STATEMENT THE MINISTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION AT A MEDIA BRIEFING,

26 AUGUST 1999

In the past five years, a lot of work has been done to understand the problems and issues that need to be addressed in transforming the public service for improved delivery of services. The foundation laid in the past five years has assisted us to develop policies, a new public management framework, new legislation and regulations which will inject a sense of urgency in accelerating delivery of services to the majority of our people. Indeed, the true test of our efforts over the last five years lies in our ability to ensure that departments implement the new public management framework in order to achieve the priorities as set by government.

Shortly after my appointment, we identified seven priority areas to assist in the acceleration of public service transformation and to enhance effective and efficient service delivery for all South Africans. These seven priorities include:

• A comprehensive review of the current conditions of service in the public service.
  
• Improving the quality of information on the public service.
  
• Accelerating implementation of the new public service management framework, the skills audit and Batho Pele. This includes strategies for managing personnel costs downward and containing personnel expenditure.
  
• Developing policy and guide-lines for alternative service delivery mechanisms
  
• Fast tracking the capacity building of public servants.
  
• Improving the use (and quality) of information technology in the public service.
  
• Developing DPSA's capacity to investigate and advise on the medium to long term efficiency of the public service.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INTEGRATED IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMME (IIP)

The IIP is a holistic programme of assistance initially focusing on three prioritised provinces, namely KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Northern Province. The programme is directed at providing assistance to these provinces in the development of Management Plans, which will facilitate the implementation of the New Public Management Framework. One of the important outputs of the programme is to improve service delivery while rightsizing the public service.

Provincial report-backs

1.1 KwaZulu-Natal Team:

The KwaZulu-Natal Team began its work on 5th August 1999. It was agreed that the programme would focus on four departments, namely health, welfare, works and the office of the premier.

The initial phase of the programme was diagnostic in character, analysing both macro-provincial and micro-departmental situational positions and needs. The analysis constituted a basis upon which areas for assistance were identified. A draft programme of a ssistance was compiled based on the situational analysis. Sessions were then held with senior mangers of all four departments concerned, with a view of establishing consensus on the draft programme of assistance. The interaction culminated in revised plans being agreed to by all four departments.

From 23 August, the KZN team, together with seconded staff from the four departments, will be commencing work on the key areas identified for both macro-provincial and micro-departmental attention. There are target outputs that will drive the second phase, the departmental implementation phase. Broadly, at departmental levels, this phase will assist in:

• The formulation of departmental strategic plans;
  
• Development of proper organisational structures;
  
• Establishment of proper service delivery standards and systems; and
  
• Development of proper human resource plans.

Officials from all four departments are working with the national team, so that skills could be transferred to officials in the province for continuity and diversification. In addition, the team hopes to lay a basis for other assistance programmes such as the Inter-Provincial Support Programme to build further capacity and improve service delivery by Government.

1.2 Northern Province Team

This team conducted an assessment of the existence and nature of strategic/management plans at both the provincial and departmental level. This process was completed on 13 August 1999.

At a macro level, the team focused on the Province's Growth and Development Strategy, the five-year plan and the plan for the first 100 days. Consideration was also given to planning and co-ordinating mechanisms at the centre of government.

The preparatory activities will be completed by the end of August 1999, and regular project reviews sessions will be held to ensure that all teams stay on track and that cross-pollination takes place, in order to complete the required work by 1 December 19 99.

1.3 Eastern Cape Team

The team met with all departments to assess their needs in terms of the requirements of the new Public Service Management Framework. This process was completed on 20 August 1999 and a report was given to the Director-General for him to validate the assessm ent. A meeting was convened between the team and the Director-General to discuss the needs of departments for assistance.

The team has attended provincial workshops on the Eastern Cape Skills, Service Delivery and Personnel Audit with a view to assessing fast tracking and aligning this process to the IIP initiatives.

From these assessments, the team will be providing the Eastern Cape Province with assistance in the following areas:

• The formulation of departmental strategic plans;
  
• Development of proper organisational structures;
  
• Establishment of proper service delivery standards and systems; and
  
• Development of proper human resource plans.

IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF INFORMATION ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

Adequate information is essential for budgeting, policy-making, management, and monitoring. Information on the public service includes personnel information, service delivery, and financial information.

Over the past month, the following has been accomplished:

• Agreement has been reached to include a Human Resource module on the Vulindlela management information system that is being managed by the Department of State Expenditure. Applications are currently being tested and the first applications should be rolled out on the system at the end of September 1999. The applications will allow provinces and p rovinces to better understand the available human resources,
  
• International and local experts are being employed to review information being collected and to make proposals for improvement. This review will be undertaken over the next five months,
  
• Available information is being analysed on an ongoing basis. This analysis is identifying weaknesses in the information. Measures will be proposed to improve the information over the next few years.
  
• Finally, the department is establishing networks and contacts within departments to maximise the effectiveness of the project.

3. IMPROVING EFFICIENCY AND SERVICE DELIVERY PROJECT

This project was divided into two programmes namely:

• improving efficiency including transformation strategies for key sectors in the public service; and
  
• alternative service delivery options including its impact on organisational arrangements.

