Date: 03/11/2005
Source: Ministry for Public Service and Administration
Title: Fraser-Moleketi: Monitoring and Evaluation media briefing, November 2005
Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi: Media briefing on Monitoring and Evaluation of Programme of Action: Governance and Administration cluster
INTRODUCTION
The Government Programme of Action (POA) was posted on the government website on 7 March 2005 and the Governance and Administration (G&A) Cluster reports every two months to the G&A Cabinet Committee. This briefing reflects the report presented to Cabinet on 26 October 2005.
The G&A Cluster has three broad priorities:
(1) Capability needs for the developmental state that focuses on the capacity of the public service and local government to implement the social and economic objectives of Government, as well as related human resource management issues and anti-corruption;
(2) Macro-organisation of the state that includes the work on an integrated public sector, intergovernmental relations and integrated service delivery; and
(3) Planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation, that encompasses the alignment of planning, the hands-on engagement with local government through “Project Consolidate”, the establishment of a government-wide monitoring and evaluation framework and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
This report on progress made with regard to the implementation of the Government Programme of Action can be found on the Government website (http://www.gov.za).
1. CAPABILITY NEEDS FOR THE DEVELOPMENTAL STATE
1.1. Public Service Capacity
The Cabinet Lekgotla held in July 2005, instructed the G&A Director-General (DG) Cluster Committee to develop a rolling programme to assess the implementation capacity and organisation of sectors. The assessment will, among others, be based on an evaluation of data in relation to:
* Vacancy rates
* Employment profiles
* Occupational categories
* Staff turnover rate.
The following sectors are being assessed: health, education and justice. Subsequent to the cabinet decision the Department of Trade and Industry and the economic sector were added.
In September, the G&A DG Cluster Committee approved the research methodology to be followed. The methodology stipulated both a quantitative and a qualitative approach to be adopted for the assessment across the sectors. A workshop on the capacity assessments and skills requirements was facilitated by the Department of Public Service and Administration attended by the Directors-General from national Education, national Health, Department of Trade and Industry, Justice, national Housing, Department of Provincial and Local Government, South African Management Development Institute (SAMDI), The Presidency and Foreign Affairs. The workshop mapped the way forward for the G&A Cluster’s capacity assessment programme. Teams have now been established in all the relevant sectors and work has commenced with the assessments.
The workshop also addressed the visit to India in November 2005 under the leadership of the Minister for Public Service and Administration (MPSA). In a letter to the Indian High Commissioner the MPSA proposed that the initiative to identify Indian experts with special skills for the purposes of capacity building in the public service be approached in phases. Phase 1 will focus on the following:
* Mentorship programmes,
* secondments of experienced Indian civil servants to build management capacity and transfer skills,
* short-term exchange programmes to facilitate skills transfer, and
* Training programmes.
The first phase will also identify the scope of the larger technical skills requirements in the Public Service. The second phase will see a more comprehensive recruitment of technical skills from India.
The Department of Home Affairs launched a turnaround strategy in 2003, which was aligned to the POA. Significant progress has also been made on areas of capacity constraints and improvement of infrastructure.
The Department is also looking at personnel requirements and has succeeded in filling most of its vacant positions.
Further to bolstering its capacity, the Department of Home Affairs has also embarked on a massive internship programme. Over five hundred (500) interns have been recruited up to the end of June and have been placed across all branches of the Department. The programme is ongoing and further intern recruitment is underway. The monthly stipend for interns has been increased by 100% effective from end of October 2005.
With regard to infrastructure planning, the following should be noted: The Department of Home Affairs is engaged with the CSIR to determine the most desired locations for its outlets across the country. The rolling out of a corporate identity has begun with 31 offices refurbished all fully compliant with the new corporate image.
1.2. Anti-Corruption
Government has consistently treated the fight against corruption as a priority and has also given its full support to the multi-sectoral anti-corruption partnership, the National Anti-corruption Forum (NACF). During March 2005 the National Anti-corruption Forum hosted the second National Anti-corruption Summit in Tshwane. The Summit adopted 27 Resolutions including ethics, awareness, prevention, combating, oversight, transparency, accountability and the functioning of the NACF.
