Question NW2340 to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
08 September 2015 - NW2340
Esau, Mr S to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
(1)(a) How (i) effective is her department’s communication and marketing strategy and (ii) is this measured objectively and (b) why have targets in respect of the specified strategy been amended from the previous year; (2) what (a) challenges have been experienced in respect of implementing the specified strategy and (b) has her department’s performance been with respect to implementing the specified strategy from 1 April 2015 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; (3) what (a) human resources have been allocated to each provincial office for implementing the strategy, (b) systems and processes are implemented at each provincial office, (c) are the office hours of each provincial office, (d) materials and information are accessible from each provincial office and (e) are the qualifications of the staff members employed to implement the strategy; (4) whether any further training and development is being provided by her department with regard to the strategy; if so, what are the related costs; (5) (a) what are the current financial implications for each provincial office toward the implementation of the strategy, (b) why has Provincial Offices: Its Capacity and Accessibility not been listed as a key performance indicator and (c) how is the increase from R4 481 million to R8 780 million on communication being applied?
Reply:
- (1) (a) How (i)
The communications strategy is being rolled out and making some impact in so far as sharing information primarily through direct engagements using roadshows, stakeholder briefings with Military Veterans Associations including SANMVA the umbrella body as well as use of means such as media the website and publications. The fact that there is no national footprint and limitation of the communications structure limits capacity to reach the desired impact.
- Yes
- Targets were not amended. According to the Annual Performance Plan targets per Quarter, it is only the implementation and monitoring of the strategy.
(2)(a) The Department is currently the Department has a challenge with the organisational structure. This has limited the implementation of the Communication Strategy.
(2)(b) The Department is currently finalising its Q1 Performance review which will include amongst others, the implementation of the communication strategy. Furthermore, the Department is also running a communication campaign through GCIS. This communication campaign is focused at promoting the progress made by the Department thus far.
3.
(a) The current approved structure does not have communications staff members in provinces ,
(b) The current mode of communication with the provinces is through emails and telephones. The ICT is currently preparing for an intranet that will serve as a platform for internal communications at national and provincial level to assist in quicker relay of information to military veterans. The website capacity is also being beefed up.
(c) 07:30 – 16:30 pm are the official working hours though the officials go an extra mile and works on many occasions overtime and on weekends to cover and profile the departmental events.
(d) In the absence of physical structure of offices in provinces information is disseminated through Head Office.
(e) Not applicable
4. There is training and development planned for management and provincial coordinators to assist in the communication and marketing strategy implementation. The dates for training through a course with the School of Governance (former PALAMA) are between the 29th of July and the middle of August 2015. The current costs are R27 000
5.(a) Currently there is None.
(b) DMV is in a process of revisiting and reviewing the key performance indicators that will include that.
(c) The increase has been based on the DMV Annual Performance Plan as well as supporting key deliverables of the Department and the corporate communications programmes and activities. These include media engagements, advertorials, stakeholder engagements, use of own publications and media, branding and marketing as well as internal communications programmes. The budget is being reviewed to ensure that advertorials and other means such as social media are utilised more.