REPORT ON THE WORK OF REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE INTERIM THE INTERIM
MANAGEMENT TEAM, MANAGEMENT TEAM, EASTERN CAPEEASTERN CAPE
REPORT ON THE WORK OF REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE INTERIM THE INTERIM
MANAGEMENT TEAM, MANAGEMENT TEAM, EASTERN CAPEEASTERN CAPE
NCOP
11 SEPTEMBER 2003
Structure of the presentation
The IMT mandate
Summary of challenges
The IMT solution
Lessons learnt
Mandate of the IMT
Overall goal of the IMT is to ensure that any service delivery backlogs are addressed and to establish sound management and leadership in the Education, Health, Roads and Public Works and Social Development departments
The IMT is specifically mandated to-
– establish turn around plans for the four target departments, including the elimination of service delivery backlogs
– address cross cutting issues such as disciplinary matters, procurement reform and human resource management
– establish appropriate management structures and back office support
– monitor the implementation of the turn around plans and other interventions as well as the use of conditional grants
On the basis of its presentations to the Provincial EXCO and Cainet, the IMT received additional mandates related to specific challenges
Structure of the IMT
Interim Management TeamDG:DPSA, DG:OPSC,DG:ECape and HoD of Provincial Treasury[In partnership with National Prosecuting Authority and other law enforcement agencies]
Specialist TeamsIssues based ad hoc teams, e.g. Disciplinary
cases
OPSCDPSA
National Depts& EC senior Managers
Joint Management TeamsSpecialists and consultants from
IMT Roadmap
3. Proposals & Way foward
• Develop proposals for all identified problems
• Agree on priorities with Executive Council
• Cost priorities and develop detailed implementation plans
• Develop a comprehensive program management system
4. Implementation
• Implement, implement, implement • Visibility of delivery and celebration of
success• Create a culture of “delivery”• April, ongoing
5. Evaluation and exit• Develop strategies for sustaining
implementation drive• Evaluation and exit report• Through to March 2004
1. Preparation for IMT work• Set up infrastructure and establish
teams• Asses legal options and accountability• November 2002 – January 2003
2. Problem analysis• Structure partnership arrangements with
key stakeholders such as JACTT and AG• Assess impact of previous initiatives• Conduct thorough problem analysis• Identify quick wins and opportunities for
immediate success• January – February 2003
Modus operandi of JMTs
JMT co-leaders work collaboratively, and the HOD remains accounting officer
The tasks of each JMT were to-
– develop plans and strategies to address service delivery backlogs
– Identify actions in the areas of Leadership and Management, Finance and Administration, Human Resource Management, Service Delivery and Ethics and Cultural issues
– to implement the turn around plan of the department
The roles of the JMTs of each department are now being assessed to improve their effectiveness and to integrate turn around plans into departmental work
Relationship with other stakeholders
The IMT functions in close co-operation with, and receives support from various partners and stakeholders. These are-
– the Joint Anti-corruption Task Team (JACTT) led by the National Director of Public Prosecutions, that attends to criminal matters emanating from the IMT’s work
– Intelligence and law enforcement agencies
– the Special Investigating Unit
– The Office of the Auditor-General
– a range of national and (other) provincial departments who provide portfolio specific or cross cutting support (eg. national Health department, SAMDI, provincial treasury of the Western Cape)
– the Center for Public Service Innovation and the State Information Technology Agency
The IMT’s operations are emerging as a model for integrated governance with a cross-departmental and cross-institutional sharing of skills and other resources
Problem analysis: General observation
Quality of leadership and management at departmental level?
Quality of human resource management practices?
Financial management and general administrative capacity?
Ability to uphold ethics and reduce corruption?
Reliability and dependability of public service to deliver on government priorities?
Overall effectiveness and efficiency of public service ?
