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5 July 2006

This briefing provides information regarding the progress made in the implementation of Government’s Programme of Action (POA) for 2006. This briefing is the second report for 2006. This report was presented to the Governance and Administration (G&A) Cabinet Committee on 20 June and was approved by Cabinet on 28 June.

The G&A has three broad priorities reflected on the POA:
1. Capability needs for the developmental state.
2. Macro-organisation of the state.
3. Planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation.

Capability needs for the Developmental State

Public Service Capacity

The January Cabinet Lekgotla considered capacity assessments of five sectors (Economic, Health, Education, Justice and Housing). Cabinet adopted recommendations relating to the five sectors and crosscutting issues. The G&A Cluster formed a task team on capacity assessments and 34 projects were identified and implemented.

Economic sector

The Cluster has prepared an assessment of the rollout of Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative (AsgiSA) infrastructure projects, with a focus on the transport sector and more particularly on the Durban-Gauteng Corridor.

The assessment asked the questions:

What are the key challenges faced; how should the public sector respond to the challenges; what are the current capacity deficiencies or bottlenecks; and what can be done to reduce the cost of doing business? Findings and recommendations will be presented to the July Cabinet Lekgotla.

The dti has 21 entities that report to it, including development finance institutions (e.g. Industrial Development Corporation), regulatory institutions (e.g. Competition Commission) and specialist service institutions (e.g. South African Bureau of Standards). Following on work done by the G&A Cluster on the governance of public entities in general, a study was undertaken on how to strengthen the dti’s oversight of these institutions and a governance model was developed, which includes proposals for the strengthening of capacity within the dti.

In anticipation of the coming into force of the new Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations developed in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has identified capacity challenges within the system and has developed recommendations on the strengthening of structures and staffing of the relevant components in provincial departments. These findings and recommendations will be presented to the July Lekgotla.

Health sector

Substantial work has been done on the job descriptions and grading of the posts of hospital Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). Nine hospitals were visited and the findings made will be used to refine the existing benchmark job description for hospital CEOs. A revised grading structure is being developed. An implementation strategy for implementing delegations to hospital CEOs will be finalised by August. An assessment of the existing infrastructure and staffing of nursing colleges was undertaken. Findings and recommendations have been developed and will be presented to the July Lekgotla. Four audits of the Health Information System have been conducted.

Education sector

An assessment of the roles, responsibilities and job descriptions of school principals has been undertaken and recommendations developed that will be presented to Lekgotla. Similarly an assessment of the roles and responsibilities of district and circuit managers has been conducted. Proposals regarding staffing levels and capacity building have been made.

The educator performance management system was assessed and proposals regarding the strengthening of monitoring capacity have been made. A report on the skills gaps in the Senior Management Service (SMS) in Education nationally and provincially has been prepared. Findings included that there are gaps in the skills of existing personnel, challenges in filling key vacancies and a shortage of posts in some areas.

An assessment of the application of the SMS Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) in the provincial Departments of Education and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has been conducted. Results have shown challenges in implementing the system and poor levels of compliance in some instances. These findings will be presented to the July Cabinet Lekgotla.

Justice sector

Work has been done to assess the capacity to implement the Superior Courts Bill. The need for the strengthening of capacity to enable the effective implementation of the Bill has been identified. A strategy to address backlogs is also proposed. The Justice Footprint Project, which matches supply of judicial services with the demand for them, is near completion.

Housing sector

A comprehensive report of the housing development and delivery process has been drafted. Key challenges and corrective interventions have been identified and are being implemented. The organisational structure will be reviewed in line with the Breaking New Ground policy. A comprehensive review of the Housing public entities has been conducted and they will be restructured in line with the Breaking New Ground policy.

Crosscutting projects

The Public Service Regulations have been amended to require executing authorities to consult the Minister for Public Service and Administration, regarding the development of organisational structures for their departments. The amendment was published in the Government Gazette on 28 April. Directives in respect of the amendment have been issued. Discussions on the development of staffing norms were held with key sector departments.

