Page 29 - Transformation Indaba Report

In terms of the goal to increase collaborations and partner- Only 19% of PASS staff are white. The inverse of the Academic
ships with other institutional types to share knowledge and picture. In 2020, 81% of PASS employees were Black, with
resources and assist with capacity building and articulation, 61% being female. This profile is very different to that of aca-
work is being done to review the Internationalisation Policy, demic employees. The number of employees with disabilities
Strategy and Plan and link deliberately to African partnerships made up 2.1% of the staff complement. Progress has been
on the continent. made to diversify the PASS employee profile; however,
continuous efforts are required to achieve the Council-
Institutional culture, based on actual lived experiences, still approved targets set out in the University’s employment
leaves much to be desired. Resources can serve as obstruc- equity plan. Several barriers have been identified in the 2019/
tion or enhancement. Spaces have been created within the 2020 Employment Equity Report, and mitigation steps are
institution to try and address and spread the message of an being implemented to address these challenges. This includes
inclusive institutional culture, such as the staff induction pro- the Talent Management Framework, which involves a deli-
gramme and the middle-management forum, to provide berate and structured integrated talent management strate-
a social inclusion aspect to the institutional culture. gy to identify talented employees and implement succession
planning aimed at addressing the equity targets of the
In 2019, an Institutional Culture Working Group was estab- University.
lished as a partnership between the Engagement and Trans-
formation portfolio and HR to advise, support and assist in Dr Levendal commended the institution’s excellent govern-
implementing a transformative and inclusive culture in the ance, especially as other institutions had been placed under
University. The staff induction programme was revised and is administration. Regarding complaints, the institution now has
implemented monthly for all newly appointed employees to an online complaints mechanism, and HR has an online
be introduced to the Institutional vision, mission, values, and mechanism for lodging grievances.
other elements that directly impact their understanding of the
institutional culture. Other platforms like the middle manager’s Resources have been constrained across the sector. The organi-
forum were established to ensure inclusivity and enable sational redesign process has enabled rethinking and restruc-
the University to engage on various organisational matters turing to ensure a fit-for-purpose organogram. The institution
with this level of employees. The report provides examples depends a lot on the subsidy and fees in terms of revenue. SRAC,
where art, culture, and heritage were used to bring together a new structure, sources donations and income from other
students, employees, and external stakeholders to build social sources.
cohesion and create a sense of belonging and identity.
In concluding her presentation, Ruby-Ann notified all that the
In 2020, Council approved the Integrated policy for Equality Supply Chain Management Policy has been reviewed to en-
Promotion and the Prevention of and Protection Against sure the inclusion of SMMEs in the supply of commodities.
Unfair Discrimination. The advocacy and awareness inter- Furthermore, in terms of sustainability, several initiatives
ventions associated with the Amanda MEMEZA anti-GBV have been/continue to be implemented, leading to some
campaign, the Equality Promotion and Social Inclusion Project savings for the institution’s sustainability. Continued commit-
and the Mandela Pride initiative promote non-racialism, ment to V2030 and the new ITP will require focused energy.
non-sexism, equality, human dignity and social justice and The conceptual framework needs to be updated and realigned.
inclusion to reflect the legacy of Nelson Mandela. ERO and In conclusion, having outlined progress made over the past
organised labour participated in Building Workplace Relation- three years, our efforts, energies, and commitment need to
ship (BWR) workshops to build the relationship between continue advancing the Transformation Goals set out in our
management and the unions, enabling collaboration around current ITP and new ITP, as well as the V2030 outcomes.
COVID-related challenges. Official communications were ex- Our Institutional Transformation Conceptual Framework,
panded to include Afrikaans and isiXhosa to ensure inclusivity. approved in 2010, needs to be revised to align with the
PASS employees have a very different profiles. Transformation Barometer as captured in the current ITP.

NelsoN MaNdela UNiversity • traNsforMatioN iNdaba • 2022 23