ATC130528: Report of the Select Committee on Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs On the 2013/14 Annual Performance Plan and Budget Vote of the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) – dated 28 May 2013
NCOP Economic and Business Development
REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON CO-OPERATIVE
GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS ON THE 2013/14 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE PLAN AND
BUDGET VOTE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION (DPSA) DATED
28 MAY 2013
Having considered the Annual Performance Plans
and Budget Vote of the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), the
Committee reports as follows:
1.
Introduction
1.1.
On the 21 May 2013, the Committee met with the
Department to consider briefing on its annual performance plan and budget vote for
the 2013/14 financial year. This was done as part of the Committees role in
conducting parliamentary oversight and ensuring executive accountability,
especially with regards to annual performance plan, priorities and, budget allocation
to the departmental programmes and public entities.
2.
Presentation on the Annual Performance Plans and Budget Vote of DPSA
2.1.
The Acting Director-General
presented the Departmental annual performance plan and 2013/14 budget
allocation. The presentation focused mainly on the departmental legislative
mandate; constitutional mandate; challenges and dilemmas; annual performance
plan and priorities; delivery agreement outcomes, projects and budget
allocations and transfers.
3.
Departmental Challenges and Dilemmas
3.1.
The Department presented problem statements which
enforced it to review its strategy to professionalise the public service, in
order to realise the developmental state. These included non-performance at
optimal level; lack of value for money; weakening of state and emergence of
tender state; use of consultants amounting to R24, 6 billion (for the period
2008/09 to 2010/11) and high level of corruption in all spheres of government;
citizens expectation of improved service delivery; violent service delivery
protest actions and
beaurocratic
nature of the
state.
3.2.
The debt level of the state had doubled from R627
billion to R1.3 trillion. The public sector wage bill had also grown to around
45% of the total budget expenditure. The public service was not performing at
optimal level, and there was no value for money. There was unevenness in the
state capacity which led to uneven performance in local provincial and national
government. Some of the dilemmas the Department would be addressing includes
making choices to cut costs, whilst attempting to increase service delivery;
moving away from conventional way of service delivery; meeting the demands of interconnected
society; professionalizing public service and introducing business process
management initiatives to improve the way Government was doing business.
4.
Annual Performance Plan and Priorities for 2013/14
4.1.
The Department presented their 2013/14 annual
performance plan and priorities. The annual plan has prioritized the tabling of
legislation; establishment of the Office of Standard and Compliance;
establishment of the
4.2.
In June 2013, the Department will table the Public
Service Act Amendment Bill before Parliament. The amendments are with regards
to section 195 and section 100 of the Constitution. The review of the Act and
introduction of the amendment Bills will assist Government in prohibiting the
employees from doing business with the State, preventing candidature of
employees in election while they are employees of the State, and disallowing
officials to conduct any remunerative work outside the public service. The DPSA
has convened a meeting with NEDLAC on the 17 April 2013, to discuss the content
of the draft Public Administration Management Bill.
4.3.
The Department elaborated that they are planning to
establish an Office of Standards and Compliance in due course. The main aim of
the Office of Standard and Compliance is to address areas of non-compliance
with public service regulations and prescripts, and conduct a compliance audit
to three level of government and monitoring of compliance and coordination of
required interventions.
4.4.
The Department aims to achieve clean government by
fighting corruption through the
establishment
of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, so that all the related cases in all
three spheres of government can be resolved in a coordinated manner. The Bureau
will investigate high level corruption, fraud cases and manage disciplinary
hearing of the departments. Among other things, the Bureau will establish a
central database of cases and public servants who will be found guilty of
corruption so that they could be blacklisted.
4.5.
Professionalization
of public
service is one of the main priorities that the Department aims to achieve in
years to come. The Department came up with a compulsory training programme
which is being facilitate by PALAMA, and will also review the enhancement of
appointment procedures for senior managers. The
professionalization
of the public service will assist the government to capacitate or equip the
individual officials to develop better understanding of how Government
functions.
4.6.
During the negotiations with the PSCBC, there were
agreements which led to the PSCBC resolutions. The Minister agreed with the labour
unions to implement the two-year induction for first entrants in the public
service, as well as the three year (2012-2014) deal on salary increment and
review the remuneration for public servants.
