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Programmes
Local Government Strategic Agenda (2006 - 2011)
The implementation of the LGSA from 2006 onwards was a logical extension of Project Consolidate, initiated in 2004. The three core pillars of the
LGSA are:
- mainstreaming hands-on support to local
government to improve municipal governance,
performance and accountability
- addressing the structure and governance
arrangements of the State to better strengthen,
support and monitor local government
- refining and strengthening the plicy, regulatory
and fiscal environment for local government
and giving greater attention to the enforcement
measures.
In 2007, national government together with all
provinces, Salga, individual municipalities and
key partners outside of government gave active
support to implementing this agenda, which
focuses on the five key performance areas of local
government transformation, namely:
- municipal transformation and institutional
development
- basic services and infrastructure
- financial viability and finacial management
- local economic development (LED)
- good governance and community participation
In terms of the five-year LGSA, 164 municipalities
have been receiving hands-on support as
from April 2008, an increase of 56 municipalities
since 2007. National sector departments, namely
the Department of Provincial and Local Government,
National Treasury, and the Department of
Water Affairs and Forestry, have mobilised 626 technical experts in support of municipalities. The
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry has also dedicated 51 technical experts to focus on water-related services, particularly in the Free State.
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Integrated development plans (IDPs)
In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act 32 of 2000) [PDF], all municipalities are required to prepare IDPs. Integrated development planning is a process by which municipalities prepare five-year strategic plans that are reviewed annually in consultation with communities and stakeholders.
The aim is to achieve service-delivery and development goals in municipal areas in an effective and sustainable way. National and provincial sector departments, development agencies, private-sector bodies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and communities all have a key role to play in the preparation and implementation of municipal IDPs.
The IDP Nerve Centre provides a single, web-based
information system that allows multiple
stakeholders, involved in municipal service
delivery, to access, capture, revise and report
a core set of planning, funding, programme and
project-based information over a multi-year period
in a consistent manner.
By May 2008, the IDP analysis sessions were
underway in all nine provinces. The objectives of
the IDP analysis sessions are to:
- develop a concrete programme, as part of the five-year LGSA
- provide clarity on how sector departments can accelerate their support to municipalities, based
on master sector plans.
The engagement of some national departments in the analysis and improvements of IDPs remains
a challenge. There is a need for national sector
departments to participate actively in IDP analysis
sessions to ensure the development and improvement
of master sector plans.
The Department of Provincial and Local Government
distributed the IDP Format Guide and IDP
Analysis Framework to sector departments, provinces
and municipalities. The provincial and sector
reports were presented at the National Development
Planning Forum in May 2008.
In terms of integration of planning, the IDP analysis
sessions were held in all provinces in April
and May 2008. A winter school was opened in July 2008 at the University of Pretoria to planners from
municipalities that had poor IDPs.
A partnership with the South African Planning
Institute has been established on a mentoring
programme for municipal planners on development
administration.
In 2007/08, 79% of IDPs received a credibility
rating of between high and medium compared
with 40% three years before. Of major significance
in this regard is the 100% adoption rate of IDPs as
a result of concerted effort of all spheres over the
last three years.
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Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG)
The largest infrastructure transfer programme is
the MIG, currently administered by the Department
of Provincial and Local Government. The MIG has
shown strong real growth over the period, averaging
6,4% between 2004/05 and 2006/07. Real
growth is projected to accelerate to an average of
21,4% over the medium term.
The MIG was introduced in 2004/05 through
consolidating various sector infrastructure grants,
each administered by different departments, into a
single programme. This was intended to make the
system of transfers to municipalities simpler, more
certain and more supportive of municipal infrastructure
priorities. The programme is designed
to supplement the capital budgets of municipalities,
with a focus on providing basic infrastructure
services to the poor, while stimulating and job
creation over the medium term.
Funding for electrification has not yet been
incorporated into the MIG, due to uncertainties
associated with the restructuring of the electricity
distribution industry. MIG funds are distributed to
all municipalities based on a formula that accounts for existing backlogs in service delivery as well as
the functions assigned to individual municipalities.
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Local Economic Development (LED)
LED is a key feature of government’s overall strategy
to address economic challenges.
All metropolitan and district municipalities have
convened growth and development summits. The
focus in most municipalities is on implementing
the decisions and outcomes of these summits.
The National Framework for LED for stimulating
and developing sustainable economies promotes
a strategic approach to the development of local
economies and a shift away from narrow municipal
interests focused only on government input
and ad-hoc projects, which do not have impact in
terms of scale.
There are two major policy thrusts identified
in the framework, namely: public-sector leadership
and governance and sustainable community
investment programmes. Four key strategies
emanate from these policy thrusts with accompanying
main actions. These are:
- Improving good governance, service delivery and public and market confidence in municipalities
- spatial development palnning and exploiting the comparative advantage and competitiveness of
districts and metros
- enterprise support and business infrastructure development
- introducing sustainable community-investment programmes focusing on organising communities for development and maximising circulation of public spend in local economies.
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Project Consolidate
In 2004, Project Consolidate, a hands-on support
and engagement programme focusing on targeted
municipalities, was launched.
The mainstreaming of Project Consolidate into the Local Government Strategic Agenda has seen a total of 359 experts deployed
to 105 Project Consolidate municipalities by the
end of 2007.
By Augusts 2008, 1134 experts had been
deployed to 268 municipalities (including the
Project Consolidate municipalities). Key partners, such as the Siyenza Manje initiative of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), played a valuable role. Deployed experts provide technical assistance in areas such as engineering, finance,
town planning, project management and human-resource
(HR) development. The involvement
of national and provincial sector departments
in supporting local government has improved.
However, professional vacancy rates remain relatively
high.
Source: South Africa Yearbook 2008/09
Editor: D Burger. Government Communication and Information System
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Last modified: 07 July 2009 11:52:52. |
