Question NW2755 to the Minister of Social Development

Reply:

a) (i) In September 2020, the Department of Social Development engaged in a three-year (202-2023) contractual agreement with LSM Communications through a competitive bidding process. The service level agreement encompasses a range of crucial services, including editing, design, layout, printing, finishing, packaging, labelling, and the timely delivery of essential documents such as the DSD Strategic Plan, Annual Performance Plans, Operational Plans, Annual Reports, and CDA Annual reports and the quarterly Social Budget Bulletin.

The rationale behind opting for a multiyear printing contract was rooted in the Department's historical practice of separately commissioning these materials from different service providers. This approach presented several challenges, including difficulties in maintaining uniformity in the visual presentation of these documents, in line with the Department's branding guidelines and guidelines on compilation of strategic plans and APPs. Additionally, it often led to delays in the procurement process due to the Department's limited internal capacity.

By adopting a multiyear contract with LSM Communications, the Department has successfully mitigated the risk of potential delays and inconsistencies in meeting critical deadlines for tabling these strategic documents. The arrangement has not only streamlined the process but also ensured a consistent and timely production of these materials. Furthermore, it has saved the department from the year-in year out cost escalation that comes with inflation adjustment, hence the price is fixed for the duration of the contract.

(ii) (aa) (b) (bb) (c) (cc) (i) (ii) for DSD Refer to the table below:

Financial Year	Total Amount in Rands	Names of suppliers	Total number of copies
(aa) 2020-2021	R372 612,54	LSM COMMUNICATIONS	100 X printed copies 1 X electronic flip book, 3 X Large font, 20 X Braille
(bb) 2021-2022	R372 612,54	LSM COMMUNICATIONS	100 X printed copies 1 X electronic flip book, 3 X Large font, 20 X Braille
(cc) 2022-2023(Yet to be printed by the same Service Provider for the same amount	R372 612,54	LSM COMMUNICATIONS	100 X printed copies 1 X electronic flip book, 3 X Large font, 20 X Braille

(ii) (aa) (b) (bb) (c) (cc) (i) (ii) for the Central Drug Authority refer to the table below:

CDA Financial Year	Total Amount in Rands	Names of suppliers	Total number of copies
(aa) 2020-2021	R372 612,54	LSM COMMUNICATIONS	100 X printed copies 1 X electronic flip book, 3 X Large font, 20 X Braille
(bb) 2021-2022	R372 612,54	LSM COMMUNICATIONS	100 X printed copies 1 X electronic flip book, 3 X Large font, 20 X Braille
(cc) 2022-2023 Not yet printed and will be printed separately by the CDA since it is not part of the existing contract	Not yet printed and will be printed separately by the CDA since it is not part of the existing contract	Not yet printed and will be printed separately by the CDA since it is not part of the existing contract	Not yet printed and will be printed separately by the CDA since it is not part of the existing contract

(ii) (aa) (b) (bb) (c) (cc) (i) (ii) for SASSA refer to the table below:

Financial year	Total Amount in Rands	Names of suppliers	Total number copies printed
2020-21	R296 457.11	45th Media	1000 A4 copies. 1 A3 (large font size). Braille Copy 5 CDs.
2021-22	R237 971.17	45th Media	1000 A4 copies. 1 A3 (large font size). Braille Copy 5 CDs.
2022-23	R203 821.40	Shereno Printers	1000 A4 copies. 1 A3 (large font size). Braille Copy 5 CDs.

(ii) (aa) (b) (bb) (c) (cc) (i) (ii) for NDA refer to the table below:

Financial year	Total Amount in Rands	Names of suppliers	Total number copies printed
2020-21	R147 501-00	Atlarela Consulting	300
2021-22	R78 699-00	Add Markable	300
2022-23			The plan is to print 250 copies