Newsletters

May 2003 newsletter

Date: 20 November 2002

To: All HRCOSA Member Organisations

c.c.: Human Resources Organisations; Interested Public, Private and Social Institutions; Human

Resources and Related Professionals / Practitioners

From: President of the Human Resource Council of South Africa

• Over the years there has been much discussion between all stakeholders of South Africa’s rich and textured Human Resources fields regarding the nature and composition of the South African Human Resources Profession in South Africa.

• Often we ourselves, the Human Resources Professionals have questioned and doubted our own standing. No more! Through very difficult times and exceptional efforts the many associations, organisations and the Human Resources Profession itself has rallied to create a single Human Resource Council for South Africa.

• The Human Resource Council for South Africa (HRCOSA) came into existence on 11 November 2002. The official national launch of the HRCOSA will be held at an appropriate function in the near future, and all interested organisations have until 31 December 2002 to indicate their participation as founding organisations. After 1 January 2003 the HRCOSA will of course continue to accept and encourage organisations to participate, in this a first year of consultative processes, and thus become full members of the HRCOSA.

• To date the following organisations have indicated an initial willingness to participate in the HRCOSA, some may still require their own organisation’s mandates, some not, and as the list grows we shall keep it up to date on the soon to be advised website:

1. American Society for Training and Development of South Africa ASTD SA
2. Association of Mine Human Resources Practitioners AMHRP
3. Association of Personnel Services Organisations APSO
4. Association of Private Providers APPETD
5. Department of Public Service and Administration DPSA
6. Employee Assistance Professionals Association of South Africa EAPA
7. Institute for Organisation Development and Transformation IODT
8. Institute of Personnel Service Consultant IPSC
9. Institute of Safety Management IoSM
10. International Society for Performance Improvement ISPI SA Chapter
11. Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychology of South Africa SIOPSA
12. South African Board for Personnel Practice SABPP
13. South African Reward Association SARA

• By no means is the membership limited to those mentioned above and all related Human Resources Organisations are encouraged to make contact with the HRCOSA, such that we can fulfil the vision of a unified and recognised as well as registered Human Resources Professional in the Human Resource occupation / fields.

• Many other organisations and global human resources organisations are being engaged to foster better relations with them as well as encourage their participation and eventual joining of the HRCOSA. Those having joined will be entitled to the HRCOSA endorsement and use of the HRCOSA logo on their stationary etc….

• At the same meeting the members in attendance elected the following office bearers of the HRCOSA, namely
1. Shaun Schwanzer President (ADvTECH Ltd)
2. Nat Mbengwa Vice President (Shuma Business Consulting)

1. Aletta Odendaal Treasurer (Technikon Southern Africa)
2. Claudette Hammond Secretary (ADvTECH Ltd)

• Members of the Council’s Chamber Portfolio Convenors and other structures will be advised shortly. It is also envisaged that the Presidents and/or Chairpersons of the participating organisations, together with the HRCOSA President and Vice President would form a Consultative Committee / Forum where strategic high level interests can be addressed. This Consultative Committee may even include prominent persons and/or specialists who may be of assistance in shaping the future of the Human Resources environment.

• The HRCOSA’s vision is to ensure economic competitiveness by world-class people management, whilst recognising those less fortunate and unable to participate in the economic fibre of South Africa. With South Africa’s winning nation status significantly enhanced by people management, through co-ordinated functioning of all dimensions of differentiated people management governance thus ensuring a competitive and sustainable people management service and business delivery.

• The HRCOSA stands for the co-ordination and continual improvement in all components of HR and the broader aspects of people management as a mission. It wishes to achieve this by fostering high quality dialogue among governance bodies and working towards continual improvements to co-ordinate the efforts of organisations in the HR field and to furnish them with representative voice.

• The Council and its members are committed to ethics, putting South Africa first, service excellence, sharing of knowledge and resources, sustainable people development and skills as well as equity, transparency, fairness, transformation and representivity. HRCOSA is a loose alliance of organisations. The ultimate goal may be to breakdown fragmentation and build an all-round body that will be the voice of all the various disciplines of Human Resources Management and Development. In facilitating that end goal it will be necessary for the HRCOSA’s Constitution to be reviewed in line with this stated end goal.

• In our quest to demonstrate commitment to the principle mentioned above, we envisage a new unified structure in the future. In working towards this we shall draw from the learning’s of somewhat similar South African bodies, such as the IMM and the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. In the international arena, bodies such as SHRM and CIPD would prove to also provide some useful lessons. The final form of structure and content shall be a product of consultation with all the member associations of HRCOSA.

• During the launch of the HRCOSA it became evident that both the State, through its Government Departments, and Private Organisations have remarkably similar national human resource issues that the HRCOSA needs to take forward. It therefore stands to reason that HRCOSA may evolve into an entirely different organisation once legislative parameters have been set as a result of our attending, and achieving successes in these issues.

• Some of these issues that HRCOSA will be attending to, but may not be limited to are:

1. The incorporation of the functions of a HR professional / practitioner into existing and future legislation
2. Representation at forums where legislation and regulation are debated
3. Joint ventures between the private and public sectors and other associated HR organisations
4. The development and understanding of transformation, diversity and tolerance in the workplace
5. The continued professional development (CPD) of HR practitioners to enhance the profession.
6. Social responsibility participation especially with HIV/AIDS and other associated needs

• Primarily the message is that we now stand together, united by a common need to cater for all human resources professionals, practitioners and organisations, and that our doors are open to any interested parties in the field that wish to add to the tremendous efforts made to date. Please would any organisations that we may have overlooked, accept my apologies, and contact either Nat or myself at your earliest convenience.

• Congratulations go to those before us, who kept believing and persuading and formulating ideas when very few recognised the vision and great opportunity. Also a word of appreciation to the many organisations who participated in the ideas and needs for the creation of the HRCOSA in many ways.

• Also to the membership and constituent bodies which took the first bold steps towards the creation of the HRCOSA. To all HR professionals and practitioners that have been canvassing for the statutory recognition and inclusion of the HR professional and practitioner in the fabric of South African society and business alike, the greatest of thanks for their support and confidence in the HRCOSA!

Shaun R. Schwanzer

President

P O Box 577

Paulshof, Rep. of South Africa, 2056

Tel: +27 11 348 0007

Fax: +27 11 348 0127

Cell: +27 82 820 2122

Email: president@hrcosa.com 

 President, Shaun R Schwanzer, E-mail: president@hrcosa.com, Cell: +27 82 820 2122, Tel: +27 11 348 0007

 Vice President, Nat Mbengwa, E-mail: shumabc@mweb.co.za, Cell: +27 82 371 9710, Tel: +27 11 795 1171

 Treasurer, Aletta Odendaal, E-mail: aodendaa@tsa.ac.za, Cell: +27 83 600 9939, Tel: +27 11 471-3295

 Secretary, Claudette Hammond, E-mail: chammond@advtech.co.za, Cell: +27 82 434 6200, Tel: +27 11 348 0007