ATC210513: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration on the Strategic Plan 2019/20—2023/24, Annual Performance Plans (Apps) 2021/22 and the Budget Vote 9 of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Dated 13 May 2021

Public Service and Administration

REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN 2019/20—2023/24, ANNUAL PERFORMANCE PLANS (APPS) 2021/22 AND THE BUDGET VOTE 9 OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING, MONITORING AND EVALUATION, DATED 13 MAY 2021

 

  1. BACKGROUND

The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration(hereinafter referred to as the Portfolio Committee) having considered directive of the National Assembly to consider and report on the Strategic Plans, Annual Performance Plans and Budget allocations of the Department of Planning, Monitoringand Evaluation (DPME) and Brand South Africatabled by the Minister in the Presidency for Planning Monitoring and Evaluation in terms of the Public Finance Management Act (Act No 32 of 2003), reports as follows:

  1. INTRODUCTION

Parliament plays an important role in overseeing planning and performance of government departments and public entities as well as Chapter 9 and 10 institutions. The Public Finance Management Act, section 27 stipulates that the Minister must table the annual budget for a financial year in the National Assembly before the start of the financial year. Subsequent to that the Money Bills Amendment Procedures and Related Matters Act, No 9 of 2009, section 10 (1) (c) clearly stipulates that the relevant members of Cabinet must table updated strategic plan and annual performance plan for each department, public entity or institution, which must be referred to the relevant Committee for consideration and reporting.

In considering the strategic and annual performance plans, the Committee ensured that the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation and Brand South Africa plans and budget allocationsare in line with Medium Term Strategic Plan 2019/24. Budget allocation serves as a key instrument for government to promote socio-economic development. Budget allocation plays a critical role as an economic instrument of the government to reflect on the country’s socio-economic policy priorities by translating priorities and political commitments into expenditures. Budget serves as a vital tool to operationalise government activities towards the achievement of its intended priorities. Furthermore, the budget highlights the constraints and trade-offs in policy choices.

On 05th May 2021, the Committee considered presentation on Annual Performance Plans and budget allocation of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation and Brand South Africa. This report summarises the presentations received from the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation and Brand South Africa, focusing on the 2019/24 Strategic Plans and 2020/21 Annual Performance Plans and Budget as well as allocations over the MTEF.

 

  1. OVERVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation plays a direct, guiding role in government’s long term planning, strategic planning and annual performance planning. This role requires providing evidence-based input on crosscutting issues that have long-term implications for development. The Department’srole is to lead the development of the NDP Five-Year Implementation Plan to provide a medium term roadmap, which will inform the basis for developing Five-Year departmental plans that will guide the realisation of the NDP priorities. Development of NDP Five-YearImplementation Plan will serve as a monitoring framework linked to the Programme of Action reporting system

The purpose of the NDP Five-Year Implementation Plan is to advance and guide medium and short-term planning that is responsive to the attainment of the NDP priorities leading to 2030. The NDP Five-Year Implementation Plan will allow for the coordination and alignment of priorities across the spheres of government and non-government stakeholders and assist in integrating all components of national development into mainstream planning processes.

  1. LEGISLATIVE MANDATE

The mandate of the Department is derived from Section 85(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa which stipulate that “the President exercises the executive authority, together with the other members of the Cabinet, by (b) developing and implementing national policy and (c) coordinating the functions of state departments and administration. Based on the Constitutional mandate embedded in section 85(2), the following are the key mandates of the DPME:

  • Supporting the National Planning Commission.
  • Facilitating the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) through the development of sector specific and outcome‐specific medium-term plans and delivery agreements, and monitoring and evaluating the implementation of these plans.
  • Ensuring the alignment of departmental strategic and annual plans and budget allocations with government’s medium-term strategic framework.
  • Monitoring the performance of individual national and provincial government departments and municipalities, and facilitating targeted intervention programmes.
  • Monitoring frontline service delivery and managing the Presidential Hotline.
  • Developing and implementing the annual national evaluations plan and supporting the national evaluations system; and
  • Promoting good planning, monitoring and evaluation practices in government.

 

5.Overview of the 2021/2022financial year

The Department has the following activities planned for 2021/22:

5.1 Reviewing the NDP

The NDP was adopted as a guide to achieving South Africa’s goals, broadly in terms of socioeconomic development, and specifically in terms of eliminating poverty, creating jobs and reducing inequality by 2030. The National Planning Commission was tasked with reviewing some aspects of the NDP to address certain implementation challenges. Over the medium term, this review is expected to assess the capacity and capability of the State in measuring the implementation of the NDP. Related activities are set to be carried out in the Management: National Planning Coordination sub-programme in the National Planning Coordination programme.

