Introduction
Anti-corruption
Government’s wage bill
Implementation of Batho Pele principles
Regulations and legislation
Public Service Commission
Centre for Public Service Innovation
National School of Government
Public Service Month
Batho Pele
Excellence Awards
Introduction
The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) draws its mandate from Section 195 (1) of the Constitution, which sets out basic values and principles to which the Public Service should adhere to; and the Public Service Act of 1994 (Act 103 of 1994), which gives the Minister of Public Service and Administration the responsibility to establish norms and standards relating to:
- the functions of the Public Service
- organisational structures and the establishment of departments and other organisational and governance arrangements in the Public Service the conditions of service and other employment practices for employees;
- labour relations in the Public Service;
- the health and wellness of employees;
- information management in the Public Service;
- electronic government;
- integrity, ethics, conduct and anti‐corruption in the Public Service; and
- transformation, reform, innovation and any other matter to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Public Service and its delivery of services to the public.
The department provides an enabling environment to ensure government departments that deliver services have adequate capacity to carry out their mandates. In seeking to do this, over the medium term, the department will focus on intensifying the fight against corruption in the public service, reducing government’s wage bill, ensuring adherence to Batho Pele principles, and developing regulations and reviewing key legislation.
The department has a budget of R1.7 billion over the MTEF period, with compensation of employees accounting for 54.3 per cent (R916.8 million) of total spending. Cabinet has approved reductions to the department’s budget amounting to R122.8 million over the next 3years.
As such, the department plans to reduce its budget for compensation of employees by R66 million (R21 million in 2024/25, R22 million in 2025/26 and R23 million in 2026/27). To mitigate against any negative impact on performance, the department will fill only critical posts, particularly at middle and senior management levels. Spending on transfers and subsidies accounts for an estimated 10 per cent (R170.3 million) of total expenditure over the MTEF period, R150.4 million of which is earmarked for the Centre for Public Service Innovation.
Intensifying the fight against corruption
In its efforts to promote a culture of accountability and ethical and professional behaviour, the department will continue to intensify its fight against corruption in the public service over the period ahead.
This entails strengthening disciplinary action in such cases and limiting the scope for conflicts of interest through measures such as prohibiting public servants from conducting business with the state.
To instil a culture of accountability and ethical and professional behaviour, the public administration ethics, integrity and disciplinary technical assistance unit presented a set of guidelines in 2021/22.
From 2022/23, it provided technical assistance and support to selected national and provincial departments on its implementation. This support will be extended to all national and provincial departments over the MTEF period. The department will continue to conduct lifestyle audits on certain categories of employees and monitor the implementation of the
financial disclosure framework.
Over the period ahead, the department will monitor and evaluate the implementation of lifestyle audits and submit reports to the minister. It will also aim to submit a monitoring report to the director-general to note progress made by supported departments on the reduction of backlogs linked to fraudulent activities.
Allocations to fund these activities amount to R75.1 million over the MTEF period in the Public Administration Ethics, Integrity and Disciplinary Technical Assistance Unit subprogramme in the Negotiations, Labour Relations and Remuneration Management programme.
Reducing government’s wage bill
The department is tasked with ensuring that the public‐sector wage bill becomes more sustainable. In collaboration with National Treasury and other departments, It conducted an expenditure review on remuneration policies across government in 2023/24.
The review aimed to develop a single remuneration framework for the public sector (excluding state-owned enterprises) to assess whether a revised remuneration strategy, framework and policy for the public service for the next 5 years was necessary
Accordingly, the department expects a remuneration policy for the public service to be submitted to the Minister for approval in 2024/25. In 2025/26 and 2026/27, the department plans to develop reports on the policy’s implementation.
To carry out these activities, R68.3 million is set aside over the next three years in the Remuneration, Employment Conditions and Human Resource Systems subprogramme in the Negotiations, Labour Relations and Remuneration Management programme.
The implementation of the framework is also expected to reduce remuneration inequality for employees performing similar tasks in different spheres of government.
To carry out these activities, R73.7 million is set aside over the medium term in the Remuneration, Employment Conditions and Human Resource Systems subprogramme in the Negotiations, Labour Relations and Remuneration Management programme.
Improving the implementation of Batho Pele principles
The State is required to ensure that citizens are able to access affordable, high-quality and uninterrupted public services. Accordingly, over the MTEF period, the department will continue to support departments by monitoring their implementation of the revised Batho Pele principles, which are underpinned by five pillars:
• Building capacity;
• Developing context-specific standards;
• Fostering compliance;
• Ensuring continual implementation; and
• Ensuring accountability through monitoring and evaluation.
