Institute for People Management: Reflecting on the journey so far and casting a new vision for the future

Institute for People Management:

Written by Aletta Shikololo

Tim Ekandjo wears many hats, but he is most well known as the voice of Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC), in his role as the head of Corporate Affairs. However, very few people outside the HR profession know that Ekandjo is a formidable HR practitioner and that he doubles up as MTC’s head of Human Capital.

He is also the visionary behind the Namibia Institute of People Management (IPM), Namibia’s first HR professional body. IPM represents the human resource and people management fraternity in Namibia and has been in existence for over a decade.

Pulse HR had the privilege of sitting down with Ekandjo in his capacity as Founder and President of IPM, to reflect on the professional body’s journey thus far and gain insights into its plans for the future.

Take us back to the inception of the IPM. What inspired you to establish this professional body, and what were the initial goals you set out to achieve?

In 2011, I gathered a group of HR professionals for a breakfast meeting at Country Club and expressed my concern about the lack of standard and professionalism in the HR profession. At that meeting we took a resolution to establish the Institute of People Management of Namibia with the assistance of IPM South Africa who guided us. The key objectives were really to instil a sense of professionalism in the profession, ensure that every practicing HR professional is properly accredited and create opportunities for networking and learning by making IPM the voice of the profession.

Could you highlight some of the milestones and accomplishments that IPM has achieved since its establishment?

It is important to understand that IPM is really just a body. IPM is not the President but all HR professionals. The body’s strength or weakness is therefore a reflection of its members. For starters we have consecutively held 12 annual conferences and imparting knowledge and skills by making these platforms a great learning experience for all our delegates. After every conference we adopt key resolutions, and I can confidently say that we have achieved about 80% of those resolutions over the last 12 years. A few years ago, we engaged the National Planning Commission on the National Human Resources Plan for the country and allowed all our members to give input. We have addressed issues such as unemployment, internships and many other key issues that are paramount for our development.

Building a reputable professional body requires dedication and collaboration. How have you fostered partnerships and collaborations to support IPM’s growth and influence?

The support of any professional body really depends on the strength and appetite of support from its members. There must be an overwhelming willingness to participate. In Zambia for instance, it is compulsory by law for every practicing HR professional to register with IPMZ which is unfortunately not the case here and that is why we have so many ethical issues and concerns in the profession because we have not been properly regulated. Since our inception we have always relied on the support of IPM South Africa which is now over 62 years old. We have also quickly established ourselves as a credible partner for so many government institutions and corporates in both public and private sector as an organisation that is committed to assisting the country develop its Human Resources.

One of IPM’s key objectives is to promote excellence in the field of people management. Could you share some examples of the initiatives and programmes that IPM has undertaken to enhance the skills and knowledge of HR professionals in Namibia?

The set up of IPM is such is that we simply provide platforms for learning and development and we do so by bringing in various experienced experts to share their knowledge at our annual Conferences. We would have loved to do more by organising various workshops throughout the year, but we have unfortunately not been able to do so because of a lack of budget, seeing that we are totally reliant on individual and corporate membership.

Looking ahead, what is your vision for IPM? Are there any upcoming projects, initiatives, or strategic directions that you’d like to share?

The vision is really to see every practicing HR professional registered. We want every corporate in Namibia to take up corporate membership because these funds will allow us to do much more than just the annual conferences. It will allow us to embark on critical research as far as skills and talent development is concerned and make ourselves even more relevant in terms of our national contribution. In the next year, I want to handover the IPM Presidency to a competent and dedicated HR professional and ensure that my predecessor gets the necessary support to take IPM into the next 10 years.

Finally, what advice would you offer to young professionals aspiring to excel in the field of HR, and how can IPM play a role in their professional journey?

IPM wants to play a key role in terms of educating students as early as Grade 10-12 about the profession and get them interested from an early age. We want to get involved in skills development, career fairs and market ourselves in the interest of the profession which we serve.

If Namibia is to achieve its vision of becoming a prosperous and industrialised nation, developed by its human resources, HR professional bodies such as IPM have a pivotal role to play in elevating the field and enhancing the competence of HR Professionals. IPM continues to play its part in professionalising and credentialing HR within Namibia, on the wider continent, and even globally.