Office on the Status of Disabled Persons Strategic Plan: Presidency briefing

Meeting report

JOINT MONITORING COMMITTEE ON IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE AND STATUS OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND DISABLED PERSONS.
9 September 2005
OFFICE ON THE STATUS OF DISABLED PERSONS STRATEGIC PLAN: PRESIDENCY BRIEFING

Chairperson: Ms W Newhoudt-Druchen (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Presidency’s Office on the Status of Disabled Persons Strategic Plan
SA Management Development Institute briefing

SUMMARY
The Office on the Status of Disabled Persons in the Office of the President presented its strategic plan which contained nine Measurable Strategic Objectives and it elaborated on its activities to attain these objectives. It also briefed the Committee on the SA Management Development Institute (SAMDI) training programme for government officials that aimed to raise their awareness on disability issues. The Office's strategic outlook was guided by the government's Programme of Action and National Priorities. The Committee expressed concerns about the budget based on their impressions that government allocations on disability issues were decreasing. Some members requested clarification on the actions of the Office in improving disabled people access to services such as grants, health care, universities, training, and those actions relating to raising awareness of the general public, service providers such as Sector Education and Training Authorities and government officials on disability issues. They also questioned the roles and links played by national, provincial and local government representatives of OSDP in improving disability access. OSDP stated that it would continue its advocacy role though it also expressed a wish to move more into a practical role that emphasised monitoring and evaluation in order to increase impact and improve service delivery to the disabled population.

MINUTES

Department briefing
Mr Benny Palime, OSDP Director, explained that the Strategic Objectives and Activity Plan of the Office were aligned with the Presidency and Chief Directorate Programmes. OSDP had taken specific areas and developed specific tasks for them. These were reflected as Measurable Strategic Objectives in the OSDP Strategic Plan (refer to document). The first area of work aimed at ‘Implement government’s policies and programmes and incorporate and include disability issues and people with disabilities’. Their activities included:
- developing a definition of ‘disability’,
- developing assessment tools to improve access to grants and free primary health care,
- reviewing provincial strategies,
- piloting inclusive education,
- increasing the number of learnerships for people with disabilities,
- active lobbying for disability allocations and increments to be reflected in budget,
- including disability issues in media and communications areas,
- reviewing the Victim Charter and the transport strategy for the disabled.

Mr Palime explained some of the activities fulfilling the OSDP’s second Strategic Objective - to look at government’s monitoring and evaluation systems and processes to include indicators and measures relating to improving the lives of people with disabilities. The Office had reviewed the task of the Inter-Departmental Co-ordinating Committee (IDCC) to ensure that it and its monitoring and evaluation structures functioned well. Further activities to reach this goal included setting disability specific indicators and provincial progress reporting on implementation and service delivery regarding disability issues. He acknowledged the support of the Australian Agency for International Development (AUSAID) through funding the implementation of some monitoring and evaluation activities such as the development of indicators.

Their third target was to increase the number of people with disabilities engaged in the economy. OSDP activities included the appointment of contract staff to implement the Economic Empowerment Programme (EEP) through development of a strategy specifically geared for people with disabilities and advocating co-operatives, reviewing the SMME framework to include disability issues and people with disabilities and an increase in learnerships. The Danish government funded some of the activities of the EEP.

OSDP’s fourth strategic objective was to have ‘disability desks/focal points established and functioning effectively at provincial and local government spheres of government'. In achieving this, OSDP needed to propose and advise on creating this structure in municipalities and assisting with appointment of disability desks at the local and provincial level.

OSDP’s fifth objective was to ensure that ‘government officials have necessary capacity to implement disability related policies and programmes.’ The SAMDI Training in the Public Service Programme, with funding from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), had been developed in 2003 and been piloted in mid-2004. An Impact Assessment had been conducted between August 2004 and March 2005. The programme was reported to be entering the second phase where the manual would have been reviewed and a toolkit developed.

The sixth objective was ‘South Africa contributing to regional, continental and international commitments’. The Office had engaged in the development of the Proposed UN Convention, implementing the SA Plan of the Decade, delivering on the Continental Plan, monitoring the work of the African Decade Secretariat, and ad hoc contributions to other continental initiatives.

