ATC240305: Report of the Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament on the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa’s 2023/24 Third Quarter Report, dated 5 March 2024

Joint Standing Committee on Financial Management of Parliament

Report of the Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament on the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa’s 2023/24 Third Quarter Report, dated 5 March 2024.

The Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament having considered the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa’s performance in the third quarter of 2023/24, reports as follows:

1. Introduction

1.1 Section 4 of the Financial Management of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act, No. 10 of 2009 (the FMPPLA) provides for the establishment of an oversight mechanism to maintain oversight of the financial management of Parliament. The Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament (the Committee) was established in terms of the Joint Rules of Parliament. The Committee has the powers afforded to parliamentary committees under sections 56 and 69 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (the Constitution).

1.2 Section 52 of the FMPPLA requires that the accounting officer must, within 30 days of the end of each quarter, report to the Executive Authority on Parliament’s quarterly performance in respect of the implementation of the annual performance plan (APP). The Executive Authority in turn, and in terms of section 54 of the FMPPLA, must table each quarterly report within five working days of receiving it, for the consideration of the oversight mechanism i.e., the Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament. The 2023/24 Third Quarter Report was accordingly tabled on 1 February 2024, and referred to the Committee on 8 February 2024. The senior management team, led by the Secretary to Parliament, appeared before the Committee in a meeting held on 1 March 2024 during which the institution’s performance in the period under review was interrogated.

1.3 This report comprises five parts: Part A, the background to the work of Parliament and the Committee; Part B, containing a summary of the new reporting framework; Part C, an overview of the third quarter performance report, including financial information; Part D, a summary of human resource-related developments, and Part E, the Committee’s observations and recommendations.

1.4 This report should be read along with Parliament’s Strategic Plan for 2019-2024, the 2023/24 revised APP and budget, and the Committee’s previous reports in respect of Parliament’s performance.

Part A

2. Background

2.1 Mandate

2.1.1 Parliament derives its mandate from:

- Chapter 4 of the Constitution;

- the FMPPLA which regulates the institution’s financial management;

- the Money Bills Amendment Procedure and Related Matters Act, 2009 No 9 of 2009 which provides procedures to amend money bills; and

- the Powers, Privileges, and Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act No 4 of 2004 which defines and declares the national and provincial legislatures’ powers, privileges, and immunities.

2.2 Mission and vision

2.2.1 Parliament has as its vision to be an activist and responsive people’s Parliament that improves the quality of life of South Africans and ensures enduring equality in our society. Its mission is to represent the people and to ensure government by the people by fulfilling its constitutional functions of passing laws and overseeing executive action. To this end, the institution conducts its business in line with the following values: openness, responsiveness, accountability, teamwork, professionalism, and integrity.

2.3 Strategic Priorities

2.3.1 Parliament has identified only two strategic priorities for the Sixth Parliament i.e., to strengthen oversight, and to enhance public involvement in Parliament’s activities.

2.3.2 In order to achieve the above outcome, the Sixth Parliament will:

- improve committee oversight work in relation to the budget cycle in particular, through allowing more time in the parliamentary programme for oversight activities and by encouraging committees to undertake such activities jointly.

- improve the effectiveness of public hearings through greater public participation, expanding public education, better dissemination of information, effective use of broadcasting, technology and social media, the use of more official languages, and encouraging committees to undertake joint public hearings.

2.3.3 To aid in the above activities, the institution will:

- enhance research and legal support in respect of oversight activities;

- improve members’ capacity through capacity-building programmes that will empower parliamentarians to be effective and efficient in executing their oversight responsibilities;

- improve oversight and accountability through better monitoring, tracking and evaluation in respect of Parliament’s own work, as well as the work of the Executive;

- ensure openness and accessibility with modern technology in respect of social media, tools-of-trade, workflows, and automation; and

- cut costs to allow for operational sustainability.

2.3 Improved reporting framework

2.3.1 Parliament’s new macro framework has been designed to ensure a parliament that is transformative, responsive, and collaborative (through effective stakeholder engagement). The parliamentary administration will be effecting a series of improvements to its reporting framework to align it to the new macro framework which focusses on Parliament’s outcomes and impact.

2.3.2 The new reporting framework will focus on Parliament’s transformative work measuring the extent to which Parliament impacts the daily lives of people in South Africa. This impact will be measured through the National Development Plan (NDP) impact indicators related to poverty alleviation, unemployment reduction, and inequality eradication.

