Executive education at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town (UCT) offers high-level training in various public policy and development areas to senior public leaders and officials, senior national and international actors in the private and non-profit sectors, and think tank members.

About

The Executive Education Programme aims to develop and support ethical public practitioners who are thought leaders and change makers in their respective fields.

The Nelson Mandela School strives to create spaces for engagement between researchers, policy-makers and practitioners, to promote effective governance and identify and develop strategies to respond critically and creatively to complex challenges.

The Nelson Mandela School strives to build capacity (at individual, institutional and societal levels) by:

  • Building a suite of integrated executive courses (core and electives) that foster critical analysis of key development issues;
  • Infusing theory, current research and practice/praxis throughout the learning journey; and
  • Inspiring participants through immersive engagement with implementation challenges that enable innovative problem-solving and comparative learnings.

Our approach

The Executive Education programme offers training through a range of delivery modes, including short courses, workshops and implementation labs, webinars and masterclasses, and individual and group coaching. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the School has increased the online teaching and learning component of its work.

The Executive Education Programme offers training programmes in each of the four strategic focus areas of the Nelson Mandela School:

  • Democratic Governance
  • Sustainable Development
  • Well-being, Social Cohesion and Inclusive Growth
  • Implementation of Policies & Programmes for Transformational Change

Within each of these areas, the Executive Education offerings foreground the following three areas of competency:

Leadership competencies

The School introduces participants to adaptive leadership practices, helping them distinguish narrow, interest-based approaches from broader, value-based approaches.

Implementation competencies

Communication skills and relationship management techniques are vital implementation competencies for public sector policies and programmes. Such skills are therefore incorporated into the Executive Education programme.

Problem-solving capabilities

Problem-solving capabilities are enhanced through customised learning opportunities, including group coaching and workshops, as part of an iterative learning journey. Participants learn how to identify and frame problems in their contexts and are equipped with the content knowledge, tools and techniques necessary for creating and leading processes to solve them.

Contact

For further information, please reach out to: