Fraser-Moleketiâs Budget Vote Speech, National Assembly
31 May 2006
Introduction
In his State of the Nation Address in February 2006, President Thabo Mbeki
emphasised the centrality of the work of the Public Service and Administration
portfolio, referring to the legitimate expectation that our people have that
government will discharge its responsibilities effectively and efficiently,
while honouring the precepts of Batho Pele.
We are in the fortunate position of being able to benefit from powerful and
well-considered feedback from the population broadly through governmentâs
programme of izimbizo, as well as from the democratic oversight institutions
created in terms of our Constitution.
The macro-organisation of the state
The Macro-organisation of the State remains one of the key determinants of
public sector effectiveness. Since 1994, Government created a range of public
entities (PEs) outside of normal departmental structures. This was done in the
absence of an overarching policy and procedural framework, which resulted in
fragmented regulatory, governance and accountability frameworks and also
diverse conditions of service. We have now designed a Policy Framework, which
contains an enhanced governance framework and a draft guide on the appointment
of persons to boards of public sector institutions. Following formal approval
of the policy framework, during this financial year government will consider
introducing legislation regarding public entities.
Single Public Service
Creating the ability for government departments to coordinate their efforts
is one of the perennial problems faced in public administration. This
government has made significant inroads into providing the necessary
institutional mechanisms to achieve this. My portfolio is now focusing on
achieving a Single Public Service. At the same time we have introduced a
framework to facilitate joint action in programmatic activities.
It is anticipated that the draft Bill on the Single Public Service will be
submitted to Cabinet in November 2006, for approval to publish and for public
comment. If approved, it is suggested that the consultation period should be
completed by the end of March 2007 and we will ensure that such legislation
becomes part of the legislative programme in 2007.
To realise the overall objectives of the Single Public Service, attention
has to be given to the integration of the front office (points of service
delivery) as well as the integration of the back office (information systems).
Information and communication technologies are critical to support efficient
and effective service delivery both in terms of the front office, as well as
the back office.
Joint or crosscutting programmes are a crucial test of integrated and
co-operative governance. A framework for managing joint programmes in
government has been approved by Cabinet. It is aimed at addressing the
weaknesses in the current procedures and processes of planning, budgeting and
implementation that are hampered by weak capability to deliver.
Anti-corruption
Corruption has the potential to retard our transformation programme and curb
our developmental initiatives by siphoning off public resources that should
have been utilised differently. As with previous years we have continued to
focus our anti-corruption work on the public sector, the national programme as
well as on the regional and global fronts.
Public service departments have been provided with a new guide on how to
fully establish minimum anti-corruption capacity. Progress with implementation
is good, with over two-thirds of departments complying with the
requirements.
At national level the National Anti-corruption Forum has developed and
adopted a National Anti-corruption Programme. Government has made R 7,7 million
available for its implementation. This Programme is a tangible example of
cooperation between the governmental and non-governmental sectors and reflects
the commitment of the leaders of these sectors to fight corruption.
A key strategy adopted by government to prevent and combat corruption was
the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Hotline1 for the Public
Service (NACH) in 2004. Since its establishment, the Hotline has generated 1
681 corruption related and 1 056 service delivery complaints cases for further
handling and investigation by departments. The PSC maintains a database of all
the cases to ensure that there is follow up with the departments concerned. To
sustain the integrity and credibility of the hotline, departments will have to
play a much more active and speedy role in the finalization of reported cases
to ensure that the public gets the necessary feedback.
In April 2007 we will host a major project for South Africa and Africa:
Global Forum V on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity. This premier
inter-governmental event will bring together 1 500 government leaders and
experts as well as representatives from international organisations and civil
society. The Forum provides for the exchange of information and good practice
on fighting corruption.
Public sector capacity
Much of the attention of the Executive is focused on capacity
considerations. In late 2004, the President asked the Governance and
Administration Coordinating Ministers to assess the capacity of our state
machinery to implement the agenda of the developmental state.
We have already embarked on interventions to strengthen capacity in the
departments of Housing; Health; Education; Justice and Trade and Industry. Our
contribution has also now been extended to include capacity assessments for the
implementation of Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa
(AsgiSA).
Through the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA),
ASGI-SA includes a strong emphasis on skills development. This portfolio is
closely involved in JIPSA, with SAMDI playing the lead role in the Project
Management initiative sponsored by Old Mutual SA.
One hundred participants will be taken through a 4-module programme during
2007. Of the 22 participants who are in the first stream of the programme, 17
are Black women. We wish these participants, and the others who are going to
join the programme over the next three months, everything of the best.
Transformation in the Public Service
It gives me pleasure to announce today that the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) will be sponsoring a gender mainstreaming programme
in SAMDI to the tune of R20 m over the next three years.
The overall objectives of this programme are to improve capacity of Public
Servants in departments to mainstream gender considerations into service
delivery, internal functions, strategies, program development; increase
capacity of departments to conduct their own internal gender training programs;
and to enhance capacity of SAMDI to provide gender-mainstreaming training to
Public Servants in South Africa and in the region.
