Department of Higher Education and Training: 4th quarter 2013, 1st quarter 2014 performance and expenditure

Meeting report

Department of Higher Education and Training: Performance objectives and spending: 4^th quarter 2014 and 1^st quarter 2015
Mr Gwebinkundla Qonde, Director General, Department of Higher Education and Training, gave a presentation setting out the performance and spending details for the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET or the Department) in the 4^th quarter of 2013, and the 1^st quarter of 2014. There were 107 pre-determined targets, and, during the 4^th quarter 72 targets were achieved and 35 targets were not achieved. Some of the targets not yet achieved were in the process of being implemented, and their progress was being monitored.

Mr Qonde detailed Programme 1: Administration, mentioning that the achievements included the updated and user-friendly website. The DHET was to be commended on being able to fill a funded vacancy in four months, and disciplinary cases were now being resolved within 58 days. The DHET had run successful exhibitions and public events as planned, the risk management strategy and policy had been developed and approved and all the Department’s financial statements had been  prepared and approved.

There were deviations from the targets during the fourth quarter, in respect of paying invoices from service providers within 28 days of receiving the invoice; as the DHET usually took 30 days. There was not full compliance with the performance management framework, but Mr Qonde said the Department would be holding managers and supervisors accountable for ensuring that there was effective compliance. 

Ms Lulama Mbobo, Deputy Director-General: Corporate Services, DHET, stressed that when considering compliance with submissions on performance agreements and selected cases for senior members, the focus had been on the new members, given that they only had been working for three months in their current appointments. She reiterated that the DHET would be working to ensure compliance with performance management frameworks in the Department.

Mr Theuns Tredoux, Chief Financial Officer, DHET, indicated that asset management and loss figures were reflective of some theft, such as laptops missing, but that the cases had been reported and investigated by the South African Police Service (SAPS). He claimed that management was good ad the audit function was working well.

Mr Firoz Patel, Deputy Director-General: Planning and Monitoring, DHET, presented on Programme 2, which focused on Human Resource Development, and planning and monitoring coordination. Mr Patel mentioned that key achievements were the integration of all higher education public institutions’ data into the education and training information system, the development of career management modules, and provision of career guidance services over different platforms such as radio and flyers. An International Relations Operations framework strategy was developed and the implementation report approved. Litigation against the Department was being dealt with.

Mr Patel noted that there were deviations from performance targets There had been  late submission on research bulletins, due to qualitative checks that must still be done. Mr Patel concluded that there was a plan in progress for engagement, with a view to strengthening bilateral relations with priority countries in Africa, Middle East, and Europe, and DHET was working together with multilateral agencies, where the plans had been compiled and were being finalised.

Discussion
Mr D Kekana (ANC) asked about career development indicated in the presentation, and asked how this was reflected in the Department’s performance. He also suggested that further training must be done earlier in the quarter so that career development for employees was dealt with earlier. If an employee’s performance was not good, then that employee must be told to go for more training in order to improve the performance.

Prof B Bozzoli (DA) asked about the 300 disciplinary cases in the department, and where these could be seen in the presentation. Noting that they did not appear under the central administration slides, she wondered whether this was classed as an HR mandate.

Mr S Mchunu (ANC) referred to the first quarter performance, and asked why delivery targets were not set, to make it easier to monitor the progress of the Department.

Mr E Siwela (ANC) asked what the outcome of the litigation was that had been dealt with by the Department.

The Chairperson asked why the research and education targets had been delayed and were achieved only outside the time frame. She suggested the need for improvement in these two areas, and better timing because the Department did have the capacity to achieve its targets on time.

Mr Patel mentioned that it would be up to the Administration programme to deal with the questions on the disciplinary issues. There had been quite a number of adjustments to the Annual Performance Plan, which was why quarterly reports were produced. There were some challenges in filtering all the information that was found variously under processes, consultations and policy considerations, and it took some time to achieve this and reach the conclusion, which was why there had been delays.

Mr Kekana stated that although the half yearly or quarterly assessments on performance could be produced late, the important part was to ensure that there was always mentoring to ensure that people could do their jobs well. He reiterated that it would be too late were the DHET to wait until the end of the year to review performance, as it was necessary to give assistance,  where necessary, immediately, and assessments must be regular.

Mr M Tshishonga (AGANG) agreed with Mr Kekana that the purpose of performance monitoring was to help the employee; and thus this point must be addressed in order to avoid having incompetent people in the Department.

The Chairperson asked again about the litigation cases, what they involved and what the outcomes were She also wanted to hear more about the recent case in which racism had been claimed, the Department’s response, and how social inclusion, equity and transformation were proceeding.  

Mr Patel outlined that there were two cases. The first related to a candidate who was excluded from writing an examination but was permitted to do so after the Department had intervened. The second related to a Ministerial appointment to an association, which again was resolved after further discussion and consultation. He noted that the Minister would be releasing the Social Inclusion Policy Framework on the following day, calling on all higher education public institutions to fully comply with and aspire to Constitutional values, as way of showing good governance. This framework would compel the higher education institutions (HEIs) to set measures and standards for tackling various social issues.

