Date: 26/11/2006
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Shilowa: Premier's Service Excellence Awards
Speech by Gauteng Premier, Mr Mbhazima Shilowa, at the Premier's Service Excellence Awards
MECs
Provincial Director-General,
Heads of Department,
Chief executive officers of provincial agencies,
Judges for the Premier's Service Excellence Awards,
Distinguished guests,
We are meeting once again as we have done annually over the past five years to honour and celebrate with those public servants who have gone beyond the normal call of duty in their daily work to improve the lives of our people. These are men and women who have shown initiative and have taken steps to improve service delivery to the people of our province. They have not only conducted themselves in an exemplary manner, they have taken to heart the theme for this year's excellence awards, "Driving the services revolution to build Gauteng as a global city region." Since MECs and senior management often join in the celebrations, I must assume that they too make a contribution to the successes of the teams.
Between last year's service excellence awards to today we have in addition to the growth and development strategy (GDS) adopted the broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) strategy, integrated transport plan (ITP), Gauteng safety plan, Gauteng road safety plan, 20 priority townships renewal strategy, human resource development (HRD) strategy, Gauteng global city region strategy, Gauteng social development strategy and the capacity and organisation of the State strategy.
When we launched this strategy in August, we said we were signifying a turning point and a new way of thinking about development in our province. We also said to properly respond to our people's aspirations to escape from poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment we have to consolidate Gauteng as an integrated region where the economic activities of different parts of the province complement each other to achieve sustainable shared growth and development.
Given the centrality of public servants in development and service delivery, it is clear that our ability to achieve all the above mentioned strategies rests on our ability to reposition the public service to perform at higher levels and with dedication.
The need to improve the efficiency and performance of government institutions has been identified as an area requiring strategic and focused intervention. The Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA), which is a set of interventions across all spheres of government to serve as a catalyst for accelerated and shared growth, also highlights the need for better public service management and responsiveness to public needs.
Improving the efficiency and performance of government is therefore an essential prerequisite in achieving our objectives. While there is a lot we can be proud of, we also know that in certain areas, Gauteng residents are not fully satisfied with the current pace and quality of delivery. They don't only demand accelerated delivery at a faster pace they also want quality service delivered with a humane face and in a caring manner. To respond effectively and in a sustainable manner to these challenges requires that we review the capacity and organisation of the State. I hope that by the opening of the legislature the Heads of Department (HODs) forum and the executive will have finalised the strategy with implementation plans.
When we speak about the capacity of the State we are not just talking about sending people on more training courses. We are speaking about finding better, credible and sustainable ways of improving quality service delivery. We are also talking about innovation in the public sector and collaboration with the private sector and communities to accelerate improvements in the lives of people of our province.
This goes beyond simple adherence to and promotion of the Batho Pele Principles. It is a services revolution that aims to achieve greater responsiveness to the needs of the people, a reduction in the cost of doing business, unnecessary bureaucracy and shared growth and development.
This approach requires public service employees to break away from the silos they have always worked in and embrace collaboration and integration of work across the systems and processes. This will create seamless government whose aim is to effectively service citizens in an integrated, cost effective and efficient manner.
Embracing innovation with emphasis on constant change and rapid response mechanisms is the only sure way that can help us to elevate our performance and impact.
The awards we are giving out today are therefore a confirmation that indeed we have people who are ready and willing to take our performance to a higher level and to champion a new way to doing business.
The recipients of these awards have consciously applied themselves to achieving excellence by being motivated by a desire to find solutions to the obstacles they experienced in the working environment, to improve the performance of their colleagues and ensure improved delivery of services to their citizens.
By receiving your rewards today you have made the choice of excellence over mediocrity. I hope that you will carry that choice into your future and help shape this remarkable province of ours into a thriving and global competitive city region. Allow me, therefore, to congratulate all the finalists for working in a manner that caught the eye of the community and our judges.
The journey we are have started to reposition our province into a globally competitive city region will be an immensely challenging and exciting one. It will be an unparalleled learning experience and bring about change which will put us up there with the best that the world has to offer.
Work done thus far shows that it is possible for us to make Gauteng an even better place to live in. It is, however, dependent on the partnership we can forge between the executive, the public service, the private sector and communities.
Together with our employees and their trade unions we need to look at how we take forward the resolutions of the public sector summit especially those concerned with improvement of quality service delivery.
I thank you!
Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
26 November 2006
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Shilowa: Premier's Service Excellence Awards
Speech by Gauteng Premier, Mr Mbhazima Shilowa, at the Premier's Service Excellence Awards
MECs
Provincial Director-General,
Heads of Department,
Chief executive officers of provincial agencies,
Judges for the Premier's Service Excellence Awards,
Distinguished guests,
We are meeting once again as we have done annually over the past five years to honour and celebrate with those public servants who have gone beyond the normal call of duty in their daily work to improve the lives of our people. These are men and women who have shown initiative and have taken steps to improve service delivery to the people of our province. They have not only conducted themselves in an exemplary manner, they have taken to heart the theme for this year's excellence awards, "Driving the services revolution to build Gauteng as a global city region." Since MECs and senior management often join in the celebrations, I must assume that they too make a contribution to the successes of the teams.
Between last year's service excellence awards to today we have in addition to the growth and development strategy (GDS) adopted the broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) strategy, integrated transport plan (ITP), Gauteng safety plan, Gauteng road safety plan, 20 priority townships renewal strategy, human resource development (HRD) strategy, Gauteng global city region strategy, Gauteng social development strategy and the capacity and organisation of the State strategy.
When we launched this strategy in August, we said we were signifying a turning point and a new way of thinking about development in our province. We also said to properly respond to our people's aspirations to escape from poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment we have to consolidate Gauteng as an integrated region where the economic activities of different parts of the province complement each other to achieve sustainable shared growth and development.
Given the centrality of public servants in development and service delivery, it is clear that our ability to achieve all the above mentioned strategies rests on our ability to reposition the public service to perform at higher levels and with dedication.
The need to improve the efficiency and performance of government institutions has been identified as an area requiring strategic and focused intervention. The Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA), which is a set of interventions across all spheres of government to serve as a catalyst for accelerated and shared growth, also highlights the need for better public service management and responsiveness to public needs.
Improving the efficiency and performance of government is therefore an essential prerequisite in achieving our objectives. While there is a lot we can be proud of, we also know that in certain areas, Gauteng residents are not fully satisfied with the current pace and quality of delivery. They don't only demand accelerated delivery at a faster pace they also want quality service delivered with a humane face and in a caring manner. To respond effectively and in a sustainable manner to these challenges requires that we review the capacity and organisation of the State. I hope that by the opening of the legislature the Heads of Department (HODs) forum and the executive will have finalised the strategy with implementation plans.
When we speak about the capacity of the State we are not just talking about sending people on more training courses. We are speaking about finding better, credible and sustainable ways of improving quality service delivery. We are also talking about innovation in the public sector and collaboration with the private sector and communities to accelerate improvements in the lives of people of our province.
This goes beyond simple adherence to and promotion of the Batho Pele Principles. It is a services revolution that aims to achieve greater responsiveness to the needs of the people, a reduction in the cost of doing business, unnecessary bureaucracy and shared growth and development.
This approach requires public service employees to break away from the silos they have always worked in and embrace collaboration and integration of work across the systems and processes. This will create seamless government whose aim is to effectively service citizens in an integrated, cost effective and efficient manner.
Embracing innovation with emphasis on constant change and rapid response mechanisms is the only sure way that can help us to elevate our performance and impact.
The awards we are giving out today are therefore a confirmation that indeed we have people who are ready and willing to take our performance to a higher level and to champion a new way to doing business.
The recipients of these awards have consciously applied themselves to achieving excellence by being motivated by a desire to find solutions to the obstacles they experienced in the working environment, to improve the performance of their colleagues and ensure improved delivery of services to their citizens.
By receiving your rewards today you have made the choice of excellence over mediocrity. I hope that you will carry that choice into your future and help shape this remarkable province of ours into a thriving and global competitive city region. Allow me, therefore, to congratulate all the finalists for working in a manner that caught the eye of the community and our judges.
The journey we are have started to reposition our province into a globally competitive city region will be an immensely challenging and exciting one. It will be an unparalleled learning experience and bring about change which will put us up there with the best that the world has to offer.
Work done thus far shows that it is possible for us to make Gauteng an even better place to live in. It is, however, dependent on the partnership we can forge between the executive, the public service, the private sector and communities.
Together with our employees and their trade unions we need to look at how we take forward the resolutions of the public sector summit especially those concerned with improvement of quality service delivery.
I thank you!
Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
26 November 2006
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