2.3.3 To assist in the above measurement, new outcome indicators will be established in respect of Parliament’s oversight work, with a specific focus on medium term strategic framework (MTSF) indicators tabled in Parliament. The new outcome indicators will include indicators focussed specifically on Parliament’s the identified oversight priorities.

2.3.4 Performance reporting will include indicators related to oversight priorities, key development trends and how Parliament has impacted the quality of life of people in South Africa in respect of the following: economic empowerment, education and skills development, access to quality health care, infrastructure development, social cohesion, and environmental stability.

Part B

Third Quarter Performance

The Third Quarter report tracked 31 indicators of which 3 were related to the parliamentary programme, 9 were associated with member satisfaction, and 19 related to transformational targets. Paragraphs 3.1.1 to 4.4.1 provide a summary of Parliament’s performance across programmes.

3. Programme 1: Administration

3.1 Overview

3.1.1 Programme 1 provides strategic leadership, management, and corporate services to Parliament, and comprises the following sub-programmes: Executive Authority, Office of the Secretary, and Corporate and Support Services. Of the indicators under this programme 71 per cent were met i.e. 21 of the 31 indicators.

3.1.2 The institution reported substantial progress in various aspects of Parliament’s mission and goals. Among these successful indicators, 11 were categorised as transformational, 9 indicators were service delivery-related, and 3 were programming-related. This progress made for a strong foundation towards the Seventh Parliament.

3.2 Transformational Performance

Operational Excellence: Communication and Brand positioning

3.2.1 In 2023/24 the institution plans to develop an institutional strategy to improve public trust. In the period under review, the target was to consult key stakeholders on the recommendations to improve public trust. This target was met.

3.2.2 The institution intends implementing a broadcasting strategy for the Seventh Parliament in 2023/24. Although the first and second quarter targets could not be met, the third quarter target was achieved. The formulation of a legislative framework facilitating free-to-air broadcast services for Parliament, including licensing provisions under the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), has been devised and submitted.

3.2.3 Additionally, a thorough broadcast strategy for the Seventh Parliament has been drafted and presented for approval. An external team of broadcasting talent comprising technical, managerial, and on-air expertise was being assembled. This external team will collaborate with Parliament to formulate an implementation plan for the Seventh Parliament broadcasting strategy. A service provider has been appointed to translate the strategy into an actionable implementation plan.

Operational Excellence: Culture, Policy, and Structure

3.2.4 In an effort to professionalise the parliamentary service the institution will develop and implement the new plan for the institutional realignment project, develop and implement a change management plan, and develop and review and policy review implementation plan. In the period under review key stakeholders were to be consulted in respect of each of these indicators. All three targets were met.

3.2.5 The institution reported good progress towards enhancing operational excellence. Management team workshops were conducted and focused on the macro design and providing a comprehensive understanding of the strategic framework. The approval of the ORP project charter, and the terms of reference for the project team and steering committee were key milestones towards formalising the project structure.

3.2.6 The alignment of the culture framework with the change management agenda of the institution will contribute to creating a cohesive and positive organisational culture. In the period under review divisional workshops were held in respect of the change management and culture reset programme.

Operational Excellence: Restoration Project

3.2.7 In 2023/24 the institution will implement the plan for restoring the buildings affected by the 2022 fire on the parliamentary precinct. In the third quarter report that was tabled in compliance with the legislative requirements, the institution reported no information was provided in respect of progress made towards the target to execute the restoration plan according to the milestones set out in it. In the presentation made to the Committee, however, the institution provided the following status update:

155 offices completed on 4th and 5th floor 90 Plein (same as reported in the second quarter);
rubble removal, asset recovery and Old Assembly building temporary roof completed (same progress as reported in the second quarter);
stage 2 concept and viability completed;
stage 3 detailed design at 80 per cent;
heritage application process at 60 per cent; and
pre-qualification of contractors for the Old Assembly building and National Assembly building, completed.

3.2.8 Per the information presented the under-performance in the third quarter was due to the gathering of user requirements and engagements on design concepts at stage 2 taking longer than planned, and delays in the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) application for stage 3. The under-performance will be remedied by consultants putting in extra time to finalise the detailed designs, and parallel engagements on heritage matters.

Operational Excellence: Technology

3.2.9 In 2023/24 the institution is to shift towards outcome and impact-driven business analytics using big data, and aims to develop a big data and analytics implementation plan. The targets to assess unstructured data, and develop a data management policy were met: the data assessment report was finalised, and an implementation plan was in progress. The policy review committee has endorsed the data management policy.