4.7.
The Department is also championing the Presidential
Commission on Remuneration Review for public service to investigate the
remuneration and conditions of service of public servants, and the teachers will
be treated as a matter of priority.
5.
MTEF Budget Allocation
|
R million
|
|
||
|
MTEF Allocation
|
2013/14
|
2014/15
|
20115/16
|
|
Administration
|
198.5
|
206.2
|
224.9
|
|
Human Resource Management & Development
|
40.4
|
42.3
|
43.6
|
|
Labour Relations & Remuneration Management
|
29.7
|
31.0
|
27.6
|
|
Public Sector Information & Communication Management
|
39.4
|
43.9
|
43.5
|
|
Service Delivery & Organizational Transformation
|
236.1
|
247.7
|
256.1
|
|
Governance and International Relations
|
272.3
|
288.4
|
284.0
|
|
TOTAL
|
816.4
|
859.5
|
879.7
|
(Source: National Treasury Estimates of
National Expenditure, Budget 2013)
5.1.
The Departments total allocation for 2013/14 was R816.4 million.
The spending focus over the medium term will be
on strengthening the alignment of the Departments activities with the
ministerial delivery agreement to realise an efficient, effective and
development oriented public service and an empowered, fair and inclusive
citizenship.
The Department noted that it would require
additional funding amounting to R315 million in
order
to fulfil its mandate. This additional amount was intended to cover
compensation of employees, operational budget and additional office space for
new appointments. The shortfalls also had recurring costs over the MTEF period.
6.
General Observations and Opinion
6.1.
Having been briefed
and deliberated on departmental annual performance plan and budget allocation,
the committee has observed that:
6.1.1.
The strategic plan has been informed by Outcome 12
priorities which are part
of the Delivery
Agreement for 2010-2014; National Development Priorities and actions on building
the capacity of the state; cabinet decisions and priorities as identified by
the Minister for DPSA.
6.1.2.
The 2013/14 Annual Performance Plan has prioritized
important legislations
related
to Public Service Amendment Bill; the Public Administration
Management Bill and National
Legislation on section 100 of the Constitution.
6.1.3.
The Department has also prioritized in its annual
performance plan the
establishment
of the Office of Standard and Compliance; establishment of a
School of Government; achievement of clean
Government by fighting
corruption;
establishment of the Presidential Commission on Remuneration
Review; public consultation on 3
rd
Country Report on African Peer Review
Mechanisms
and; implementation of the Open Government Partnership.
6.1.4.
The Department has developed projects, indicators
and targets related to
service
delivery; human resource; business systems and aims to fight
corruption in the public service.
6.1.5.
Although indicators and targets have been identified
with regard to the
implementation
of projects, however, the Committee has further observed and noted that the
annual performance plan lacked time frames that could assist in monitoring and
evaluating the achievement of the plan in terms of the Delivery
Agreement for Outcome 12.
7.
Committee Recommendations
7.1.
Having
deliberated and considered the annual performance plan and 2013/14 budget vote
allocation of the Department of
Public Service and Administration, the Committee recommends as follows:
7.1.1.
The
Department should provide quarterly progress report on the establishment of the
7.1.2.
The Department should provide quarterly
progress report on the establishment of central database and the E- disclosure
system for the declaration of financial interests by senior managers in public
service during the 2014/15 financial period.
7.1.3.
The Department should provide quarterly progress
report on the establishment and progress of the Presidential Commission on Remuneration
Review.
7.1.4.
The Department should provide quarterly progress
report on the review of
condition of
service and remuneration of teachers
7.1.5.
The Department should provide quarterly progress
report on Public Service Charter.
7.1.6.
The Department should provide quarterly progress
report on the implementation of the Open
Government Partnership.
7.1.7.
The Department should provide progress report on the
3
rd
Country Report on African Peer Review Mechanisms, after approval
by the Cabinet.
7.1.8.
The Department should provide exit progress reports
on outputs and sub- outputs related to the Delivery Agreements for Outcome 12
which include service delivery quality access; human resource management and
development; business processes and accountability and; tackling of corruption
in public service.
7.1.9.
The National Council of Provinces approves the
Annual Performance Plan of the Department and its 2013/14 Budget Vote
allocations.
Report to be considered.
Documents
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