Budget Vote 12 - SAMDI: briefing

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Meeting report

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AD HOC COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION

PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION AD HOC COMMITTEE
26 May 2004

BUDGET VOTE 12 - SAMDI: BRIEFING

Acting Chairperson: Mrs L Maloney (ANC)

Documents handed out:
SAMDI Programme and Budget 2004/05
South African Management Development Institute Strategic Plan, version 7, April 2004
National Treasury Vote 12: SAMDI

SUMMARY
The Committee continued in the processing of deliberating on the budgets of the Department, SAMDI (South African Management and Development Institute) and the Public Service Commission. The Director-General of SAMDI gave a detailed overview in four parts.

Members voiced their grave concern about the poor standard of education in South African schools and the Director-General promised that major efforts were made to instill a work ethic and service delivery focus among teachers and all other government officials.

MINUTES

SAMDI presentation
The Director-General of SAMDI (South African Management and Development Institute), Mr Bobby Soobrayan, gave a detailed overview in four parts. First, the Government's programme of action was summarised with a main focus on human resource development. Then SAMDI's strategic objectives on internal processes and financial management were spelled out. Thirdly, details of SAMDI's expenditure trends in administration as well as public sector organisation and staff development, and the training trading account were summarised. Lastly, emerging challenges were identified.

He reported that SAMDI's mandate now included local government - this added a huge challenge. SAMDI provided training to government departments on a flexible basis, and also quality assessment of consultants' training programmes. SAMDI's outstanding accounts position had improved and finances were now under control.

Discussion
An ANC Member remarked that, although training had been given to government officials, no discernible improvement was evident. He asked whether SAMDI was also giving attention to the standards of other SETAs aimed at Councils.

Mr M Baloyi (ANC) asked whether the client departments still owed payments. He asked on what basis government departments would decide on making use of the services of SAMDI, seeing that there were other service providers out there. Was support going to be mobilised on the basis of cost and/or capacity?

Mr R Ntuli (DA) pointed out that using consultants led to very limited transfer of skills, which was lamentable. Furthermore, he was very concerned about the low quality of education as exemplified by the recent finding that Grade 6 scholars in the Western Cape, which had a relatively good education system, had mathematical skills of only Grade 3 standard. He asked how bad the situation was in poorer provinces like Limpopo and the Eastern Province. Concrete intervention was needed to turn around education.

Mr Soobrayan (SAMDI Director-General) assured the meeting that education was already going on at hospitals and pay-points to improve the sensitivity of officials towards clients with special needs. SAMDI's main focus was, however, senior and middle management and all SETAs.

He went on to thank the Select Committee for help in motivating departments to settle their debts (with SAMDI), which had improved. Current invoicing was under control. He emphasised that they preferred that departments select them as service provider on merit. Even if other service providers were also employed, SAMDI was involved in quality assurance. The Institute was careful not to expand too fast.

Mr Soobrayan said that one of the main deficiencies in government departments was their inability to manage contracts, which led to poor service delivery. Quality of education, and especially primary education, had been shown to be the major determinant of a government's success. SAMDI wanted to increasingly penetrate the education sector to ensure superior service delivery.

Mr K J Minnie (DA) asked about the role of SAMDI in local and provincial government.

Dr U Roopnarain (IFP) questioned the wisdom of importing skilled staff from India, as was announced by the Minister, and felt that South Africans should rather be utilised. She asked how donor dependent SAMRI was, because donors could easily terminate their support.

Mr Soobrayan explained that in terms of employment equity, SAMDI was close to their target for race and gender at senior management level, and lthe position was good in lower ranks. Skills profiles (qualifications) always exceeded requirements but competencies were still worked on. Actual figures were given in the Annual Report.

He stressed that SAMDI's mandate had been extended to include local government and this was now a key priority. Community development workers were to form strategic partnerships with Non-Governmental Organisations.

In response to other Committee questions, he said that the Minister had been misquoted on the issue of importing skills from Eastern countries. Donor contributions to SAMDI was negligible. The intention was not to have satellite training branches in the provinces, but to provide a network of norms and standards and peer review.

Some training offered was of dubious quality and value, and officials had to be equipped to appraise the quality of training. The reliance on consultants was worrying because vested interests were created. The evaluation of the impact and success of a programme was very complex, and training had to be consistent with government policies.

He concluded that SAMDI was involved in the provision of training, and quality assurance of training. Revenue was exceeding targets, and the limit was their optimum speed of growth because competent people were needed to deliver.

The meeting was adjourned.

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