SAAPAM is a national body that promotes good governance and effective service delivery through the advancement of professionalism, scholarship and practice in Public Management.
Currently its members only consist of academics from higher education institutions and public service practitioners.
However, Peter Veeran, a Public Management lecturer, who is the head of the Western Cape chapter of the Association, is planning to extend membership to Public Management students.
Veeran said by launching a student chapter they will be able to hold seminars, workshops, training sessions and discussions with students on issues of service delivery in the workplace.
“We want to develop a cadre of students who will go into the public sector and who will provide an efficient and effective service,” he said.
Veeran said if students are passionate about their careers they will do well in their jobs and contribute to promote a better quality of life for the community they serve.
The Western Cape student chapter will be the second to be launched. The institutes’ first student chapter was launched in 2007 in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Veeran said the Western Cape student chapter will be launched during the first term of 2010.
“I have already run the idea by students and they are very excited,” he said.
The student chapter will fall under the Western Cape chapter and will be open to students from all higher education Institutions in the province.
Currently Veeran is on a robust drive to increase membership of the Western Cape chapter.
He recently met with staff members of Provincial Parliament, the Premiers Office and the City of Cape Town to raise awareness of the chapter.
Veeran is also putting plans in place to deliver a presentation on the Association to staff members at Parliament in Cape Town.
“I am using every opportunity to promote SAAPAM,” he said.
By Candes Keating
Photograph: Peter Veeran, head of the Western Cape chapter of SAAPAM, is planning to extend membership to Public Management students.