 

5.2        Improving and strengthening government planning and coordination

The Department is mandated to improve and strengthen government’s planning and coordination. This involves: ensuring the implementation of government’s medium-term strategic framework, which is implemented in five year cycles to allow for revisions, and serves as a roadmap for achieving goals linked to NDP outcomes; and conducting assessments of national departments’ draft strategic and annual performance plans to ensure alignment with the medium-term strategic framework and the NDP. In this regard, in each year over the medium term, the Department expects to produce 47 assessment reports. Based on the outcomes of these assessments, the Department will, in consultation with the National Treasury, identify delivery priorities for the funding of national departments. Related activities are carried out in the Planning Coordination sub-programme in the NationalPlanning Coordination programme.

 

5.3        Supporting implementation of short-term and medium-term goals

Tracking the performance of the short-term and medium-term goals of Government’s 2019‐2024 medium-term strategic framework is a core function of the Department. Accordingly, over the MTEF period, the Department will engage national and provincial departments, government agencies and key state-owned entities to assess their implementation of the priorities and indicators of the medium-term strategic framework, and identify performance gaps and interventions to address underperformance. In this regard, the Department plans to produce two reports per year over the medium term for submission to Cabinet.

 

5.4        Monitoring and supporting implementation

Over the medium term, Government’s 2020-2024 medium-term strategic framework will form the basis of using the Programme of Action monitoring system, which will identify critical actions to be taken by government towards achieving the NDP’s vision while enabling direct links between the NDP, and departmental strategic and annual performance plans. Through the programme of action monitoring system, the Department will report to Cabinet bi-annually regarding the implementation of Government’s 2020-2024 Medium-Term Strategic Framework.

 

These activities are carried out in the Outcomes Monitoring and Support sub-programme in the

Sector Monitoring Services programme. Due to a growing demand from parliamentary committees and Cabinet, over the medium term, the Department plans to intervene and support the implementation of government policies and programmes at various levels of the service delivery value chain, particularly in provinces placed under administration and in areas of social unrest. Also, to fast-track the implementation of government policies and programmes in critical development issues through Operation PhakisaMonitoring Services programme.

 

 

 

5.5        Developing intervention programmes to support service delivery

The Department plans to produce two reports per year over the MTEF period to monitor the impact of policy priorities in relation to actual service delivery through various frontline monitoring programmes, including targeted site visits, citizen-based monitoring and the Presidential Hotline. To enhance capacity over the medium term, the Department plans to assess the performance of government departments, agencies, state-owned enterprises and local government. This will include the development of a new monitoring model to replace the management performance assessment tool, and support the annual development and assessment of performance agreements of Heads of Department. These activities will be carried out in the Public ServiceMonitoring and Capacity Development sub-programme in the Public Sector Monitoring and CapacityDevelopment programme.

 

5.6        Conducting research and evaluations

The Department’s ongoing focus is on maximising the use of its evaluations and research to generate rapid and relevant evidence to inform planning and monitoring, and appropriate interventions. As such, over the medium term, the Department plans to work towards improving research and knowledge, and maintain evidence-based policy development, planning, implementation and monitoring by providing support for data management. This will be achieved by developing and monitoring the implementation of a national evaluation plan, and conducting evaluations and research to support the planning and monitoring activities of the National PlanningCoordination and Sector Monitoring Services programmes. Accordingly, in each year over the medium term, the Department plans to produce 10 evidence reports on indicators related to evaluations, and research and development.

 

  1. BUDGET ALLOCATION

The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation overall budget allocation in 2021/22 financial year is R453.9 million, which is an increase as compared to R400.0 million in 2020/21 financial year. This represents an increase of 13.48 per cent in nominal terms. However, in real terms the total budget for the Department increased by only 8.90 per cent between 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial years.  The spending focus of the Department over the medium term will be on compensation of employees, which accounts for an estimated 68.1 per cent (R91.2 million) of the total budget, followed by goods and services which constitutes 30.5 per cent (R442.4 million). The following programmes have received a significant increase as compared to the 2020/21 financial year, which are Programme 1: Administration and Programme 2: National Planning Coordination. The Department will continue to monitor the implementation of government’s 2019-2024 medium term strategic framework and other key priorities set forth in the economic reconstruction and recovery plan.  The Department has five programmes. 