In line with the decisions of the Summit, a National Anti-corruption Programme (NAP) was developed based on the 27 Resolutions. The NAP was adopted by the public, business and civil society sectors in the NACF. Government has undertaken to make R10,5 million available for the NAP over a three-year period, of which the bulk (R 9,5 million) will be available from 1 April 2006. This is a significant contribution as it fully funds the joint element of the NAP and partly funds the public sector-specific projects.
Although the funding will only be available in the coming financial year, three of the projects of the NACF will commence and conclude by the end of March next year. These projects are funded from contributions by international partners.
South Africa will host Global Forum V on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity in 2007. The National Anti-corruption Programme together with the role of the National Anti-corruption Forum will serve as a stimulating case study of innovative partnership against corruption during Global Forum V.
1.3. Flow of Skills into the Public Sector
Customisation of the induction and orientation programme for pilot departments is progressing, but there are challenges. There is some resistance to moving away from existing departmental induction programmes to new programmes based on the outcomes of the learning framework, but cooperation between the South African Management Development Institute (SAMDI) and other departments regarding induction and orientation is improving. Initial rollout is envisaged to start in early 2006.
The middle management competency framework has been circulated to departments for comments. A cabinet memorandum on the Sustainable Pools Scheme, a programme aimed at accelerating the development of middle managers with high potential, will be submitted to cabinet soon. Roll-out of middle and senior management development programmes are continuing and a number of strategic partnerships with tertiary institutions have been forged. All management programmes at the Samdi are currently under revision.
1.4 Human resource management
A rapid assessment of the current human resource-planning guide has been made. Interventions to improve human resource planning in the public service are planned. Amendments to the Senior Management Service (SMS) Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) have been approved and will be communicated to departments. A simplified PMDS for levels 1-12 has been developed for voluntary use by departments.
A draft Framework for the Deployment of Senior Managers has been developed. Amendments to the Public Service Act are required to allow for the movement of staff from the public service and local government. The draft framework is linked to the Policy and Process Framework on the Employment of Foreign Nationals, the Deployment of Public Service employees to other Countries as well as the National Policy for the Secondment of Public Service Employees to International Organisations, all of which are under development.
2. MACRO-ORGANISATION OF THE STATE
2.1. Intergovernmental Relations and Integrated Public Sector
The Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act was signed by the President on 10 August and promulgated on 15 August. Eight provinces have formally launched their IGR structures. The Department of Provincial and Local Government (DPLG) is undertaking provincial and district roadshows to popularise the Act. The roadshows will culminate in an inaugural launch in 2006. Practitioners’ guidelines are being developed to assist with the implementation.
The Policy Framework for the Administration and Governance of Public Sector Institutions was presented to the G&A Cabinet Committee on 1 November.
The Guide on the Appointment of Board Members has been revised and was also submitted on this date. A progress report on the single public service project that is being integrated with the work on developing an access strategy is being prepared.
2.2. Integrated Service Delivery
Multi-purpose Community Centres (MPCCs) have since their inception in 1999 played a pivotal role in ensuring that services are rendered in an integrated manner. The rollout of the Gateway portal at MPCCs has further ensured that communities do not have to deal with the complexities of accessing government services, but rather access information on services through one access point. Provision of integrated services, particularly in MPCCs, has fostered a more cordial relationship between public servants rendering services at MPCCs and has helped promote the notion of one government.
The Draft Business Plan for the second generation of MPCCs paves the way for a more comprehensive and systematic approach towards the implementation of the second generation of MPCCs. The plan seeks to establish one MPCC per local municipality by 2014. It extensively outlines keys issues such as integration, governance, establishment processes and funding and toolkits for municipalities, all, important factors for the implementation of the second generation. It is also important to indicate that municipalities will be at the forefront regarding implementation of this programme and necessary support structures and mechanisms have been put in place to ensure ongoing support and guidance
The Gateway Call Centre has been given a much higher communication profile. From 1 October, the government-sponsored Magazine (Vuk’uzenzele) and the SABC 2 television series on economic opportunities has publicised the Gateway Call Centre. The Call Centre staff have been briefed and trained to handle the expected increase in usage.
2.3 CDWs (Community Development Workers)
The research into CDWs was completed in October 2005 and a preliminary report has been prepared. Currently a total of 2200 CDWs have been recruited with 1300 having completed the learnership training. A further 990 will be recruited during November to complete the target of 3000 by March 2006. The programme is on course to actually exceed its set target (2840).
