Date: 28/05/2003
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government
Title: Van Schalkwyk: Launch of W Cape's "Basic Guidelines for Professional Conduct in Workplace"


EXTRACT FROM SPEECH BY WESTERN CAPE PREMIER, MARTHINUS VAN SCHALKWYK, ADDRESSING THE LAUNCH OF THE WESTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATION'S PUBLICATION 'BASIC GUIDELINES FOR PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT IN THE WORKPLACE, Provincial Parliament, 28 May 2003

IMPROVING OUR WORLD CLASS PUBLIC SERVICE

I would like to thank our Director-General, Dr Lawrence, and the Chief Directorate Human Resource Management, Corporate Services for this very important initiative. This publication, developed within our Provincial Administration, is a first for the South African public service at provincial level, and represents a 'back-to-basics' approach to ethical and professional conduct in our Government. I believe that this publication will also be of interest and use in other provinces as well.

The quality of our public service is of critical importance - especially because it is one of the key indicators measured by international organisations like the World Bank when assessing international investment opportunities. Our promise to build a World Class Province which Cares for all its people rests firmly on the shoulders of our almost 68000 provincial public servants. As we celebrate the launch today of this important handbook for our public service, we should also take stock of the quality of service which our Provincial Government is delivering to the people of the Western Cape.

There are two important principles which guide our public service in our efforts to be truly World Class. The first is Letsema - the spirit of volunteerism - which in the public service entails going beyond the call of duty or rigid job descriptions and making a personal commitment of greater energy and innovation to address the social challenges which face our people. The second is Batho Pele which places people first through consultation, courtesy, access, service standards, openness and value for money.

It was almost a year ago that our Provincial Cabinet announced the restructuring of the Provincial Government. Through this process of restructuring and departmentalisation we aimed to improve the structure of our public service to ensure better, more focused government, stronger accountability, and to increase the number of public servants on the front-line of service delivery. All departments also re-aligned their budgets from being input-driven to outcomes-based, ensuring more visible service delivery.

I am pleased to report that this process has already begun to bear real and measurable fruit. In addition to each Minister now having their own dedicated department, this process has also provided each department with structures and capacity to deal with our special programmes and targets - for instance on gender, HIV/AIDS, skills development, employment equity and disability - which was not previously the case. This is reflected in the equity profile of the Provincial Government which shows that 78% of our public servants are from formerly disadvantaged communities. Within the Senior Management Service this figure is now 38,2%, and in our Top Management it is 61,5%.

The process of departmentalisation has also been strengthened and advanced by the appointment of our two newest Heads of Department. Mr Thami Manyathi has already joined us as the Head of the Department of Transport and Public Works, and Mr Brendon Roberts will very shortly be taking over the reins of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. Both of these gentlemen are with us here today, and we welcome them and their expertise to our Provincial Government.

Turning to our record of delivery, there are countless examples of success in our Western Cape public service. I would like to highlight a few which illustrate our recent improvements and achievements:

* Our Cape Administrative Academy - the first of its kind at provincial level in South Africa - has now been accredited as the first public service training provider qualified by the Education and Training Quality Authority of the Public Services SETA. In addition to the more than 3500 courses it has presented since 1997, its successful Provincial Executive Program (PEP) continues to identify, groom, and nurture emerging managers who may not always have had access to opportunities to excel. It also now offers courses for Women in Management;

* The adoption and implementation of a new performance management system (SPMS) to ensure that staff within the Provincial Administration are rewarded for service excellence and which links service delivery to the strategic objectives of departments and ultimately to iKapa eliHlumayo;

* The Western Cape was last week singled out at a national government indaba for our high levels of success in implementing the Promotion of Access to Information Act in the province. This followed our hosting of 18 workshops and the completion of departmental manuals to train, inform and empower our public service on the content of the Act and its application to enhance openness and accountability in government;

Two additional Social Services and Poverty Alleviation District Offices will this year be commissioned - one in Caledon and another in Gugulethu. Counter services at our 14 District Offices have been increased from 150 to 170 and will be increased to 200 during this financial year. Helpdesks were introduced last year at all 293 Social Services pay points in the province to increase the access to these services, with 203 new staff appointed to assist in processing social grant applications;

The Provincial Traffic Service has improved its operations by extending 24-hour services to four stations, which we aim to roll out to all Provincial Traffic centres, with an additional 200 traffic officers to be employed this year;

The Department of Community Safety will this year train 2445 persons in a variety of consolidated courses at the Philippi College, in comparison with 1200 last year and will also offer 500 Community Patrol Officers the opportunity to obtain driver's training to become eligible for posts in the SAPS;

1. In line with our objective to develop the capacity of local governments in the Western Cape, the Provincial Administration and the Department of Local Government last year launched our first capacity building programme for Municipal Managers across the province. The programme capacitated 28 municipal officials last year in areas like Managing Public-Private Partnerships and Developmental Local Government. It is being repeated this year; and

* Our new Cape Teaching Institute, which we opened in September last year, will this year continue to contribute to the improvement of the quality of teaching and learning in our province - one of the most important areas of direct service delivery by our government.

I would like to thank our Western Cape Public Service unions, with whom we continue to have a constructive relationship within the provincial bargaining forums. Last year alone we reached 12 separate collective agreements, primarily on policy initiatives to enhance the management of our public service. I would especially like to thank all of the men and women of our Public Service, from our nurses and teachers, to our senior management, for their strong work ethic, their professionalism, and their commitment to clean, and accountable government.

Our Provincial Government is here to serve. In these and in so many other ways, we are improving the quality of that service. As I said in the Budget Vote for the Provincial Administration, every person, in every department, in every field directs their energies ultimately towards one unified goal - building for the people of the Western Cape a World Class Province which Cares for all.

Enquiries: Riaan Aucamp on 083-778-9923
Issued by Western Cape Provincial Government
28 May 2003