Integrated/ Single Public Service Bill progress: Department of Public Service and Administration briefing; PALAMA strategy on scarce skills in the Public Service: briefing

Meeting report

Introduction
Apologies were received from the Minister and Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration. The Minister had a cabinet committee meeting at which he had to be present.

Department of Public Service & Administration on the Integrated/Single Public Service Bill: progress
Mr Mashwahle Diphofa, Director General Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) provided insight on the Single Public Service (SPS) strategic objectives and founding principles in support of a SPS. The idea to have a SPS arose out of a Cabinet decision of 31 May 2006. The idea was to have the machinery of state across the three spheres of Government strategically aligned and harmonized to complement one another so as to more effectively fulfil the goals of the developmental state and in particular, the pressing and urgent service delivery needs. The broad goal of establishing a single public service was ultimately about aligning and harmonizing the administration of the machinery of the state across the three spheres so as to sharpen it in its orientation thereby achieving improved coordinated public administration. A public service and local government administration with harmonious systems, conditions of service and norms would reduce fragmentation (disparities and the silos) and promote more efficient co-ordination between the different spheres of Government. The SPS would also promote mobility of staff between the spheres thereby facilitating optimal deployment of skills and allocation of functions.

The SPS strategic objectives aimed to create a common culture of service delivery across the three spheres, based on the precepts of Batho Pele, in order to ensure a consistently high standard of service, establish common norms and standards for employment across a Single Public Service, including employment practices and employee relations frameworks and mandating arrangements, provide a mechanism for the transfer of functions and staff between institutions or spheres of government, within the framework provided by the Constitution and the Labour Relations Act. It was also aimed to provide for an anti-corruption strategy and standards of conduct for the SPS, and in addition create seamless and integrated service delivery through single window approach, create a single senior management service cadre thereby facilitating the mobility of these managers within the Single Public Service, provide a framework for remuneration and conditions of service for the Single Public Service, and provide for a human resource development strategy for the Single Public Service and the development of an integrated skills database to support human resource planning and interoperability of Information and Communicaition Technolgoy (ICT) transversal systems, financial & human resource systems (for example, the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS).

The founding principles in support of a SPS were that it must be designed to strengthen public administration across the three spheres of Government so that it could enhance and augment Government’s capacity to improve and accelerate service delivery. Stakeholders both internal and external to Government should be mobilised to ensure that a SPS would focus on greater alignment, harmonization and complementarity among the three spheres of Government and, to this end, a comprehensive change management strategy and plan would be designed. In addition it was recognised that the creation and implementation of a SPS would involve the management of complex policy, legal, institutional, systemic, financial, inter-governmental and operational matters. There currently existed framework legislation and regulations governing the affairs of local government and the public service. Consideration would have to be given to the appropriate location and migration of policy and legislation in the process of amending the different pieces of legislation. The Committee was informed that aspects of the SPS pertaining to local government might require a phased and incremental approach so that compliance was spread over a manageable periods (a step by step approach) in order to deal with changes and reforms to existing complexities relating to, for example, pensions, ICT, human resource development (HRD), medical aids, wage policies, etc.  DPSA acknowledged that matters relating to frameworks for, among others, conditions of service for government employees, would have cost implications to the state. The Committee was further informed that there were aspects related to the SPS that were being implemented, e.g., strengthening of an access channel, the Thusong Service Centres Programme, updating of the costing study, creation of systems (IFMS), and pilot urban mall.

Ms Lynette Sing, Chief Director: Integrated Public Service Administration Reforms, DPSA presented on the progress made. The Committee was informed that post the Cabinet decision of 31 May 2006, work on the SPS began in terms of five work streams (Pillars) namely Legislation, Service Delivery (Access and Batho Pele), Institutional Integration, Anti-Corruption and ICT. Under the legislation work stream a draft Public Administration Management Bill (PAM Bill) to provide for the organisation, management, functioning and personnel related matters in administration in the three spheres of Government was prepared, consulted upon and introduced in Parliament in June 2008. The Bill was subsequently withdrawn from Parliament in November 2008 by the then Minister of Public Service and Administration (MPSA) to ensure an “extended extra Parliamentary consultation process”. There was a need to complete consultative processes especially at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) level. The Bill had to undergo further consultation and options for its re-introduction identified. In these processes discussions within Government occurred through a National Conference which also debated the issue of Integrated Public Service versus Single Public Service. These consultations and debates affirmed the objectives of the SPS. Subsequently, the then MPSA instructed the Department to develop options on re-introduction of the legislation into Parliament. These had since been identified, and the new MPSA will consider them and then resuscitate the required consultation processes

