Enhancing functionality of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of education during the corona virus pandemic using the viable system model.
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Date
2022
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Abstract
Organisational functionality is critical for ensuring that the organisation remain focussed in ensuring its performance
mandate especially in times of disruption such as the coronavirus pandemic, natural disasters caused by floods,
earthquakes, and civil unrest. In times of disruption, “organisation could enhance functionality by applying the Viable
System Model. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education (KZNDOE), experienced functionality related
challenges during the corona virus pandemic which hindered the delivery of teaching and learning across most
schools. The aim of the study was therefore to enhance the functionality of the department using the VSM. The
target population comprised 80 senior managers and school principals. The study employed an exploratory research
design gathering data from 14 participants who were purposively selected. Data was collected by interviewing the
14 participants. Data was analysed thematically using the NVivo 12 model. The study revealed that KZNDOE was
not ready to deal with the complexity presented by the coronavirus pandemic ultimately hindering the performance
of teaching and learning throughout KwaZulu-Natal schools. The pandemic was a complex emergence which the
department could not handle using its simplistic functional organisational structure. Despite the challenges, the
department made progressive responses that include closure of schools, establishing new structures, introducing
the virtual office, speeding the procurement process of basic resources such as personal protective equipment
(PPEs), and trimming the curriculum. The study however indicated that the closure of the core function of teaching
was a major blow as teaching and learning needed to continue despite the pandemic to allow natural progression
of learning from one grade to another. The study also revealed that the major challenges faced by the department
include the shortened curriculum, implementing the social enrichment programmes, inadequate classroom space
for rotational classes, inadequate funding and increase in the learning gap between quintile 4, 5 schools and quintiles
1, 2, and 3. To address the challenges, the focus of the department was on increasing funding to procure critical
resources. To achieve performance, the study revealed that critical role players such as the department of health,
education, senior managers, school principals, educators and learners were to play a role. The study recommended
the need to review the functional structure which was last reviewed in 2011 to one that is adaptive in responding to
the complex environment. The review would include the change of structure by creating new structures within the
department that can deal with the pandemic. Thus, the study recommended a restructure to viable, and adaptive
structure that seeks to enhance functionality and performance anchored in an effective coronavirus pandemic
communication network, empowerment structures for educators, structures to provide for remote learning and prelearning
materials. The study however recommended that a similar study could be conducted in other provinces to
have a balanced view before making national inferences.
Description
Master’s Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.