3.2.10 The institution reported that it has made notable strides in advancing its digital strategy, and that it has laid a strong foundation for its IT governance.

3.2.11 In the period under review the digital service was implemented successfully: the on-premises systems, including the network and key systems like ERP, uVimba, intranet, and the parliamentary website, were available 99,94 per cent of the time. Additionally, cloud-based services maintained a robust average availability of 99.95 per cent.

3.2.12 Monthly security scans and independent assessments were conducted to ensure a secure IT system. Security gaps were promptly addressed to minimise the risk of cyber-attacks and unauthorised access to systems and information.

3.2.13 Progress was also made as far as modernising and enhancing operational efficiency. The modernisation of Parliament includes the hybrid enablement of committee rooms and the NCOP Chamber. Detailed IT requirements were submitted in respect of the reconstruction of the chambers in the National Assembly and the Old Assembly, and committee rooms to integrate modern infrastructure and technology into identified spaces.

3.3 Service Targets

Operational Services: Members’ Satisfaction Survey

3.3.1 In the period under review, the parliamentary service showed progress in member satisfaction levels, particularly in the Digital and Facilities Management services. In respect of the Digital Service, the 80 per cent target was exceeded by 1, 25 per cent. The Facilities Management Service surpassed its the targeted 75 per cent performance, by 1,90 per cent.

4. Programme 2: Legislation and Oversight

4.1 Overview

4.1.1 Programme 2 provides for support services for the effective functioning of the NA and the NCOP including procedural, legal and content advice; information services and record keeping; and secretarial and support services for the houses and their committees. The programme covers the core business of Parliament and focusses on the outputs, activities and inputs related to legislation and oversight functions.

4.1.2 The programme comprises the following sub-programmes: National Assembly (House; Committees); National Council of Provinces (House; Committees); Public Participation and External Relations; Shared Services; Sectoral Parliaments and Joint Business. Of the indicators under this programme 64 per cent were met i.e. 14 of the 22 indicators.

4.2 Transformational Targets

Transformative Parliament

4.2.1 In 2023/24 the institution will develop and implement an oversight priority model to ensure focused oversight. The third quarter target to complete the draft oversight priority model for input, was not met. Although the background paper on the model has been completed and submitted, the identification of appropriate oversight priorities and the development of the plan were still in progress. The under-performance will be addressed through regular meetings of multi-disciplinary team.

4.2.2 The institution planned to develop and implement a committee planning framework to align committee oversight with oversight focus areas. The third quarter target to prepare a workshop report on committee planning, budgeting, and reporting, and monitoring and evaluation, was not met. The under-performance was attributable to challenges as far as scheduling engagements with external partner collaborators i.e. the United Kingdom Parliament, and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). To remedy the under-performance a virtual engagement was held with these institutions to exchange ideas on committee planning. A draft committee planning, budgeting, and reporting framework will be completed with the aim of it being adopted by the end of March 2024.

4.2.3 The institution intends to develop and implement a country indicator dashboard supporting the measurement of progress towards the attainment of the NDP impacts. Although the Parliamentary Research Unit has developed the research paper for the concept, the third quarter target to develop the architecture and design, was not met. The development of the architecture and design, in collaboration with ICT, was underway. The under-performance was attributed to input from external partners not having been received, and will be remedied through weekly meetings to report on specific actions, meetings with external collaborators i.e. Statistics South Africa (StatsSA), the Department of Monitoring and Evaluation (DPMW) and the National Planning Commission (NPC). The architecture and design will be completed by 10 March 2024, and ready to test and approve by 15 March 2024.

4.2.4 In 2023/24 the institution aims to implement data modelling and scenario tools to improve the quality of oversight. The third quarter target to design and develop the concept was met: the concept paper was submitted on 14 December 2023, and the final memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Secretary to Parliament and the Economic Modelling Academy (EMA) is still to be submitted. The institution will also identify and enrol parliamentary researchers, content advisors in EMA training courses.

4.2.5 In 2023/24 the institution will develop an impact assessment framework for bills. The third quarter target to draft a framework on pre- and post- legislative scrutiny, was not met. The under-performance was due to the multi-disciplinary team net meeting during the period under review owing to competing responsibilities related to the core business of Parliament. The task team has since been reinforced with additional resources from Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Services Office (CLSO) and other internal partners.

4.2.6 The target in respect of the development and implementation of an oversight monitoring and tracking mechanism, was met i.e. the parliamentary solution for oversight monitoring and tracking system was approved, and the multi-disciplinary team met in January 2024 to produce a simulation dashboard.

