The Portfolio Committee on Public Administration, Performance Monitoring and Evaluation has resolved that for the next five years it will undertake its oversight work under the theme “business unusual, my contract with the people.”
The intention is for the Committee to undertake its oversight work through rigorous engagement with government departments and encourage them to perform their duty with renewed energy in a collaborative effort to deliver efficient services to the people.
As a first step, the Portfolio Committee has noted that while many government departments have clear targets many of them have no set timelines which makes it difficult for monitoring. “We cannot continue with open ended mandates that don’t have clear timelines on when targets will be met. For our oversight work to be effective all departments and state owned entities must have clear timelines to deliver services which we can hold them on,” said Mrs Peace Mabe, the Chairperson of the Committee.
The Committee received assurances from the Department of Public Service and Administration that some of the issues they intend dealing with include amongst others; the push to fill funded vacancies within government, the review and improvement of Senior Management Service Performance management and development system, implementation of the Productivity Measurement Framework in selected service departments to address the challenges faced by frontline staff as well strengthening of the regulatory framework for the financial disclosure for SMS category and the full implementation of e-disclosure for SMS employees.
These are but a few initiatives that are necessary to make the civil service function efficiently and the Committee will in the short, medium and long term request updates from the department on the implementation of these initiatives. Furthermore, the Committee will push for the revitalisation and adherence to the Batho Pele principles. “For a long time these principles have not been adhered and they are at the centre of what a caring government should be to its citizens. We need to go back to the ethos of these principles,” Mrs Mabe emphasised.
To ensure that government departments are adhering to the Batho Pele principles the Committee will undertake continuous unannounced visits to service delivery points across the country. The Committee will also not depend solely on reports by government departments but will adopt an activist stance and engage the people on the ground to verify implementation of services. The Committee will also keep a vigilant eye on the implementation of Operation Phakisa.
The Committee notes that the high levels of unemployment affecting the youth of this country and will for the next five years strengthen its oversight role over the National Youth Development Agency to ensure that it delivers on its mandate of creating a platform for the youth to become active participants within the economy. The Committee will also monitor the implementation of the turnaround strategy at the agency and believes that the full implementation of this strategy will set the institution on the right track.
In an effort to encourage pride in their work, the Committee will engage the Forum of South African Directors-General (FOSAD) to encourage them to sign a yearly “contract with the people” that will be a set of targets that they will be held accountable on.
As the Committee sets about to do its oversight work it believes that it is only through a collaborative effort by all South Africans can we ensure that government works for the better and that all citizens receive better services. It is thus important that every citizen reports cases of inefficiency and under-performance by government departments.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact:
Malatswa Evans Molepo
Tel: (021) 403-8438
Cell: 073 297 1914
