The Effectiveness Of Career Development Policy For Commissioned Officers In The Namibian Defence Force (Ndf): An Analysis Of The Artillery Brigade Officers’ Corps

Abstract

This study investigated the problem of stagnation in career development for

commissioned officers in the Namibian Defence Force (NDF). The study examined the

hypothetical assumptions that commissioned officers especially those who are educated

regard career development and progression processes in the NDF as stagnant, and the

implementation of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Personnel Policies as inconsistent.

Thus, they are likely to become frustrated and to resign, because of lack of a clear

relationship between their academic qualifications and career opportunities in the

institution. This problem is evident in the inconsistency between the personnel policies’

implementation and the academic qualifications of staff as far as training, appointments

and promotional opportunities for commissioned officers in the NDF are concerned. The

study used the descriptive- quantitative research method based on an analysis of the

artillery brigade officers’ corps. The conclusions and recommendations contained in this

thesis are based on the observed inconsistencies in career policy implementation in the

NDF.

The general findings of this study suggest that there is no systematic linkage

between academic qualifications and career professional requirements, regarding training,

appointments and promotional opportunities for commissioned officers in the NDF. In

this regard, it is still not certain how effective the career development/progression policy

is in addressing the officers’ career needs in the NDF. The study recommends the

implementation of MoD Personnel Policies to be improved in order to reconcile training

and education with appointment and promotions for commissioned officers in the NDF.

These findings and recommendations can hopefully assist the Ministry of Defence and

2

the decision-makers in the NDF in particular, to introduce measures and policies’

instruments to address these inconsistencies.