Masters Degrees (DPMPS)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (DPMPS) by Subject "Armed Forces, Namibia"

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    An investigation into the effectiveness of skills retention strategies applied by the Namibian Defence Force (NDF)
    (University of Namibia, 2018) Ruben, Imanuel Mwashekele
    The study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of skills retention strategies in the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) under the title “An Investigation into the Effectiveness of Skills Retention Strategies Applied by the Namibian Defence Force”. The objectives of the study were to examine challenges that undermined the effectiveness of skills retention strategies in the NDF and how the NDF’s failure to retain its competent and well trained military members will affect national security, and to recommend measures needed to mitigate staff members’ retention challenges in the defence force. The researcher conducted a theoretical study and then carried out a survey in the concerned area. In this study, the he he researcher used qualitative research instruments consisting of in-depth depth depth depth interviews with senior management staff as well as a perusal of relevant documents as the primary instruments of the research. The responses were collected and analysed to gain a deeper understanding of skilled members’ motives for leaving the force prematurely. To validate data or response from selected respondents, the researcher requested permission from Senior Staff Officers Human Resource (SSO HR) to retrieve former NDF members’ personnel files and made comparisons between the reasons given by former NDF members during in-depth interviews and the reasons they have articulated in their statements placed in their personnel records to see whether there is a correlation between the aforementioned reasons. The main finding of the study was that the main challenge that undermined the effectiveness of skills retention strategies in the NDF was the absence of unique retention strategies for the defence force to retain its highly trained soldiers. The study further established that the NDF’s failure to retain its well-trained military members has the potential to disturb the national, regional and international peace and security. The recommendations of the study were that the management and policy makers of the NDF should carefully plan incentive programmes and introduce unique retention strategies for the NDF members to overcome the labour turn over issue.
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    An investigation into the effectiveness of the Namibian Defence Force successful planning: A case study of the defence headquarters, Windhoek
    (University of Namibia, 2018) Shuuya, Gideon
    This study investigated into the effectiveness of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) succession planning using the case study of the Defence Headquarters in Windhoek. It is worth mentioning that the NDF was established by unifying and integrating two opposing forces of the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) and the South West Africa Territorial Forces (SWATF) in 1990. Although the NDF started with the process of rejuvenating the force since 1996, only less than 10% of young officers have made it into management positions in the entire NDF making it to be confronted with the challenge of the aging force, especially at the level of officers’ corps in management. It was against this background that this study investigated the effectiveness of the NDF succession planning. The study used mixed methods, which are the qualitative and quantitative methods. The study found out that the NDF does not have a clear succession planning policy in place and it appeared to have made it difficult for management to implement effective succession planning because there was no clear guide. The system of succession which is an inbuilt mechanism within the NDF structure was ineffective because it was not applied consistently at all levels of defence structure. The study also revealed that some of the NDF young officers who were recruited from 1996 onward appeared not to be ready to take over from the retiring generation because they did not complete all the required military courses. The study recommended the NDF to develop, approve and operationalise its succession planning policy that would serve as a guide for workforce planning and staffing. It was also recommended for the NDF succession planning policy to be integrated with recruitment, retention, training and development, posting and promotion.