Water use authorisation management skills audit and training needs assessment report

This skills audit was conducted within the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) to support the Department's commitment to developing a skilled and capable workforce. This initiative aligns with broader national directives, including the call in the State of the Nation Address to professionalize the public service to meet the objectives of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030. The primary objective of this skills audit is to assess the current skills profile of staff within the Chief Directorate: Water Use Authorization's Management, identify key skills gaps and training needs relative to its mandate of equitable and sustainable water allocation, and provide recommendations for targeted skills development interventions. This audit focused on staff at the Middle Management Service (MMS) and Senior Management Service (SMS) levels. The data was collected using a survey administered via an online platform between December 2024 and March 2025. The participation rate was 38% (9 out of 24 officials). This relatively low response rate constitute a limitation, and the findings, while indicative, cannot be reliably generalized to the entire directorate. This executive summary presents the principal findings; the full report contains a more detailed and nuanced analysis.