National Human Resource Development Strategy

National Human Resource Development Strategy Although a definition of human resource development (HRD) is controversial, it has traditionally been defined in the context of the individual, the work team, the organization, or the work process. There is, however, a rapidly emerging emphasis on HRD defined as a national agenda, often in the past labeled as manpower planning or human capital investment. Within the context of national HRD (NHRD), these terms are, however, viewed as limiting and narrow. NHRD goes beyond employment and preparation for employment issues to include health, culture, safety, community, and a host of other considerations that have not typically been perceived as manpower planning or human capital investment. Furthermore, within the growing concept of national and regional open-systems thinking, it is becoming evident that there is a need for a unified ,synthesized approach to such planning within each country or region. National human resource development is emerging in many contexts as the answer to this problem. It is seen as incorporating, in some cases, and going beyond, in other cases, traditional countrywide 5-year development plans that are often too static to allow for rapid response to the growing Issue Overview dynamics of globalization. Several countries in the world are now moving intentionally in these direction .Such countries, including but not limited to the Republic of Korea (South Korea), New Zealand, Singapore, India, South Africa, Kenya, and many more, have developed a radical approach to NHRD. A question that is widely asked within human resource development is what is NHRD? (McLean, 2001; uona&Roth, 2000). McLean and McLean (2001) explored the range of definitions of HRD in worldwide context and concluded that definitions vary considerably internationally in scope of activities, intended audiences, and beneficiaries. Factors influencing variations in definition by country include the economy, the influence of