Progress towards integrating community work programmes is being made. The integration of the CDWP with the National Youth Service (NYS) and the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) is nearing finalisation. A broader interdepartmental conference or workshop to discuss how to synergise the various community initiatives across government departments is being planned. Most municipalities and provincial departments are already working on integration strategies.
In addition, the government is prioritising the relationship between municipalities, ward committees, local community-based organisations and other government departments. At provincial and municipal levels the relationship between the CDWs and community representatives, e.g. ward committee members, councillors, as well as CBO/NGO practitioners is being addressed. To this end, CDWs are now being publicly identified as government officials so as to emphasise their complementary role towards other stakeholders
The deployed CDWs form part of the broad government service delivery programme across the country. Many take part in Project Consolidate, working in conjunction with ward committees, municipalities and councillors in their local areas. Among issues they attend to include assisting the health departments in dealing with people with terminal illnesses; assisting people with applications for identity documents; mobilising the Department of Social Development to attend to people needing social grants; supporting local municipalities in the cases of disasters such as shack fires, sanitation and housing problems; disseminating information on key government programmes. In all provinces, CDWs are now part of the intense effort by government to involve local communities in the African Peer Review Mechanism. They are also part of the Premiers’ iimbizo and outreach programmes.
The President will officially launch the CDW Programme on 23 November 2005, in Winterveldt, Tshwane.
3. PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING AND EVALUATION
3.1. Project Consolidate
Project Consolidate rollout is focusing on five (5) Local Government Key Performance Areas, which are:
(i) Municipal Capacity and Institutional Development
(i) Basic Service Delivery
(ii) Local Economic Development
(iii) Financial Viability and Management
(iv) Good Governance.
The need to improve integration and co-ordination is one of the key lessons coming out of the rollout process. The following were observed:
* Visible signs of fragmentation in departmental efforts,
* a need to engage all the three spheres of government on a solution oriented programme and interaction with communities,
* a need to address challenges and bottlenecks with urgency whilst ensuring that sustainability measures are introduced within the local government system.
Basic service delivery, infrastructure development and municipal capacity have been identified to be requiring specific interventions. Access to services, quality of services and implementation of free basic services policy targeting the poor will be used to improve the basic service delivery. Infrastructure development requires specific focus on infrastructure rehabilitation, capacity to manage infrastructure and the refinement of MIG formula. In improving the municipal institutional capacity, the focus will be on leadership, technical skills, organisational systems and processes.
Project Consolidate has exposed a variety of institutional, establishment and systematic problems in the sphere of local government. There are some critical lessons coming out of the implementation process, which require key considerations in the areas of policy, governance and the government’s modus operandi.
Engagement with elected representatives and officials from municipalities through the Iimbizo Programme confirmed the government’s decision to improve performance at the coalface of service delivery and reduce the social distance between public representatives and communities in practical terms.
3.2. Participatory Governance
A programme of action on public participation and a policy framework has been developed and circulated to all stakeholders. Eight (8) presidential iimbizo covering a total of 30 Project Consolidate municipalities have been undertaken, six (6) of them after the July Cabinet Lekgotla.
The National Imbizo Focus Week (1 - 9 October) was aligned to Project Consolidate. Sixty (60) localised municipal ministerial iimbizo were planned and forty-six (46) have been undertaken up to the 10 October 2005 in all nine provinces, EC (8), FS (3), GP (1), KZN (16), LP (7), MP (4), NC (3), NW (1), WC (3) by seventeen (17) Ministers and twenty (20) Deputy Ministers. The iimbizo were aimed at strengthening the Project Consolidate interventions. A full report is being prepared on all the ministerial iimbizo.
3.3. Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System
The research, proposal and design of the Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System (GWM&ES) has been completed and approved by Cabinet. The task team responsible for the system met recently and agreed on a strategy to implement the plan approved by the Executive. This will involve three work streams each dealing with a specific area.
The first work stream will address M&E principles and practices and will be consultative and inclusive for the purposes of developing a coherent and unified system for use across government.
The second work stream will address reporting systems, formats and information technology and will have to ensure that it takes into account other related initiatives in Government. The underlying intention here is to ensure that government departments are not burdened with a plethora of reporting requirements. The system will need to take account of all reporting needs and factor these into its overall system architecture.
The third work stream is perhaps the most important and will address capacity building, namely training and structural transformation, namely institutional culture. This stream has perhaps the most challenges as it has to help create and promote a dynamic inquisitiveness and interest in performance, an area that is currently underdeveloped.
