ATC110615: Report Strategic Plan of National Youth Development Agency for year 2011-14

NCOP Women, Children and People with Disabilities

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Women, Children, Youth and People with Disabilities on the Strategic Plan of the National Youth Development Agency for the year 2011-14, dated 15 June 2011

 

The Portfolio Committee on Women, Children, Youth and People with Disabilities , having considered the strategic plan of the National Youth Development Agency, reports as follows:

 

1. Introduction

 

The strategic plan of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) was tabled on the 09 March 2011 and referred to the Portfolio Committee on Women, Children, Youth and People with Disabilities on the 01 June 2011 for consideration and report. The Committee engaged with the National Youth Development Agency on this matter on the 23 March 2011.

 

2. Briefing by the NYDA on the Strategic Plan for 2011 - 14

 

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NYDA presented the strategic plan of the NYDA. He reported that the organisation had identified the following categories of young people:

 

Ø       Category 1 was identified as youth who were unskilled and unemployed. These were identified as young people who may have passed matric or dropped out of school but with no vocational skills.

 

Ø       Category 2 was identified as youth who were skilled and unemployed, employed but unskilled and those in skills programmes.

 

Ø       Category 3 was identified as skilled and employed and those in self employment.

 

3. NYDA Key Performance Areas and Strategic Objectives

 

KEY PERFORMANCE AREA	DEFINITION
1. National Youth Service and Social Cohesion	Promote youth social dialogue and create opportunities for young people to serve their communities.
Objectives:	-          To promote opportunities for young people to serve their communities. -          To create a platform for young people to participate in and benefit from democratic processes. -          To develop capacity building materials for youth development practitioners. -          To create and support social networks. -          To benefit young people.
2. Economic participation	-          To enhance the participation of young people in the economy through targeted and integrated programmes.
Objectives:	-          To provide business support to young people. -          To provide financing support to young entrepreneurs. -          To provide employment opportunities to young people -          To design and implement specific interventions for women and persons with disabilities in rural areas.
3. Policy, research and development	-          Developing a body of knowledge and best practice in the youth development sector to inform and influence policy development, planning and implementation.
Objectives:	-          To develop IYDS and guidelines for the implementation of youth development programmes. -          To identify annual national youth development priorities -          To promote, lobby and advocate for a uniform approach by all sectors on matters relating to youth development. -          To conduct research and evaluations -          To inform policy and programmes -          To provide inputs on policies and legislation by government and other relevant structures.
4. Training and development	-          To promote, facilitate and provide training and development opportunities to young people to enhance their socio – economic well being.
Objectives:	-          To facilitate education opportunities in order to improve access to quality education. -          To facilitate and implement technical, entrepreneurship and life skills training programmes. -          To provide and facilitate capacity building of youth development practitioners. -          To facilitate youth development work as a recognised profession.
5. Youth Advisory and Information Services	- To ensure access for youth to information about various interventions aimed at improving the living condition of young people including information and career guidance service to young people.
Objectives:	-          To provide career guidance services -          To provide access to information regarding products and services of the NYDA and referrals to other agencies.
6. National Youth Fund	- To establish a mechanism to enable the NYDA to raise funds for purposes of advancing and implementing programmes aimed at improving the livelihoods of the youth.
Objectives:	-          To plan and set up the National Youth Fund -          To mobilise and leverage financial assistance to small, micro, medium enterprises and cooperatives owned by youth.
7. Governance	- To ensure that NYDA operations comply with applicable legislation and regulations governing a schedule 3A institution.
Objectives:	-          To ensure compliance with all applicable statutes and policies -          To implement systems and processes to increase the recoverability of defaulting loans.

 

 

4. Summary of NYDA’s key priorities for 2011 – 2014

 

The NYDA identified national youth service, economic participation and social cohesion, education, training and skills development, youth advisory and information services and national youth fund as the key priorities for 2012 – 2014.

 

4.1 National Youth Service (NYS) and Social Cohesion

 

• 155 000 young people would be involved in the NYS project to provide them with an opportunity to serve their communities whilst gaining skills and training through projects facilitated by NYSU.
• Further 111 640 young people would be engaged on the NYDA funded NYS projects.

 

4.2 Economic participation

 

• 26 600 youth would be supported with Business Consultancy Vouchers; business opportunities support services and mentorship.

 

• 14 050 companies would be registered through the programme of assisting youth by having their companies registered with CIPRO.

 

• 281 entrepreneurs would be assisted to access funds through the voucher program.

