The key focus of the DBSA’s CSI programme is Education,dovetailing with the Bank’s development of social infrastructure. As such the DBSA sponsors school leadership development through Partners for Possibility (PfP), for Symphonia South African flagship programme, During the year under review, the Bank sponsored professional development for thirty school principals.
The DBSA will, through this programme, help bring about improved leadership in schools for better quality education of the learners, improved relationships among the school community stakeholders and accelerated community development. It is intended that the quality of education from quality leadership will have a long term impact on employability and better quality of life for impacted families and communities.
Rationale for funding the school leadership development
- The programme sponsored is recognised by the Department of Basic Education as a useful programme for the improvement of the standard of basic education in South Africa. Additionally, PfP is in line with the NDP, which, calls for the DBE to align the interests of all stakeholders to support the common goal of achieving good educational outcomes that are responsive to community needs and economic development. The PfP programme is founded on a sound theoretical base. Its model has been tested with great outcomes over a period of over ten years.
- The programme has a catalytic effect on the development and sustainability of the education system in the country. Community involvement in any community development project is critical. The PfP programme encourages engagement of community and volunteerism of DBSA leadership and staff, to offer their skills and time, which is also core to the CSI programme. Hence, the sponsorship of the PfP programme is a key volunteerism flagship project for the DBSA CSI programme.
- The DBSA CSI provides for collaborating with organisations that have a sound delivery record of accomplishment, good corporate governance as well as demonstrated sustainability and are not dependent on only one source of funding for successful implementation. Symphonia, through its PfP programmes, is mainly sponsored by corporates that aim at developing leadership in school communities and promoting partnership among different sectors of business and civil society.
- CSI’s support for PfP aims at establishing a footprint in the development of quality leadership in the education sector nationally. The DBSA, through its sponsorship of business leaders nationally, promotes participation by business in the education sector, with the potential to produce leadership and skills required to grow the economy of South Africa.
- Through collaboration with other stakeholders, the DBSA successfully sponsored 80 partnerships, exceeding its target of 30 by 167%, in seven of the nine provinces in South Africa, mainly focusing on sponsoring business leaders.