The Office's seventh objective was to ensure ‘stronger cooperative relationships between government, the private sector and other role players in the disability sector’. OSDP aimed to provide assistance and management support to other institutions developing policy on disability issues. So far, the Office had assisted organisations such as the Telkom Foundation, African Decade Board, CAAC Board, CSIR Board and others.

OSDP’s eighth objective was ‘effective and efficient management of the OSDP in line with public service and financial regulations’. Commitment to achieving this target was ensured through the day to day strategic leadership, management and support and direction, convening organisational development process, and transparent financial management and accounting.

Their last, but very important objective, was to ‘increase public awareness on disability issues’. The tasks to achieve this were through active promotion of disability issues through media campaigns, visual arts and other activities and the development of toolkits, communication strategy and generic media policy. The OSDP was guided by the Government’s Programme of Action and National Priorities.

Dr Ellen Kornegay, OSDP Chief Director: Programmes, added that Integrated National Disability Strategy was a White Paper and therefore was not a policy document that was what Government needed to guide its actions on Disability Issues. There would be a ten-year review where a survey would be conducted with stakeholders on disability issues. The Deputy President had requested the OSDP to look into areas where government was not reaching people with disabilities, and to look into issues such as the urban and the rural divide. OSDP was redirecting its efforts from advocacy to being more practical especially in monitoring and evaluation as it was the only way to determine where the service need was. The aim was to unblock the services.

Discussion
Mr M Moss (ANC, Western Cape) questioned how access to disability grants could be improved. Mr Palime responded that responsibility for the grants was to be shifted. OSDP would come up with an assessment tool that aimed at looking at means testing based on levels of income and type of disability. If a disabled person qualified, then they also would automatically qualify for free health care. This tool would be available by the next financial year as it still needed to be presented to the Social Cluster Group. Dr Kornegay added that, the Office was really keen to look at bringing services closer to home as well.

Mr Moss (ANC) also reported a problem that disabled people of his constituency were facing namely the services of doctors not adequately reaching the people especially the poor and the unemployed and requested how OSDP could address this. Dr Kornegay empathised with the problem expressed and assured the Member that the Office would look into the case of Saldanha Bay and would come back to the Committee with a solution to assist in improving access.

Mr Moss also requested the Office to elaborate on training it offered as opposed to donor-driven training mentioned in the presentation. Mr Palime explained that OSDP’s training programme was training personnel of the President’s Office to increase and improve their capacity in dealing with disability issues, hence the OSDP capacity building programme funded by AUSAID.

Dr Kornegay replied that the Office offered training at different levels. At the policy level, OSDP delivered training itself. Delegation of training to SAMDI was for government officials particularly the Senior Managers. The Training Manual referred to was for the government officials in order to improve the services the government offered. However, this discussion helped to expand action into different layers. OSDP was not a delivery agency and therefore worked through local governments in order to reach the people.

Mr Moss (ANC) wanted to know if the budget allocation for training on disability issues had been increased.

Ms Newhoudt-Druchen (ANC) also asked the Office if it had a budget allocation from Treasury as opposed to being donor funded.

Mr L. Nzimande (ANC) expressed concerns about discussions of a decrease in budget and encouraged the Office to inform the Committee about changes.

Dr Kornegay reminded the Committee that budget issues had been discussed in the last meeting and the OSDP did not have the figures at hand at this meeting. OSDP did have an allocation from Treasury. It had submitted a request to Treasury recently for an allocation on training on Disability Issues. However, the Office noted the concerns about increase or decrease in budget allocation. The OSDP would need time to look at the budget and report back in the near future.

Mr Moss (ANC) challenged OSDP on the 20 municipalities they were working with at provincial and municipal levels by requesting why some of these areas still did not have disability desks. Mr Palime responded that the Office was still in the process of setting up focal points. He pointed out that the Office had held strategic meetings with inter-provincial forums and various Heads of Programmes.

Ms Newhoudt-Druchen (ANC) queried if there was a Disability Unit in SAMDI, or anyone who understood disability issues. Mr Moss (ANC) also requested clarification on the content of the Training Manuals offered by SAMDI, particularly, were these manuals aimed at assisting prospective candidates or touch on the disability needs in municipalities.

