OSDP RESPONSE TO
THE 2008 SONA (STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS)
Introduction:
Key to the SONA 2008 is the word “Business Unusual” which
implies speedy, efficient and effective implementation of disability related
policies and programmes. The response to this address will focus on the Apex
Priorities and the implementation through the strategic plan of the OSDP.
THE STATE OF THE
NATION ADDRESS SUMMARIZED THE 24 APEX PRIORITIES TO 8 POINTS:
1. Acceleration
of economic growth and development: The OSDP will ensure that opportunities for growth in
initiatives that are created for employment benefit people with disabilities
through activities implemented by NAP (National Accessibility Portal,
Jobs.co.za, E-Deaf recruitment company and training
center)
2. Speeding up
the process of building the infrastructure we need to achieve our economic and
social goals: OSDP
ensures that persons with disabilities will benefit in key action plans in
various sectors such as the mining sector, in initiatives for improvement of
small enterprises, co-operatives, agriculture and agro-processing.
3. Improving
the effectiveness of our interventions directed at the second economy and
poverty eradication: OSDP will work with SocDev, DPLG, Dti, Agric, DoH, Public
works, DPO’s to ensure that the objectives of the National War Room for War Against Povery benefit people with disabilities. Seconldy that people with disabilities are included and
involved in anti-poverty strategies that address the elderly, those living in
rural and urban informal settlements and those suffering from chronic
illnesses.
4. Enhancing
the impact of our programmes targeting the critically important area of
education and training:
§
OSDP will monitor implementation by the Department of education to
ensure that weaknesses of the ABET (Adult Basis Education Training) programmes
are corrected and people with disabilities participate in the National Kha Ri Gude (let us learn) mass literacy campaign.
§
OSDP will track professional graduates to ensure that there is
provision of “on-the-job-training” by SETA, and preparations for work by FET
colleges.
§
ECD sites should be responsive to the needs of children with
disabilities
5. Accelerating
our advance towards achievement of the goal of health for all:
.
o
OSDP
will continue to work in collaboration with SANAC to implement the Intensified National
Strategic Plan Against HIV and AIDS.
6.
Revamping the criminal
justice system to intensify our offensive against crime:
§
Working
toward prevention of violence crime, commercial, sexual crimes and any other
crime against people with disabilities.
§
Promotion
of access to justice through the equality courts (Article 13 of Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.)
7.
Further strengthening
the machinery of government to ensure that it has the capacity to respond to
our development imperatives:
8.
Enhancing our focus on
key areas in terms of our system of international relations with particular
focus on some African issues and South- South relations.
§
OSDP WILL establish a mini task team from National Disability
Machinery to serve as the African Decade Secretariat and
§
Visits to African countries.
THE OSDP STRATEGIC
PLAN COVERS THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
1.
Finalising the National Disability Policy Framework
·
Finalise
Draft National Policy Framework
·
Develop
a Draft implementation plan
·
Submit
to political principals for approval
·
Implement
after approval
·
development
of training manuals by SAMDI & budget, brief clusters on process and
contents
·
Letter
of commitments from DGs
·
Policy Framework and Implementation
Plan to be taken to Cabinet for approval by July 2008.
2. Finalising
the 15 Year
Review Workshop on 11 March
Utilise
report to compile a Hand-over Manual for next government.
3. Establish
and/or participate in appropriate Disability Coordination structure to
policies:
·
Develop
a calendar of Meetings
·
Develop
a programme of action (, additional reps, agenda items, etc for NDM (National
Disability Machinery) meetings e.g. Public Transport, NPF, SANAC Programme)
·
Establish
a mini task team from NDM to serve as the African Decade Secretariat
·
Convene
and implement quarterly NDM meetings a year
4. Government Co-ordinating Structure:
·
Consolidate
IDCCD and IPF into one structure
·
Develop
terms of reference for the new structure, including providing clarity on the
authority of National OSDP over provincial OSDP offices.
·
Convene
and implement quarterly meetings per
year
5. Local Government Co-ordinating
Structure
·
Meetings
with municipalities to establish and strengthen at local level
6. JMC:
·
Disability
Parliament – secured slot in calendar. OSDP to get date
·
Areas
of strategic interventions – OSDP to participate in JMC meetings with other
Departments
·
Proposing
JMC to be part of the machinery
·
JMC
to follow up on EE targets in public service and spending patterns on
Disability (e.g. budget for OSDP)
·
4
meetings per annum
·
Izimbizo
– calendar of GCIS.
