2nd Report – Presented on 1 July 2008

Second Media Briefing: G&A Programme of Action

17th of June 2008, G&A Cluster presented its 2nd progress report on implementation of govt’s PoA to Cabinet Committee.

Broad policy areas & Apex priorities: Promoting good governance; Strengthening the capacity of the state; Achieving & maintaining optimal organisation of the state; & Developing and enhancing the state’s transversal systems.

2008 POA for G&A Cluster was approved by Cabinet on 5th of March 2008: priorities derived from Govt’s commitment to improve its service to the people - 2004 electoral mandate; resolutions of January 2008 Cabinet Lekgotla & President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on 8 Feb 2008.

Governance & Administration Cluster is responsible for APEX (Priority) Projects: 15, 16 & 17

Project 15: Regularise Employment & PAs at Designated level

The deadline for signing performance agreements for 2008/09 financial year by SMS in the Public Service was 31 May 2008. By 30 June 2008, there was a 38% response rate equals 56 departments. Of those who responded: –

National 71% signedProvincial 57% signed

In terms of the filling of posts:-5 DG positions vacant (4 national, 1

provincial)CFOs: 6 national and 4 provincial posts

are vacantDDGs: national 27 out of 131 posts

vacant

During the period between March – May 2008, the percentage of Senior Managers at Local government was as follows: -

Municipal managers (MM)Vacancy rate: 12.0% - 14.1%Signed PAs: 74.0% -

52.6%1

MM vacancy rateAnalysis: The vacancy rate for MMs has increased from 12% to

14% with GP and Limpopo filling all their posts. This is attributed to the expiry of fixed term contracts and natural attrition.

MM signed PasAnalysis: The decrease in the number of

signed performance agreements from 183 to 149 is ascribed to the expiry of employment contracts and less credible data provided by some municipalities. Provinces have been advised to use only signed hard copies of PAs for future reporting.

Section 57 managersVacancy rate: 18.0% - 21.6%Signed PAs: 66.0% - 54.1%

Project 15: Regularise Employment & PAs at Designated level

Section 57 managers vacancy rate Analysis: The vacancy rate for

Section 57 Managers has increased from 18% to 21% with the number of filled posts increasing from 1 204 to 1284.

Section 57 signed PAs Analysis: The number of Section 57

Managers without signed performance agreements has decreased from 717 to 652. Northern Cape and Free State have the least Section 57 Managers with signed PAs.

Project 16: Integrated Planning across all spheres Implementing alignment of planning frameworks across spheres Service providers appointed; work underway in 6 of 10 pilot districts:

Frances Baard (Northern Cape), Mopani (Limpopo), West Rand (Gauteng), Xhariep (Free State), Dr.K.Kaunda (formerly Southern District in North West), and OR Tambo (Eastern Cape). Two of the remaining four districts namely: Metsweding (Gauteng) and Gert Sibande (Mpumalanga) are concluding SLAs with appointed service providers while the other two: Amajuba (KZN); Sedibeng (Gauteng) are at final stages of procurement.

Proposal: Development of strategic national development planning capacity was approved & Lekgotla directed that an operational plan be developed during 2008 & presented to Jan 2009 Cabinet Lekgotla for further discussion.

National Strategic Planning machinery of various countries is being studied.

Operational plan will set out milestones, describe technical expertise; institutional capacity required as well as outline the logistical arrangements for the entire process - Policy Unit is meeting with various stakeholders for input on construction of operational plan.

Project 17: Improve civic services Previously reported that DHA had reduced ID turn-around time

from 163 to 103 days (at end Feb 2008). ID turnaround time now reduced to 79 days (April 2008) – through

ID Track & Trace system; improved operations management. Top 40 offices that account for 50% in volume of DHA services

such as ID re-issues, temporary identity certificates and temporary passports were successfully equipped with online fingerprint equipment; training was also provided.

Additional SLA concluded extending the scope of services of the service provider delivering & collecting IDs.

Negotiations between SAPO & DHA regarding distribution of uncollected ID documents from a central point also concluded.

End April 2008, a total of 102 agents were in place at Customer Service Centre. Twenty-two (22) agents for “2nd line” case resolution based at Head Office have been appointed.

Anti-Corruption

Implementation approach for drafting of fraud prevention plans developed - 150 municipalities will have LG Anti-Corruption (LGAC) Strategies by Dec 2008.