Under the second pillar on service delivery (access and Batho Pele) Government had been working on a range of access initiatives in order to ensure that Government services were taken closer to the citizens in a structured and planned manner. This was aimed at achieving more integrated and responsive services across Government. Key features of the access Initiatives included, front-office re-engineering to create a “single view of government” and the modernisation of the back-office processes thereby ensuring interoperable systems, clustering of services into baskets of services in accordance with the service delivery needs of citizens (matching the channels and the services), and ensuring that services were provided as close as possible to people especially in previously marginalised areas. Currently, the employees of national and provincial government fell within a single policy framework from which Local Government was excluded. The SPS initiative pillar on institutional integration would bring Public Service and Local Government into an aligned framework with a wage policy for the SPS, harmonized conditions of service (medical aid and pension funds), norms and standards for human resource management and development within the SPS, legal mechanisms for mobility within a SPS and common culture of service delivery across the three spheres of Government (including standards for service delivery). In addition work was done on reviewing remuneration and conditions of service at local government level as well as an impact analysis of medical and pension fund arrangements at local government level (inform wage policy for the SPS).  This work was currently being updated; the results of these studies would inform efforts to establish the cost implications to the state in harmonization of these various areas as well as the appropriate crafting of the legislation and related regulations

The work on anti-corruption was a continuation of the programme that commenced in November 2000 when Cabinet made the following decisions: that DPSA develop and implement a public service anti-corruption strategy, lead the anti-corruption policy process, support the national anti-corruption programme and foster regional and international cooperation on fighting corruption.  Public Service and Local Government frameworks had been developed and were in place. The emphasis would now be on the minimum norms and standards for a public sector Anti-Corruption Strategy to be included in the legislation, Anti-corruption capacity across Government, and evaluation of the frameworks in place with a view to effecting improvements, where necessary.

The Committee was informed that with the ICT pillar previous Thusong initiatives focused on the provision of a Tele-centre providing communities with access to computing technologies and in some instances public internet access. These connectivity initiatives did not, however, address connectivity to Government departments to speed up the delivery of services to the citizen. DPSA engaged in the Thusong ICT to create a shared ICT platform that allowed departments to connect to their respective back-end systems and applications in order to provide automated services where these existed. The connected Thusong service centres helped in improving accessibility of Government services to the citizens from all spheres. Mr Diphofa  concluded by stating that numerous access initiatives were underway in the public service to develop appropriate service delivery models, create citizen-centric service delivery and, to inculcate a culture of service. On the framework legislation underpinning a SPS, the options had been submitted to the Minister. The Minister would consider all the options carefully including the comments that came through during the round of consultations and make pronouncements thereon. Once the executive decision was obtained, the consultations would continue.

Discussion
Mr S Marais (DA) asked to what extent the Single Public Service (SPS) would impact on the constitutionality, autonomy and functioning of the three spheres of Government especially on local government where service delivery was very important.

Mr Diphofa replied that in the work that was done there were two constitutional law experts. Every effort had been taken to ensure that the work done did not violate the Constitution. The issue of observing what the Constitution provided for would remain paramount.

Mr Marais stated that there had been a lot of criticism about the effectiveness and efficiency of the current public service.  A lot had been said about the shortage of skills and other problems that were known. Expanding the public service to levels that were enormous and further away from the centre was like putting the cart before the horse. Was it not necessary to first get the compliance levels and skills right before taking on a huge level of further administration?