Responsive Parliament

4.2.8 In the period under review, the implementation of recommendations made by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State (Commission on State Capture) met with challenges, however, these were mitigated, and the progress report was submitted as per the target.

Collaborative Engagement

4.2.9 In 2023/24 the institution will develop a new partnership framework on oversight. The third quarter target to conduct workshops on the draft the partnership framework and submit the recommendation report, was not met. The under-performance was ascribed to the research report not having been finalised. To remedy the under-performance dedicated project support was required to monitor different teams and compliance with timelines. Per the presentation to the Committee, the partnership framework has been included as a subset of the stakeholder framework.

4.2.10 In respect of the review of support to parliamentary constituency offices (PCOs), the third quarter target to enquire about the needs of constituency offices from political parties and to prepare a needs assessment report, was not met. Due to lack of project support to monitor compliance with timelines, the report could not be finalised. To remedy the under-performance, engagements with parliamentary constituency office personnel is ongoing as this was an important component for the development of the report.

4.2.11 In the presentation to the Committee, the administration also clarified that re-organisation and re-purposing of parliamentary constituency offices of the Speaker of the NA and Chairperson of the NCOP has been completed. This was a significant development as these two PCOs would form the blueprint for PCOs in general. The report on this process has, however, not been finalised.

4.2.12 In the period under review, Parliament succeeded in meeting its target for reviewing its international engagement strategy and capability by completing the review of Parliament's international engagement policy.

4.2.13 The institution met its target towards developing an integrated petitions framework by completing the draft of that framework. This framework will provide a standardised process for addressing citizens' concerns and grievances through petitions.

4.2.14 The third quarter target towards the development of a stakeholder framework was also met as the institution succeeded in developing the draft framework.

4.3 Services

4.3.1 In the period under review, the Programming Service successfully achieved the targets for the adoption of programmes in the NA and the NCOP.

4.4 Members Satisfaction Survey

4.4.1 In respect of the members' satisfaction survey, the parliamentary service exhibited varied levels of performance in the period under review. Table 1 below, illustrates the levels of satisfaction as well as actions undertaken to address under-performance.

PARLIAMENTARY SERVICE	INDICATOR	QUARTER 3 TARGET	Status	Reasons for Over or Under performance	Remedial Action
Capacity building service	% Member satisfaction	73%	Not Met 71,55	The dimension on easy access scored the lowest	Improve accessibility to Member capacity building
Research service	% Member satisfaction	75%	Met 80,93	n/a	n/a
Content advice service	% Member satisfaction	75%	Met 82,18	n/a	n/a
Procedural advice service	% Member satisfaction	75%	Met 76,84	n/a	n/a
Legal advice service	% Member satisfaction	75%	Met 76,67	n/a	n/a
Committee support service	% Member satisfaction	75%	Met 83,67	n/a	n/a
Public participation service	% Member satisfaction	75%	Not Met 70,94	The dimension on fair, objective and non-partisan service scored the lowest	Ensure an unbiased approach to public engagement initiatives.

Table 1: Programme 2- Members Satisfaction Survey (Source: Parliament of the RSA)

5. Financial Performance in the period under review

5.1 Overview

	October– December 2023				Annual (2023/24)
Main Division	Budget R’000	Actuals R’000	Variance R’000	%	Annual Budget R’000	Actuals R’000	Budget available R’000	%
Administration	204 671	205 200	(529)	101	903 916	591 938	311 978	65
Legislation and Oversight	222 128	243 044	(20 916)	109	975 953	696 928	279 025	71
Associated Services	214 251	204 389	9 862	95	841 723	608 083	233 640	72
Sub-Total	641 050	652 633	(11 583)	102	2 721 592	1 896 949	824 643	70
Direct Charges	127 419	128 599	(1 180)	101	471 709	413 966	57 743	88
TOTAL (Excluding Disaster Fund)	768 469	781 232	(12 763)	102	3 193 301	2 310 915	882 386	72
Disaster Management	77 164	8 662	68 502	11	1 116 161	81 920	1 034 241	7
TOTALS	845 633	789 894	55 739	93	4 309 462	2 392 835	1 916 627	56

Table 2: Programme-by-Programme Appropriation Statement (Source: Parliament of the RSA)

5.1.1 Table 2 above illustrates the spending across programmes in the period under review. Excluding the Disaster Fund, the institution had spent 72 per cent of its annual budget by the end the third quarter.