7. Delivering on SA’s obligations in
respect of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
·
Awareness
Campaign
·
Develop
an awareness raising strategy on the contents of the UN Convention and the
obligations of the member countries
·
Develop
implementation the strategy
8. Alignment to National Policy and
Legislation:
·
Finalise
Draft National Policy Framework
·
Develop
a Draft implementation plan
·
Submit
to political principals for approval
·
Implement
after approval
9. Monitoring & Evaluation:
·
Ensure
indicators and measurements from UN Convention are incorporated into PCAS
government-wide M & E
·
Develop
and submit reports on implementation to Foreign Affairs for submission to the
UN as per prescribed deadlines
·
Convention pilot project in E.Cape (rural and less
resourced municipality)
10. Inclusion
of disability issues
where appropriate in APEX priority
· Investment Call Centre
· ICT interventions to provide cheap
platforms
· Resolve organizational issues on
skills development (Negotiate targets with Economic cluster)
· Resource poor schools and monitor
learning outcomes
· Land and Agrarian Reform
· Interim anti-poverty campaign and
anti-poverty strategy
· Self employment interventions in the
second economy
· Community infrastructure
· ECD programme
· Campaign on communicable diseases
· SMME Procurement assistance call
centre
(Negotiate targets with Economic
cluster)
· Special social cohesion campaigns
· Regularize employment and KPA’s at
designated levels
· Improve civic services
11. Facilitate
inclusion of people with disabilities and disability mainstreaming in all
Economic Growth and Development programmes
Economic employment targets
· Finalise national government audit
of EE targets, challenges experienced and recommendations to address challenges
· Submit Final report to relevant
Cluster committee
· M & E implementation of
recommendations once the report has been approved and adopted
· Develop Strategic Concept Paper
motivating for increasing the EE target to 8%.
· Submit to political principles for
approval and adoption.
· Engage with relevant departments to
ensure amendments to legislation is effected Skills Development Targets:
· Develop Strategic Concept Paper
motivating for increasing the Skills Development target to 10%.
· Submit to political principles for
approval and adoption
· Engage with relevant departments to
ensure amendments to legislation is effected
12. Pilot Commercialisation of Workshops
·
Manage
and participate in implementation
·
Provide
advise
·
Reporting
back to donor
·
Monitor
and evaluate
·
Fieldwork
o
Transform
o
Transform
Tembalethu Board and Management
o
Establish
Tembalethu Web presence
o
Increase
skills of learners at Tembalethu
o
create
partnerships with workshop and learners
o
Monitor
and evaluate Cape Craft Design Institute’s transformation at Tembalethu (best
practice model)
o
Monitor
and evaluate MODE’s economic transformation initiative at JOCOD.
o
Monitor
and evaluate Ngoepe’s economic transformation initiative at Dilokong Protective
Workshop.
o
Best
Practice Document and exchange initiative between four workshops.
·
Increase
capacity of placements of people with disabilities in formal employment
§
partnership
with E-Deaf
§
establish
incubator recruitment company
·
Establish
database of professionals for labour market
·
Partnership
between Department of Public Services and Administration (DPSA), Jobacces.co.za
and corporate.
·
Raise
awareness of jobaccess.co.za among persons with disabilities and prospective
employers
·
Increase
the capacity of jobaccess.co.za through document management system and
partnership with DPOs.
·
Audit of 2004-2007
o
Coordinate
Financial External Audits – Danish project funds; from inception to 2008/09
o
Internal
audit report: deal with backlogs
§
Skills transfer, exchange program
with Danish
§
Site
visits with Danish representatives
§
Study
tour to
§
Develop
best practice strategies for protective workshops
·
Development of exit Strategy: March
2009
13. Ensuring
that people with disabilities and their families are aware of existing
government programmes for people with disabilities
·
Commemoration
of International Day of Disabled Persons
·
Contribute
to the GCIS communication strategy that has been planned providing relevant
information. Accountable: GCIS with support from OSDP and line departments for
implementation of commitment and resolution of queries
·
Development
of action plan and brochure.
·
Disability
mainstreaming in izimbizo
·
OSDP
participates in izimbizo planning and event
·
Analyse,
record queries and concerns and commitments
and ref to relevant
14. Training of Public Servants on
mainstreaming disability in partnership with SAMDI
·
Continuously
assess training content developed by SAMDI
·
Advise
SAMDI on possible participants for training courses
·
Advise
civil servants on training offered by SAMDI
16. Reporting
and accounting to strategic and political structures to promote Good Governance:
Participate in
strategic sessions
·
Compiling
reports
·
Attend
standing communication meeting
·
Participate
in cluster communication meetings, Meetings, presidency etc
·
Compile weekly reports and Director’s weekly schedule to Chief Director
·
Compile
monthly OSDP reports for GDC meeting
17. SANAC
Programme:
·
Audit
of ARV sites (R = time, flights and accommodation for 4 people)
·
Training
of Pharmacists that are dispensing ARV and TB drugs (trainer, training
materials and venue, catering)
·
Open
days at places of congregation in an organized form (transport of pwds,
catering and entertainment)
·
Ongoing
role in M & E framework – facilitation & co-ordination role. Person in OSDP to capture M & E data
·
Ongoing
role in research – facilitation role (meetings, keeper of info).
·
Education
Information and Communication (EIC) – making research docs, etc available
18. Conclusion:
Continuing to facilitate inclusion
of people with disabilities and mainstreaming in all Social Development,
cultural and economic programmes.