Custom Courses Leadership and Management

Local Government Leadership Training

SAQA US AATICD-0177 | NQF 5 | Credits 10 | Duration 5 Days
From $913 per delegate

Description

This course equips current and aspiring local government leaders with the competencies to effectively manage municipal operations, engage communities, and drive service delivery. It focuses on governance frameworks, strategic planning, and ethical leadership within the South African local government context.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply principles of cooperative governance and intergovernmental relations to municipal operations.
  • Analyze local government legislation and policies to ensure compliance and ethical conduct.
  • Evaluate community engagement strategies for inclusive decision-making.
  • Design integrated development plans aligned with national and provincial frameworks.
  • Demonstrate leadership in managing municipal resources and service delivery.
  • Implement performance management systems to enhance organizational accountability.

Target Audience

Municipal managers, councillors, senior administrators, and professionals seeking to enhance their leadership capabilities in local government settings.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Day 1: Foundations of Local Government Leadership

Objectives:
• Understand the structure and functions of local government in South Africa.
• Identify key leadership competencies required in the municipal context.
• Recognise the legal and policy framework governing local government.
• Analyse the role of ethics and accountability in public service leadership.

Topics:
• Overview of local government: spheres, roles, and responsibilities.
• Leadership vs management in the public sector.
• Core leadership competencies: vision, integrity, communication.
• Legal framework: Constitution, Municipal Structures Act, Municipal Systems Act.
• Ethical leadership and combating corruption.
• Stakeholder mapping: communities, councillors, officials.
• Introduction to service delivery challenges.
• Case study: successful municipal leadership.

Day 2: Strategic Planning and Performance Management

Objectives:
• Develop a strategic vision aligned with Integrated Development Plans (IDPs).
• Apply performance management principles to municipal operations.
• Use data and evidence for decision-making.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Topics:
• Strategic planning in local government: IDP process.
• Setting SMART objectives and key performance indicators.
• Performance management systems: PMS, scorecards.
• Monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
• Data-driven decision-making: using municipal data.
• Risk management in strategic planning.
• Aligning departmental plans with IDP.
• Workshop: drafting a mini-strategic plan.

Day 3: Financial Management and Resource Stewardship

Objectives:
• Interpret municipal budgets and financial statements.
• Apply principles of sound financial management and accountability.
• Ensure compliance with MFMA and treasury regulations.
• Optimise resource allocation for service delivery.

Topics:
• Municipal finance overview: revenue, expenditure, grants.
• Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) compliance.
• Budget cycle: planning, approval, implementation.
• Supply chain management and procurement.
• Financial reporting and audits.
• Cost containment and value for money.
• Internal controls and fraud prevention.
• Case study: financial turnaround strategies.

Day 4: Community Engagement and Stakeholder Relations

Objectives:
• Design effective community participation mechanisms.
• Manage conflict and build consensus among diverse stakeholders.
• Communicate municipal plans transparently.
• Enhance public trust and social cohesion.

Topics:
• Principles of public participation and co-governance.
• Ward committees and community development forums.
• Communication strategies: media, meetings, digital platforms.
• Conflict resolution and negotiation skills.
• Handling complaints and feedback loops.
• Building partnerships with business and civil society.
• Promoting social inclusion and equity.
• Role-play: community consultation session.

Day 5: Leading Change and Integrated Service Delivery

Objectives:
• Lead organisational change to improve service delivery.
• Integrate cross-departmental efforts for efficiency.
• Develop a personal leadership action plan.
• Apply learning to real-world municipal challenges.

Topics:
• Change management models for local government.
• Fostering innovation and adaptability.
• Breaking silos: inter-departmental collaboration.
• Service delivery models: water, sanitation, electricity, waste.
• Infrastructure planning and maintenance.
• Crisis leadership: responding to service failures.
• Personal leadership development plan.
• Course wrap-up and evaluation.

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 07 Sep 2026 Fri 11 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $913 Register
Mon 21 Sep 2026 Fri 25 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $913 Register
Mon 05 Oct 2026 Fri 09 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $913 Register
Mon 07 Dec 2026 Fri 11 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $913 Register
Mon 04 Jan 2027 Fri 08 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $913 Register
Mon 01 Feb 2027 Fri 05 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $913 Register
Mon 01 Mar 2027 Fri 05 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $913 Register
Mon 07 Jun 2027 Fri 11 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $913 Register
Mon 21 Jun 2027 Fri 25 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $913 Register
Mon 05 Jul 2027 Fri 09 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $913 Register
Mon 06 Sep 2027 Fri 10 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $913 Register
Mon 20 Sep 2027 Fri 24 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $913 Register
Mon 04 Oct 2027 Fri 08 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $913 Register
Mon 06 Dec 2027 Fri 10 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $913 Register
Mon 20 Dec 2027 Fri 24 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $913 Register
Mon 03 Jan 2028 Fri 07 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $913 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 420 sessions across 26 venues
Start End Venue Season Price Action
Mon 24 Aug 2026 Fri 28 Aug 2026 Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Winter 2026 $2,587 Register
Mon 24 Aug 2026 Fri 28 Aug 2026 Bangkok, Thailand Winter 2026 $5,827 Register
Mon 31 Aug 2026 Fri 04 Sep 2026 Lusaka, Zambia Winter 2026 $2,587 Register
Mon 31 Aug 2026 Fri 04 Sep 2026 London, UK Winter 2026 $5,827 Register
Mon 07 Sep 2026 Fri 11 Sep 2026 Mauritius Spring 2026 $3,343 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 14 Sep 2026 Fri 18 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,188 Register
Mon 28 Sep 2026 Fri 02 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,188 Register
Mon 12 Oct 2026 Fri 16 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,188 Register
Mon 14 Dec 2026 Fri 18 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,188 Register
Mon 11 Jan 2027 Fri 15 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,188 Register
Mon 08 Feb 2027 Fri 12 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,188 Register
Mon 08 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,188 Register
Mon 14 Jun 2027 Fri 18 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,188 Register
Mon 28 Jun 2027 Fri 02 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,188 Register
Mon 12 Jul 2027 Fri 16 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,188 Register
Mon 13 Sep 2027 Fri 17 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,188 Register
Mon 27 Sep 2027 Fri 01 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,188 Register
Mon 11 Oct 2027 Fri 15 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,188 Register
Mon 13 Dec 2027 Fri 17 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,188 Register
Mon 27 Dec 2027 Fri 31 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,188 Register
Mon 10 Jan 2028 Fri 14 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,188 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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