People with disabilities remain seriously under-represented in the public
service. In March 2006 there was a total of 1 710 employees with disabilities
(0.165%) in the South African public service. Several barriers remain to
employment for persons with disabilities. These include: prejudice,
stereotyping and a lack of understanding about the different types of
disability and the capabilities of persons with disabilities; lack of essential
job accommodation; physical inaccessibility of workplaces; inadequate public
transport system; inaccessible and inadequate training and development; and
staffing policies and mechanisms, which do not adequately measure the potential
an employee has to satisfy the requirements of the job.
In response to these, Cabinet approved the JobACCESS 2006â2010 strategy for the
recruitment and retention of persons with disabilities that prioritises, among
other things, access to employment and skills training for unemployed. Cabinet
approved the target of a minimum of 2% by March 2008 for PSETA learnerships for
unemployed persons with disabilities, addressing the existing barriers to
recruitment, promotion and retention of persons with disabilities, better use
of information and communication technologies (ICT).
We are experimenting on a continual basis with how to keep our people
central to the processes of administration, how to make their interaction with
bureaucracy more pleasant and more effective. Initiatives such as signage,
making the wearing of name tags compulsory and extending our service hours are
all contributing to improving the overall effect.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The current initiative coordinated by the Presidency to put in place a
Government Wide Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) System is a crucial
development across government. My portfolio has played an important supportive
function in the development of the overall system and is also involved in
capacity building at the level of individual departments to sustain transversal
as well as department specific M&E initiatives.
For its part, the PSC continues to build on its Public Service M&E
system which has been in operation since 2000. The system assesses how far
departments have gone towards the objective of transformation and will be
reviewed in 2006. The findings help Departments in identifying gaps that still
remain together with areas where Departments have made noteworthy successes.
This exercise culminates in the annual State of the Public Service (SOPS)
Report â the most recent that has been released last week.
We face serious challenges in terms of the implementation of recommendations
made in various monitoring and evaluation reports. Particularly where the
recommendations of the PSC are ignored we will seek to address this by
interacting much more closely with the Portfolio Committee on Public Service
and Administration.
Information and Communications Technology
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) constitutes the single most
powerful driver for making public administration more effective and efficient.
Since the 2005 Budget Vote Speech, SITA has achieved, among other things, the
translation of the eGateway portal into seven languages; the development and
pilot phases of Project CabEnet; and the Integrated Financial Management System
(IFMS) has entered Phase II. The IFMS is to be the pre-eminent transversal
system within government and will replace about 22 other transversal
applications that are running all over government.
The practical application of the Batho Pele principles has led to a
successful e-Government consultative process and the forging of a common
approach. This year, 2006, we will seek final endorsement of the e-Government
Framework from Cabinet. This will be followed by the institutionalisation of
the governance framework across all spheres of government.
Since we are celebrating the 50th commemoration of the Womenâs march this
year, I would like to focus on the situation of women.
Statistics continue to show that whilst the public service has made progress
in achieving numeric targets for employment equity in terms of race, women
still need to be better represented at leadership levels. At the end of the
2005/06 financial year, the SMS had 6 727 members, of which 2 017 were women
(i.e. 30%).
Given the importance of the Public Service as role model of transformation
it is critical for us to focus on where women are located in the public
service. The Federation of South African Women has long held the position that
the failure of women to progress puts a brake on society. This position is
widely endorsed by reputable development theory. The situation will therefore
be equally true if we deny equity to women â particularly relating to
leadership positions â in the South African public service.
The Public Service has strategically aligned itself with the African Union
and our UN commitments. Cabinet has approved that 50% gender representation
must be achieved at all levels of the SMS by 31 March 2009.
Cabinet approved the development of a longer-term strategy for womenâs
empowerment and gender equality in the Public Service, the Gender and
Governance plan of action. The dimensions of this Plan of Action include equal
participation of women and men in decision-making; eliminating gender biases in
policy and paradigms; incorporating gender awareness into policies, programmes
and institutional transformation; involving men in gender inequality; and
developing gender sensitive tools to monitor progress and ensure
accountability.
Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS)
Medical aid is one of the standard conditions of service that public
servants expect from government as the employer of choice. In order to address
some of the problems we have identified in this regard, we have proceeded to
register a medical scheme exclusively for government employees. Popularly known
as GEMS, this scheme became fully operational by 01 January 2006. Membership
has grown rapidly and currently are in excess of 8 500 principal members
covering 28 000 dependants.
Skills development
The new context for public service delivery requires a significant
investment in skills development to enhance performance, productivity, quality
and cost-effectiveness. The demands of a complex and changing economy require
higher levels of skills and competence. Public servants will need skills to
support people-centred service delivery that is dependent on working with
others within and outside of Government.
Performance management
Both the DPSA and the OPSC have been reviewing performance management
practices in the public service. Their research shows that there are gaps in
the manner in which some departments conduct performance management.
These reviews have resulted in a complete redraft of the performance
management and development system for the senior management service, as well as
the development of a performance management and development system for
voluntary use by departments without a functioning system.
The PSC continues to play a special role in facilitating the evaluation of
the performance of Heads of Department (HODs). I am happy to share with you
that ratings awarded to HODs for their performance suggest there is a high
level of satisfaction with their abilities to provide effective leadership to
their respective departments.