 

Over the medium term, the Department will focus on strengthening its planning and budgeting functions to support government priorities and on strengthening the production of evidence-based reports to create robust planning, monitoring and evaluation systems. Expenditure on compensation of employees accounts for an estimated 68.1 per cent (R91.2 million) of the department’s total budget over the medium term, followed by goods and services, which constitutes 30.5 per cent (R442.4 million). The Department staff composition is 56 per cent women, 50% youth and 2% are people with disabilities. 

 

Table 1: Budget per programme

Programme

Budget

Nominal Rand change

Real Rand change

Nominal % change

Real % change

R million

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

 2020/21-2021/22

 2020/21-2021/22

Programme 1: Administration

  158.8

  185.8

  183.6

  184.7

  27.0

  19.5

17.00 per cent

12.29 per cent

Programme 2: National Planning Coordination

  65.1

  80.6

  83.8

  82.8

  15.5

  12.3

23.81 per cent

18.82 per cent

Programme 3: Sector Monitoring Services

  59.9

  64.5

  66.3

  65.9

  4.6

  2.0

7.68 per cent

3.34 per cent

Programme 4: Public Sector Monitoring and Capacity Development

  80.5

  81.9

  83.7

  85.6

  1.4

-  1.9

1.74 per cent

-2.36 per cent

Programme 5: Evidence and Knowledge Systems

  35.7

  41.1

  42.9

  42.3

  5.4

  3.7

15.13 per cent

10.49 per cent

TOTAL

400

453.9

460.3

461.3

53.9

35.6

13.48 per cent

8.90 per cent

Source: Estimates of National Expenditure 2021

 

 

 

 

  1. PROGRAMME PERFORMANCE

The Department hasfive programmes, which are as follows:

  1. Programme 1: Administration

The main objective of the programme is to provide strategic leadership, management, administrative, financial and human resource services to enable the Department to achieve its strategic and operational goals. The Programme’s key focus is to implement revised organisational structure and recruitment of key personnel, improve the quality of performance information, maintain good financial management practices to sustain clean audit outcomes and strengthen communication around the National Development Plan.

The budget allocated for the programme is R185.8 million in 2021/22 financial year as compared to R158.8 million in 2020/21 financial year. The budget will marginally increase over the MTEF period. Budget allocated will be spread into three sub-programmes, which are Ministry, Departmental Management, Corporate Services and Financial Management. A large portion of the budget of R138.1 million of the total amount in this programme is allocated to sub-programme: Corporate Services and Financial Administration. The Ministry Support budget will remain the same over the MTEF as compared to the previous financial years.

The spending focus over the medium term is to strengthen capacity in administrative and corporate support services and the acquisition of additional office accommodation to cater for the expanded functions of the department. Under this programme, the Department will ensure 100% compliance in submission of financial interest by all designated employees within the specified time frames. Furthermore, the programme will produce annual risk Anti-Corruption and Integrity Management implementation plan and four quarterly progress report on the risks.

The Department is planning to achieve its 80% of annual targets and maintain vacancy rate at 5%. As part of legislative requirements, the Department will produce four quarterly implementation reports against the annual performance plan. The Department intends to pay invoices to service providers within 10 days, failure to adhere to set timeframe results into the disciplinary cases instituted against the non-performer.  

 

 

  1. Programme 2:National Planning Coordination

The purpose of the Programme is to develop, implement planning frameworks, and facilitate the alignment of the planning and budgeting functions across government and in the Department. The key objective of this Programme is to ensure the achievement of the NDP’s objectives by 2030, through developing an annual budget prioritisation framework, embedding the national spatial development framework in the strategic and annual performance plans of national and provincial departments over the medium term.

The Programme further intends to coordinate planning functions across government by assessing the alignment of the strategic and annual performance plans of national and provincial departments and public entities with Government’s 2019-2024 Medium-Term Strategic Framework annually. In addition, the Programme has to assess alignment of provincial growth and development plans with local government’s Integrated Development Plans and, in turn, with Government’s 2019-2024 Medium-Term Strategic Framework annually.