Mr Palime responded that the Office wanted to work with SAMDI to provide a permanent manual on disability issues for its courses as the training arm of government. Further, in SAMDI, the transmission directorate headed by a director would have understanding of disability issues. Also, five people who had been trained on this were now working in SAMDI. Regarding the Training Manual and its contents, the beneficiaries were counsellors at local government level. The manuals dealt with how local government's Integrated Development Plans should include disability access.

The Chairperson asked if OSDP worked closely with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in making sure that disabled people understood the need to register. Furthermore, had a definition of disability been adopted? Mr Palime responded that there was no existing working relationship with IEC, but the Office would look into the suggestion. Dr Kornegay explained that a definition of disability had already been adopted that would be published in the policy document by April 2006.

Ms P Bhengu (ANC) asked if there had been follow-up training for local counsellors since 2004. She also requested clarification on representation by disabled people in municipalities. Ms Newhoudt-Druchen asked the Office to explain the links that the OSDP had to provincial and local governments. Dr Kornegay explained that OSDP had nine provincial offices. At national level, OSDP work was more policy oriented, at provincial level more service oriented. She suggested that it would be best for some provincial representatives from identified areas to meet and inform the Committees about their activities.

Mr Palime added that the Office discussed strategic issues with its provincial focal points. OSDP encouraged provincial OSDPs to set up interdepartmental committees and to report to them.

Ms Bhengu (ANC) requested the Office to clarify how they monitor the work of Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) with respect to disability issues. Mr Palime said that the Office worked with different SETAs as requested and needed. He encouraged the Committee to lobby other SETAs to contact OSDP for assistance. Dr Kornegay that SETAs provided an important way forward for issues of disability. She elaborated on an existing weakness of organisations owned and run by disabled people in participating in the tender process. To address this problem, OSDP had been working with mainstream organisations that assisted disabled organisations in building their capacities to submit a tender.

Ms Newhoudt-Druchen (ANC) related a presentation delivered by the Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism where she saw the figures presented on disabled people participation as "terrible". She questioned the Office why this was the case. Dr Kornegay suggested that it could be that the focal point on disability issues of this particular office was at a lower level of the hierarchy and had a difficult time communicating disability issues to the top level. There was a need for a complete review on how to be effective in this context.

Mr Moss (ANC) wanted to know what activities OSDP had to raise public awareness about disability issues. Ms Newhoudt-Druchen also requested clarification on Public Awareness programmes especially in light of what she had recently heard that SABC wanted to remove deaf interpreters from its programmes.

Mr Palime explained that there was no direct programme of the Office to reach the masses but through its work through the Minister's Office and the different representatives. He again encouraged the Members to popularise the work of the OSDP by encouraging others to contact the Office. Also, OSDP had 40 disability units. Out of 20 visited, 13 already had disability desks. The national and provincial link offices had regular meetings where awareness raising information was presented. He explained that the Office was in the process of developing a shared folder for this information.

Ms Newhoudt-Druchen (ANC) stated that disabled people’s access to Universities, Technikons and other higher education institutions were very limited and requested OSDP action on this matter. Mr Palime explained that the University of Cape Town for example offered a course leading to a qualification on Disability Studies. OSDP also worked closely with the Centre for Argumentative and Alternative Communication(CAAC), University of Witwatersrand, and University of Pretoria.

Dr Kornegay elaborated that Universities were private, but also needed to comply with constitutional obligations. OSW had worked with UNISA in raising awareness on gender issues. OSDP would continue this work along disability lines. The Chancellor of the University of SA (UNISA) was the also the Head of the University Council, hence this was an important connection where OSDP would have access to voicing disability issues.

Dr Kornegay, the Chief Director, summarised the action that OSDP needed to have delivered on before the next meeting: the Office needed to look at the analysis of the budget, particularly addressing the concerns raised at this meeting. They would also examine issues of capacity in Disabled People South Africa (DPSA) and determine when the report might be submitted and, to arrange with the four municipalities of KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and North West to attend the next Committee meeting to report on activities.

The meeting was adjourned.