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India

The Minister for the Public Service and Administration signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions of the Republic of India on 12 June. The MoU reflects an agreement between the two countries to cooperate in the fields of governance, administration and other related areas. This follows a visit to India in December by a delegation led by the Minister for the Public Service and Administration to explore the exchange of skills and personnel between the two countries. Various projects are already underway.

Support flow of skills into the public service

The accelerated development programme for middle managers (sustainable pools scheme) is under implementation in three provinces (KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape) and five national departments (the dti, Home Affairs, Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) and the Office of the Public Service Commission (OPSC)). A draft implementation guide has been approved. Departments are currently submitting their nominations for participants in the programme.

The review of the Public Service Human Resource Development (HRD) Strategy has commenced. A questionnaire will be prepared and circulated to all stakeholders. The questionnaire will be used to make an assessment whether government has been successful in implementing the strategy and building capacity in the Public Sector. Based on the review, a second edition of the Human Resource Development Strategy will be developed for the period 2007 to 2011.

National Youth Service Programme

The launch of the Department of Home Affairs’ National Youth Service Programme (NYSP) on Friday, 2 June 2006, saw the enrolment of 300 unemployed matriculants, who will work within the Department’s offices for the next 12 months. The new recruits will be trained in among other trades, customer services (front desk) and other key departmental core businesses, including the Immigration Act, while also contributing to a better service delivery to the public.

Internship programme

The Department of Home Affairs launched and implemented the internship programme in June 2004 in response to Cabinet’s decision that all government departments should appoint interns equivalent to five percent of their staff complement. The internship programme is targeted at unemployed graduates between the age of 18 and 35 years.

Since the inception of the programme in 2004, the department has recruited and placed 734 interns, 413 in the 2004/05 financial year, 225 in the 2005/06 financial and 96 in the current financial year. Of these interns, the Department has managed to appoint 215 permanently and 65 interns have been employed by other institutions.

Human Resource Management interventions

The implementation framework for the Gender and Governance Plan of Action has been drafted. With the assistance of disabled people’s organisations, the project team has developed an implementation framework and guidelines for the JobACCESS strategy. A consultation process and stakeholder engagement process is underway. The Government Communication and Information Service (GCIS) have established an inter-departmental communications team to formulate a national communication strategy for the JobACCESS project.

The final report on the Review of the Senior Management Service has been completed and a draft Cabinet Memorandum has been submitted. Recommendations regarding recruitment and selection, strategic deployment, training, ethics, discipline and performance management have been formulated.

The review phase of the Personnel Expenditure Review (PER) project has been completed. The data gathered has been analysed and the first draft of the PER report has been submitted. The information obtained through the analysis process has been benchmarked against best practices and it informed the recommendations that were included in the first draft of the PER report. The recommendations to be included in the final PER report will inform the development of a new remuneration policy for the public sector.

Anti Corruption

National Anti-corruption Programme

The National Anti-corruption Programme (NAP) is the programme of projects agreed upon for joint implementation by Government, Business and Civil Society. A logo and website for the National Anti-corruption Forum (NACF) have been developed. A presentation on the NAP was made to a provincial legislature to obtain support and provincial participation. A roundtable discussion on the prohibition of corrupt businesses was held. An ethics statement for sectoral leaders has been developed. A national workshop on indicators was held and a process was agreed upon with the civil society and business sectors on further indicator development.

Global Forum V

All organising structures for the Global Forum V on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity have been established, including the interdepartmental logistics/security committee and the substance committee. Consultations with civil society and business have been conducted and are ongoing. Discussions have been held with the Bureau of the Pan-African Conference of Ministers of Public Service. An Africa meeting on anti-corruption to ensure the consolidation of African anti-corruption initiatives and optimal participation in the Forum is planned for November 2006.

Local Government Anti-corruption Strategy

A plan for the national launch of the Local Government Anti-corruption Strategy has been developed. An implementation plan for rollout in the provinces and coordination at the local level has been finalised. Ongoing direct support is being provided to Project Consolidate municipalities to develop policies, systems and procedures to minimise corruption. Lack of capacity and uncoordinated initiatives at the local level are hampering implementation. The strategy will be implemented over a period of five years in line with the strategic priorities for the new term of local government (2006 to 2011).