X
Positive Negative
X
X
X
X
Current Stakeholder Perceptions
X
Service delivery challenges - 1
Service delivery issues
– The Eastern region has suffered from a history of neglect, therefore bearing the brunt of geographic disparities from a service delivery point of view
– There is an over-supply of planning activity not matched by implementation capacity
– Study of budgets do not indicate an immediate funding problem although a case can be made for historical backlogs
Service delivery challenges - 2
In the Eastern Cape, like other under-developed regions, there is a high dependency on Government for socio-economic development. Government cannot fail this need. In the absence of widely-available alternatives for socio-economic development, Government remains the major provider of-
– infrastructure development
– services
– social security, and
– opportunities that stimulate job creation
Service delivery challenges - 3
Job creation and increased social security are just not happening visibly fast enough
There are plans and resources for fast-tracking service delivery in under-serviced areas (such as the Eastern region), however implementation of these plans remain frustratingly slow
Inadequate focus on results and too much time spent on process
Primary concerns - 1
Our assessment is that a change in behavioral patterns is lacking and this change is critical for turn-around of the departments
This assessment established that:-
– Managers are, continuously, not taking responsibility and they are not displaying a strong sense of accountability - according to managers the problem always is ‘out there” and blame for inertia, under-servicing, poor leadership and management are deferred to systems, inadequacies, interference by unions and stakeholders and historic challenges
– In spite of the fact that departments continuously receive audit disclaimers, no action is taken against any manager and the problems are not rectified
– Personal responsibility is consistently fudged
Primary concerns - 2
Unions continue to have undue influence over managers and their decisions, especially in Education, but we have to recognize that a fear factor is prevalent in some of these decisions, although evidence is limited to an incident in Health
Very high levels of corruption are reported, but with limited follow through action
The culture of ill-discipline and acceptance of the poor work ethic, manifests in such behavior as absenteeism and demanding overtime for work that should be done in office hours, accentuated by lack of vigorous management responses
Primary concerns - 3
A culture of entitlement prevails as epitomized by claims to overtime, performance awards and backlog HR payments
Managers have a significant reliance on outsiders for work that is normal businesses - donors and consultants are seen as only solutions
The authority and power of the Tender Board far outweighs its level of accountability
Approach
Comprehensive, integrated
– Addresses both actual delivery and the conditions that make delivery possible
Mixture of department specific and province wide
– There are transversal challenges that have to be addressed to make departmental delivery successful, for example financial management arrangements in the Province
Mix of short and long term
– Some solutions are immediately implementable, but will only realise benefits in coming financial years
– Some solutions are immediately implementable and will realise immediate benefits
Concept
Education
Health
Social Development
Roads and Public Works
Back office support
Internal controls
HR
Management
Leadership &
management
Ethics & anti-corruption
Service delivery
PROBLEM ANALYSIS
TURNAROUND PLANS AND TRANSVERSAL PROJECTS
OUTPUTS OUTCOMES
Improved service
delivery and governance
Turnaround Strategy: transversal projects and departmental turnaround plans
Strengthen leadership
and management
Improve HR
Management
Improve Internal controls
and accountability
Strengthen Back
Office Support
Program
Management
Departmental
Turnaround
Strategies
Rapid and visible
Service delivery
Ethics and anti-
Corruption
Strategy
Measuring progress
Currently progress is measured through the achievement of activities.
This approach has certain limitations as success should be measured in terms of outputs and outcomes.
The monitoring system is currently being revised to reflect this.
Plans are being refined and updated.
While noting the above, the next slides represent progress with regard to implementation of activities.
Turnaround Strategy
Strengthen leadership
and management
Improve HR
Management
Improve Internal controls
and accountability
Program
Management
Departmental
Turnaround
Strategies
Rapid and visible
Service delivery
Ethics and anti-
Corruption
Strategy
Strengthen Back
Office Support
Strengthen back office support: detail
Planned Achieved
Decentralize financial delegations back to departments as from 1 May 2003.
Financial delegations have been provided as of 1 May 2003.
Delegate procurement powers up to R5m
Procurement delegations have been provided to the IMT and departments with effect from 1 May 2003 and are being used for IMT work.
Source in back office support focusing on: financial management, supply chain management, integrated human resource management, legal and general administration.
Tenders awarded for Phase 1. Service providers on site attending to HR backlogs and developing detailed service level agreement for Phase 2. Phase 2 to start end of September 2003.
Electronic Document Management Solution (EDMS)
Document management assessment completed.
Piloting approach with the Department of Education. Tender process complete through assistance of SITA.
SITA is now pursuing the feasibility of rolling-out to other IMT departments.
IT Assessment Assessment finalised, final report expected September 2003.
Shared Administration Centre Progress will only be achieved once phase 2 of BOS contract underway.
