Professionalisation Is Not a Tick Box Exercise

Trevor Francis traced South Africa's professionalisation journey back to 2013, when SALGA and COGTA first developed the Local Government Professionalisation Framework in response to two persistent problems that remain unchanged today: adverse findings by the Auditor-General and service delivery protests.

For professionalisation to succeed, he argues three things must work together: an enabling environment, institutional capacity, and individual capacity. IMPSA repositioned itself in 2024 to focus on exactly this intersection, formalising that commitment through an MOU with COGTA signed in May 2025 - a partnership centred on growing skills and capabilities, professionalising HR development, and promoting ethical leadership.

Four commitments came out of IMPSA and COGTA's engagements in 2024: an unwavering commitment to professional integrity; the principle that all appointments must be made on merit, not patronage; a focus on competence over compliance; and a drive towards innovation and continuous learning across the sector.

His closing point is direct: professionalisation is ultimately about how you show up. Strong work ethics, adherence to standards, and professional discipline - from officials, institutions and political leaders alike - are what turn policy frameworks into real change for communities.