 

• R331 million business opportunities will be sourced for BOSS deals, voucher support and mentorship.

 

• R243 280 million would be set aside to be accessed by youth owned small and medium enterprises.

 

• 89 089 of jobs would be created through various NYDA programmes ranging from business consultancy vouchers, business opportunities support services and mentorship programmes.

 

4.3 Education, training and skills development

 

The National Youth Development Agency would enrol 8,000 youth to rewrite grade 12 exams through its matric rewrite programme. The organisation would provide 293,900 youth with various skills covering critical areas such as business management, life and job preparedness skills.

 

4.4 Youth Advisory and Information Service

 

NYDA would provide over 1, 6 million with group career guidance.

 

4.5 National Youth Fund

 

The organisation would work in partnership with other stakeholders to raise over R480 million which would go into the National Youth Fund.

 

 

5. NYDA key performance areas, indicators and targets for 2011/12 – 2013/14

 

5.1 Key deliverables for Key Performance Area 1: National Youth Service and Social Cohesion

 

(a) Goal

The goal of the programme is to promote youth social dialogue and create opportunities for young people to serve their communities.

 

(b) Objective 1

The objective is to promote opportunities for young people to serve their communities.  The NYDA intends to reach 10 000 youth to serve their communities through NYDA funded projects for 2011/12, 48 400 for 2012/13 and 53 240 for 2013/14. The organisation also intends to reach 40 000 youth for 2011/12, 55 000 for 2012/13 and 60 000 for 2013/14 to serve their communities through National Youth Service Unit registered projects.

 

 

(c) Objective 2

The objective is to create a platform for young people to participate in and benefit from democratic processes. The organisation intends to ensure that 8 local municipalities in 2011/12, 30 local municipalities in 2012/13, and 30 local municipalities in 2013/14 are assisted to establish youth councils. Fifteen local municipalities in 2011/12, 30 local municipalities in 2012/13 and 2013/14 would be mobilised to participate in elections. Four dialogue sessions per year would be hosted for the period 2011-2014 with young people. For 2011-2014, 500 young women per year would be mobilised for the celebration of Women’s Month and towards 16 Days of Activism campaign. 10 000 youth per year would participate in Youth month celebrations.

 

(d) Objective 3

The objective is to develop capacity building materials for youth development practitioners.  The organisation would ensure that three programme support materials per year would be developed for the period 2011-2014. The organisation would also develop and implement a curriculum for youth development training for the period 2011 – 2014.

 

(e) Objective 4

The objective is to create and support social networks to benefit young people. The organisation would ensure 300 volunteer mentors participate in mentorship programmes for 2011-12, 400 volunteers for 2012-2013 and 500 volunteer mentors in 2013/14. The organisation will provide opportunities for 400 young people to participate in the buy youth campaign for 2011/12, 500 young people for 2012/13 and 600 for 2013/14 on the same campaign.

 

5.2 Key deliverable for Key Performance Area 2: Economic Participation

 

(a) Goal

The goal is to enhance the participation of young people in the economy through targeted and integrated programmes.

 

(b) Objective 1

The objective is to provide support to young people. The organisation would ensure that 3 500 young people would be supported with Business Consultancy Vouchers, business opportunities services and mentorship in 2011/12, 11 000 in 2012/13 and 12 100 in 2013/14. NYDA would ensure that 2 500 new companies owned by young people would be registered with CIPRO through business support voucher issuance in 2011/12, 5500 in 2012/13 and 6050 in 2013/14. 50 young entrepreneurs would be assisted to access funding and business opportunities through voucher programmes, business support programmes and mentorship in 2011/12, 110 in 2012/13 and 121 in 2013/14. The organisation would ensure that R50 million would be accessed by voucher recipient, Business Opportunities Support Programme and mentorship in 2011/12, R110 million in 2012/13 and R121 million in 2013/14. R100 million for 2011/12 and 2012/13 would be the value of business opportunities sourced for BOSS deals, voucher support and mentorship per year and R121 million would be committed for 2013/14 on the same programme.

