Minister in the Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Collins Chabane announced on Wednesday that agreements for the government's much-vaunted "12 outcomes" had been signed by the relevant parties.

Speaking at a press conference, Chabane said that the delivery agreements followed the signing of performance agreements between President Jacob Zuma and his ministers in April this year.

Zuma announced the performance contracts in his state of the nation address in February.

At the time, Chabane said that government had translated its priorities into 12 required and measurable "outcomes" which would form the basis for the president's performance contracts with his ministers.

Chabane said on Wednesday that quarterly reports would be prepared to see whether the relevant departments had achieved their targets.

He said that ministers would in the coming days brief the media on the contents of the service delivery agreements they had signed.

Chabane said that Zuma would be meeting various ministers in October and November to obtain progress reports.

"The negotiated agreement spells out who will do what, by when and with what resources," said Chabane.

Asked what would happen to those who did not meet agreed targets he said: "The danger we make is that we focus too much attention to individual ministers. The coordinating ministers are just coordinating stakeholders in a partnership to deliver a particular outcome."

He said that there might be several ministers involved in achieving one outcome.

He said that the appointment and dismissal of ministers was Zuma's "prerogative" and was "a separate process" from the service delivery agreements.

Quarterly reports would be compiled by "delivery forum" and summaries would be made available to the public on the Presidency website.

The 12 outcomes identified by government are:

1) An improved quality of basic education;

2) A long and healthy life for all South Africans;

3) All South Africans should be and feel safe; there should be decent employment through inclusive growth;

4) A skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path;

5) An efficient, competitive and responsive economic infrastructure network;

6) There should be vibrant, equitable, sustainable rural communities with food security for all;

7) There should be sustainable human settlements and an improved quality of household life;

8) A responsive, accountable, effective and efficient local government system;

9) Environmental assets and natural resources that are well protected and continually enhanced;

11) A better Africa and a better world as a result of South Africa's contributions to global relations; and

12) An efficient and development oriented public service and an empowered, fair and inclusive citizenship.