The task team is also in the process of finalising a proposal for a national consultative conference at which progress will be reported, and various implementation proposals will be discussed.
3.5. African Peer Review Mechanism
The first National APRM Consultative Conference was held in Midrand on 28 and 29 September. A range of eminent speakers, including the President, addressed the Conference with the President officially committing South Africa to the Review process. The 15-member National Governing Council for South Africa’s African Peer Review (APR) process was announced at the close of the Conference. The Council, chaired by the Focal Point, the Minister for Public Service and Administration, includes the Minister in the Presidency and the Ministers of Finance, Trade and Industry and Justice and Constitutional Development. Civil society representation on the governing council compromises ten representatives agreed to by the South African Chapter of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC).
Further steps in the process will be discussed and directed by the governing council, which has now assumed responsibility for the process. Operations for implementing the APRM in South Africa - scientific/objective research, wide sectoral consultation and other public participation activities will be the responsibility of a national secretariat based at the DPSA. The secretariat includes two representatives of civil society and reports to the Governing Council. The level of awareness of the APRM process in South Africa is gaining momentum with many stakeholders making an effort to include presentations on the APRM in their ongoing and new programmes.
The national secretariat has attended many of these sessions and guidance is continuously provided to the provinces on how to mobilise different sectors and set up inclusive coordinating structures. Training has been provided in seven provinces to both the Community Development Workers (CDWs) and ward committees. The trained stakeholders are already consulting with different stakeholders in their communities at both district and local levels. The mobilisation and consultation processes will continue during November. Attempts will be made to gather the bulk of the secondary data and submissions from the Provinces, organised structures, institutions and individuals before the end of 2005.
The outcome of the process will be a draft country self-assessment report and programme of action, which will be considered at the second National Consultative Conference. The next major step in the process will involve hosting a Country Support Mission by New Partnership for Africa's Development’s (NEPAD) Country Team, including the Member of the Panel of Eminent Persons responsible for South Africa’s review, Professor Adebayo Adedeji of Nigeria. The visit will take place from 9 to 11 November 2005.
Issued by: Ministry for Public Service and Administration
3 November 2005
Source: Ministry for Public Service and Administration
Title: Fraser-Moleketi: Monitoring and Evaluation media briefing, November 2005
Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi: Media briefing on Monitoring and Evaluation of Programme of Action: Governance and Administration cluster
INTRODUCTION
The Government Programme of Action (POA) was posted on the government website on 7 March 2005 and the Governance and Administration (G&A) Cluster reports every two months to the G&A Cabinet Committee. This briefing reflects the report presented to Cabinet on 26 October 2005.
The G&A Cluster has three broad priorities:
(1) Capability needs for the developmental state that focuses on the capacity of the public service and local government to implement the social and economic objectives of Government, as well as related human resource management issues and anti-corruption;
(2) Macro-organisation of the state that includes the work on an integrated public sector, intergovernmental relations and integrated service delivery; and
(3) Planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation, that encompasses the alignment of planning, the hands-on engagement with local government through “Project Consolidate”, the establishment of a government-wide monitoring and evaluation framework and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
This report on progress made with regard to the implementation of the Government Programme of Action can be found on the Government website (http://www.gov.za).
1. CAPABILITY NEEDS FOR THE DEVELOPMENTAL STATE
1.1. Public Service Capacity
The Cabinet Lekgotla held in July 2005, instructed the G&A Director-General (DG) Cluster Committee to develop a rolling programme to assess the implementation capacity and organisation of sectors. The assessment will, among others, be based on an evaluation of data in relation to:
* Vacancy rates
* Employment profiles
* Occupational categories
* Staff turnover rate.
The following sectors are being assessed: health, education and justice. Subsequent to the cabinet decision the Department of Trade and Industry and the economic sector were added.
In September, the G&A DG Cluster Committee approved the research methodology to be followed. The methodology stipulated both a quantitative and a qualitative approach to be adopted for the assessment across the sectors. A workshop on the capacity assessments and skills requirements was facilitated by the Department of Public Service and Administration attended by the Directors-General from national Education, national Health, Department of Trade and Industry, Justice, national Housing, Department of Provincial and Local Government, South African Management Development Institute (SAMDI), The Presidency and Foreign Affairs. The workshop mapped the way forward for the G&A Cluster’s capacity assessment programme. Teams have now been established in all the relevant sectors and work has commenced with the assessments.