Macro-organisation of the State

Single public service

On 31 May Cabinet approved recommendations on the Single Public Service and agreed that the Legislative Framework to enable the establishment of a Single Public Service should be finalised by the end of 2006, for public comment. Cabinet also agreed that a communication strategy be developed to consult with various stakeholders on the project. The G&A Task Team mandated to develop this Legislative Framework met on 9 June.

The Policy Framework on the governance and administration of public sector institutions will be aligned with the guide on the appointment of board members with the shareholder management model of the Department of Public Enterprises before being re-submitted to Cabinet. The human resource management policy for public entities, an aspect of the Policy Framework, will be further informed by the Personnel Expenditure Review.

Integrated service delivery

Access strategy

The Access strategy aims to improve access to government services through a number of technological and innovative initiatives and the application of the principles of Batho Pele. The strategy has been drafted. Research on the demand for and supply of public services will be conducted to inform the project which services are to be integrated (put in one basket) and what channels to be used and where and how.

CSIR Report on the Facility Location Needs of Home Affairs

The report, commissioned by the Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on behalf of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), relates to the facility location study to the Turnaround Strategy of the DHA. The current strategic plan (available on the DHA website) incorporates the Turnaround Strategy. The study proposes 172 additional service points countrywide will take into consideration other government initiatives already existing such as Multi-Purpose Community Centres (MPCCs) and will seek to support programmes such as Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme (ISRDP) and Urban Renewal Programme (URP) Nodes within the National Spatial Development Perspective (NSDP) framework. Careful consideration will be further made to ensure that where infrastructure already exists, the wheel is not re-invented but rather considered within the framework of integrated service delivery initiatives and intergovernmental relations framework.

HSRC Survey on Citizen Registration

DHA commissioned the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) to conduct a national representative study on identity documentation, registration of birth, death and marriage among South Africans of 16 years and older. The main objectives of this survey were to estimate the extent and number of unregistered South African citizens; determine the location of unregistered citizens; determine reasons why citizens are not registered; obtain information regarding citizens’ access to Home Affairs’ services and offices; and to determine awareness and knowledge of birth and other registration procedures.

Among the key findings, the survey suggested:
* The total number of people aged 16 and older without a bar-coded Identity Documents (ID) amounts to about 1,75 million, which is six percent of the population. Furthermore, half of those without a bar-coded ID did apply for one. Possession of a bar-coded ID was least likely among younger people. The study suggests that one-third of sixteen-year-olds, and somewhat less than half of seventeen-year-olds possess an ID. Perhaps more worrying is that, only about three quarters of 18- to 19-year-olds have an ID, whilst having been eligible for an ID for two or three years.
* Other important factors in bar-coded ID possession are one’s living standard and level of education. The higher one’s living standard and educational level, the more likely is he/she to have a bar-coded ID.
* The more in-depth focus group interviews among people who did not possess a bar-coded ID suggested that loss of one’s ID was the main reason for not having an ID. Furthermore, partly in line with the survey findings, accessibility of the Home Affairs offices and, related to this, transport costs, lengthy application procedures, lack of information on the application procedure and supporting documentation, multiple document requirements, costs of ID applications, lengthy waiting periods, no after-hour service, and uncooperative Home Affairs officers were mentioned as the major obstacles to applying and obtaining an ID.

e-Government

The underpinning documents of the e-Government Programme Framework have been completed and are being edited professionally. Several strategic catalytic projects have been identified, one of which will be selected for priority implementation. The e-Government Committee of Government IT Officers Council (GITOC) has requested to make further inputs to the documented Programme. Thereafter a memorandum will be submitted to Cabinet.

On 1 May 2006 a revamped Batho Pele Gateway portal went live. The current portal is staged in a new technology platform (infrastructure) that is more secure and can accommodate provincial and local government services information. Content on government services is currently written in seven languages in the new portal. The new languages are isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, Sesotho, Setswana and Sepedi. The plan is to have the remaining four official languages as part of the portal by the end of the 2006/07 financial year.

