Minister in The Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, Collins Chabane has noted the release of the Public Finance Management Act 2011/12 national and provincial audit outcomes.
The report released on Tuesday, 12 March 2013 by the Auditor General, Mr Terrence Nombembe said the overall audit outcomes for national and provincial government regressed. The Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) will study report and determine a response to address these challenges.
However, audit outcomes are consistent with the Management Performance Assessment Tool (MPAT) findings we reported on last year. These outcomes studied with MPAT results will accurately confirm to us the adequacy of institutions improvement plans.
The DPME last year conducted an assessment of 103 departments through the MPAT which identified some of the challenges that lead to qualified audit outcomes. The tool is used to determine the performance of departments against good management practice standards related to strategic management, human resource, financial, supply chain and governance.
The MPAT report provides departments with an early warning system of the weaknesses they have in their management and systems which ultimately lead them to poor audits. The process also allows departments to have a thorough understanding of their challenges.
The assessments have identified a number of areas that need improvement and further attention in many departments, which include:
- the use of monitoring and evaluation to inform improvements to policies, programmes and service delivery
- service delivery improvement through setting service delivery standards and developing charters and implementing improvement plans
- managing financial disclosures of senior managers and ensuring awareness of the code of conduct
- human resource management in general
- diversity management (gender and disability equity in the public service)
- the governance of information technology systems
- supply chain management and procurement.
DPME will continue to carry out these assessments on an annual basis and include the rest of departments and produce a report. The next report is expected to be concluded midyear. This will enable Cabinet to track whether management practices are improving in departments. Ministers are also being requested to ensure that their Directors-General put in place improvement plans to address challenges identified in the MPAT assessments and subsequently in audit reports. Departments are using the assessments to improve and we hope and expect that this will result in improved audit results in future years.
The DPME will work with National Treasury, and the Department of Public Service and Administration to assist departments with the development of further improvement plans. The department is also currently in the process of implementing a municipal assessment programme together with the Department of Corporative Governance and Traditional Affairs which will similarly assist municipalities to identify weaknesses and develop improvement plans.
Enquiries:
Harold Maloka
Spokesperson for Minister in The Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation
Cell: 082 847 9799
E-mail: harold@po.gov.za or maloka.harold@gmail.com