The budget allocated to the programme is R80.6 million in 2021/22 as compared to R65.1 million in the 2020/21 financial year. The budget has significantly increased in this programme. The spending focus is under sub-programme national planning coordination with R47.3 million that will ensure alignment of the provincial growth with the MTSF 2019-2024 and performance plans of the national and provincial departments. Under this programme, the department will promote alignment between strategic and annual performance plans and the Revised MTSF 2019-2024 and the integration of relief and recovery plans. Furthermore, the programme will conduct assessments on Strategic and Annual Performance Plans to ensure alignment to the Revised MTSF and the South Africa Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP).

The Department will produce a report on monitoring NDP Indicators and Targets. Moreover, the Department will produce synthesis report on all research projects to review and support implementation of the NDP. Engagement reports on the NDP implementation will be produced. Guidelines of Annual Reports (reporting against the Annual Performance Reporting) for national and provincial institutions, which includes reporting on interventions implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021/22, the Department will develop the Budget Prioritisation Framework, which will contribute towards the alignment of the budget allocations with the Revised MTSF 2019-2024 and the 2021 SONA priorities. Above all, the Department will produce a fore-sighting report which will inter alia focus on economic reforms, the capacity state and the medium to long-term impacts of COVID-19. A research report will be produced on the alignment between the national budget and government priorities 2021 SONA priorities.

The programme will further provide guidance based on the Revised MTSF 2019-2024 and National Spatial Development Framework (NSDF). The Department aims to strengthen the implementation of the geo-spatial referencing guidelines in support of the Revised MTSF 2019-2024 and the NSDF with the piloting of the guidelines in three provincial departments. This will enable the collection and collation of disaggregated geo-spatially referenced data at provincial sphere and where possible, correlate to the 2021 SONA priorities including the implementation of the ERRP, the COVID-19 Vaccination Roll-out and the Employment Stimulus. The Department will be coordinating the process towards the drafting of the updated Integrated Planning Framework Bill (IDFB) so as facilitate the harmonisation of national long, medium and short-term planning.  The revised IDFB will strengthen the state’s capacity to implement country priorities and achieve targets, including those relating to the ERRP.       

 

  1. Programme 3:Sector Monitoring Services

The purpose of the Programme is to ensure government policy coherence. The Programmedevelops, facilitates, supports and monitors the implementation of sector plans and intervention strategies. The main objectives of the programme are to ensure the effective implementation of government’s 2019-2024 Medium-Term Strategic Framework by monitoring the achievement of targets in priorities 1 to 5 and priority 7 and reporting on progress to Cabinet twice in a year. Furthermore, it monitors and reports on the achievement of targets in the performance agreements between the President and Ministers annually, and support, where and when required for the development and implementation of special intervention programmes.

The budget allocated for the programme is R64.5 million for 2021/22 financial year as compared to R59.9 million in 2019/20 financial year. Over the MTEF, the budget will increase by 4.6 per cent to accelerate progress towards the national priorities embodied in the NDP 2030. The spending focus in this financial year will be realised on sub-programme Outcomes Monitoring and Support, which has been allocated a total amount of R54.8 million. The Department will produce two status reportson each sub-programme on the implementation of the Ministerial and Head of Department Performance Management Development System. Further, it will produce two public service capability and monitoring reports and one State Owned Enterprise performance report on selected SOEs contributing towards the MTSF. The Department will also develop a framework on the socio-economic impact of District Development Model (DDM) by 30 September 2021 and implemented by March 2022. 

  1. Programme 4: Public Sector Monitoring and Capacity Development

The purpose of the Programme is to support the implementation of the Medium-Term Strategic Framework by monitoring and improving the capacity of state institutions to develop and implement plans, and provide services. The main objective of the Programme is to strengthen state governance, efficiency, effectiveness and equity through: monitoring the achievement of targets related to Priority 6 of Government’s 2019-2024 Medium-Term Strategic Framework, and reporting on progress to Cabinet twice in a year. Furthermore, it will develop and implement the new performance and capabilities analytical framework by March 2021 by ensuring the alignment of the performance agreements of Heads of Department with Government’s 2019-2024 Medium-Term Strategic Framework and supporting assessments conducted on Heads of Department annually. Also, the Programme monitors service delivery through regular frontline monitoring visits, citizen-based monitoring and the Presidential Hotline, and reporting thereon.

The budget allocated for the Public Sector Monitoring and Capacity Development programme is R81.9 million for the 21/22 financial year. The programme has 38 staff members. The budget will increase over the medium term to provide financial support for the attainment of the objectives of the programme. In this financial year, the Department will produce two status reports on the implementation of the Ministerial Performance Development Management System (PDMS) and two status reports on the implementation of the PDMS for the Head of Department (HoD).