 

(c) Objective 2

The objective is to provide financing support to young entrepreneurs. The organisation would ensure that 6 enterprises are financed for the 2011/12 financial year, 10 enterprises for financial year 2012/13 and 15 enterprises for 2013/14. 300 beneficiaries would be supported through social enterprise financing for the 2011/12 financial year, 500 beneficiaries for 2012/13 and 750 beneficiaries for 2013/14. NYDA will provide R10 million finance to social enterprises for financial year 2011/12, R8 million for 2012/13 and R12 million for 2013/14. The organisation would also provide 9 000 loans to micro enterprises for financial year 2011/12, 38 375 loans for 2012/13 and 55 625 for 2013/14. R16, 6 million would be issued to youth owned micro enterprises for financial year 2011/12, R76 million for 2012/13 and R118 million for 201/14. NYDA would provide 40 loans to SMEs for financial year 2011/12, 193 loans for 2012/13 and 212 loans for 2013/14. The organisation would issue R40 million loans to youth owned small and medium enterprises for financial year 2011/12, R96 800 million for 2012/13 and R106 480 million for financial year 2013/14.

 

(d) Objective 3

The objective is to provide employment opportunities for young people. The organisation will create 2000 jobs through Business Consultancy Vouchers, business support services and mentorship programmes for financial year 2011/12, 11 000 jobs for financial year 2012/13 and 12 100 jobs for 2013/14. 430 jobs would be created through social enterprises financing for 2011/12, 3 600 jobs for 2012/13 and 5 040 for 2013/14. 280 jobs would be created through SMEs financing for 2011/12, 2 420 jobs for 2012/13 and 2662 jobs for 2013/14. The organisation would create 9000 jobs through Micro finance lending in 2011/12, 13 337 jobs in 2012/13 and 17 380 jobs in 2013/14. 1 200 jobs would be facilitated through placements in job opportunities for financial year 2011/12, 3 600 jobs placements in 2012/13 and 5 040 jobs placements in 2013/14.

 

(d) Objective 4

The objective is to design and implement specific interventions for women, persons with disabilities and youth in rural areas. The NYDA would undertake 16 interventions to ensure that young women, youth with disabilities and in rural areas participated in economic projects for financial year 2011/12, 20 interventions in 2012/13 and 30 interventions in 2013/14. The organisation would also commit R3, 6 million for economic participation projects provided to young women, youth with disabilities and youth in rural areas for financial year 2011/12, R2 million for 2012/13 and R3 million for 2013/14.

 

5.3 Key Deliverables for Key Performance Area 3: Policy Research and Development

 

(a) Goal

The goal is to develop a body of knowledge and best practice in the youth development sector to inform and influence policy development, planning and implementation.

 

(b) Objective 1

The objective is to develop the Integrated Youth Development Strategy (IYDS) and guidelines for the implementation of youth development programmes. The organisation would ensure that the IYDS is adopted by the NYDA Board and Cabinet in 2011/12. It would also evaluate the protocol of the IYDS in 2011/12 and produce one evaluation report in 2013/14.

 

(c) Objective 2

The objective is to identify annual national youth development priorities. The organisation would submit a list of national youth development priorities to the Office of the President.

 

(d) Objective 3

The objective is to promote, lobby and advocate for a uniform approach by all sectors on matters relating to youth development. The organisation would ensure that it had established 15 partnership with governments, civil society and private sector in 2011/12 and 2012/13 per year and 25 partnerships in 2013/14. The organisation would lobby 5 departments to establish Youth Directorates in 2011/12 and 2012/13 per year and 6 Youth Directorates in 2013/14.

 

(e) Objective 4

The objective is to conduct research and evaluate policy and programme interventions. The organisation would submit the final draft status of youth report to the Office of the President in 2011/12, the status of youth report in 2012/13 and submit the recommendations implemented report in 2013/14. By 2011/12, the organisation intended to produce 6 research project reports, 15 research reports in 2012/13 and 2013/14. The organisation would also produce 24 publications on youth development in 2011/12 and 15 publications in 2012/13 and 2013/14 per year.

 

(f) Objective 5

The objective is to provide inputs on policies and legislation by government and other relevant structures. The organisation would submit 6 submissions of written youth development related policies and legislation to relevant Departments in 2011/12 and 7 submissions in 2012/13 and 2013/14 per year. NYDA will also attend 10 Portfolio Committee meetings in 201/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14 per year.

 

5.4 Key Deliverables for Key Performance Area 4: Training and Development

 

(a) Goal

The goal is to promote, facilitate and provide training and development opportunities to young people to enhance their socio-economic wellbeing.

 

(b) Objective 1

The objective is to facilitate education opportunities in order to improve access to quality education. The organisation would enrol 2000 young people to rewrite Grade 12 exams in 2011/12 and 6000 young people in 2012/13. The organisation would also provide 5 000 young people with entrepreneurship and business management skills in 2011/12, 35 000 in 2012/13 and 50 000 in 2013/14.