Draft Communication strategy on LG Anti-Corruption finalised; roll-out to start in district municipalities: June 2008.

3rd National Anti-corruption Summit will take place from 4-5 August 2008.

The objective for the Summit to ensure that govt, civil society & business continue to work together to foster a greater culture of transparency & accountability

DPSA & NACF Secretariat to prepare for the Summit. Theme of Summit: ‘Towards an Integrated National Integrity System’. 5 sub-thematic areas: (1) Governance and accountability in Civil Society; (2) Prevention

of bribery and the role of oversight bodies in the Business Sector; (3) Roles of local councilors, officials and the community in fighting corruption; (4) Funding of political parties and institutional arrangements to prevent; and (5) Combat corruption.

The resolutions of the Summit will be used to develop a 2nd National Anti-corruption Programme (NAP).

Communication strategy developed: intended to ensure that the Summit receives maximum media coverage; respective stakeholders communicate common & clear message on matters of Summit & activities of NACF.

Gender & Disability

Programmes

% women in SMS grew by 2% from March 2007 to March 2008 (PERSAL data).

% women in SMS posts now 34% of total percentage of SMS employees (March 2008)

Audit on Gender Focal Points (GFPs) was conducted by OSW; indicated that 31 national depts have appointed GFPs.

Developing Workplace Forums for Women Managers underway: women managers share experiences & challenges

Gender & Disability

Programmes

Public Service Gender Indaba: 18-19 Aug 08. DPSA currently providing support to depts on

implementation of HOD’s 8 principles Action Plan for Gender Equality & Women Empowerment.

DPSA is consulting depts to determine challenges in achieving 50% target.

HRD Strategic Framework targets women for skills and capacity development: Ensure the creation of a bigger pool of women with prospects for upward mobility to SMS positions in order to deal with the achievement of the 50% set target.

Draft policy document as well as a directive on reasonable accommodation for people living with disability has been developed.

Gender & Disability

Programmes

In order to drive the acceleration of the attainment of the required minimum target of 2%, the DPSA together with the Office of the Status of Disabled People in the Presidency are in constant liaison with organizations of people with disabilities with regard to the modalities of establishing a suitable database for people with disabilities.

HRD Strategic Framework also targets people with disabilities for skills and capacity development. This will ensure that there is a bigger pool of people with disabilities with prospects of upward mobility.

Batho Pele

Workshops on the Batho Pele Change Management Engagement Programme have been conducted, reaching 1132 officials from 261 (92%) municipalities.

Some trained municipalities requested DPSA to assist in fast-tracking implementation & roll-out of Programme (Gauteng: municipalities requested 2nd training which DPSA is busy with: Sedibeng, Mogale City, Ekurhuleni, West Rand, Emfuleni, Metsweding, Nokeng, City of Johannesburg, Midvaal, Randfontein, Westonaria and Merafeng)

M&E strategy for the programme has been developed and implementation is in progress.

Batho Pele

Ugu municipality was exposed to the BPCMEP in April 2006.

Ugu is the first Municipality to implement the Programme comprehensively.

As a result of the training, municipalities aligned all their strategic programme and projects with the BP Programme.

The following municipalities are also in the process of embracing the culture of BP and are implementing the BPCMEP: Bitou (WC), Kouga (EC), Tshwane (GP), eThekwini (KZN), Mopane (LP) Kharais (NC).

SDIP

KYSR

By June 2008/9 20% of departments have submitted SDIPs.

This is a drop from the 2007/8 compliance rate of 92%.

DPSA developed a directive and guide to enhance compliance.

The directive seeks to align SDIPs to the three year planning cycle.

Booklet for social cluster has been translated into all languages.

9000 copies distributed to provincial offices and 18 00 to municipalities.

Printing of additional copies and production of DVDs for distribution

Public Participation

A Conference on Multilingualism & Capacity Building hosted by dplg, 4-6 June 2008 in Cape Town: OBJECTIVES -

To build capacity for language facilitation in local government & propose guidelines for implementing multilingualism in LG;

To improve mechanisms for community empowerment and propose a funding model for Ward committees;

To launch National Capacity Building Framework (NCBF) as capacity coordination mechanism in support of the implementation of 5-Year Local Govt Strategic Agenda (5-YLGSA); &

To share lessons on dealing with attacks on foreign nationals; to discuss acceleration of community-based programmes in prov & municipalities.

