Question NW3449 to the Minister of Small Business Development
10 November 2022 - NW3449
Mthenjane, Mr DF to ask the Minister of Small Business Development
Which fundamental areas still need to be worked on in order to achieve the goals set for the Administration programme as there is a significant drop in the first quarter performance of her department?
Reply:
The DSBD’s Programme One (Administration) underperformed in three of its eight indicators, registering 62.5% performance for quarter one of 2022/23 financial year. The three targets that were not met are:
a) The DSBD had 47.1 % female representation against a target of 50 % and above. This was due to appointments and terminations in SMS during the previous cycle. For example: changes in the Administration (as indicated in the annual report). During quarter one of 2022/23 the status quo also remained since there were no appointments or terminations in SMS during this reporting period.
b) The two targets on Approved System specification and roadmap design for Phases 4 and 5 were not met due to lack of capacity within the Directorate in ICT and similarly within the agencies of the Department. The Department, by means of an existing multi-party Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) across government, had enlisted the CSIR as an entity of government to assist with the systems development capacity challenges faced. The Department had initiated the process of a deviation for this appointment on the basis that the CSIR had developed complex systems for other government departments and in light of ensuring that the Intellectual Property remains within the public sector domain. Unfortunately, the process concluding the costing and agreements had taken time as it involved multiple scoping and specification sessions to determine the costing.
The following are processes in place for fundamental areas to reach the targeted goals:
a) The Organisational Structure has been approved by the Minister and process to continue with the approved recruitment plan of vacant and funded continues. The Human Resource Management directorate monitors the Employment Equity plan to inform the panel members at shortlisting stage for posts that should be earmarked to increase the representation of woman in SMS positions.
b) Targets on Approved System specification and roadmap design for Phase 4 and 5: The Department will be using EU donor funding for this project and hence also needed to ensure that such funding is allocated. The approach is to ensure a portfolio development approach to ensure an all-inclusive one-stop shop for SMME’s, although the process to deviate was initiated timeously, the process was curtailed because of the request from the Seda not to include DIMS module on the work being done by CSIR. This created a delay and necessitated the resubmission of the deviation request.
Unfortunately, the delays had resulted in the lack of achievement of the quarter two target as the development of the system was to proceed. The deviation request had been approved on 12 September 2022. The agreement was to initiate an advance to CSIR on the basis that a contract or Service Level Agreement (SLA) be in place. This is currently in progress and will ensure that the targets for quarter three and four will be attained.
STELLA NDABENI-ABRAHAMS
MINISTER: SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT