Public Service Commission on Citizens Forum Update: briefing

Meeting report

PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
20 March 2002
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION ON CITIZENS FORUM UPDATE: BRIEFING

Chairperson: Mr P J Gomomo

Documents handed out
Presentation on Citizens Forums

SUMMARY
Public Service Commission Deputy Director General briefed the Committee on citizen forums. The main issues covered were background to these citizen forums, Public Service Commission related projects, pilot studies, project methodology and role clarification. Project implementation included a focus on key considerations, benefits, threats and the way forward. Since this was a pioneering project, problems and mistakes could be expected and many challenges would have to be met.

MINUTES
The Deputy Director General of the Public Service Commission, Mr Richard Levin pointed out that the background was important for understanding this initiative. This demonstrated the uneven pace of service delivery in the past. Mainly, politics and markets drove policy and service decisions. Participation could enhance policy programme implementation.

Mr Levin informed the Committee on the various PSC related projects. These included projects on monitoring and evaluation, citizens satisfaction surveys, Batho Pele Service Excellence programme as well as programme evaluation.

Mr Levin explained that citizen forums are forums that allow decision-makers to hear the views of the citizens on service delivery improvement. He pointed out that the participants would be exposed to information on issues to be discussed and hear a wide range of views. These forums aim to have an empowered, informed and educated citizenry as well as improved service delivery and improved governance and democratic accountability.

Mr Levin informed the Committee on project methodology and role clarification. Here he outlined the activity and responsibility involved (see presentation). For example, determining the scope and purpose of the consultation, which was an activity, would be the responsibility of the relevant department, project team and participants. Conducting forums to brief participants on subjects chosen for discussion as an activity, would be the responsibility of departmental representatives and other experts, including the project team as well as the commissioners and portfolio Committee members.

The following provinces and departments had been identified for the pilot study. Kwazulu-Natal (Department of Education), Eastern Cape (Department of Social Development) as well as Mpumalanga (Department of Health). Project implementation options had been informed by two broad implementation approaches. In both approaches, the process would take three days involving, briefing participants, site visits, the forum itself and debriefing. These approaches were the workshop approach as well as the public hearing approach. A combination of these was also a possibility and this would emerge through the piloting process.

With project implementation in the workshop approach, participants would be divided into groups. Experts available to all plenary discussions would follow, then recommendations as well as a citizen report, which would be compiled at the end. In the public hearing approach, participants would engage with a panel including government and non-governmental experts. Participants would also make presentations, which would be followed by recommendations and a citizen report.

Key considerations included the buy in from the identified stakeholders, particularly the executives. An example was in Mpumalanga where the provincial government had a project along similar lines, which might make them reluctant to support such a project on the basis of duplication. He pointed out that they had agreed and provided staff to help in the project. Another consideration was to avoid the domination by powerful interest groups. He also pointed out that it was not advisable to raise community expectations and lastly ensuring feedback and follow up was another consideration.

Benefits of the project included that the participants felt that as a group they were contributing towards the improvement of service delivery. Cooperation amongst people who initially had different views on a specific subject could be realised. Decision-makers heard the views of a cross-section of citizens.

Mr Levin pointed out that threats included, that random selection may create a situation whereby only participants in favour or critical of the current service delivery process were selected. Secondly, there was no guarantee that selected participants would act in the public's interest and also these forums provided a platform for interest groups to push forward their agendas.

The way forward was that provincial steering Committees would be established in each province comprising the project team members, relevant provincial departments and representatives from the office of the Premier in each province. This arrangement was in place in Mpumalanga currently.

Discussion
Mr De Vos (DP) asked the DDG who was going to do the screening in order to prevent dominance of lobby groups. How were the translation issues going to be handled?

Ms L Maloney (ANC) asked if the use of the term 'citizen did not limit forums to a South Africans only scenario. She expressed concern that maybe another name would be more inclusive.

Mr Levin noted that an important factor to consider was that this was a pioneering project, therefore there would be shortcomings.

On the issue of screening, he admitted that this was a big challenge. Specific screening criteria had not been developed yet and appealed to the Committee to bring up some concrete suggestions in this regard where possible. On the issue of translation, he pointed out that indeed the PSC would ensure the use of direct translation on particular days of these forums.

On changing of the name 'citizen' he pointed out that the PSC did not have a problem with this, but they could not refer to it as a 'peoples forum' due to the history of the country, this had certain sensitive connotations.

The Director-General of the PSC, Mr M Sikhosana also pointed out that these forums would enable interests who were not well resourced to engage fruitfully with the relevant parties. On the issue of screening, he pointed out that measures used could include citizenship and be representative of particular interests. The people needed a platform to raise issues affecting them as far as service delivery was concerned.

Meeting was adjourned.