 

(c) Objective 2

The objective is to facilitate and implement technical, entrepreneurship and life skills training programmes.  500 youth would be provided with technical skills training in 2011/12, 1 650 in 2012/13 and 2750 in 2013/14. 10 000 young people would be provided with job preparedness training in 2011/12, 27 000 in 2012/13 and 37 800 in 2013/14. The organisation would provide 2000 young people with life skills training in 2011/12, 27 000 youth in 2012/13 and 37 800 in 2013/14. NYDA would also enrol 200 youth in Youth Building South Africa projects in 2011/12, 400 youth in 2012/13 and 600 youth in 2013/14. 1NYDA will ensure that 10 000 youth attend entrepreneurship awareness programmes for 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14. 300 youth will attend Buy Youth Campaign training in 2011/12, 400 youth in 2012/13 and 500 youth in 2013/14.

 

(d) Objective 3 

The objective is to provide and facilitate capacity building of youth development practitioners. The organisation would train 13 facilitators in life skills in 2011/12, 60 facilitators in 2012/13 and 84 facilitators in 2013/14 and in job preparedness and youth practitioners in career guidance.  The organisation would also launch the Centre for Youth Development Practice.

 

 

(e) Objective 4

The objective is to facilitate youth development work as a recognised profession. The NYDA would develop and approve 2 unit standards towards Youth Work Qualification in 2011/12 and 2012/13 financial years and full unit standards in 2013/14. The organisation would ensure that 10 youth practitioners obtain credits for Youth Work Qualification in 2011/12, 15 youth practitioners in 2012/13 and 20 youth practitioners in 2013/14.

 

5.5 Key Deliverables for Key Performance Area 5:  Youth Advisory and Information Services

 

(a) Goal

The goal is to ensure for youth information (rephrase sentence???) about various interventions aimed at improving the living conditions of young people including information and career guidance to young people.

 

(b) Objective 1

The objective is to provide career guidance services. 2, 600 would be provided with individual career guidance information for the financial year 2011/12, 82 800 for 2012/2013 and 115 920 for 2013/14. The estimated number of young people who would be provided with group career guidance information was 397 000 for financial year 2011/12, 540 000 for 2012/13   and 756 000 for 2013/14.

 

(c) Objective 2

The objective is to provide access to information regarding products and services of the NYDA and referrals to other agencies. The organisation would ensure 500 000 young people received information and referrals from the NYDA access point. For 2011/12, 1 000 000 for 2012/13 and 1100 000 for 2013/2014. 140 000 interactions with young people would be made through the NYDA call centre for 2011/2012, 155 000 for 2012/2013 and 170 000 for 2013/2014. The NYDA would publish 20 publication beneficiaries stories for 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/2014 per year.

 

5.6 Key Deliverable for Key Performance Area 6: National Youth Fund

 

 (a) Goal

The goal is to establish mechanisms to enable the NYDA to raise funds for purposes of advancing and implementing programmes aimed at improving the livelihoods of the youth.

 

 

(b) Objective 1

The objective is to plan and set up the National Youth Fund. The framework for financial assistance and policies and procedures to manage the Fund should be approved by the NYDA Board in 2011/12. 

 

(c) Objective 2

The objective is to mobilise and leverage financial assistance to small, micro and medium enterprise and cooperatives owned by youth. The organisation would ensure that R30 million would be raised from the private sector for the National Youth Fund in 2011/12, R60 million in 2012/2013 and R70 million in 2013/14. The organisation would ensure that R60 million would be raised through partnership for the National Youth Fund in 2011/12, R120 million in 2012/13 and R140 million in 2013/14.

 

(d) Objective 3

The objective is to provide financial support to projects initiated by youth. R20 million would be invested in youth initiated projects in 2011/12, R30 million in 2012/13 and R40 million in 2013/14.

 

5.7 Key Deliverable for Key Performance Area 7: Governance

 

(a) Goal

The goal is to ensure that NYDA operations comply with applicable legislation and regulations governing schedule 3A institutions.

 

(b) Objective 1

The objective is to ensure compliance with all applicable statutes and policies. The organisation would ensure that for 2011-2014, adequate strategic risk register and adequate controls opinion based on internal audit will be established.

 

(c) Objective 2

The objective is to implement systems and processes to increase the recoverability of defaulting loans. The organisation would ensure that 20% of loan defaulters would be decreased in all loan books in 2011/12, 30% decreased in 2012/13 and 40% decreased in 2013/14.

