Question NW2235 to the Minister of Tourism

Reply:

(a) What oversight mechanisms have been put in place for projects that are implemented by the DBSA.

I have been informed that the Department has the following governance structures in place to oversee the work undertaken by the DBSA on behalf of the Department:

• Project Progress Meetings – Chaired by the Deputy Director-General supported by project teams from both the Department and DBSA.
• Project Steering Committee Meetings - Chaired by the Director-General supported by project teams from both the Department and DBSA.
• The Department also ensures that there are project steering committee and technical meetings established and convened for each individual project. These meetings guide individual project implementation and monitor progress on site. The Department further conducts site visits to each project to monitor progress.
• Additionally, the Department receives written monthly and quarterly reports from the DBSA.
• DBSA is required to seek concurrence from the Department at each stage, i.e. stages as outlined in the Framework for Infrastructure Delivery and Procurement Management, prior to moving on to the next stage.
• I have also instituted monthly meetings with the DBSA for oversight purposes.

(b) What mechanisms have been put in place to build internal capacity to end the reliance of implementing agencies.

The agreed oversight mechanism in terms of the existing Service Level Agreement has not been fully implemented and is therefore under review.

This is, now, being rectified by, first, bringing skilled Built Environment Specialists into the Department to build the internal capacity.