Mr Diphofa replied that the value of having a single window for public service delivery was generally accepted. In the pilot centre in Soweto about 8 000 people each month came in to pay traffic fines, apply for identity cards and passports, and apply for jobs in the Gauteng provincial department online. This was the kind of service that South African people required. That was why the SPS was trying to promote the value of common frameworks to promote harmony in terms of employment in various spheres of Government. This would also promote skills mobility across the spheres of Government.

Mr Marais asked what the cost implications of the Single Public Service were and how these would be funded.

Mr Diphofa replied that there were cost implications. DPSA had embarked on a study. The last personal expenditure review was done in 2006. Another one was being done to update the information that would give the Department a sense of employment tends in local government and public service. The study would also give cost implications.

Mr D du Toit (DA) stated that there was already a complex situation on the third level of Government where there were politicians who might change at each election. They had to work with officials from the previous  dispensation. How would this problem be addressed if there was a change of ‘political master’ and the real masters were in the administration. It was difficult to improve and accelerate service delivery if it did not exist. SPS would establish an administration that would cover the whole country. The police were like a country wide public service but the previous day Parliament heard that they did not even know what buildings they had.  Extrapolating this idea of a countrywide public service was a really big challenge. One sure way of destroying the country was to take a wrong decision on something like this.

Mr Diphofa replied that the pillars that had been mentioned were important. The pillars helped understand the complexities in the different areas mentioned. They would ensure issues of efficiency, effectiveness and a level of service delivery to the public.

Mr Du Toit stated that the focus should be on people who voted for service delivery. Service delivery could go wrong in two places. Namely with the officials and the politicians, sometimes they worked together sometimes they did not.  In some provinces people could change their mind on service delivery and so would go for elections and vote new politicians in. They could not vote in new officials. The people might be making this choice not knowing if the problem was with the officials or politicians.  Could the people now through the mayoral committee dismiss officials? A local government elected group of politicians could now not sort out the apparent or suspected maladministration that caused bad service delivery on the official’s side. Do the politicians then have to go to the minister to complain for instance about a director-general? This was the concern of the Democratic Alliance; the people’s vote would be taken away because they could not solve one of the two problems that resulted in bad service delivery. Then if that power would be taken form the people then local government elections might as well be scrapped. What was the use? People voted for service delivery.

Mr A Williams (ANC) responded to Mr Du Toit by stating that fundamentally when it came to dismissing any employees of the state the labour laws needed to be implemented. If one was found guilty of an offence the labour law would be implemented.  The person would be dismissed through the correct procedures. One could not come in as a new mayor and fire every single person there unless one could prove that an offence had been committed. There was confusion between what the idea of a SPS was and the perceived threats of a certain political party. SPS was an avenue to make the administrative bottlenecks throughout the three spheres easier to break down and get service delivery down to the ground. The SPS was not there to undermine any political party.

Mr M Manana (ANC) in response to Mr Du Toit stated that the very discomfort that seemed to exist based on the submission about the collapse of provinces in the North gave credence to the position of the ANC that indeed the SPS should be implemented. It should not be seen as witch hunting. It should be seen as a way to dispense service delivery much quicker.

Mr Diphofa replied that the concern was political authority over the different spheres. The SPS did not talk about a shift in local government authority. It did not disestablish municipal councils and legislatures. In the issue of who hired and fired the labour laws would be the basis for dealing with employment practices even under the SPS dispensation.

PALAMA strategy with indicators and timelines regarding scarce skills in the Public Service
Mr Lekoa Solly Mollo, Director General, the Public Administration Leadership and Management Academy (PALAMA) briefed Members on  the mandate of PALAMA, the strategy that informed the business model of PALAMA, areas of scarce skills in the Public Service, partnerships, indicators and time-lines, and research and innovation. PALAMA’s business model was driven by the demand from its clients who were national and provincial departments. The training needs were determined by national and provincial departments and local government requests. The strategy used strategic partnerships to deliver on its objectives.