Planned Achieved
Strengthen back office support: detail
Turnaround Strategy
Strengthen leadership
and management
Improve HR
Management
Strengthen Back
Office Support
Program
Management
Departmental
Turnaround
Strategies
Ethics and anti-
Corruption
Strategy
Improve internal
Controls
Rapid and visible
Service delivery
Improve internal controls and accountability: detail
Planned Achieved
Decentralize Internal Audit function in four IMT departments.
Tender awarded and work has begun.
Departments to have own Audit Committees.
Guidelines developed and departments busy establishing audit committees.
Turnaround Strategy
Strengthen leadership
and management
Strengthen Back
Office Support
Program
Management
Departmental
Turnaround
Strategies
Ethics and anti-
Corruption
Strategy
Rapid and visible
Service delivery
Improve HR
Management
Improve Internal Controls
Improve HR Management: detail
Planned Achieved
Implementation of resolution 7 proposals
On track for completion by 12 September 2003, risk that Education may not complete process on time.
Filling of vacancies Process of filling critical vacancies ongoing. Numerous adverts placed in the press.
Strategy for attracting scarce skills, incentives for professionals in rural areas, internships and strategy for training people in scarce skills.
Multi-disciplinary task team formed, workshops held and report with recommendations being compiled.
Integrated HRM strategy Developed and published by OTP.
Support services companies Report completed, being discussed within Province
Implement early retirement of employees
Implementation linked to Resolution 7 and decision on Support Services Company
Turnaround Strategy
Improve HR
Management
Strengthen Back
Office Support
Program
Management
Departmental
Turnaround
Strategies
Ethics and anti-
Corruption
Strategy
Rapid and visible
Service delivery
Strengthen leadership
and management
Improve Internal Controls
Strengthen leadership and management: detail
Planned Achieved
Increase management to at least 1% of social departments.
Appointment process ongoing, however strategy still needs to be developed.
Competency profiling of all senior managers.
Competency profile complete. Final consolidated report being prepared.
Workplace based management development program.
Will be developed once final competency report complete.
Performance agreements for senior managers.
Process of establishing revised performance agreements unsatisfactory.
Initiate disciplinary processes for managers based on existing forensic and Auditor General reports.
Disciplinary proceedings initiated.
Filling of critical management vacancies
Process ongoing
Turnaround Strategy
Improve HR
Management
Strengthen Back
Office Support
Program
Management
Departmental
Turnaround
Strategies
Strengthen Management
And leadership
Rapid and visible
Service delivery
Ethics and anti-
Corruption Strategy
Improve Internal Controls
Ethics and anti-corruption: detail
Planned Achieved
6 forensic audits Ongoing, first substantive reports have been received and are being acted upon.
Disciplinary Cases Task Team (DCTT)
Panel set up and team dealing with cases.
1098 cases on database, 467 active cases being attended to, 172 hearings finalised.
Sustainable framework to manage discipline being established
Joint Anti Corruption Task Team (JACTT)
JACTT dealing with 374 cases, 144 arrests made, 18 convictions and sentencing, 3 convictions not yet sentenced, 113 attending trial.
Education and Awareness programs
Three programmes aimed at senior managers, front line staff and other employees have been developed and aligned with Batho Pele components. Roll out: October 2003.
Hotline Operational with many cases being received. Cases referred to DCTT or JACTT as required.
Turnaround Strategy
Improve HR
Management
Strengthen Back
Office Support
Program
Management
Departmental
Turnaround
Strategies
Strengthen Management
And leadership
Ethics and anti-
Corruption Strategy
Rapid and visible
Service delivery Improve Internal Controls
Rapid and visible service delivery
Key infrastructure projects (roads, buildings) have been identified
Have engaged the Coega Development Cooperation to assist with project implementation and monitoring of existing projects.
Turnaround Strategy
Departmental turn-
around strategies
Improve HR
Management
Strengthen Back
Office Support
Program
Management
Rapid and Visible
Service Delivery
Strengthen Management
And leadership
Ethics and anti-
Corruption Strategy
Departmental
Turnaround Strategies
Improve Internal Controls
EducationHealthSocial DevelopmentRoads and Public Works
For this presentation, there are too many projects to report on under each turnaround plan, therefore broad based progress in terms of activities will be given.
