Dr Robert Macdonald

Dr Robert Macdonald has been the Head of the Department of Social Development (DSD) in the Western Cape for 9 years. Robert has a Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Cape Town.

“My preferred style of leadership is adaptive and responsive. I have to adjust my approach depending on what circumstances require. Generally, I prefer a less authoritative style of leadership, but of course, this is not always possible in the government environment, given the heavily rule-bound nature of our work.”

Looking to the future, Robert aims to stabilise the organisation through the current financial and social crisis facing the country and continue to adapt to the needs of citizens. Internally, there’s a lot of work to be done to improve systems, especially in the areas of child protection and child justice services, he explained.

Equally, there’s ongoing work to be done to improve the organisational culture. “I would also like to see us continue strengthening the emerging local partnerships between DSD and other government departments, NGOs and communities which have seen improved coordination and collaboration to address key social challenges facing us. The ultimate goal is better outcomes for the vulnerable people we serve when it comes to promoting their wellbeing and human rights.”