our premises?
Yes. Our group booking option allows us to bring our expert facilitators to your location anywhere in Africa. We can also customise the course content to align with your organisation’s internal policies.
How does pricing work for group bookings?
Pricing depends on your organisation's requirements, so we don't publish it. Please contact us with your programme, group size and preferred dates, and we'll get back to you with the details.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept electronic funds transfers (EFT), direct bank deposits, and corporate or government purchase orders.
Do online delegates receive certificates?
Yes. Upon successful completion of a virtual course or programme, delegates receive a digital certificate of completion equivalent to our classroom-based training.
Ready to enrol your team?
Enquire about PKM401 and we'll send programme and registration information.