SRIU Professional Certification Programme

The SRIU launched the Project Management and Business Case Development Programme pilot project in 2018, designed to create certified opportunities for building capability and embedding project management and business case development principles and practices into the CIG.

In 2019, the programme was rebranded as the “Professional Certification Programme” to better reflect the value of the programme’s content, and was expanded to include practitioner certifications for the existing courses, more senior leader engagement workshops and the option to study organisational change management.

This programme is targeted at civil servants involved the planning, evaluation and execution of projects and the development and review of business cases, as well as civil servants who are involved in policy development. These training and development opportunities assist in building capacity within the civil service and in doing so:

• Promote the use of business cases, which are:
  • an important form of policy advice; and
  • key thinking tools that provide a structure for informed decision-making.

• Promote the use of formal project management principles, practices and methodologies, which:
  • provide the framework, processes, guidelines and techniques to manage people and work;
  • will lead to more successful project results, due to more effective and efficient planning and  execution of projects; and
  • can enhance the effectiveness of day-to-day operations.

In an effort to cater to the needs of the organisation and accommodate the varying levels of knowledge and experience, courses and workshops are offered at a(n):

• Foundation level: for beginners, with little to no exposure to project management and business case development.
• Intermediate level: for persons who may already be working in and/or who may have prior knowledge and experience in the field of programme and project management and Business Case development and about the areas being covered in the course/workshop.

At December 31, 2023, the SRIU Professional Certification Programme has facilitated the achievement of 355 foundation-level and 161 practitioner level certifications in the areas of business case development, project management and organisational change management. 110 civil servants have earned one or more internationally recognised practitioner-level qualifications:

• 67 Change Management Practitioners
• 38 Business Case Development Practitioners
• 56 Project Management Practitioners

 Strategic Alignment
 The Professional Certification Programme, with its focus on good governance practices in the areas of business case development, project management and
change management, aligns with the 2024-2026 Strategic Policy Statement Broad Outcome 3, Specific Outcome 17: Strengthening good governance for more effective Government.

There are two main strategic initiatives within the 5-Year Strategic Plan for a World-Class Civil Service which the training programme fits or contributes to.

These are:

Goal 3: Pursue Excellence in Talent Development
The key purpose of the programme is to enrich the skillsets of civil servants, so they are better equipped to carry out their business-as-usual roles. Along with learning invaluable information through the courses, civil servants also have an opportunity to achieve an internationally recognised certification to qualify that knowledge. As a result, there can also be opportunities for growth and development in the workplace.

Goal 5: Demonstrate Excellence in Governance Practices
The skills learned on the courses augment decision-making processes. For example, the Better Business Cases course contains key information to assist with policy advice and procurement processes. It assists with making better decisions on public spending, to ensure that approved projects are viable, align with strategy, affordable over time, and offer the best value for money. Project management skills are key to carry forward the outcome of the business case, and ensures all details of the projects are appropriately managed, and can lead to a higher chance of success.