5.1.2 In the period under review, the institution had overspent by 2 per cent due to higher-than-expected spending on direct charges as well as by divisions under Programme 1 and Programme 2. Additional funding was allocated to these programmes during the adjustment budget process to address the funding pressures experienced. Divisional budgets were also increased in December 2023. The overspending on direct charges will be charged against the National Revenue Fund at year end.

Appropriated budget

5.1.3 In the period under review, Parliament spent 93 percent or R789,9 million of its appropriated budget of R845,6 million for the third quarter. It is projected that the full appropriated budget will be spent at end of the year, except the budget for the restoration project.

5.1.4 Due to delays experienced in the implementation of the project there was a projected underspending of R710,5 million on the restoration budget. The amount will be used on the project in the following financial year.

Direct Charges

5.1.5 The spending on direct charges was R128,6 million or 101 percent of the third quarter budget of R127,4 million. The overspending is attributable to the payment of the loss of office gratuities over and above the payment of Members' salaries.

5.1.6 There is projected overspending of R69,7 million at the end of the financial year, attributable to the increase in salaries of members for the 2022/23 financial year, the payment of loss of office gratuities as well as exit gratuities. This projected overspending will be a direct charge against the National Revenue Fund in line with section 23(4) of the FMPPLA.

5.2 Spending Across Economic Classification

	October– December 2023				Annual (2023/24)
Main Division	Budget R’000	Actuals R’000	Variance R’000	%	Annual Budget R’000	Actuals R’000	Budget available R’000	%
Compensation of Members	127 419	128 599	(1 180)	101	471 709	413 966	57 743	88
Compensation of Members (PARMED)	20 944	19 761	1 183	94	83 872	59 918	23 954	71
Compensation of Employees	303 716	303 715	1	100	1 235 765	881 288	354 477	71
Goods and Services (APP)	121 178	148 323	(27 145)	122	639 796	413 356	226 440	65
Goods and Services (Members entitlements)	50 283	43 845	6 438	87	190 371	127 208	63 163	67
Transfers	136 519	136 365	154	100	546 078	406 211	139 867	74
Capital Expenditure	8 410	624	7 786	7	25 710	8 968	16 742	35
TOTAL (Excluding Disaster Fund)	768 469	781 232	(12 763)	102	3 193 301	2 310 915	882 386	72
Disaster Management	77 164	8 662	68 502	11			1 034 241	7
TOTALS	845 633	789 894	55 739	93	4 309 462	2 392 835	1 916 627	56

Table 3: Spending across economic classification (Source: Parliament of the RSA)

5.2.1 Table 3 above illustrates spending across economic classification. As indicated, underspending of the annual budget is mainly due to the slower than anticipated spending on the restoration project. Spending on Goods and Services and Capital will be accelerated in the fourth quarter to meet the set financial targets.

5.2.2 The spending on compensation of members stood at R128,6 million or 101 percent of the third quarter budget of R127,4 million. The overspending is attributed to the payout of loss of office gratuities. The projected overspending for the financial year is R69,7 million owing budget reductions, an increase of 3 per cent for the 2023/24 financial year and the payment of loss of office gratuities and exit gratuities for members exiting Parliament.

5.2.3 The spending on compensation of employees stood at 100 per cent or R303,7 million by the end of the third quarter. Indications are that there will be full spend at the end of the financial year.

5.2.4 The spending on Parmed stood at 99 percent or R19,7 million of the third quarter budget of R20,9 million. Indications are that the budget will be spent in full by the end of the financial year.

5.2.5 The spending on goods and services, which relates to the APP, stood at 122 per cent or R148,3 million of the third quarter budget of R121,1 million. The overspending was the result of funding pressures experienced by divisions due to increased public participation, oversight activities and international engagements. Indications are that there will be a full spend at the end of the financial year on the amount allocated for normal operations of Parliament, and underspending on goods related to the restoration and rebuild of Parliament.

5.2.6 The spending on goods and services, which relates to Members’ entitlements, was 87 per cent or R43,8 million of the third quarter budget of R50,2 million. The spending was on entitlement tickets, and it is anticipated that there will be a full spend at the end of the financial year.

5.2.7 Spending on transfer payments, relates to transfers to political parties represented in Parliament. In the period under review, spending was 100 percent or R136,3 million of the R136,5 million third quarter budget and it is anticipated that there will be a full spend at the end of the financial year.

5.2.8 The spending on capital expenditure was 7 per cent or R624 thousand of the third quarter budget of R8,4 million and spending is anticipated to increase in the fourth quarter.