Community Development Workers Programme
The Community Development Worker (CDW) programme is one of our key public
sector reform interventions to enhance development and the implementation of
the Batho Pele principles. The CDWs play a pivotal role in bringing government
closer to the people and in ensuring that community members become directly
involved in the process of public service delivery.
A total of 1 039 have now been deployed fulltime in provincial departments
of government. We have deliberately followed a learnership approach in the
training of the CDWs. It allowed for a practical hands-on approach and brought
into the system experienced community workers who might have not had the
opportunity to formalise their knowledge into recognisable qualifications
African Peer Review Mechanism
The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is one of the key initiatives that
the African Union has adopted in terms of the New Partnership for African
Development (NEPAD).
The first round of our participation in the mechanism is fast drawing to a
close. We are in the final days of finalising the country-self-assessment
report.
The self-assessment process has revealed much for us all to be proud of, as
well as identified areas for improvement. As a country we have managed to do a
lot in an incredibly short space of time. We are looking forward to the Review
Teamâs visit to our country from the middle of next month as well as the formal
launch of their Review Visit scheduled for the 12 July this year.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow Governing Council
members for their hard work and their dedication. I also want to thank every
South African who made a contribution to this process and trust the pay-off
will be improved governance in our country, with spin-offs for the continent as
a whole.
This year will also be the fifth year in which we will host the annual
Service Delivery Academy which has grown into an event where more than 500
practitioners come together to learn and share success stories.
Twelve thousand copies of our learning journal, Service Delivery Review,
will again be distributed to senior managers and practitioners across the
public service.
INNOVATION
During the past few years we have worked hard towards institutionalising the
Public Sector Innovation Awards. The awards demonstrate the commitment of the
CPSI to unlock innovation and provide an enabling environment for innovative
service delivery. In September 2005 we awarded five category winners with
prizes and trophies for their innovative work in the public sector. I would
like to refer you to the printed version of my full address where the category
winners of last year are listed.
The awards for this year will again be held in September. The CPSI and
Southern Africa Capacity Initiative (SACI) will be partnering to launch a new
category Innovative Service Delivery projects involving the SA government in
partnership with other SADC governments within the SADC Region where SACI is
operating. We call on all who might know of innovative development across the
public service to make nominations.
Africa Pulic Service Day
It was Kwame Nkrumah, first President of Ghana who stated: âSteadily and
firmly we are building up a better and richer life for our people and our
continent. The liberation flame ⦠still grows brighter each day. And the time
is approaching when a new civilization, a new culture, shall spring up from
among our people, and the Nile shall once again flow through the land of
science, of art and of literature, wherein will live Black Men of the highest
accomplishments.
It is in the spirit of contributing to this African future and African
culture that the Public Service and Administration portfolio is involved in an
extensive international program.
Africa Public Service Day (APSD) â 23 June - is an entrenched strategic
event on the AU calendar. It is a day when we highlight through our
celebrations the value and virtue of public service to the African
community.
Our 2005 APSD celebration on the theme âThe role of the State in the
reconstruction of Africaâ raised the benchmark for this event. Using satellite
link-ups we established connectivity across the country and in the different
sites we involved intellectuals and practitioners in an interactive discussion.
DVDs and reports from the event have been circulated to all universities and
departments and have been shared at NEPAD level.
This year, responding to the prompts from some of our international
participants last year, we are more ambitious. On 23 June we will link up
across the SADC region for live discussions on service delivery challenges
faced by Africa. The theme for APSD 2006 is âBuilding an ethical public service
for improved service delivery in Africa - Towards a proficient, accountable and
responsive public service.â
Support to the DRC Government
We have now been involved in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2004 to
assist with their post-conflict reconstruction process. And each of us who have
been involved can associate with the author, Barbara Kingsolver when she writes
in her book, The Poisonwood Bible, and I quote: âCongo is one long path and I
learn to walkâ.
Reforming its Public Service is one of the key priorities for the DRCâs
transitional government and significant progress has been made in the public
service census. This project remains a priority in the run-up to elections set
for 30 July this year.
My Ministry will assist in ensuring the longer-term sustainability of the
work through the establishment of a permanent census unit in the DRC Ministry
and by providing technical support for the implementation of an integrated
human resource management and development system. The census database will
provide baseline information that is required for future planning purposes, to
manage the public service payroll and for maintaining the retirement
program.
We have also cooperated with the DRC Ministry in the area of
anti-corruption. Support has been provided to build capacity in order to roll
out a Code of Conduct for public officials. Further cooperation in the area of
anti-corruption has centred on the development of a MOU dealing with the
establishment of an anti-corruption framework for the DRC.
We also provide assistance in setting up a National Training Institute for
Public Administration (ENA). Progress has been made in the identification of
training needs that will meet the requirements of the DRC, as well as the
design of a training programme to be implemented prior to the formal
establishment of the Institute.
For more information: Clayson Monyela
Cell: 082 806 7405
E-mail: Claysonm@dpsa.gov.za
Issued by: Ministry of Public Service and Administration
31 May 2006