HANIS

Most of the programmes that form part of the Home Affairs National Identity System (HANIS) are now at an advanced stage or nearing completion. By end of April 2006, 23 645 384 million records (79% of the target of 30 million) had been digitised. By the end of June 2006, all paper-based fingerprint records will be digitised. This will assist all law enforcement agencies in their verification and identification processes, but will also be of significant value to other institutions such as banks where client verification will take place at higher speed. Over 14 million digital records have been absorbed into HANIS thus far. The target for completion of all these processes is February 2007.

MPCCs

It is intended initially to furnish 18 Multi-purpose Community Centre (MPCC) sites with General Services Counters (GSCs), which will be Gateway enabled through Internet connectivity. Ultimately 85 MPPCs will be equipped. Discussions are underway with the Universal Services Agency for the supply of two computers, a TV set and a video player at each site. In conjunction with GCIS, State Information Technology Agency's (SITA) and the Department of Communication, DPSA is finalising negotiations with mobile telephone operators for the use of the 1020 number in their networks.

Batho Pele

To date 501 public servants have been trained on the Batho Pele Change Management Engagement Programme. 14 sessions have been held in Limpopo and 406 trainers trained. Two sessions were conducted in KwaZulu-Natal and 35 trainers trained. 25 trainers were trained in the Free State. Initial meetings have been held with the three provincial departments. The success of the Change Management Engagement Program depends on top leadership commitment and visibility. The programme will be customised for different government sectors.

In cascading Batho Pele to local government, trainers in various municipalities, metros and districts were trained: 18 in the Western Cape (Drakenstein, Breede Valley, Stellenbosch and Swellendam Municipality) and 80 in Ethekwini Municipality. Meetings have been held with the City of Tshwane and the City of Joburg and training will commence soon. Districts in KwaZulu-Natal will also be trained by the end of July. A service provider will be appointed to assist in the rollout of training.

The Service Delivery Improvement Plans/ Service Standards project is aimed at the development and implementation of a regulatory framework that would provide for the rollout of service standards and Service Delivery Improvement Plans (SDIPs) in the Public Service. The project has the potential to provide real and measurable information about the achievement of service delivery objectives in departments. However, to achieve these benefits, it may be necessary to redesign the current regulatory framework to enforce Service Delivery Improvement Planning, with concomitant service standards.

Participatory governance

The final Public Participation Policy Framework will be submitted to Cabinet in September 2006. The establishment of ward committees in former cross boundary municipalities is a challenge. Seven provinces have been trained in community-based planning. Ward Committees are being established nationally.

Three Presidential izimbizo were held between May and June (the President held two and the Deputy President held one). The integration of all components of izimbizo has developed a coherent sense of deliberation on issues pertinent to the district municipality visited. Such an approach has enabled addressing of issues immediately and the profiling of the district’s five year Integrated Development Plans.

Outreach to the San communities

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) conducted a community outreach programme to the !Xun, Khwe and Khomani San communities in Platfontein in the Northern Cape, where the Minister handed over 200 IDs to residents of the indigenous tribes in May 2006. It was the first time they received the IDs in their lifetime as they previously used former South African Defence Force (SADF) issued cards for identification and never had a chance to access other basic government services such as social grants. The Minister also conducted the solemnisation of marriages as well as Birth registration on site.

Imbizo with refugee youth

DHA hosted a dialogue with young refugees, mainly from African countries on 27 June 2006 to discuss their concerns as well as their rights and responsibilities as part of the Youth Month and World Refugee Day commemorations. Among key issues raised were:

* Appropriate documents, including permits that will enable asylum seekers and refugees access to job opportunities, education and to empower themselves.
* Permanent residential permits are issued to refugees who have been in South Africa for over five years.
* Lack of or non-availability of translation services for asylum seekers arriving at refugee reception offices. They recommended that Departmental officials be trained in Swahili, Portuguese and French language efficiency.
* The authorities often ignored advocacy groups, for example Lawyers for Human Rights and Non-governmental organisations working with refugees. Their work and documentations assisting refugees were often not recognised by authorities.

Planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation

Integrated planning

This area of work is aimed at positioning districts and metros as pivotal sites to drive intergovernmental coordination and become the building blocks for enhancing regional social and economic potential. All provinces have been consulted on taking the Provincial Growth and Development Strategies (PGDSs) assessment forward. An initial group of pilot areas has been selected and a conceptual framework for contextualising the National Spatial Development Perspective (NSDP) has been developed. A national workshop with all provinces and districts was held to discuss and launch the NSDP process at district/metro levels.

Local government review and the five year strategic agenda for local government

The month of July marks the beginning of Municipal financial year and with the increased budget, municipalities will have additional resources to focus on service delivery and infrastructure development. During this term, municipalities will follow the five-year strategic priorities of Local Government.

The five year strategic agenda adopted by the January 2006 Cabinet Lekgotla is premised on the principle that improvement of municipal performance requires an integrated response from all three spheres of government, both to co-ordinate the regulation of local government more effectively and to provide concentrated support to municipalities under Project Consolidate. The whole of Government is therefore guided by three overarching strategic priorities regarding support to Local Government sphere:

1. Mainstreaming hands-on support to local government to improve municipal governance, performance and accountability.
2. Addressing the structure and governance arrangements of the state to better strengthen, support and monitor Local Government performance.
3. Refining and strengthening enforcement measures of the policy, regulatory and fiscal environment for Local Government.

Progress to date

Mainstreaming hands-on support to local government to improve municipal governance, performance and accountability

Finalisation of the five-year IDPs

In the last quarter, government as a whole with other stakeholders worked intensively with municipalities in developing Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) and later started the process of IDP assessment workshops. All these processes have since been completed.

Amongst other things, the IDPs will seek to assist municipalities to meet service delivery targets, such as the eradication of the bucket system by the end of 2007. This intergovernmental work, in support of municipalities will be sustained into the last half of the year.

According to information provided by the Provinces, by the 1st July 2006 around 90% of IDPs were submitted and adopted by municipalities.

Municipal Transformation and Institutional Development

Over 70% of the 9 319 councillors that were recently elected in this year Local Government elections participated in Councillor Induction Sessions, a process undertaken by the DPLG and South African Local Government Association (SALGA). This is part of the capacity building efforts at a Local Government level by government and its partners. Following this work was a successful Mayors conference held in Cape Town in May 2006. This conference provided for an opportunity for Mayors and all three spheres of government to interact and engage on the five year Strategic Priorities for Local Government. A Municipal Leadership Development qualification will be piloted for roll-out in the second half of 2006.

The DPLG is currently finalising a Local Government competency framework. Draft Performance Management regulations and pro-forma employment contracts and job descriptions have been published for public comments. The regulations seek to provide a uniform framework that can be applied by local, district and metropolitan municipalities whilst recognising their unique conditions. The deadline for comments was Friday, 30 June 2006. In this regard the department has received overwhelming response from the public and are currently going through the inputs.

DPLG is finalising work on the comprehensive national skills audit in local government. Working arrangements have been established between DPLG, LGSETA and SALGA in this regard.

A pilot Municipal Leadership Development Programme will be implemented in selected district municipalities by August 2006. A partnership agreement between the LGSETA and the DPLG is being finalised. A discussion paper on professionalising Local Government employees is under development. A challenge has been securing the availability of both councillors and senior Local Government officials.

An impact assessment study on the revised Local Government Equitable Share (LGES) formula has been completed. A presentation on the LGES review was made to the Portfolio Committee on Provincial and Local Government. Preliminary discussions were held with the National Treasury regarding the development component of the formula. The formula benefits those municipalities with low fiscal capacity and those highly dependent on intergovernmental grants. Further options on the revised LGES formula are being explored taking into account the developmental and economic activities of municipalities with the objective of assisting poor municipalities. The revised formula will be phased in over a three-year period.

