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The Public Service
Introduction
The Department of Public Service and Administration leads the modernisation of the Public Service by assisting government departments to implement their management policies, systems and structural solutions within a generally applicable framework of norms and standards to improve service delivery.
Support efforts have been combined with measures to promote compliance with the Public Service prescripts, including a comprehensive amendment to the Public Service Act, 1994 (Act 93 of 1994) [PDF], enacted in 2007.
The scope of the Minister's policy-making powers in terms of the Public Service Act, 1994 includes the structure and functioning of the Public Service; conditions of service and other employment practices in the Public Service; labour relations; health and wellness of employees; information management in the Public Service; e-government; integrity, ethics, conduct and anti-corruption; transformation; reform; innovation; and any other matter to improve the effectiveness of the Public Service and its service delivery to the public.
The department has led the implementation of a range of policies and processes, including the Batho Pele Programme. It has also initiated the Community
Development Workers Programme in the Public Service, which brings government closer to the people by deploying public servants into communities to advise citizens on their civil rights and learn about their needs. In fulfilling its role of building institutional capacity, specific to fighting corruption, in 2010, the Department of Public Service and Administration drove the following projects:
- the Minimum Anti-Corruption Capacity (MACC) Audit
- the Anti-Corruption Capacity-Building Programme, aimed at preventing, detecting and investigating corrupt and unethical practices in the workplace.
A total of 108 provincial departments and 36 national departments were contacted for the MACC Audit. In March 2010, the department verified information submitted by these departments. The audit was expected to be finalised by the end of the 2010/11 financial year.
A training programme on anti-corruption capacity-building for general employees had been accredited by the Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority at National Qualifications Framework Level Four in 2010/11. About 920 officials at national and provincial level were to be trained.
South Africa acceded to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions in June 2007 as the
first African country and the 37th member of the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions.
In September 2010, the Minister of Public Service and Administration, Mr Richard Baloyi, announced that a new investigative unit to tackle corruption and fraud would be set up.
In terms of the norms and standards for all three spheres of government, a working team consisting of representatives of the Department of Public Service and Administration, the then Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Salga was convened to refine the current draft proposals on the norms and standards for all the three spheres of government.
The proposals emanated from the research that was conducted on areas for harmonisation on norms and standards for HRM between the different spheres of government.
The department has also developed a draft Bill on Public Administration and Management that will provide the legislative basis for the further development of more detailed norms and standards on HRM practices.
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Size of the Public Service
By the end of March 2010, the Public Service had 1 272 311 people in its employ (including members of the
South African National Defence Force). Of these employees, 63% were attached to the social services sector (health, social development, education and home affairs), followed by 20% in the criminal justice sector.
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Human-resource management (HRM)
and development in government
The Department of Public Service and Administration is the custodian of HR in the civil service, creating the framework for recruiting, retaining and training people who are central to the high-performance Public Service that the country requires.
Within the Department of Public Service and Administration, there are two dedicated branches, Labour Relations and Remuneration Management (LRM) and HRM and Development that focus on people issues.
LRM focuses on remuneration and conditions of service using Persal – the payroll system of government.
By February 2010, government was working on the development and implementation of a public-service development programme, which would set the norms and standards for public servants in all spheres.
A framework on HR planning has also been developed, as well as a handbook on appointing board members.
The roll-out of the HR Connect skills database is proceeding well. HR Connect will ensure that departments can analyse skill levels in relation to required posts, occupations and job profiles. An additional benefit is that personal and structural information on the Persal system is being updated in the process.
The Employment Health and Wellness Policy Framework was developed and the HIV and AIDS Workplace Policy in the Public Service reviewed. The curriculum on HIV and AIDS M&E has been developed, and quality assured.
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Conditions of service
Occupation-specific dispensations (OSDs) are tailor-made remuneration dispensations for categories of occupations in the Public Service. The introduction of OSDs aims to improve government's ability to attract and retain skilled employees.
Agreements have been reached on OSDs for nurses, educators and legally qualified employees, while OSDs for social workers, health professionals and correctional officials have been developed. A remuneration policy framework for the Single
Public Service has been prepared.
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Policy on Incapacity Leave and Ill-Health
Retirement (Pilir)
The Pilir was implemented in 2006 to improve the
management of incapacity leave and ill-health
retirement benefits.
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Medical assistance
The Government Employees Medical Scheme (Gems) is an important institution within the Ministry for Public Service and Administration Portfolio. At the beginning of September 2010, Gems had more than 500 000 principal members and close 1,4 million beneficiaries. The scheme continues to grow by more than 10 000 members each month.
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Single Public Service
Ensuring that services are citizen-informed and re-engineering the service-delivery model of government and its constituent departments remain a key challenge and consequently focus of the Department of Public Service and Administration.
A related challenge is the requirement to streamline administrative and business processes to deliver simpler, more effective services to citizens and business and other stakeholders. This is central to the strategic objective of customer-service improvement.
The Department of Public Service and Administration has for the past few years been tasked with developing a blueprint for a single public service.
In 2010, the department developed a discussion document that aims to provide a basis for consultation, policy and an improved governance framework.
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Batho Pele (People First)
Batho Pele remains government's leading campaign to achieve the desired crucial transformation of the hearts and minds of public servants. This is a public-service culture reorientation programme that is aimed at aligning the behaviour and attitudes of public servants with the practice of Batho Pele ethos.
To intensify the implementation and impact of this policy, Minister Baloyi launched the Batho Pele Impact Assessment in 2010, which seeks to strengthen the integrated implementation of Batho Pele and its impact across the three spheres of government.
This will enhance partnerships, collaborations and better coordination towards the implementation of Batho Pele and intervene decisively and coherently in the economy and society to address social and economic developmental goals.
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International and African affairs
The Department of Public Service and Administration continues to provide coordination for the implementation of the Continental Capacity Development Programme.
The department and the Public Service Commission (PSC) co-hosted a delegation from the Bangladesh Public Service Commission to exchange information and experience in the field of public service and administration.
The department assumed an important coordinating role in the conceptualisation, planning and marketing of the 2010 All Africa Public-Sector Innovation Awards across the continent and also convened a technical consultation workshop on Southern African Development (SADC) Community Governance and Public Administration involving nine SADC member states.
Source: South Africa Yearbook 2010/11
Editor: D Burger. Government Communication and Information System
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Last modified: 13 June 2011 12:53:30. |