Part C

6. Human Resource Management

6.1 Staff turnover

6.1.1 The institution reported a turnover of 0,16 per cent against the annual target of 5 per cent. In the period under review 1,5 per cent of employees exited the institution mainly due to normal, early or ill-health retirement, as well as to a lesser degree, resignations.

6.2 Voluntary Early Retirement Dispensation

6.2.1 The institution reported that five employees retired in respect of the voluntary early retirement dispensation (VERD). It was also reported that uptake of the VERD has waned but that discussions were underway to determine further incentives to encourage qualifying employees to take up such retirement.

6.3 Employee Wellness

6.3.1 The institution reported that the professional counselling service was the most utilised employee wellness service in the period under review.

6.4 Labour Relations

6.4.1 Twelve employees faced disciplinary action during the period under review. Of these, nine had been suspended and were still on suspension at the time of the consideration of the quarterly report. The institution confirmed that the proceedings were going well and that no undue delays have been experienced.

6.5 Talent Acquisition

6.5.1 Sixteen appointments were made in the period under review: seven internal, and 9 external.

6.6 Learning

6.6.1 In the period under review, 380 employees enrolled in training activities.

Part D

7. Observations

7.1 Parliamentary Constituency Offices

7.1.1 The Committee notes with concern continued delays in the review of PCOs. These offices were citizens’ most immediate point of access to Parliament and public representatives, and failure to capacitate term adequately interferes with citizens ability to access Parliament and participate in its business.

7.2 Programme 2: under-performance

7.2.1 The Committee notes with concern the under-performance in respect of various targets under Programme 2. Of particular concern is the under-performance related to the oversight priority model, the committee planning framework, the impact assessment framework, and the oversight partnership framework. These interventions will be key elements in the support provided to the oversight work of the Seventh Parliament. The lack of progress may also delay interventions and improvements that could result in more efficient spending of funds used on oversight and public participation activities.

7.3 Restoration project

7.3.1 The under-performance in respect of the restoration project, as well as the inconsistent information reported in the tabled Third Quarter Report, and the presentation on the third quarter performance, are noted with concern. Of further concern is that the remedies proposed in order to address the delays are not specific.

7.4 Institutional Realignment Project

7.4.1 The Committee notes the progress made as far as the institutional realignment project, however there are concerns about the slow progress in this regard. Ideally, the realignment project should have been finalised and changes implemented before the commencement of the Seventh Parliament.

7.5 Human Resources

7.5.1 The Committee notes the disciplinary processes instituted in 12 matters in the period under review. It is also noted that none of the matters have been finalised by the time of the adoption of this report.

7.5.2 The Committee notes with concern the long delays in filling funded posts, particularly those at senior management level. Of concern is the detrimental impact these delays may have on the functioning of the institution.

8. Recommendations

The Executive Authority should provide the Committee with a response to the recommendations below within 30 days of the adoption of this report by the NA and the NCOP.

8.1 Parliamentary Constituency Offices

8.1.1 The Committee should be provided with a detailed report on what has caused the delays in respect of the review of PCOs.

8.2 Programme 2: under-performance

8.2.1 The Committee should be provided with monthly reports detailing any delays experienced as far as meeting the oversight-related targets, the causes and impact, proposed remedies including the monitoring and support provided to the teams responsible for delivery. The Committee further recommends that remedies to address under-performance be detailed and specific to the challenges identified.

8.3 Restoration project

8.3.1 The institution should provide the Committee with monthly written status reports detailing any delays that may have occurred in respect of the restoration effort, the causes and impact of the delays, as well as remedial action take to address the under-performance. The Committee further recommends that remedies to address under-performance be detailed and specific to the challenges identified.

8.3.2 In addition, the Committee should be provided with a report on how physical sittings of the Seventh Parliament will be accommodated.

8.4 Institutional Realignment Project

8.4.1 The Committee should be provided with a detailed report on developments in respect of the institutional re-alignment project, including a detailed timeline for its completion. The Committee further recommends that remedies to address under-performance be detailed and specific to the challenges identified.

8.5 Human Resources

8.5.1 The Committee recommends the speedy resolution of the disciplinary processes in respect of the 12 matters reported above. Those cases of those officials who are on suspension with full benefits, in particular, should be resolved with the necessary urgency while still ensuring adherence to the applicable legal prescripts.

8.5.2 The Committee recommends that the filling of all critical and funded vacancies before the start of the Seventh Parliament.

Report to be considered.

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