Deployment of experts

There is ongoing progress with regard to support given to Project Consolidate Municipalities. To date, a total of 112 experts, 18 graduates and 80 students have been mobilised and deployed to 69 Project Consolidate Municipalities. The Development Bank of Southern Africa has through Siyenza Manje deployed over 30 Project Managers, engineers, financial experts and town planners to priority municipalities.

Local Economic Development

Economic assessments are being undertaken in all the urban and rural nodes. A National LED Summit is being planned for later this year, a primary purpose of which will be to improve alignment between AsgiSA and the LED strategies of municipalities. This Summit will launch a national LED framework and toolkit for practitioners.

Addressing the structure and governance arrangements of the state to better strengthen, support and monitor Local Government performance

An assessment of the role and functions of Provincial Departments of Local Government is being undertaken with the view to developing a framework for improving their capability to play an effective and efficient role in performing their statutory responsibilities and supporting municipalities.

A Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework for Project Consolidate has been developed. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been developed for Project Consolidate programme to track progress. Software has been produced and will be configured to facilitate net-based data capturing and progress reporting. A tracking tool was installed to track issues raised in the 2005 Presidential Izimbizo programme.

Refine and strengthen enforcement measures of the policy, regulatory and fiscal environment for Local Government.

Amendments to the Municipal Systems Act and the Regulations for the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act are currently being drafted. As part of the work on the division of powers and functions across government, the Department of Provincial and Local Government is undertaking work to clarify definitions of schedule four and five of the Constitution in light of current practice. Work on the development of a district shared services model for district municipalities is continuing.

Government-wide monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system

Consultations with stakeholders on the draft M&E Principles and Standards were concluded in May 2006. All inputs received have been incorporated into the consolidated draft report. The report was presented to the Monitoring and Evaluation Conference that took place from 19 to 23 June.

South African Management Development Institute (SAMDI) has drafted a training strategy and curriculum for the Government-wide M&E system. A project plan to implement the oversight role of coordinating departments to provide transversal information was agreed upon by the M&E Task Team and a process is underway to contract the necessary resources. The Public Management Watch and work on the service delivery outputs have commenced.

Consultations are underway to deliberate on the integration of systems with the information on the Government Programme of Action and their links to other sources. There has been extensive communication of the Government-wide Proposal and Implementation Plan to all three spheres of government. The task team has already visited three provinces.

Officials from Statistics SA have been collaborating with the Policy Coordination and Advisory Services (PCAS) in the Presidency in developing a Compendium of National Development Indicators for submission to the July Cabinet Lekgotla. The compendium will facilitate integrated development planning across all three spheres of government and enhance accurate reporting on progress.

As part of the work on the National Statistical System (NSS), datasets from Education have been assessed for development into sources for official statistics. Joint working parties of Statistics SA and the Departments of Home Affairs, Health and Education respectively are exchanging knowledge and expertise towards the establishment of official statistics units in those departments. Statistics SA has begun to provide training in basic statistics to those departments. The NSS division of Statistics SA is contributing towards the quantitative aspects of the Government-wide M&E System.

Phase two of the rollout of the Government-wide M&E System to all departments and provinces is planned to be completed by December 2007. This process will be guided by the M&E principles and standards. Once approved, each department and province will be expected to comply with the minimum norms and standards as prescribed.

African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM)

The draft country self-assessment report (CSAR) and programme of action (POA) were presented to the second national consultative conference on the 4 to 5 May 2006. The conference was held at the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication in Kliptown, Soweto. Approximately 1 700 delegates, representing stakeholders from both civil society and government, attended the conference. The draft report was debated extensively in four commissions, in line with the four thematic areas of the APRM questionnaire. The conference delegates made additional input and made suggestions on issues that should be taken forward in the POA.

After the conference, the draft CSAR was amended and submitted to the APRM National Governing Council and Cabinet for final comment. The final CSAR and revised preliminary POA have been submitted to the APRM Secretariat. South Africa will host the APRM Review Mission from the 11 to 25 July 2006.

Issued by: Department of Public Service and Administration
5 July 2006