The workshop also addressed the visit to India in November 2005 under the leadership of the Minister for Public Service and Administration (MPSA). In a letter to the Indian High Commissioner the MPSA proposed that the initiative to identify Indian experts with special skills for the purposes of capacity building in the public service be approached in phases. Phase 1 will focus on the following:
* Mentorship programmes,
* secondments of experienced Indian civil servants to build management capacity and transfer skills,
* short-term exchange programmes to facilitate skills transfer, and
* Training programmes.
The first phase will also identify the scope of the larger technical skills requirements in the Public Service. The second phase will see a more comprehensive recruitment of technical skills from India.
The Department of Home Affairs launched a turnaround strategy in 2003, which was aligned to the POA. Significant progress has also been made on areas of capacity constraints and improvement of infrastructure.
The Department is also looking at personnel requirements and has succeeded in filling most of its vacant positions.
Further to bolstering its capacity, the Department of Home Affairs has also embarked on a massive internship programme. Over five hundred (500) interns have been recruited up to the end of June and have been placed across all branches of the Department. The programme is ongoing and further intern recruitment is underway. The monthly stipend for interns has been increased by 100% effective from end of October 2005.
With regard to infrastructure planning, the following should be noted: The Department of Home Affairs is engaged with the CSIR to determine the most desired locations for its outlets across the country. The rolling out of a corporate identity has begun with 31 offices refurbished all fully compliant with the new corporate image.
1.2. Anti-Corruption
Government has consistently treated the fight against corruption as a priority and has also given its full support to the multi-sectoral anti-corruption partnership, the National Anti-corruption Forum (NACF). During March 2005 the National Anti-corruption Forum hosted the second National Anti-corruption Summit in Tshwane. The Summit adopted 27 Resolutions including ethics, awareness, prevention, combating, oversight, transparency, accountability and the functioning of the NACF.
In line with the decisions of the Summit, a National Anti-corruption Programme (NAP) was developed based on the 27 Resolutions. The NAP was adopted by the public, business and civil society sectors in the NACF. Government has undertaken to make R10,5 million available for the NAP over a three-year period, of which the bulk (R 9,5 million) will be available from 1 April 2006. This is a significant contribution as it fully funds the joint element of the NAP and partly funds the public sector-specific projects.
Although the funding will only be available in the coming financial year, three of the projects of the NACF will commence and conclude by the end of March next year. These projects are funded from contributions by international partners.
South Africa will host Global Forum V on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity in 2007. The National Anti-corruption Programme together with the role of the National Anti-corruption Forum will serve as a stimulating case study of innovative partnership against corruption during Global Forum V.
1.3. Flow of Skills into the Public Sector
Customisation of the induction and orientation programme for pilot departments is progressing, but there are challenges. There is some resistance to moving away from existing departmental induction programmes to new programmes based on the outcomes of the learning framework, but cooperation between the South African Management Development Institute (SAMDI) and other departments regarding induction and orientation is improving. Initial rollout is envisaged to start in early 2006.
The middle management competency framework has been circulated to departments for comments. A cabinet memorandum on the Sustainable Pools Scheme, a programme aimed at accelerating the development of middle managers with high potential, will be submitted to cabinet soon. Roll-out of middle and senior management development programmes are continuing and a number of strategic partnerships with tertiary institutions have been forged. All management programmes at the Samdi are currently under revision.
1.4 Human resource management
A rapid assessment of the current human resource-planning guide has been made. Interventions to improve human resource planning in the public service are planned. Amendments to the Senior Management Service (SMS) Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) have been approved and will be communicated to departments. A simplified PMDS for levels 1-12 has been developed for voluntary use by departments.
A draft Framework for the Deployment of Senior Managers has been developed. Amendments to the Public Service Act are required to allow for the movement of staff from the public service and local government. The draft framework is linked to the Policy and Process Framework on the Employment of Foreign Nationals, the Deployment of Public Service employees to other Countries as well as the National Policy for the Secondment of Public Service Employees to International Organisations, all of which are under development.