Improving efficiency including transformation strategies for key sectors in the public service

This requires greater analysis of alternative service delivery mechanisms as well as a greater understanding and emphasis on sectors and clusters within the public service.

This project seeks to:

• Explore alternative service delivery mechanisms for the public service,
  
• Develop policy frameworks that would facilitate the introduction of these mechanisms,
  
• Deepen an understanding of the particular transformation challenges facing different parts of the public service,
  
• Develop proposals and establishing partnerships with these sectors or clusters to improve service delivery
  

The project is currently in an initial exploratory phase. Over the past month, the project has:

• Began the process of recruiting policy researchers and analysts to review developments in the public service over the past decade. It is anticipated that the research would be conducted over the next five months,
  
• Recruited international expertise from Australia and Sweden to assist in the development of policy frameworks,
  
• Started an investigation of international trends in service delivery,
  
• Began a process of conducting sectoral reviews. The sectors identified are the Criminal justice system, the social services sector, the economic services sector, infrastructure development sector, and the regulatory sector. The reviews will specifically investigate the impact of the broader public service transformation programme on each of the defined sectors. Results from these reviews would be available by January 2000.

Alternative service delivery options including its impact on organisational arrangements

The following draft documents/guides were developed:

• Guide for the Strategic Review of Government Services and Functions
  
• Outsourcing Guidelines for the Public Service
  
• Guide on the Machinery of Government (Identify and allocate functions to levels of government)
  
• Guide on the Transfer of Functions
  
• Guide on Allocating Functions to Public Entities and Establishing Them
  
• Guide on the Departmentalisation of Government Functions
  
• Guide for Organisational Staffing in the Public Service
  
• Guide for One-stop Shop in the Public Service

PROGRESS REPORT ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

26 August 1999

The new Public Service Commission was appointed in January 1999. The Commission took office on 1 July 1999 as a new body in full compliance with the requirements of the Constitution, 1996, the Public Service Commission Act, 1997 and the Public Service Amen dment Act, 1999.

The Commission has:

• Confirmed and published Interim Grievance Rules
  
• Committed itself to championing the Anti-Corruption Campaign in line with Cabinet's decisions and announced by the President.

CORE BUSINESS OF THE COMMISSION

Since taking up office, the new PSC has drafted new rules to govern the functioning of the Commission and formulated a new Vision and Mission. The Commission further identified the following Core Business Areas:

• Developing a culture of professional/ ethical behaviour
  
• Promoting affirmative action, equity and representativeness
  
• Promoting service delivery and the effective use of resources
  
• Grievances, appeals and complaints
  
• Administrative practices
  
• Organisational structure
  
• Human resource management
  
• Accountability and transparency

PRIORITY ACTIVITIES

The Commission has identified key priority programmes of action for the next twelve months, from which specific projects have been drawn and embarked on. The projects include the following:

• Grievances Procedure for Dealing with Public Servants.

New New Grievance Rules are currently being drawn up while the Interim Grievance rules, which were negotiated and agreed to in the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) are in operation. After a process of consultation, the new Rules will in future be tabled at the PSCBC for negotiation and publishing.

• Investigation into the Management of Suspensions in the Public Service.
  
• Investigation into the Trends and Number of Grievances lodged with the Commission, and reasons for the increases or decreases.
• Investigations on Human Resources, namely:
  
• The Assessment of the Management of Leave in the public service in general and the Management of Sick Leave;
  
• The Management of Remunerated Overtime;
  
• The Management of Performance Contracts for managers in the public service; and
  
• Review of Representativeness and Affirmative Action in the public service.
• Planning for Service Delivery Projects and Activities covering three main concerns, with the intention to assist decision-makers:
  
• To evaluate alternative service delivery strategies and develop implementation guidelines;
  
• To evaluate the effectiveness of organisational structures and diagnose inefficiencies; and
• To evaluate actual service delivery and diagnose ineffectiveness.
• Finalising the Ethics /National Anti-Corruption Campaign.
  Cabinet has identified the Public Service Commission as the flag-carrier of government's anti-corruption programme. In this capacity, the PSC has played a critical role in the unfolding National Anti-Corruption Initiative by organising both the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference in 1998 and the National Anti-Corruption Summit earlier thi s year.

The Commission will continue to seek ways and means of ensuring the implementation of resolutions from these events to which national departments and provincial administrations are held accountable. To this end cross-sectional meetings are currently being held in anticipation of establishing a National Co-ordinating Structure to fight corruption in all sectors of society.

Workshops designed to increase capacity to ensure proper financial management, control and accountability are to be held from October onwards throughout the country. The Code of Conduct for the Public Service will be made the subject of a monitoring mechan ism intended to judge its effectiveness in enhancing professional conduct and a new promotional strategy is to be soon adopted to ensure awareness and compliance. The Commission is also embarking on developing a national register for the declaration of ass ets and interests by public officials employed at management level.

These steps taken collectively reiterate the Commission's commitment too honest, transparent and accountable government for the purpose of efficient and effective service delivery to the people of South Africa.