Deputy Minister Andries Nel had a meeting with the Implementing Agents of the Community Work Programme on 28 September 2015 at 87 Hamilton Street, Arcadia Pretoria (Head Office of the departments of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA).
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss ways and means to improve the effective implementation of the Community Work Programme (CWP) which is a sub-programme of the Public Employment Programmes (PEPs) of government led by the Deputy President of South Africa, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa.
The Implementing Agents (IA) are Organs of Civil Society, especially NGO's appointed by government to implement the programme on behalf of the state. The implementing agents are, to mention a few, Seriti Institute; Intsika Foundation NPC; Dhladla Foundation; Thembalethu Development; Lima Rural Development; Seboka Training and Support Network; Border Rural Committee; Siyakholwa Training Institute; etc.
The Department of Public Service and Administration has recently approved the new structure for the programme aimed at enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in the operations of the programme.
In June this year, at the first meeting of the Implementing Agents, the Deputy Minister instructed them to establish a forum to coordinate their activities and to share best practices and Service Delivery Models on various activities.
Today, the IAs reported to the Deputy Minister that the forum had its first meeting and updated him on the issues that arose in their discussions and engagements.
The meeting resolved to immediately focus on improving the efficacy and impact of the programme, through the following:
- Finalisation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Updating and cleaning up of the Management Information System
- Ensuring an effective participant payment system
- Finalisation of the CWP Service Delivery Model
- Monitoring of Implementing Agent performance - enforcing accountability
- Strengthening IGR including Communication
- Strengthening functionality of CWP governance and coordination structures
In closing, the Deputy Minister reminded the meeting that the triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality remains a problem in our society. While we are doing well in some areas but these remain a challenge.
He called on officials in the department and the implementing agents (IA) to redouble their efforts and achieve the best possible impact with the little resources we have as CWP.
"Do the best you can to achieve the objectives of the Public Employment Programmes as set by government" He said.
For more information contact:
Mpho Lekgoro
Cell: 071 607 3081
E-mail: MphoL@cogta.gov.za