Education turnaround
Based on 12 projects
– Human resourcing and personnel expenditure
– district development
– performance management
– management (their performance) and leadership
– financial services
– human resource services
– procurement and logistical services
– discipline
– physical facilities
– learning support material
– matriculation readiness
– school nutrition programme
Was necessary to change the management structure by establishing a project management structure and the infusion of managers deployed from national departments, as well as the appointment of an interim head of department
Health turnaround
Three key focus areas
Improve the management of health services:
– Restructured head office, management reforms to hospitals and clinics, performance management, internal controls, paypoint management, asset management, Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital fully functional and opened.
Improve targeted front line health services in Eastern Region:
– Services of community health centres improved, TB, HIV/Aids/Mother and child health improved in 11 LSAs, increased supervision in use of transport, all facilities to have laboratory services
Improve back office support to health institutions:
– Outsource management of operational maintenance, outsource non-core services (linked to support services companies proposal), continue with existing PPPs, improve allocation and use of transport, use existing IT systems for health records and information, implement uniform patient fee system, implement delta 9 at all complexes, regional hospitals and major district hospitals
Roads and Public Works turnaround Roads
– Position paper on location of roads function being discussed.
– Commercialisation/corporatisation strategy for in-house construction/maintenance teams have been developed and may soon be implemented
– Roll out of area wide maintenance contracts
Buildings
– Appointment of strategic property partner underway
– Development of solution for building maintenance and for effective asset management
– High profile building maintenance
Management and support services
– Develop and implement communications strategy
– Clarification of department’s mandate, the development of a new service delivery model, complemented by service level agreements, and development of new HR plan and organisational structure (organisational development and service level agreements)
– Programme management office
Roads and Public Works turnaround: summary
Limited progress achieved due to budget being available for Roads and Public Works’ turnaround plan as well as limited integration of turnaround plan within broader departmental activities.
Review current leadership and management cadre
Rid the Department of corrupt officials
Implement initiatives to remove service delivery bottlenecks, particularly to speed up CGS registration and the disbursement of welfare grants.
Celebrate short-term achievements with targeted communications.
The long-term transformation will take place on three levels:
– A reconfiguration of how the Department interacts with the public, which we call the front office. New partnership model with Home Affairs and Department of Labour to provide a one stop shop solutions
– Helping the Department to make the shift from a welfare to a developmental paradigm
– A redesign of the Department’s back office. Key would be setting a processing center in the department and establishing a contract management center outside the department but managed by the department
Social Development turnaround
Turnaround plans: common challenges
Implementation has begun and progress in certain areas is being achieved.
However, a number of issues are cause for concern as illustrated below.
Improved governance and service delivery
JMT
Current situation Future situation
Budget?Buy-in?Sustainability?
Sustainability
Sustainability is emerging as a concern and work has begun on the post IMT sustainability strategy of the IMT in terms of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and effective management structures.
The overall thrust shifts from “imposition” and change (phases 1 to 3) to building motivation, capacity, morale and confidence within the departments.
This will see the IMT/JMTs being integrated into turnaround units in the four departments and the OTP.
Sustainability ctd
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
March July October December March
Department JMT/IMT
IMT/JMT activity
Departmental activity
Emerging lessons/themes
Turnaround is not a quick fix, some solutions only realise full impact over time.
Getting basics right is essential for smooth functioning of higher level activities. A breakdown of basic administrative practices (such as recording leave) in many instances sabotage an output (such as paying out a pension, which cannot be done without a complete leave record).
Setting a foundation for future delivery
– A lot of effort is being put into support systems that make actual delivery of services possible. Stable but flexible support systems can accommodate policy changes, but if the foundations are weak, departments battle to deliver and accommodate policy shifts.
Exposing both national and provincial departments to various new ways of delivery (e.g. partnerships, alternative service delivery, benefits of using IT)
– The IMT is providing a rich experience in public administration and innovation, drawing on examples of other departments and provinces and tailoring solutions. These experiences can also enrich processes in other departments and provinces
Emerging lessons/themes
To complete the delivery chain local government needs to be included in turn around strategies, but currently the legislative framework hampers this integration.
The cooperative model currently applied in the Eastern Cape has limitations, and alternative models need to be available for similar interventions. This requires that the Constitutional-type interventions be made possible in flexible legislation.
Thank you