Head of Department (HOD) Manual
23 August 2007
Thank you very much acting Director-general (DG), I want to thank the team
that has done the work, as acknowledged by the acting DG. Minister Mqulwana,
thank you for being here. I want to particularly thank the representatives of
the Public Service Commission, the HODs and the Officials who are present.
Those of you who will remember a few years ago, Minister Fraser Moleketi
assigned us to be part of the commission of enquiry into the Western Cape
provincial administration. Amongst others, they found an administration where
fear was an integral part of the character of this institution. Everything was
largely centralised with top down processes. Now, a few years later, there have
been some significant changes. Today we can celebrate achievements such as
this, where processes are transparent and consolidated and not fragmented as in
the past.
We today find ourselves in good position where we are even able to put
together a manual that can consolidate issues of great importance. More
importantly to mention, the demographics of Government have changed
significantly and equitably. Last week in our cabinet meeting we had the
statistics about where we are on our overall demographic equity stats with
regard to the provincial demographics and I can tell you immediately from the
time we first came, there have been significant changes. More importantly, I
believe that increasingly it is a joy to work for the Provincial Government of
the Western Cape.
The fact that we have come to launch this manual today, indicates that we
are making enormous transitions and that we now have other challenges that we
are facing. This manual contains almost all the governing laws and principles
regarding Heads of Departments, including delegations, appointments and
dismissals, performance agreements as well as evaluations.
We all know what the score is even before we play the game. It is not
designed to instil fear, as was the case before. This manual is designed to
free people so that we all know what the basic parameters are to function
optimally. That is a significant difference because defined parameters make
room for manoeuvre. What we are doing is that we are describing the lines for
manoeuvre for Heads of Departments. This is the scope of creativity we are
speaking to.
In the first few years of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), there
was a great tendency for risk aversion. It was a mechanism to be feared with a
tendency to lean towards caution rather than sometimes creativity because you
do not want to break the rules that are contained within the PFMA. This manual
allows for a shift from manage realism to leadership. That is a very critical
transition because manage realism relies on mere compliance. Manage realism
tends to lean towards caution, how not to break the rules. Manage realism is
often disciplinary oriented, and manage realism often installs conformism.
I think that the shift from managerially to leadership is one where in
exercising leadership you ensure accountability. And within that
accountability, there is compliance with basic rules. So it is not disrespect
for compliance, but it paces compliance within the broader ambit of
accountability. It harnesses creativity, it frees you from the fear of mistakes
to something adventurous within accountability. It unleashes innovation, the
ability to try new things because you know how you get appointed, what your
performance agreement is, how you can be dismissed etc.
It uses communication as a key, as opposed to discipline. It does not fear
talent and the sometimes eccentricity that comes with talent. So I think, what
this manual says, is that these are the matters that govern our career
incidences. Now go about using your talents to make a difference, to give
leadership, to be followed. It says amongst others, go after the objectives,
the vision that inserts, the vision of a Home for All, where social cohesion is
increasingly both in the Western Cape, but also, the objectives of Ikapa
Elihlumayo, our Provincial Growth and Development Strategy. See how best you
can get us to those destinations. But also, in the visual strategies like human
capital, social capital, strategic infrastructure plan, the provincial special
development perspective etc.
So, it describes not the limits of your work and your abilities, but the
scope of your work and your abilities. So we add this to the overall body of
work in the country in order to make sure that increasingly, leadership is not
only vested at a political level but at the level of administrative and
management leadership within the country.
So, for all of you who have done the work, thank you very much. I am hoping
that, this is going to be a manual that does the kind of things that I have
described. So, thank you very much.
Issued by: Western Cape Provincial Government
23 August 2007
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government (http://www.capegateway.gov.za)