Government Response to

recent attacks against Foreign

Nationals

National disaster management centre is working together with provincial centres in order to co-ordinate the govt’s programme on the recent attacks on foreign nationals & incidents of violence.

These incidents are a serious indictment on our newly found constitutional democracy and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. There is a need for govt & citizens to address the problem and its symptoms within society; also to engage local communities, build social cohesion, civil consciousness and peaceful co-existence as envisaged in our Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Government Response to

recent attacks against Foreign

Nationals

The Gauteng and Western Cape have declared these areas as disaster areas according to provisions of Disaster Management Act of 2002.

A special Technical President’s Coordinating Council working session was convened on 27th May 2008: agreed that provincial response plans be compiled to mediate and address incidents of violence against foreign nationals.

This matter was also discussed at the President’s Coordinating Council meeting held on 13th June 2008.

5-year Local Government

Strategic Agenda

164 municipalities have been receiving hands-on support from April 2008. This is an increase of 56 municipalities since the last reporting period and is relateed to the deployments made with regard to the bucket eradication programme.

National sector depts, namely dplg, NT; DWAF & DEAT have mobilised 626 technical experts in support of municipalities.

503 Financial Management Interns supported by the National Treasury through the Financial Management Grant, who have been exposed to the municipal environment and are continuously being absorbed by the local government sector.

5-year Local Government

Strategic Agenda

DWAF has also dedicated 51 technical experts to focus on water related services, particularly in the Free State Province – assisting municipalities and the province to address their unique challenges.

Donor agencies, professional associations & private sector, have collectively deployed 494 technical experts, including 133 young professionals, deployed through the Siyenza Manje Programme.

These young professionals with engineering qualifications, but limited experience, have been gathering the relevant experience that will allow them to be continuous contributors to the effort to eradicate infrastructure backlogs in municipalities: total of 1,120 deployments made in 200 municipalities.

5-year Local Government

Strategic Agenda

Skills Audit for Local Government: 73 (25.7%) out of 283 municipalities have completed generic competency assessments for Section 57 and Municipal Managers.

Fifteen (5.3%) out of 283 municipalities have completed skills audit questionnaires for employees below Section 57; & Municipal Managers.

2 draft reports based on analysis of generic competency assessments conducted for management in 18 municipalities & PDPs for employees below management in 2 municipalities developed.

Purpose of skills audit reports: capture competency gaps found in municipalities & assist national & provincial govt to address skills development priorities through strategic

interventions.

5-year Local Government

Strategic Agenda

Implementation of PMS in municipalities has shown consistent improvement, with no. of municipalities implementing PMS increasing from 105 to 153 out of 283 municipalities since the last report.

Development of PMS implementation support strategy to accelerate process; has increased from 27 (9.5%) in 2006 to 105 (37.1%) by end March 2008.

This follows the nation-wide assessment of municipal PMS implementation conducted in 2006 by the dplg: In addition to normal Annual Reports of the dplg, a Municipal Performance Report- submitted to Parliament according to the provisions of the LG: Municipal Systems Act of 2000.

5-year Local Government

Strategic Agenda

A proposed set of core performance indicators for LG have been developed and consulted with key stakeholders: National Sector Depts; 6 provinces (KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North West, Northern Cape, Limpopo and Gauteng).

National Programme of Support (NPS) for the institution of traditional leadership: a Comprehensive Skills Development Programme for traditional leadership has been developed by the dplg in partnership with the LG-SETA to train traditional leaders on Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) and Community Development Workers (CDWs).

5-year Local Government

Strategic Agenda

Govt-wide National Support Programme for Traditional Leadership will be submitted to Cabinet for approval. All provincial Govts have promulgated province specific legislation on Traditional Leadership.

76% of Traditional Council & 58% of Local Houses established. Policy document on Khoi-San Traditional communities developed; consultation with National Khoi-San Council and traditional communities.

Traditional Leaders & Governance Framework Amendment Bill; the National House of Traditional Leaders Bill were published for public comment on 3 June 2008: Refines the legislative framework governing the institution of traditional leadership; enhances effectiveness.