The department plans to submit a status report in 2024/25 on all departments’ implementation of the revised Batho Pele strategy. To this end, R53.3 million is allocated over the MTEF period in the Service Delivery Improvement, Citizen Relations and Public Participation subprogramme in the Government Service Access and Improvement programme.
Developing regulations and reviewing key legislation
Over the period, the department will focus on developing regulations to enable the full implementation of the Public Administration Management Act, 2014 (Act 11 of 2014).
Following consultations with internal and external stakeholders on the draft White Paper on the Transformation and Modernisation of Public Administration, regulations for the Act were submitted to relevant stakeholders. The amended Act is expected to be finalised and tabled in Parliament in 2023/24.
Once in effect, it will inform the formulation of further regulations and other legislative provisions to enhance the principles of a unified public administration. The department also plans to review the Public Service Act of 1994 and related policies over the period ahead. To carry out these activities, R34.8 million over the medium term is allocated in the Legal Services subprogramme in the Administration programme.
Entities
Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI)
In terms of Section 3(1)(i) of the Public Service Act of 1994, the responsibility for innovation in the public sector is vested in the Minister for Public Service and Administration. The CPSI is tasked by the Minister to fulfil this mandate, which includes establishing norms and standards relating to transformation, reform and innovation to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Public Service and its delivery of services to the public.
Over the medium term, the department aims to use innovation to identify and offer solutions to service delivery issues. The department’s value chain of services requires activities and deliverables aligned with an innovation life cycle. As such, research activities and the subsequent development of creative solutions underpin the department’s work as a development partner and demonstrator of innovation.
As cutting-edge solutions have the most impact when scaled, the department also invests in providing institutional support and facilitating the replication of inventive solutions unearthed through its various platforms and collaborative partnerships. The process of developing innovative solutions involves investigating challenges,
then finding or creating prototypes, approaches, models, services or products for further testing, piloting and/or replication.
Accordingly, in 2024/25, the department plans to manage 4 research and development initiatives, including the development of apps and web-based solutions. These are expected to enhance the delivery
of services in the health sector and reduce costs for citizens and departments and enhance the delivery of services such as forensics and transport.
Spending for these activities over the medium term is in the Research and Development subprogramme’s budget of R23.1 million and the Institutional Support and Replication subprogramme’s budget of R21.3 million. Both subprogrammes are in the Public Sector Innovation
Programme, which is allocated R73.6 million over the MTEF period. As a small department, the centre is not able to respond to all priority challenges. A significant part of its budget is dedicated to unearthing
existing innovation and maintaining knowledge-sharing platforms in an effort to build a broader culture of innovation throughout the public sector. To achieve this, the department will continue to coordinate
9 innovation knowledge platforms that share creative approaches, solutions and models across all spheres of government over the period ahead.
Many of these are aimed at supporting the development of digital skills among young people. These activities are allocated R29.3 million over the medium term in the Enabling Environment and Stakeholder Management subprogramme in the Public Sector Innovation programme.
Through the annual public sector innovation awards, the department identifies at least 2 innovative solutions submitted to the awards for replication in targeted government sectors, particularly for identified
service delivery challenges. Replication initiatives include, among others, the digital fingerprint identification project, ahigh-impact endeavour that helps with the identification of bodies of deceased people in government mortuaries. These activities are carried out in the Institutional Support and Replication subprogramme.
The department’s budget is set to increase at an average annual rate of 4.5%, from R45.9 million in 2023/24 to R52.4 million in 2026/27. Compensation of employees’ accounts for an estimated 59.2 per cent (R89.8 million) of the department’s total budget over the MTEF period, increasing from R26.4 million in 2023/24 to R31.2 million in 2026/27, at an average annual rate of 5.8 per cent.
National School of Government (NSG)
The NSG is mandated to provide training or effect its provision in terms of the Public Service Amendment Act, 2007 (Act 30 of 2007). The school carries out its mandate by developing relevant training and
development programmes for delivery to South African public service officials at all levels.
Through education and training, the school promotes the progressive realisation of the values and principles governing public administration, and enhances the quality of human resource capacity in public service institutions. The school uses its trading account, which was established in terms of the PFMA of 1999, as a delivery vehicle for its core output.
The department’s overarching objective is to contribute to fulfilling the education, training and development needs of the public service. The department will continue to implement 6 ICT projects per year over the medium term in fields such as learning and training management systems to improve its operational capabilities. These projects will help the school increase the number of learners who access compulsory and demand‐led training, education and development programmes.
