Central Karoo District IDP Indaba 2: planning and implementing together to improve service delivery and quality of lives
The Western Cape Government ushered in the 2013/14 annual Integrated Development Plan (IDP) Indaba’s this week. This year, the Central Karoo region received the largest number of officials since the inception of the Indaba three years ago, signifying the increasing popularity due to the value of the IDP Indaba.
This planning approach is the first of its kind in the country and sets a benchmark for the other provinces in the country, placing the Western Cape Government as a leader in integrated sustainable development planning. The IDP Indaba platforms are unique in their design and serve to promote dialogue on government policies and programmes to foster alignment of projects among the three spheres of government.
“The Integrated Developmental Planning (IDP) Indaba brings about mutual benefits for both local government and provincial government,” says the hosting Municipal Manager of Laingsburg, Mr Pietie Williams.
Speaking in Laingsburg on Tuesday, 4 February, during the annual Central Karoo IDP Indaba 2, Mr Williams said the IDP Indaba enables both provincial and national government to get a sense of what local government goes through on daily basis in their endeavours to provide services to the people.
“I have been a Municipal Manager for 12 years and I can attest to how the IDP Indaba has brought meaning to the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act. We can now speak of Intergovernmental Relationships in action. The seriousness with which the Western Cape Department of Local Government takes the integrated development planning process is highly commendable. This is not a talk shop but a meaningful engagement with mutual benefits. It gives everybody a sense of what is happening on the ground,” said Mr Williams.
High on the discussion agenda of the Central Karoo IDP Indaba 2 this year was socio-economic issues such as healthcare matters including, building of clinics, as well as safety and security. The Indaba stimulated collaboration between the Departments of Social Development, Education, Cultural Affairs and Sport, Community Safety and municipalities in the district to address concerns around safety in schools, after-care school programmes in particular the linkages with the MOD centres.
Municipalities were also provided with their allocations for infrastructural projects that are planned for implementation over the next three years. The Central Karoo IDP Indaba 2 this year increased by 37% since its inception in 2012. The 100 participants that took part in the Indaba included all Central Karoo Municipal Managers and their respective senior management teams as well as senior management specialists from various sector departments. This increased involvement across broader sectors is significant as it leads to faster, efficient and informed decision making on issues raised at the Indaba.
There is growing evidence that the IDP Indaba leads to greater consensus among government actors and elevates joint planning and prioritisation of projects within government. The IDP Indaba also affords municipalities and province to jointly, through dialogue and negotiation explore innovative ways to deliver services to communities. The IDP Indaba also allows for different spheres of government to understand how service delivery decisions are taken and how those decisions impact communities living municipal areas.
For media enquiries, contact:
Mr Sivuyile Mbambato
Tel: 021 483 8413
Cell: 073 897 8519
E-mail: sivuyile.mbambato@westerncape.gov.za
