Question NW3968 to the President of the Republic
18 December 2015 - NW3968
Lekota, Mr M to ask the President of the Republic
Whether, since his undertaking in the Estimates of National Expenditure 2010, the Government took steps to put in place a national long-term strategic plan in order to rectify the failures that were identified (details furnished); if not, why not; if so, has the envisaged specified plan (a) been in place in (i) 2011, (ii) 2012, (iii) 2013, (iv) 2014 and (v) 2015, (b) led to a substantial rectification of the above five deficiencies and (c) enabled the Government’s monitoring and evaluation system to detect which departments were failing the specified plan?
Reply:
In the Estimates of National Expenditure (ENE) publication of 2010 which is linked to the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), one of the key objectives was “developing a long term national strategic plan and ensuring a common perspective on government’s policy agenda for the future, taking into account major long term and spatial trends and dynamics”. The ENE describes in detail the planned spending of all national government departments for a period of three years ahead.
(a) We have developed the National Development Plan-Vision 2030. Therefore, this objective was met. I established the National Planning Commission (NPC) to develop a long term vision and strategic plan for our country. The NPC’s mandate was given in the revised Green Paper which was released in February 2010.
After a concentrated period of consultation across the country, the NPC completed the Draft NDP which was handed to me on 11 November 2011. Following further consultations, the final version of the NDP was handed to me on 15 August 2012 at a special joint sitting of Parliament. Almost all political parties represented in Parliament articulated support for the NDP. Cabinet Lekgotla received the NDP on 6 September 2012 and acknowledged it as the strategic framework which would form the basis of future government planning.
Government adopted the NDP as the cornerstone and blueprint for a future economic and socio-economic development strategy for the country.
Critical steps were undertaken in 2013 to facilitate implementation of the NDP.
- First, we implemented programmes that did not require additional resources and long lead times
- Secondly, we prepared the 2014-19 Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) as the first five-year implementation plan of the NDP
- Thirdly, we have identified areas where implementation of existing policies needs to improve by using methodologies such as Operation Phakisa which is a results-driven approach, involving setting clear plans and targets, on-going monitoring of progress and making these results public.
(b) The National Development Plan (NDP) offers a long-term vision and perspective for the country. It defines a desired destination and identifies the role that different sectors of society need to play in reaching that goal. The NDP aims to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030. The Country can realise these goals by drawing on the energies of its people, growing an inclusive economy, building capabilities, enhancing the capacity of the state, and promoting leadership and partnerships throughout society. Substantially, the NDP addresses short-termism in planning and enable prioritisation of resources over a long term to achieve government objectives of a better life for all South Africans.
(c) To monitor the implementation of the NDP, government through the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation has established a monitoring and evaluation system. The MTSF which is the implementation plan for the NDP is regularly monitored and quarterly reports are generated and presented to Cabinet to track progress and address challenges where they occur. The MTSF contains 14 outcomes that Government seek to achieve, including identified priorities in the following areas: education, health, safety, economy, skills, infrastructure, rural development, human settlements, local government, environment, international relations, public service, social protection and nation building.
Each of the priority outcomes is coordinated by a Minister and implementation is overseen by Ministerial Implementation Forums comprising ministers who have a specific contribution to each of the identified MTSF indicators and targets. Cabinet receives quarterly reports from the Outcome Coordinating Ministers, engages with the content and provides feedback and direction to ensure implementation is ongoing and is continuously improved. Performance is then published on the Government Programme of Action website.
Through these reports, Cabinet is able to make evidence-based decisions and intervene were necessary.