Assessment of Needs and Capacity of District Office Professional Staff

position and current job aspirations. This information will be examined by the different
professional sub-groups – EDOs, Subject Advisors, etc.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STAFF IN DISTRICT OFFICE - AN
ANALYSIS
This section of the report examines the roles and responsibilities of staff in District
Offices as a vehicle for taking an in-depth look at capacity of professional staff. The
roles and responsibilities of staff, in this regard, must be examined in terms of the
roles, responsibilities and expectations of the District Office. These roles must be
seen in light of the support and service that must be rendered to schools. In fact, the
District Office is the meeting point for the policy mandates from above and the needs
and priorities generated from schools, institutions and communities. Without a
reflection on these responsibilities, it will be difficult to reflect on the capacity and
development needs of staff.
A FRAMEWORK OF RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ASSESSING NEEDS
This section of the report seeks to present a framework or categorization of
responsibilities for providing services and support to schools. This framework is used
as a basis for collecting data on both staff capacity and the need for training. Since
responsibilities in a developing and transforming environment are extensive, dynamic
and complex, they must be seen and be presented in a set of more stable categories
that are representative of the general expectations from staff who will undertake one
of the management roles in the District Office. After the framework is presented,
capacity of staff and need for training are discussed in 17 separate areas. These
areas are briefly described below.
a) Capacity in Core Content Areas
In this sub-section of the report, information is presented on the core areas of
responsibilities for the range of staff in District Offices. Here, the report seeks to
examine what the core responsibilities are, the extent to which staff are
programmed to undertake these responsibilities and the training needs which
emerge from an assessment (self and supervisory) of the readiness of staff.
b) Capacity in Leadership & Management
As one category of roles and responsibilities, this sub-section of the report
examines responsibilities, staff capacity and training needs and options in the area
of leadership and management. The discussion here is comprehensive and
includes a reflection on the issues and priorities which give rise to the selection of
particular training options. The same format is followed in each of the other 16
areas of analysis. Each area is analyzed separately so that the consideration of
training options could be seen in the context of the needs and circumstances
which exist.
c) Capacity in Planning & organizational Development
Planning has emerged as one of the most critical areas of training. This subsection
discusses the planning imperatives in the Department and the related staff
capacity and training needs and options.
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