These activities will be carried out in the Corporate Services subprogramme, which has an allocation of R290.5 million over the medium term, in the Administration programme.
Over the period ahead, the department will continue its efforts to expand its footprint by making its training programmes more accessible to public servants and strengthening its reputation, thereby raising its profile as a thought leader in education, training
and development.
Part of this entails establishing partnerships and increasing collaboration. To do so, the NSG will continue to implement its partnership strategy to fully embrace support for education, training and development interventions. To carry out these activities, R19.5 million is allocated in the Management subprogramme in the Administration programme over the MTEF period.
Expenditure is expected to increase at an average annual rate of 2.6%, from R221.1 million in 2023/24 to R238.8 million in 2026/27. Transfers to the school’s training trading account constitute 49.2% (R338.2 million) of the department’s budget over the medium term and the remainder is allocated to the Administration programme.
Public Service Commission (PSC)
The Public Service Commission (PSC) is an independent institution established in terms of Chapter 10 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996. It derives its mandate from sections 195 and 196 of the Constitution, which set out the values and principles governing public administration. The commission is vested with custodial oversight responsibilities for the Public Service, and monitors, evaluates and investigates public administration practices.
It has the power to issue directives on compliance with personnel procedures relating to recruitment, transfers, promotions and dismissals. Over the MTEF period, the commission will continue promoting constitutional values and principles; investigate grievances; conduct research and monitor compliance with the Public Service monitoring and evaluation system and adherence to applicable procedures and standards of service delivery; and produce reports on human resource management in the Public Service.
The commission’s spending is expected to increase at an average annual rate of 1.5 per cent, from
R300.8 million in 2023/24 to R314.7 million in 2026/27. Compensation of employees accounts for an estimated 75.5 per cent (R680.5 million) of its budget over the period ahead.
One of the commission’s focus areas over the period ahead is to investigate grievances related to labour or human resources lodged by public servants in their respective departments. As such, over the next three years, it intends to finalise 85% of grievances received within 30 days by recommending appropriate actions. This is budgeted for in the Leadership and Management Practices programme, which is allocated R83.8 million over the medium term.
In fostering service delivery improvements for excellence and inculcating a public administration driven by constitutional values and principles, the commission intends to conduct 20 service delivery inspections by evaluating the performance of government departments and their adherence to constitutional values and principles. For this purpose, R67.3 million is allocated over the medium term in the Monitoring and Evaluation programme.
The commission will continue to conduct investigations following the receipt of complaints from the public or of its own accord. Complaints could be related to, among other things, corruption, appointment and procurement irregularities, and the conduct of public servants.
The objective of investigations is to identify shortcomings and/or wrongdoing, and provide redress to citizens through the effective and efficient delivery of public services. Accordingly, the commission will continue to manage the functioning of the national anticorruption hotline and conduct research and advocacy work to promote professional ethics in the public service. To carry out these activities, R113 million is allocated over the MTEF in the Integrity and Anti-corruption programme.
Public Service Month
South Africa commemorates PSM in September each year. It is a regular national event that requires all the national and provincial departments to participate by putting in place activities and campaigns to improve service delivery. PSM is a follow-up to and mirrors the UN and Africa Public Service Day, which takes place on 23 June every year.
The PSM serves as a reminder of what it means to serve communities and to also look at the impact the government has, especially around issues of service delivery. As part of the PSM, public servants are expected to:
- Roll up their sleeves and spring-clean their service delivery points;
- Visit schools, hospitals, police stations and courts, talk to citizens, mediate the delivery of services and getting things done;
- Unblock the bottlenecks and red-tape in the delivery of services;
- Ensure the systems and infrastructure are working and use public resources efficiently to the benefit of the citizens; and
- Recommit themselves to belong, to care and to serve the people.
Batho Pele
The Batho Pele initiative is aimed at improving service delivery to the public. Batho Pele is a Sesotho phrase meaning “People First”. From this concept, eight principles for transforming Public service delivery were derived. These are:
- regular consultation with customers
- set service standards
- increased access to services
- higher levels of courtesy
- more and better information about services
- increased openness and transparency about services
- remedying failures and mistakes
- giving the best possible value for money.
Batho Pele Excellence Awards
The annual National Batho Pele Excellence Awards serve to recognise public servants who are selfless, dedicated, committed and go the extra mile in servicing citizens. Eligible to public servants across the three spheres of government, the awards seek to entrench transformation and professionalism in the Public Service.
Source: South Africa Yearbook 2022/23