Moreover, the Department will produce two public service capability and monitoring reports. As part of monitoring the State Owned Enterprise, the Department will produce one SOE performance report on a selected SOE contributing towards the MTSF. Two reports on the annual and midterm overview of the status of the frontline performance and service delivery. The Department intends to resolve 60 percent of all citizens’ service delivery complaints from the Presidential Hotline. With regard to capacity development, the Department aims to achieve 18 targets in the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E) Capacity Development Implementation Plan. The programme will produce monitoring reports on the capability and performance of the state in the Economic Recovery Plan roll out.     

The programme will spend the budget on the following: developing two public service capability and monitoring reports, State Owned Enterprises Governance and Performance Report, SOEs Oversight and Monitoring Framework, one high risk SOE supported and an established interdepartmental structure to oversee the Audit and rationalisation of SOEs.

The District Development Model is a method that seeks to improve the coherence and impact of government service delivery, is the proactive response to the issues that have hampered our society. The Department to produce oversight, monitoring reports on the implementation of the District Development Model which is piloted in three district municipalities in Limpopo, KwaZulu Natal and Eastern Cape provinces.    

  1. Programme 5: Evidence and Knowledge Systems

The purpose of the Programme is to coordinate and support the generation, collation, accessibility and timely use of quality evidence to support performance monitoring and evaluation across government. The main objective of the programme is to support the planning and monitoring roles of the Department by developing and implementing the national evaluation plan annually, conducting research and evaluations in key policy areas as identified annually, and producing relevant evidence reports. It also improves knowledge management in the Department through the development and implementation of a departmental knowledge and evidence hub.

The budget allocation for the programme is R52.1 million in 2020/21 financial year. There is a marginal increase on the budget allocated in 2020/21 financial year for the programme. The spending focus under this programme is to generate and collate evaluations, research and data from across government; develop a DPME Knowledge Hub and knowledge management system, including systems and protocols within DPME for sharing data and systems for research and analysis. The programme will produce a technical system design of the Centralised Management and Analytical System (CDMAS) and Evidence-Based Technical to be provided to government Institutions. 

 

 

  1. Brand South Africa

8.1Legislative Mandate and Policy

The mandate informing Brand South Africa (BSA) is derived from the organisation’s Trust Deed.  BSA was established as a trust in 2002 and gazetted as a schedule 3A public entity in accordance with the PFMA No.1 of 1999.  Brand South Africa is an entity tasked with delivering integrated Marketing, Communication, Reputation management solutions and interventions as it markets the South African Brand locally and abroad. Its purpose is to develop and implement a proactive and coordinated international marketing and communications strategy for South Africa; to contribute to job creation and poverty reduction; and to attract inward investment, trade and tourism.

BSA aims to make an indirect contribution to economic growth, job creation, poverty alleviation and social cohesion by encouraging local and foreign investment, tourism and trade through the promotion of Brand South Africa.In the next five years, BSA will continue to be the authority on the Nation Brand through development and implementation of proactive and coordinated marketing, communications and reputation management strategies. The entity will achieve this by developing and articulating a South Africa Nation Brand identity that will advance South Africa’s long-term positive reputation and global competitiveness. Brand SA Strategic Plan responds to changing domestic and international realities.

8.1.1 Brand SA objectives for 2021/22

  1. Developing and articulating a South Africa Brand identity that will advance South Africa’s long-term positive reputation and global competitiveness.
  2. Building individual and institutional alignment to and supporting the brand in South Africa, and pride and patriotism amongst South Africans.
  3. Seeking to build awareness and the image of the brand in other countries.
  4. Seeking the involvement and cooperation of various government departments, public entities, the private sector, the non-governmental sector and civil society in achieving this objective.

8.1.2 Brand South Africa’s main source of revenue is the Government Grant.  Brand South Africa received a budget of R213.4 million for 2021/22.The budget has declined by approximately 6.39 from financial year 2017/18 to financial year 2021/22.

8.2Programme Performance

The BSA has three main programmes, namely:

  1. Programme 1: Administration

The Programme seeks to provide strategic leadership, management and support services to the core business functions of Brand South Africa and is overall responsible for ensuring sound governance, high performance and optimal utilization of available capital and resources.

