Date: 11/04/2003
Source: Northern Cape Provincial Government
Title: Dipico: Premier's Service Excellence Awards
SPEECH BY THE NORTHERN CAPE PREMIER, MANNE DIPICO, AT THE CELEBRATION OF THE PREMIER'S SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARDS CEREMONY, Kimberley, 11 April 2003
Members of the Executive Council, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Members of the Provincial Legislature, Sol Plaatje Executive mayor and other mayors, Directors-General, The Auditor-General Judge Majiedt, Heads of departments, Management of Standard Bank & PricewaterhouseCoopers Programme, adjudicators and assessors, All entrants, Ladies and gentlemen!
Celebrating a partnership which is in favour of our recipients of service or our clients is to me like the birth of a child.
When we were approached to enter into this service pact last year with our sponsoring partners, I unreservedly requested the cooperation of the provincial government's decision-makers and implementers to facilitate the rollout of this programme. I specifically requested them to provide for this pact in their service programmes until 2008 and beyond.
Allow me to share our Cabinet's heartfelt appreciation for the reach-out gesture displayed by Standard Bank Corporation and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Your initiative was not only an ordinary one, but a praise worthy attempt to make change possible in public service delivery with private sector support in favour of good governance.
I hope that this relationship will continue to enhance the principles of Public Private Sector Partnership premised on the elements of Batho Pele.
Our provincial government adopted its Witsand Strategic Policy in 2001 and was subsequently amended in 2002 at Winterhoek, as well as at this year's strategic review at Lilydale farm. The document and its amended forms in essence serves to inform this government that much still needs to be done to really make service delivery felt at local government level.
National Cabinet also approved at its lekgotla in January this year various priorities for our country. One of those priorities specifically focuses on strengthening partnerships for service delivery by among others:
Linking Batho Pele to Letsema, Improving the visibility of Batho Pele, Improving integrated capacity and ethics in Government from the level of managers to frontline workers, Addressing the needs of clients by improving attitudes, efficiency and ethics particularly at the frontline of service delivery, and also That we should review our delivery objectives, whether they are correct and improve the weaknesses of the critical ones.
This, programme director, ladies and gentlemen, brings me to a very critical part of our performance. Last year I went on a road show with the Director-General and the Chief Director of our Policy and Planning unit. Afterwards I appraised all the MECs of whether we met our objectives as defined per their mandates. I had made it clear that when I go to the Presidential Coordinating Committee I want to give the President honest answers.
As it is, on our way from the road show the team was baptized as the "Scorpions" for asking critical questions and seeking honest answers.
Having received regular updates by the Director-General on the implementation of the service delivery programme, I announced that he and I will go on our next round to ensure that things are happening at frontline level.
After receiving the report from the adjudicators last month, I apprised myself of the analysis of the responses provided by the 15 finalists. I found that:
On a scale of 1 - 5 (one to five) most people are performing between 1 and 3. This means that we implement Batho Pele between 20 and 60 percent of the time.
This does not mean that it is a reflection of the overall performance of the entire administration. It stands to reason that if some public offices perform at this level, then we empathise with the National Cabinet's concern that Batho Pele should be more visible.
We are not optimising nor prioritising service delivery on every communication and consultation opportunity with our people in regard to the real services that they want.
The Lilydale Lekgotla task team will have to present a well thought communication and consultation strategy to ensure that our people know what they are going to get and respond favourably to our questions.
Honoured guests, we have to adopt a provincial set of service standards before the end of this month. That set of service standards need to be made part of each MEC's budget speech for this year and as well their MTEF and MTSF.
I have observed that more support need to be given to frontline staff by senior and middle managers and that the gap between them must be closed. This should not be the task of MECs and MPLs only. Training must become more applied in support of service delivery with sufficient time to translate objectives into real changes. I am also glad to note that the Lilydale Lekgotla raised the issue of reviewing structures and their ability to deliver on policy requirements. This will set a new agenda of change since our decentralisation process in 1997. Our Witsand Policy is clear on the design of a machinery that is capable of delivery.
Having taken cognisance of the need for a better reward system for excellence, I must confess that we have tried to keep the staff budget under 50% of the total budget and for it to be in line with the White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service.
I have also noted the latest pay progression system as from 1 April 2003, and the opportunities to develop our own incentive system along with it to reward outstanding performance and excellence in our administration.
I am of the opinion that our partners can assist with such experiences and that our Executive Council will consider these favourably where applicable.
According to the adjudicators, what we have scored low at, was the assessment of impact of our investment and efforts on service delivery and the keeping of good records. This I believe was a critical part of the adjudication process.