Skills Assessment

Draft Human Resource (HR) Planning Strategic Framework was presented at KwaZulu-Natal HR Planning Forum for consultation - provides guidance & holistic approach to HR Planning. Its intent is to create an integrated strategic approach to HR Planning that will facilitate the development and implementation of strategies, tools, and interventions to achieve departmental strategic objectives and the Government Programme of Action.

DPSA has established Prov HR Planning Committees/Forums through OTP for Capacity development and coordination. The aim is to create competent and independent capacity in provinces.

Skills Assessment

Emerging out of the above forums was the need to meet with the HOD Forums in each province (since April 2008) to workshop HR Planning to leverage, institutionalise and elevate it to the strategic level. Similar to the Provincial HR Planning Committees/Forums, National departments are engaged through two Inter-departmental HR Planning Steering Committees. These Committees have been meeting twice per month since April 2008.

A workshop on the implementation of HR Connect was convened on 28th May 2008 to introduce and launch phases 2 and 3.

Skills Assessment

9 full-day workshops on job profiling & capacity building are scheduled from 10th June to 30th Sept 2008. 22 participating depts in HR Connect have been invited to the workshops.

Letters sent by the Minister: PS&A to all Executive Authorities of participating depts to seek their support for & oversight.

First phase of implementation of HRD Strategic Framework completed with final workshop on HRD Resource Pack held with unions on 14th May of 2008.

HRD Strategic Framework was launched on 30th May 2008 by Minister: PS&A.

First annual HRD Implementation Plan, signed off by HoD: Sport, Arts, Culture & Recreation, was presented at Launch.

Capacity Development Programmes

Minimum Anti-Corruption Capacity Learning Manual developed.

Service provider appointed to refine the learning assessment tools.

Review of Gender Mainstreaming Draft Manual completed by curriculum experts; revisions have been incorporated according to their recommendations.

National Disability Policy Framework is currently being revised to include UN conventions, the Integrated National Disability Strategy & other legislation.

500 trainers completed the train-the-trainer training on Massified Induction Programme (MIP) for roll-out in provincial & national depts.

Capacity Development Programmes

3 regional train-the-trainer sessions are scheduled for July & August 2008.

Since the release of a Ministerial Directive making the MIP compulsory from 1st April 2008, 1007 new public servants have been trained.

Implementation structures responsible for planning MIP roll-out established.

Revised architecture of Accelerated Development Programme finalised: Mentoring and Coaching, Project Khaedu, modules of Executive Development Programme & SM competency assessment.

The process of aligning Khaedu Project to the training programme for CFOs in local govt is underway: 2 courses for core skills; deployment took place in April; May 2008.

Public Administration

Management Bill

56 submissions received from public comments on Public Administration Management draft Bill; submissions were studied & amendments were made.

On 28th May 2008 Cabinet approved that the Bill be introduced to Parliament.

The Bill was submitted to Parliament prior to the deadline.

It has been certified and tagged as a S76 Bill Referred to the Portfolio Committee on Public

Service and Administration Committee will begin process in coming term.

Integrated Service

Delivery

DHA has established centres of excellence for Refugee Affairs and reviewed capacity at four Asylum Seekers Centres.

191 posts were created and Centre Managers have also been appointed.

The refurbishment of the Refugee Centres is underway in Pretoria and Johannesburg.

The new integrated refugee system known as Refugee and Deportation system (RaD) has been rolled out in all five refugee centres. The system is biometric and meant to ensure that the asylum seekers are speedily processed.

Integrated Service

Delivery

Next generation e-government initiative has been launched

Will e-enable 6 frequently used government services; this are - child birth registration, ID Application, Foster Child Grant, Pension, Maintenance and notification of death

Tender for project closed 30 June 2008 ICT Blueprint for Thusong Centre has been

developed and launched by President on 7 June 2008 in Inhlazuka

Integration of planning

IDP analysis sessions held in all provinces (April; May 2008); IDPs were evaluated; suggestions for improvement were recorded.

Winter School open to planners from municipalities that have poor IDPs; July 2008 at the University of Pretoria: SETA accredited courses & non-accredited courses will form the curriculum, including sustainable development, land use management systems, spatial development frameworks, project management and introduction to financial management.

A partnership with the South African Planning Institute (SAPI) has been established on a mentoring programme for municipal planners on Development Administration.