Mr Qonde stressed that there were policies that regulated how people should conduct their personal relations between each other, which called for a measure of tolerance. There were Codes of Conduct in every institution, and in most institutions, in order to respond to the nature and extent of social misconduct, there were educational programmes stressing the importance of social cohesion and non-racism. The students at the University of Pretoria were suspended from their residences. Much work was being done by the Department to encourage a more cohesive attitude and approach.

The Chairperson asked for Members to give their input on the best way to deal with these kinds of issues, particularly how to address instances of racism, to move the country to new heights.

Mr Mbatha stated that it was crucial to assist Universities, and that 20 years into the democracy, racist practices should not be happening and should certainly not be passed on to another generation, as this would continue to be a burden. This matter was particularly disappointing since it involved young people, who should have been only too well aware of the history of the country. There were no winners in racism. Harassment was historic, as seen in Free-State University, and decisive corrective measures were needed.

Mr Y Cassim (DA) stressed that North West University and the University of Pretoria had also shown that cycles of racist incidents were perpetuated across our society. These were unacceptable, yet the media sparked even more sensitivity about such issues. He suggested the need for reconciliatory efforts, the need to assess the effectiveness of such a model, and clearly programmes must be done for staff and students to address racist perceptions. The Department must take note of best practices. He said that there was open minor discrimination, and this warranted a closer look. He pointed out that socio-economic class and racial lines were interlinked, and there tended to be lower self-esteem in black students, so there was a need to try to portray them in a different manner. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in a sense perpetuated the segregation as it tended to give benefits along clearly demarcated racial lines, and every intervention by the Department should take account of the realities and seek to actively promote inclusiveness.

Mr Tshishonga noted that racism was a sequence, and could not be solved outside of also addressing the mindset. He said that it would be sad if fine minds went to waste and said that minds were akin to a loyal servant that merely needed to be trained. The same amount of energy that was used in creating the problems would be put to better use in solving the problems.

Prof Bozzoli said that South Africa was still a damaged country, with scars between ruled and rulers that still had not healed. People still were not fully aware of their identities, and did not know where they were. She agreed with the suggestions on the need for intervention, and noted that it would be useful to get input from the Minister on the following day. She agreed that institutions must strongly be encouraged to promote the values of the Constitution and senior leaders must set an example in that regard. Education from below was also needed, through sensitive rather than authoritarian ways is needed, so that integration was seen as normal and an ideal to be cherished.

Continuation of DHET briefing
Dr Engela van Staden, Chief Director: Academic Planning and Management Support, DHET, presented on Programme 3: University Education. She pointed out that institutions had systems in place so that staff and students could lodge complaints, such as an Ombudsman, and the necessary procedures would then be followed in order to follow up. Input on this debate was ongoing. She noted that the role of the programme was to ensure effective university oversight and monitoring. There had been some deviation from the targets, and the black participation rate was highlighted in the report. She noted the results for developing FET lecturer qualifications, infrastructure assessments, and good governance measures being put in place, as well as the research output. Other forms of deviation in this quarter included the fact that the qualifications report was not published, but a consultative process with comment from the public was to be done. In relation to private institutions, most were showing compliance with the Department’s standards. There was an ongoing review of the Higher Education Act, to effect positive changes, with more ministerial appointees. One University, UNISA, did not comply with the teaching development plan, although the other 23 had done so. There was a need for a multi-disciplinary approach in forming partnerships between universities and Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges.

Discussion
Mr Cassim asked about the student ombudsman systems, how many institutions had implemented them and whether the students were aware of them, as well as whether the systems were able to deal with the level of complaints. He asked what informed the request for the increase of Ministerial appointees into University Councils, and whether the reasons were considered valid. He asked what matrix was used to measure whether there was good governance and sound management in place.

Mr Cassim asked why UNISA had not submitted its report, and what DHET was doing to address that point. He wondered how much had been given for HEIs in this quarter, through NSFSAS and how the money spend was being monitored. He cited the example of  Fort Hare University, which had apparently exhausted its allowance in five months, and there was no more funding. There seemed to be administration issues in universities, and he wanted to know how the DHET was addressing that.

Ms M Nkadimeng (ANC) asked about the training of Foundation Phase teachers in Universities, and what was being done to facilitate the training and address any problems. She asked, following up on previous questions, whether DHET was conducting any site visits to ensure that the funds were being used well, and, if so, how often this was done.

Mr Tshishonga asked why there were delays in achieving some of the university education targets.

Mr Qonde added to previous responses from the DHET by saying that the issue of racism required that everyone play a role, to tackle and resolve it. He noted that the Transformation Oversight Committee was developed in light of the findings in the report by Prof Soudien. Each institution should establish a platform to solve issues of transformation; it was important to understand what happened and then take appropriate collaborative steps, to prevent a recurrence.

Mr Qonde noted that the power of the Minister to appoint in terms of the legislation related to the human resources, finances and legal issues in the institutions. He said there must be mechanisms to look into this issues, and agreed that the academic enterprises of these institutions ought to be closely  monitored.