I recall a specific case where the video team which accompanied the adjudicating team during its rounds in the province discovered that new posters were put on the office walls after the adjudicators had done their rounds. This was all in an attempt to prove that we are doing something for the betterment of the lives of our people.
The conclusion I arrived at was the simple fact that we are not sharing enough of our best practices or calling for one another's advice when implementing policy programmes.
The issues that I have raised call for specific attention of managers to review their implementation and work programmes on whether these support our strategies for better service delivery and greater client satisfaction.
It is at this junction that I would like to thank our partners for their unselfish investment and effort to improve public service delivery at provincial level with the hope that it would become a national trend and practice.
With your approval I hope to bring this to the attention of the Minister of Public Service and Administration to make this a national event before 2004.
Allow me now to thank our adjudicators and their employers who also ventured to learn from this programme and apply similar principles in their institutions. What I appreciate most is that you left your desks for two weeks and by so doing enabled us to set a baseline standard for future adjudication. You also set a standard that is hard to meet. I hope that you will continue to walk with us and make public private partnerships a true experience.
Our assessors were peers from departments. You have seen the testimony of your colleagues. You must continue to be the information carriers to improve quality of programmes and advice on weaknesses you have discovered. I want you to promote the notion of volunteerism in our services by being exemplary.
The management and project teams had a daunting task to get this project through on time in addition to their normal duties. To you and in particular Ms Peckham for your national guidance and commitment and passion, my special appreciation goes to you for trying to enable us to celebrate and recognise the work of our teams. Your efforts have enabled us to remain focused on the prestige attached to this programme. The same applies to the artist of the trophies.
In conclusion, I have said I want to share the excitement with all of you. I do not know who the winners are. All I know that all gold, silver and bronze trophies wont be handed over tonight. This is because we still have to do more on what Batho Pele is expecting of us. Also, because we want to keep our standards high. Allow me to wish the winner and entrants all success. You were a brave group of servants to expose yourself to this acid test.
To those who entered but did not make it, my heartfelt wish is that you should continue improving upon your service standards and continue to submit your entries. The best practice book and the adjudicator's feedback will enable you to improve on critical areas that requires more focus and attention.
To the ultimate winners, wear these crowns with pride. Know that you deserve it. Continue to carry the torch of Batho Pele and exhibit your certificates and trophies with pride.
I thank you
Source: Northern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.northern-cape.gov.za)
Source: Northern Cape Provincial Government
Title: Dipico: Premier's Service Excellence Awards
SPEECH BY THE NORTHERN CAPE PREMIER, MANNE DIPICO, AT THE CELEBRATION OF THE PREMIER'S SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARDS CEREMONY, Kimberley, 11 April 2003
Members of the Executive Council, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Members of the Provincial Legislature, Sol Plaatje Executive mayor and other mayors, Directors-General, The Auditor-General Judge Majiedt, Heads of departments, Management of Standard Bank & PricewaterhouseCoopers Programme, adjudicators and assessors, All entrants, Ladies and gentlemen!
Celebrating a partnership which is in favour of our recipients of service or our clients is to me like the birth of a child.
When we were approached to enter into this service pact last year with our sponsoring partners, I unreservedly requested the cooperation of the provincial government's decision-makers and implementers to facilitate the rollout of this programme. I specifically requested them to provide for this pact in their service programmes until 2008 and beyond.
Allow me to share our Cabinet's heartfelt appreciation for the reach-out gesture displayed by Standard Bank Corporation and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Your initiative was not only an ordinary one, but a praise worthy attempt to make change possible in public service delivery with private sector support in favour of good governance.
I hope that this relationship will continue to enhance the principles of Public Private Sector Partnership premised on the elements of Batho Pele.
Our provincial government adopted its Witsand Strategic Policy in 2001 and was subsequently amended in 2002 at Winterhoek, as well as at this year's strategic review at Lilydale farm. The document and its amended forms in essence serves to inform this government that much still needs to be done to really make service delivery felt at local government level.
National Cabinet also approved at its lekgotla in January this year various priorities for our country. One of those priorities specifically focuses on strengthening partnerships for service delivery by among others:
Linking Batho Pele to Letsema, Improving the visibility of Batho Pele, Improving integrated capacity and ethics in Government from the level of managers to frontline workers, Addressing the needs of clients by improving attitudes, efficiency and ethics particularly at the frontline of service delivery, and also That we should review our delivery objectives, whether they are correct and improve the weaknesses of the critical ones.
This, programme director, ladies and gentlemen, brings me to a very critical part of our performance. Last year I went on a road show with the Director-General and the Chief Director of our Policy and Planning unit. Afterwards I appraised all the MECs of whether we met our objectives as defined per their mandates. I had made it clear that when I go to the Presidential Coordinating Committee I want to give the President honest answers.
