Information technology competence in undergraduate Public Administration curricula at South African universities

Abstract

This article reports on research on whether undergraduate Public Administration curricula at South African universities should provide for information and communication technology (ICT) competence and, if so, whether universities actually provide such competence. Both the context within which public servants work and their required vocational and professional characteristics have been shown to support the expectation that the learning of ICT competence be included in the undergraduate Public Administration curricula at South African universities. However, only those universities offering a National Diploma in Public Management include ICT competence as a separate module. The research findings confirm that ICT competence should indeed be included in undergraduate Public Administration curricula due to the need for contextual relevance, and the specific professional and vocational requirements of the public service. It is thus suggested that institutions of higher education, specifically in South Africa, assess their undergraduate Public Administration curricula by applying these curriculum requirements. Points for practitioners The study on which this article is based addressed the relevance of Public Administration curricula to the information and communication technology (ICT) requirements of vocations and careers in the public service. The need for contextual relevance of curricula as well as meeting the professional and vocational requirements of public service receive specific attention.