Dr van Staden said that the queries about the student ombudsman system were quite relevant and valid and the DHET recognised that there was a need to re-visit that system. Criteria for analysing how the money from the Department was used did hinder some of the DHET’s strategic goals. The NSFAS Board was the entity that worked with the universities’ claims, and for the universities and FETs, there had been a forward payment of 50% of the funding. There was a substantial growth agenda, to maintain and upgrade the infrastructure of the universities, and there was a need to ask whether, and what setbacks there might be to the growth projections of the Department. In answer to the question whether the financial system of the Department was healthy, she noted that there was ongoing research into that point. She confirmed that Foundation Phase teaching was a priority in this year, and particularly in the African languages, and those were the main points on which the DHET was working.

Dr van Staden confirmed that site visits were done annually. Attention had to be paid to the technical capacity of lecturers from the private sector, their actual practical skills, background and methodology of doing the job, to ensure that the right combination of work exposure and actual class learning was achieved.

Mr Cassim followed up on the questions on NSFAS, and asked if the Department had the capacity to monitor its pilot projects for the next few years.
 
Dr van Staden responded that there was an audit and monitoring of the NSFAS, and there were moves to manage the allowances through a more comprehensive and effective process.

Mr Cassim asked if the NSFAS interventions would actually help those who were disadvantaged by the current scheme, and particularly help them to stay at university instead of dropping out.

Mr Qonde noted that point, and said that the DHET would look specifically into that question.

Dr Bheki Mahlobo, Deputy Director General, DHET, presented Programme 4, which focused on Vocational and Continuing Education and Training (VCET). He indicated the commitment of the Department to remain true to the national policy on accelerating and growing further education and training colleges, and post-literacy adult education and training. Mr Mahlobo advised that 273 679 college students were awarded bursaries by the Department and that staff members had been trained for the community colleges. Mr Mahlobo mentioned that this programme showed the most deviation from the targets, which he explained as resulting from the fact that the most extensive consultative processes were required, making it difficult to achieve the time targets set.

Discussion
Mr Siwela asked why Kwa-Zulu Natal was unable to transport its educators to the training sessions, and what would be the response to this challenge.
|
 
Ms Nkadimeng asked about the process of accreditation of programmes on the Council for Higher Education, and how many students were being enrolled.
 
Prof Bozzoli asked for further explanations on the failure of this programme to meet the targets.

Ms Mchunu asked the Department should in addition explain and expand upon any achievements, in addition to further explaining the failures.

Mr Qonde responded that the staffing issues at College levels must be flagged for further debate and resolution. The distribution of funding related to the performance, and it was being dealt with robustly, with stress being accorded to the importance of accountability.

Mr Mahlobo said that the DHET was not directly involved in the budget allocations in the provinces, so it could not account for why KwaZulu Natal provincial department had been unable to arrange transport for the educators.

Mr Mahlobo assured the Committee that quality assurances were made, and accreditation was done usually by Umalusi. Assessments would now be done twice per quarter, to evaluate the enrolment rates, but for now, the targets of the new institutions were being met. It was imperative to set targets that would be achievable, keeping in mind the availability of resources to reach those targets. The list of community colleges would be released to the Committee in due course.

Mr Patel added that the functions of the community colleges were not yet clear, and there was no national legislation that regulated inter-disciplinary collaboration between departments. There had been an element of disregard seen in some provincial executives, but the Minister had set aside time to consult with the MECs in the provinces. Section 100(a) and (b) of the Constitution, may persuade this Committee of the need to work closely with the Department of Basic Education also, particularly on issues arising in Eastern Cape and Limpopo. There was a suggestion to have a collaborative meeting with all Ministers of Education, Heads of Department and other relevant parties who shared common goals on education.

Mr Z Mvalo, Acting Deputy Director General, DHET, presented on Programme 5, which focused on Skills Development. Mr Mvalo informed the Committee that a large number of partnerships agreements were achieved, with a view to strengthening the collaborative relations between FETs and the Universities. All the strategic plans for the 21 Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) were approved, and a scarce and critical skills list had been compiled but was still in the process of being finalised.

Discussion
Mr Cassim asked for more information on the future targets on the audit of SETAs, and asked for more detail on the under-expenditure in the SETAs, and what process was following when withholding money.

Ms Nkadimeng asked if this was a proper utilisation of monies, and asked for more detail on the challenges, and how the DHET would ensure full accountability.

Mr Qonde responded that amounts withheld from the SETAs had been moved to NSFAS, and pointed out that this Committee would be fully within its rights to call on any of the SETAs to account, for themselves, on any of the projects.

Mr Mvalo said that the signing of the National Skills Accord was work in progress towards reaching the targets. The new grant regulatory system was assisting in addressing the systems. Any money that was originally allocated to the education sector should be put back into the National Skills Fund and not held back from being used in the system. The National Treasury was the custodian of the funding, and it took the view that if money allocated should not be withheld but must be properly disbursed to benefit the system. There was an application ongoing for rollover of funding. He added that the community colleges would be an effective way to implement the strategic goals of the Department.

The meeting was adjourned.