As it is, on our way from the road show the team was baptized as the "Scorpions" for asking critical questions and seeking honest answers.
Having received regular updates by the Director-General on the implementation of the service delivery programme, I announced that he and I will go on our next round to ensure that things are happening at frontline level.
After receiving the report from the adjudicators last month, I apprised myself of the analysis of the responses provided by the 15 finalists. I found that:
On a scale of 1 - 5 (one to five) most people are performing between 1 and 3. This means that we implement Batho Pele between 20 and 60 percent of the time.
This does not mean that it is a reflection of the overall performance of the entire administration. It stands to reason that if some public offices perform at this level, then we empathise with the National Cabinet's concern that Batho Pele should be more visible.
We are not optimising nor prioritising service delivery on every communication and consultation opportunity with our people in regard to the real services that they want.
The Lilydale Lekgotla task team will have to present a well thought communication and consultation strategy to ensure that our people know what they are going to get and respond favourably to our questions.
Honoured guests, we have to adopt a provincial set of service standards before the end of this month. That set of service standards need to be made part of each MEC's budget speech for this year and as well their MTEF and MTSF.
I have observed that more support need to be given to frontline staff by senior and middle managers and that the gap between them must be closed. This should not be the task of MECs and MPLs only. Training must become more applied in support of service delivery with sufficient time to translate objectives into real changes. I am also glad to note that the Lilydale Lekgotla raised the issue of reviewing structures and their ability to deliver on policy requirements. This will set a new agenda of change since our decentralisation process in 1997. Our Witsand Policy is clear on the design of a machinery that is capable of delivery.
Having taken cognisance of the need for a better reward system for excellence, I must confess that we have tried to keep the staff budget under 50% of the total budget and for it to be in line with the White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service.
I have also noted the latest pay progression system as from 1 April 2003, and the opportunities to develop our own incentive system along with it to reward outstanding performance and excellence in our administration.
I am of the opinion that our partners can assist with such experiences and that our Executive Council will consider these favourably where applicable.
According to the adjudicators, what we have scored low at, was the assessment of impact of our investment and efforts on service delivery and the keeping of good records. This I believe was a critical part of the adjudication process.
I recall a specific case where the video team which accompanied the adjudicating team during its rounds in the province discovered that new posters were put on the office walls after the adjudicators had done their rounds. This was all in an attempt to prove that we are doing something for the betterment of the lives of our people.
The conclusion I arrived at was the simple fact that we are not sharing enough of our best practices or calling for one another's advice when implementing policy programmes.
The issues that I have raised call for specific attention of managers to review their implementation and work programmes on whether these support our strategies for better service delivery and greater client satisfaction.
It is at this junction that I would like to thank our partners for their unselfish investment and effort to improve public service delivery at provincial level with the hope that it would become a national trend and practice.
With your approval I hope to bring this to the attention of the Minister of Public Service and Administration to make this a national event before 2004.
Allow me now to thank our adjudicators and their employers who also ventured to learn from this programme and apply similar principles in their institutions. What I appreciate most is that you left your desks for two weeks and by so doing enabled us to set a baseline standard for future adjudication. You also set a standard that is hard to meet. I hope that you will continue to walk with us and make public private partnerships a true experience.
Our assessors were peers from departments. You have seen the testimony of your colleagues. You must continue to be the information carriers to improve quality of programmes and advice on weaknesses you have discovered. I want you to promote the notion of volunteerism in our services by being exemplary.
The management and project teams had a daunting task to get this project through on time in addition to their normal duties. To you and in particular Ms Peckham for your national guidance and commitment and passion, my special appreciation goes to you for trying to enable us to celebrate and recognise the work of our teams. Your efforts have enabled us to remain focused on the prestige attached to this programme. The same applies to the artist of the trophies.
In conclusion, I have said I want to share the excitement with all of you. I do not know who the winners are. All I know that all gold, silver and bronze trophies wont be handed over tonight. This is because we still have to do more on what Batho Pele is expecting of us. Also, because we want to keep our standards high. Allow me to wish the winner and entrants all success. You were a brave group of servants to expose yourself to this acid test.
To those who entered but did not make it, my heartfelt wish is that you should continue improving upon your service standards and continue to submit your entries. The best practice book and the adjudicator's feedback will enable you to improve on critical areas that requires more focus and attention.
To the ultimate winners, wear these crowns with pride. Know that you deserve it. Continue to carry the torch of Batho Pele and exhibit your certificates and trophies with pride.
I thank you
Source: Northern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.northern-cape.gov.za)
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