2. MACRO-ORGANISATION OF THE STATE
2.1. Intergovernmental Relations and Integrated Public Sector
The Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act was signed by the President on 10 August and promulgated on 15 August. Eight provinces have formally launched their IGR structures. The Department of Provincial and Local Government (DPLG) is undertaking provincial and district roadshows to popularise the Act. The roadshows will culminate in an inaugural launch in 2006. Practitioners’ guidelines are being developed to assist with the implementation.
The Policy Framework for the Administration and Governance of Public Sector Institutions was presented to the G&A Cabinet Committee on 1 November.
The Guide on the Appointment of Board Members has been revised and was also submitted on this date. A progress report on the single public service project that is being integrated with the work on developing an access strategy is being prepared.
2.2. Integrated Service Delivery
Multi-purpose Community Centres (MPCCs) have since their inception in 1999 played a pivotal role in ensuring that services are rendered in an integrated manner. The rollout of the Gateway portal at MPCCs has further ensured that communities do not have to deal with the complexities of accessing government services, but rather access information on services through one access point. Provision of integrated services, particularly in MPCCs, has fostered a more cordial relationship between public servants rendering services at MPCCs and has helped promote the notion of one government.
The Draft Business Plan for the second generation of MPCCs paves the way for a more comprehensive and systematic approach towards the implementation of the second generation of MPCCs. The plan seeks to establish one MPCC per local municipality by 2014. It extensively outlines keys issues such as integration, governance, establishment processes and funding and toolkits for municipalities, all, important factors for the implementation of the second generation. It is also important to indicate that municipalities will be at the forefront regarding implementation of this programme and necessary support structures and mechanisms have been put in place to ensure ongoing support and guidance
The Gateway Call Centre has been given a much higher communication profile. From 1 October, the government-sponsored Magazine (Vuk’uzenzele) and the SABC 2 television series on economic opportunities has publicised the Gateway Call Centre. The Call Centre staff have been briefed and trained to handle the expected increase in usage.
2.3 CDWs (Community Development Workers)
The research into CDWs was completed in October 2005 and a preliminary report has been prepared. Currently a total of 2200 CDWs have been recruited with 1300 having completed the learnership training. A further 990 will be recruited during November to complete the target of 3000 by March 2006. The programme is on course to actually exceed its set target (2840).
Progress towards integrating community work programmes is being made. The integration of the CDWP with the National Youth Service (NYS) and the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) is nearing finalisation. A broader interdepartmental conference or workshop to discuss how to synergise the various community initiatives across government departments is being planned. Most municipalities and provincial departments are already working on integration strategies.
In addition, the government is prioritising the relationship between municipalities, ward committees, local community-based organisations and other government departments. At provincial and municipal levels the relationship between the CDWs and community representatives, e.g. ward committee members, councillors, as well as CBO/NGO practitioners is being addressed. To this end, CDWs are now being publicly identified as government officials so as to emphasise their complementary role towards other stakeholders
The deployed CDWs form part of the broad government service delivery programme across the country. Many take part in Project Consolidate, working in conjunction with ward committees, municipalities and councillors in their local areas. Among issues they attend to include assisting the health departments in dealing with people with terminal illnesses; assisting people with applications for identity documents; mobilising the Department of Social Development to attend to people needing social grants; supporting local municipalities in the cases of disasters such as shack fires, sanitation and housing problems; disseminating information on key government programmes. In all provinces, CDWs are now part of the intense effort by government to involve local communities in the African Peer Review Mechanism. They are also part of the Premiers’ iimbizo and outreach programmes.
The President will officially launch the CDW Programme on 23 November 2005, in Winterveldt, Tshwane.
3. PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING AND EVALUATION
3.1. Project Consolidate
Project Consolidate rollout is focusing on five (5) Local Government Key Performance Areas, which are:
(i) Municipal Capacity and Institutional Development
(i) Basic Service Delivery
(ii) Local Economic Development
(iii) Financial Viability and Management
(iv) Good Governance.
The need to improve integration and co-ordination is one of the key lessons coming out of the rollout process. The following were observed:
* Visible signs of fragmentation in departmental efforts,
* a need to engage all the three spheres of government on a solution oriented programme and interaction with communities,
* a need to address challenges and bottlenecks with urgency whilst ensuring that sustainability measures are introduced within the local government system.
Basic service delivery, infrastructure development and municipal capacity have been identified to be requiring specific interventions. Access to services, quality of services and implementation of free basic services policy targeting the poor will be used to improve the basic service delivery. Infrastructure development requires specific focus on infrastructure rehabilitation, capacity to manage infrastructure and the refinement of MIG formula. In improving the municipal institutional capacity, the focus will be on leadership, technical skills, organisational systems and processes.