 

 

6. Budget Allocation

 

The National Youth Development Agency had been allocated R1 218 428 billion for the financial year 2011 – 14.  R425 676 million had been allocated for the financial year 2011/12. The budget would be used for operational costs excluding employee costs, capital expenditure, loans and investment and core programme direct funding intervention. R442 961 million would be used for financial year 2012/13 and R462 405 for financial year 2012/13 on the same programmes.

 

 

7. Observations

 

Having met with the NYDA to scrutinize their strategic plan, and budget, the Committee made the following observations:

 

1.                  The Committee observed that the NYDA’s budget averaged between R380 and R420 million per year over the next three years and was concerned about how the NYDA intended to meet its increased targets, e.g. KPA 2: economic participation: number of loans in year 1 = 9000, year 2 = 38 375, value of loans in year 1 = R40 million, year 2 = R96, 8 million.

2.                  The Committee was concerned that more than 50% of the budget was earmarked for compensation of employees and questioned whether that allocation should not be on funding programmes instead.

3.                  The Committee noted that the Key Performance Areas had changed and were different to that stipulated in the Annual Report for 2009/10.

4.                  The Committee noted that the NYDA was in partnership with other organisations in terms of programmes offered and was concerned as to the type of partnership entered into.

5.                  The Committee reiterated its concern regarding the matric rewrite programmes. The Committee queried as to which Provinces were covered with regards to 8000 matriculants in the rewrite programme. In addition, the NYDA was questioned whether it had a relationship with the Department of Education in terms of the matric rewrite programme.

6.                  The Committee observed that the NYDA offered loans to provide business support to young people and was concerned as to whether the NYDA charged interest on loans and where the money went to.

7.                  The Committee noted that the NYDA would create 89 089 jobs and was concerned as to how the NYDA would monitor and evaluate that target.

8.                  The Committee noted that the NYDA would facilitate and implement technical, entrepreneurship and life skills training programmes to young people and raised the issue of artisan training for young people.

9.                  The Committee noted that the NYDA’s policies overlapped with other Government Departments’ policies and was concerned as to whether the NYDA was in partnership with other Government Departments in implementing its programmes.

10.               The Committee questioned whether the NYDA was not in fact duplicating programmes currently rendered by other Departments.

11.               The Committee was unclear as to who the NYDA had signed performance agreements with.

12.               The Committee observed that 155 000 young people would be involved in the National Youth Service project. However, the Committee was unclear as to what the role of the NYDA was in that regard and specifically whether it would be monitored and evaluated.

13.               The Committee noted with concern that the Integrated Youth Development Strategy (IYDS) would take a year to be approved by the NYDA Board and Cabinet. That was seen as unacceptable.

14.               The NYDA’s budget allocation to people with disabilities and ensuring access of youth from rural areas to schools with regards to transport was a concern.

15.               The Committee was unclear as to what criteria were used to attain the various targets articulated by the NYDA in terms of geographical location within provinces and gender.

 

8. Recommendations

 

Having considered the budget and strategic plan of the NYDA, the Committee recommends as follows:

 

1.                   The NYDA must ensure greater focus and commitment to youth with disabilities and youth living in rural areas to bring to fruition government’s objectives in relation to these target groups.

2.                   The NYDA must ensure that its proposed programmes must speak to all aspects of its mandate and that requisite budgetary allocations are made for the implementation of these programmes.

3.                   The NYDA needs to provide detail with regard to who they have established partnerships with, as well as the nature of these partnerships.

4.                   In terms of the Matric re-write programme, the NYDA must provide the Committee with more clarity on the type of partnership entered into with the Department of Basic Education.

5.                   The NYDA must provide the Committee with disaggregated data of the beneficiaries of its programmes, i.e. in terms of province, gender, age, etc.

6.                   In terms of the dispensing of loans for SMME’s, the Committee requests that more detail is provided regarding the sustainability of proposed business ventures and loan repayments hereto.

7.                   The NYDA must promote youth skills development through artisan training.

8.                   The NYDA must provide the Committee with the performance agreements they have entered into.

9.                   The NYDA must expedite the finalisation and implementation of the Integrated Youth Development Strategy.

10.               The NYDA must guard against duplicating programmes already being implemented in other government departments.

11.               The NYDA must guard against over-expenditure on employee compensation which could impact on the poor implementation of programmes resulting in inefficient service delivery.

 

 

9. Conclusion

 

Having deliberated on the strategic plan and budget of the NYDA, the Committee thanked the NYDA for the presentation and members for interacting with the youth.

 

Report to be considered.