Established in 1993, the School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA) has held a series of annual events that provide a platform where academics, students, researchers and practitioners discuss topical issues affecting public management and administration locally and internationally. COVID-19 has prevented the SPMA from hosting its well-known annual international conference, and therefore, as part of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences centenary celebrations, the SPMA hosted a webinar on 12 November with the theme ‘Resilience in the wake of disasters – the municipal voice’.

 

International and local panel members gave expert opinions on the different policy responses from different countries when dealing with social challenges in the wake of disasters. Scholars and practitioners from all over the globe attended the session and a lively discussion took place.

 

The Brazilian experience from an intergovernmental relations perspective was shared by Prof Jose A Puppim de Oliveira, who is a faculty member at the higher education institutions Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV EAESP) in São Paulo and FGV EBAPE in Rio de Janeiro. Prof Martijn van der Steen from the Netherlands School of Public Administration (NSOB) in the Hague and Professor of Public Administration at Erasmus University Rotterdam, highlighted the Netherlands experience. Prof Sergio Fernandez, Associate Professor at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, shared the American scenario while Serrah Vilane, Municipal Manager at the Midvaal Local Municipality, shared the South African view from a practitioner’s perspective. 

 

The event was hosted by Prof Margaret Chitiga Mabugu, Director of the SPMA, and moderated by Prof Natasja Holtzhausen, Professor in the SPMA.

 

Click here to access the presentations.