The budget allocated for Programme 1 is R103.4 million for 2021/22 financial year. The budget will be spent on a number of activities including implementation of organisational corporate identity; reporting to Board of Trustees on status of policy governance; policy and procedures awareness workshop; payment of valid invoices to suppliers within 30 days from date of receipt of invoice;and drafting and tabling of the Annual Performance Plan to the Executing Authority in Parliament. Brand SA intends to submit four reports to the Board of Trustees on the applicable legislative framework. 

  1. Programme 2: Brand,Marketing & Reputation Management

The Programme seeks to develop and articulate a Nation Brand identity that will advance South Africa’s long-term reputation and global competitiveness. This includes a focus to research and monitoring sentiment and performance of the National Brand to analyse trends and providing insights to inform decision making and communication; and then to both proactively and reactively communicate the country’s value proposition, values and highlight progress being made.

Programme 2 has been allocated a budget of R91.5 million in the 2021/22 financial year. Programme 2 is the core function of BSA. The budget will be spent on various activities, which include among others, marketing campaigns that illustrate the attractiveness of the national Brand to reach all domestic and international audiences; Play Your Part ambassador engagements supported, integrated reputation and communication activities implemented for strategic platforms domestically, constitutional awareness campaigns and global South Africans activities implemented in the key markets.  Furthermore, it will develop positive communication pieces, positive thought leadership and webinars. Brand SA will review and respond to relevant issues impactingon the Nation Brand in line with the reputation management strategy. The entity plans to have Play Your Part ambassador engagements and four constitutional awareness campaigns.

  1. Programme 3: Stakeholder relationships

The Programme seeks to build and leverage collaborative partnerships,integrate and coordinate efforts and approaches to market the Nation Brand identity and promote the Nation’s value proposition and to interface meaningfully with stakeholders who drive or influence the Nation Brand and its reputation.

The Programme has a budget allocation of R18.4 million for 2021/22 financial year.  The budget will be spent on the following activities:holding one National Brand Forums, National Brand alignment training workshops implemented in provinces, to review and implement annual stakeholder relations strategy, implement collaborative activities in partnership with the public sector, civil society and business stakeholders domestically.  

  1. OBSERVATIONS AND KEY FINDINGS

The Committee observed the following matters in relation to Budget Vote 8, to which the Department must give attention:

  1. The Committee notes and considered the Annual Performance Plans 2021/22 for the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation and Brand South Africa. The Departmental APP provides a pragmatic framework in pursuit of vision of improving government outcomes and impact on society. The Department’s APP places emphasis on the SONA commitments, among which is to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerate economic recovery and implementing structural economic reforms to create sustainable jobs.
  2. The Committee compliments government’s swift response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw the reprioritisation of programmes and resources towards tackling the pandemic. This resulted in government reviewing targets and indicators contained in the MTSF. Therefore, the MTSF had to be revised to account for the impacts of COVID-19 and the budget prioritisation. The revised MTSF 2019-2024 will guide government’s focus over the remaining three years of the administration.

 

  1. The Committee emphasised the importance of the integrated MTSF Monitoring and Reporting System that will track progress and support implementation. The Department has to closely monitor the implementation of the NDP across government, through the monitoring of the detailed actions, indicators and targets as this will assist in measuring overall impact of the achievements on society.

 

  1. The Committee encouraged the Department to swiftly move with speed towards finalisation of an Integrated Planning Framework Bill having incorporated lesson learned throughthe District Development Model pilot completed in March 2021.  The Committee stressed the importance of the Bill as it will enforce coordination, collaboration and coherence of planning and budgets across the three spheres of government. 

 

  1. The Committee took noteof the Department’sefforts of re-engineering the Presidential Hotline with the aim of improving its effectiveness and the launching of the Khawuleza Mobile App and USSD Code intended to improve effectiveness of the hotline as a gateway for the people to report and access government services. The Committee is of the firm view that the introduction of the Mobile App should have increased the reporting of service delivery complaints using the App.

 

  1. With regard to the Frontline and Citizen-Based Monitoring, the Committee encouraged the Department to conduct sufficient unannounced monitoring visits to government departments service delivery facilities with the aim of developing an understanding and experience of various departments’ services

 

  1. The Committee was concerned about a lack of monitoring tool to monitor some critical State Owned Enterprises as per the previous SONA priorities announced by the President. The Committee urged the Department to move swiftly towards monitoring the SOEs as they remain important pillars in the economy.