Areas of scarce skills in the Public Service as identified were in the following fields:  Finance, Health and social service, Human resources, Senior Government and Local government officials, Policy and Planning, Research and development, Human resources clerks, Office Administrators, Payroll Clerks and Secretaries. PALAMA established strategic partnerships in order to contribute to the development of scarce skills in the Public Service. Those partnering with PALAMA included the National Treasury (including the Technical Assistance Unit (TAU), the Department of Public Service and Adminsitration (DPSA), Centre for Public Service Innovation, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), and National Youth Development Agency (NYDA). Strategic partnerships with other government departments or public sector entities allowed PALAMA to contribute to the development of scarce skills in the Manager’s Occupational Category, Professional’s Occupational Category and Clerical and Administrative Occupational Category. The target for 2012/13 was to train 8500 persons in the Executive Development Programme.  Mr Mollo concluded the presentation by stating that the contribution PALAMA would make towards addressing scarce skills in the Public Service were in three spheres. First, PALAMA would assist with providing training for managers and clerical and administrative officials.  Secondly, PALAMA would support training for professionals and technicians and lastly PALAMA would align its training programmes with the priorities of Government.

Discussion
Mr Du Toit asked if PALAMA only offered services to those in the system

Mr Mollo replied that those entering the public service regardless of qualification were trained to provide them with an understanding of the public service. Those entering the public service underwent an induction where ethos and values of the public service were inculcated. There were also approaches in place to reach those who were in the system as training was not once-off. An e-learning system was also underway. 

Mr Du Toit asked if there was an accurate figure on the skills that were needed in the public service.

Mr Mollo replied that PALAMA’s current business model was such that training was informed by the client department which knew what skills were required.

Mr Du Toit asked if there was a system where bursaries could meet the demand from the public sector. Were there enough people going to universities and colleges so that the target determined could be reached?

Mr Mollo replied that a course had been created with National Youth Development Agency which had a database on youths. A course for graduates called 'breaking barriers' had been created for entry into the public service. Most departments also had bursaries for specific skills that they required. For instance, Health had a bursary for doctors.

Mr Marais pointed out that the partnerships PALAMA had were with Government departments. There was need to have partnerships with tertiary institutions.

Mr Mollo replied that the issue of the skills gap was huge. The model of the strategic partnerships included universities. For example, the legislature programme that PALAMA had with Parliament was done with the University of South Africa. PALAMA had partnerships with 17 universities out of a total of 23.

Mr Marais asked which organisations the qualifications acquired were accredited.

Mr Mollo replied since the focus was on public service the accreditation was with the Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority (PSETA). Courses done with institutions of higher education were accredited by the same institutions. For instance, training done by Wits would be accredited by that institution.

Mr Marais asked what Project Khaedu was all about. PALAMA trained people in health. There was enormous shortage of effective hospital management.

Ms Soria Arendt, Chief Director: Training, PALAMA, replied that Khaedu was a SiVenda word that meant challenge. During the programme PALAMA trained middle and senior mangers in government on service delivery issues. A five day theoretical background was provided on how to evaluate problems and involve the community,  after which participants were given a break back to their work environment. Thereafter they would then be taken to an actual service delivery site to practice what would have been learnt. A similar project had been started with the Department of Health where 65 senior mangers would be trained. The Director General, Department of Health, had indicated that the challenges in health sector needed to be sorted out before the country could seriously consider the National Health Insurance System.

The Chairperson asked if PALAMA collaborated with the institute that provided skills to local government.

Mr Mollo replied that PALAMA had been working to establish a working relationship with the Local Government Leadership Academy (LOGOLA). A memorandum of understanding (MOU) had been drafted and was with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs which was supposed to make an input. PALAMA also worked with provincial academies.

The Chairperson stated that the training was ‘top heavy’ as PALAMA was mainly focusing on training people at higher levels, while leaving out the implementers. 

Mr Mollo replied that one of the areas of focus was to make sure that the front liners or administrative clerks were also provided with skills.

Committee minutes: adoption
The Committee adopted its minutes of 21 September 2011 without amendments, and those of  30 November 2011 with minor changes.

The meeting was adjourned.