Project Consolidate has exposed a variety of institutional, establishment and systematic problems in the sphere of local government. There are some critical lessons coming out of the implementation process, which require key considerations in the areas of policy, governance and the government’s modus operandi.
Engagement with elected representatives and officials from municipalities through the Iimbizo Programme confirmed the government’s decision to improve performance at the coalface of service delivery and reduce the social distance between public representatives and communities in practical terms.
3.2. Participatory Governance
A programme of action on public participation and a policy framework has been developed and circulated to all stakeholders. Eight (8) presidential iimbizo covering a total of 30 Project Consolidate municipalities have been undertaken, six (6) of them after the July Cabinet Lekgotla.
The National Imbizo Focus Week (1 - 9 October) was aligned to Project Consolidate. Sixty (60) localised municipal ministerial iimbizo were planned and forty-six (46) have been undertaken up to the 10 October 2005 in all nine provinces, EC (8), FS (3), GP (1), KZN (16), LP (7), MP (4), NC (3), NW (1), WC (3) by seventeen (17) Ministers and twenty (20) Deputy Ministers. The iimbizo were aimed at strengthening the Project Consolidate interventions. A full report is being prepared on all the ministerial iimbizo.
3.3. Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System
The research, proposal and design of the Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System (GWM&ES) has been completed and approved by Cabinet. The task team responsible for the system met recently and agreed on a strategy to implement the plan approved by the Executive. This will involve three work streams each dealing with a specific area.
The first work stream will address M&E principles and practices and will be consultative and inclusive for the purposes of developing a coherent and unified system for use across government.
The second work stream will address reporting systems, formats and information technology and will have to ensure that it takes into account other related initiatives in Government. The underlying intention here is to ensure that government departments are not burdened with a plethora of reporting requirements. The system will need to take account of all reporting needs and factor these into its overall system architecture.
The third work stream is perhaps the most important and will address capacity building, namely training and structural transformation, namely institutional culture. This stream has perhaps the most challenges as it has to help create and promote a dynamic inquisitiveness and interest in performance, an area that is currently underdeveloped.
The task team is also in the process of finalising a proposal for a national consultative conference at which progress will be reported, and various implementation proposals will be discussed.
3.5. African Peer Review Mechanism
The first National APRM Consultative Conference was held in Midrand on 28 and 29 September. A range of eminent speakers, including the President, addressed the Conference with the President officially committing South Africa to the Review process. The 15-member National Governing Council for South Africa’s African Peer Review (APR) process was announced at the close of the Conference. The Council, chaired by the Focal Point, the Minister for Public Service and Administration, includes the Minister in the Presidency and the Ministers of Finance, Trade and Industry and Justice and Constitutional Development. Civil society representation on the governing council compromises ten representatives agreed to by the South African Chapter of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC).
Further steps in the process will be discussed and directed by the governing council, which has now assumed responsibility for the process. Operations for implementing the APRM in South Africa - scientific/objective research, wide sectoral consultation and other public participation activities will be the responsibility of a national secretariat based at the DPSA. The secretariat includes two representatives of civil society and reports to the Governing Council. The level of awareness of the APRM process in South Africa is gaining momentum with many stakeholders making an effort to include presentations on the APRM in their ongoing and new programmes.
The national secretariat has attended many of these sessions and guidance is continuously provided to the provinces on how to mobilise different sectors and set up inclusive coordinating structures. Training has been provided in seven provinces to both the Community Development Workers (CDWs) and ward committees. The trained stakeholders are already consulting with different stakeholders in their communities at both district and local levels. The mobilisation and consultation processes will continue during November. Attempts will be made to gather the bulk of the secondary data and submissions from the Provinces, organised structures, institutions and individuals before the end of 2005.
The outcome of the process will be a draft country self-assessment report and programme of action, which will be considered at the second National Consultative Conference. The next major step in the process will involve hosting a Country Support Mission by New Partnership for Africa's Development’s (NEPAD) Country Team, including the Member of the Panel of Eminent Persons responsible for South Africa’s review, Professor Adebayo Adedeji of Nigeria. The visit will take place from 9 to 11 November 2005.
Issued by: Ministry for Public Service and Administration
3 November 2005
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