 

  1. Having participated in North West province’s subjection to intervention of Section 100 of the Constitution, the Department has to document case studies aimed at strengthening weaknesses leading to future interventions in the public administration. Use of case studies on lesson learned can improve and strengthen policies and programmes.

 

  1. The Committee encouraged the Department to ensure the Local Government Management Improvement Model is effective and efficient in uprooting core challenges facing the municipalities.

 

  1. The Committee learned that the Department is still in the processesto complete transfer of National Spatial Development Framework to the Department. However, the negotiations are ongoing. The Committee emphasised the importance of Department developing its own internal capacity to be able drive spatial reforms for the country.

 

  1. The Committee notes that the Department will be monitoring social relief and economic support package to the value of R500 million towards a relief fund.

 

Brand South Africa

 

  1. The Committee welcomes and notes the repositioning of Brand South Africa to be more appealing and enticing in its effort to market the country domestically and abroad. The Committee urged the Minister and Brand SA to conclude an ongoing discussion of a possible merger between Tourism SA and Brand SA. However, the Committee appealed to the Department that job losses should be avoided or minimal if they are inevitable.  

 

  1. The Committee was concerned about the APP targets, which are described as percentages rather than quantities. 

 

  1. In relation to filling of all funded vacancies, the Committee noted that Brand SA will fill vacancies once the reconfiguration process is completed.

 

  1. RECOMMENDATIONS

The Portfolio Committee recommends the following to the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation and Brand South Africa for actioning:

 

  1.             The Department should swiftly finalise the Integrated Development Planning Framework Bill, after having incorporated District Development Model pilot results into the Bill. 

 

  1. The Department should speed up the process of finalising the revised Medium-Term Strategic Framework 2019-24 impacted by COVID-19 pandemic. Revised MTSF should be published on the Department’s website for members of the public to access the documents for consumption.

 

  1. The Department must strengthen its capacity to ensure integrated MTSF Monitoring and Reporting System that will track progress and support implementation is effective in monitoring departments towards performance of the NDP.

 

  1. The Department must develop capacity to robustly analyse the linkage of the Medium-Term Strategic Framework with departments’ strategic plans and annual performance plans with the aim of addressing fragmentations to planning and budgeting. 

 

  1. The Department must conduct more unannounced visits to service delivery facilities through the Frontline and Citizen-Based Monitoring in order to improve qualityof services.

 

  1. Having transformed the Presidential Hotline, the Department should compile a comprehensive report on the logged cases using Khawuleza Mobile App to determine the efficiency of the system,and table itin Parliament by November 2021.

 

  1. The Department should strengthen its capacity inmonitoring adherence to the Policy on Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) for Senior Managers, particularly performance assessments of the Directors-General/Heads of Department across the public service.

 

  1. In monitoring the Social Relief and economic support package, the Department should timeously compile a performance report of the support packages to determine the outcomes and impact on citizen.

 

  1. The Department should provide the lead in the District Development Model and ensure that role clarification among different actors in government and private sector is clearly articulated. 

 

 

 

 

 

Brand South Africa

 

  1. Brand South Africa should continue to discharge its mandate to positively influence and enhancethe perception of the Nation Brand in balancing its local and international branding.

 

  1. Brand South Africa as well Ministry of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation should move with speed in finalising the merger of the institution and Tourism South Africa. Fast tracking the merger will assist the institution and its employees to begin to engage on the process. Brand SA should ensure that there are no job losses.

 

  1. Brand South Africa should continue to market the National Brand to the international and domestic investors for the promotion of domestic trade in order to attract investments in the country. BSA should be proactive in protecting the country’s reputation through marketing the Nation Brand by promoting positive publicity about South African brands.

 

  1. CONCLUSION

The Department’s mandate of improving and strengthening government-wide planning as well as monitoring and evaluating government performance is carried out satisfactorily. The Committee will continue to support the Department and to exercise oversight to ensurethat planning is informed by Government’s Programme of Action andthe Medium Term Strategic Framework.These said tools must be aligned to the objectives of the NDP. The achievement of the NDP requirescollaboration, integration and cooperation across all levels of government, including the private sector. The Committee was satisfied with the Department developingthe NDP Five-Year Implementation Plan (MTSF) to advance and guide medium and short-term planning of the Sixth Government.The Department has a critical role to play in enhancing government’s performance.

The Portfolio Committee recommends as follows:

That the House approves the Budget Vote 9 of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.

Report to be considered.

Documents

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