Transcript Intergovernmental Relations in a Provincial Context

Conference
Provincial Governance and Development
in SA Post 1994: Quo Vadis,
14 – 15 October 2010, Durban
OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION

Progress on the implementation of the IGRF Act case studies
• Functioning of IGR structures
• Intergovernmental coordination and processes
• Intergovernmental instruments

Conclusions and recommendations
PROVINCIAL IGR SYSTEM
•
The IGRF Act was passed to improve coherence, coordination and
integration across spheres and organs of government to ultimately
achieve the developmental goals: provision of service delivery,
alleviation of poverty and development of communities.
•
The Act provides a framework for provincial government to facilitate
coordination in the implementation and alignment of local and
provincial plans to national policy, priorities and legislation.
•
The Act encourages cooperative rather competitive government,
and natural evolution of IGR – leaving room for non-statutory
provincial intergovernmental relations systems.
•
The Act does not only establishes structures but also introduces
IGR processes (policy and planning), instruments (implementation
protocols) and dispute resolution mechanisms as necessary tools
for facilitating effective IGR at all levels.
PROVINCIAL IGR STRUCTURES
•
Provincial governments have established provincial structures
as mandated by the Act or brought existing structures in line
with the Act.
•
Provincial structures include political forums, namely Premier’s
Coordinating Forums (PCFs), Premier’s Metro Coordinating
Forums (PMCF), Provincial Clusters and technical structures,
namely PCF Technical Committees
•
All provinces have assisted municipalities to establish their
political structures, District Coordinating Forums and technical
structures DCF Technical Committees and provide support in
terms of their functioning.
•
These structures are up and running in all provinces with
varying degrees of effectiveness and efficiency.
PROVINCIAL IGR STRUCTURES
•
All provinces are represented on national political forums (President
Coordinating Council, Cluster Committees and technical forums
(FOSAD), other statutory structures (Budget Forums) and sectoral
structures (MinMECs)
•
Provincial IGR structures have also adopted their own internal rules,
including procedures for the adoption of agendas, and resolutions and
implementation (e.g. NW, EC, WC, GP and KZN).
•
However, these provincial (political) structures, face some serious
functionality challenges. These include
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Broader composition and size than the Act required
Lack of strategic agendas
Political differences, political fluidity in a province, party political infighting
Poor institutional linkages
Proliferation of IGR structures
PROVINCIAL IGR COORDINATION &
PROCESSES

Provincial IG structures are struggling though when it comes to
intergovernmental coordination and processes.

The following are the challenges relating to the IGR processes
 The lack of provincial policy frameworks to implement and guide the
provincial IGR, the result of which is the proliferation of structures and
lack of coordination
 IDPs are still not perceived as the single planning instrument for all
spheres and IDPs and provincial development plans and priorities are
not always aligned to one another due in part to separate
unsynchronized budgeting and planning
 IGR structures do not have an IGR Calendar Framework which is
informed by the budgeting and planning cycle.
PROVINCIAL IGR COORDINATION &
PROCESSES
 Lack
of inter-departmental (or intra-governmental) coordination and
integration of support to municipalities, resulting in multiple, uncoordinated
and un-strategic engagements with municipalities and subsequently
resulting in engagement fatigue and tensions between local and provincial
government.
 Lack consultation by provinces on draft provincial policies and laws. Many
key provincial policies and laws affecting municipalities are passed without
municipalities’ participation.
 The single biggest failure or cause of IGR tensions in provinces has been
the lack of clarity of roles and functions and concurrent and overlapping
powers and functions. The Act will not bring about coordination and
integration without role clarification
 Emerging IDP Indabas in the Western Cape has the potential to improve
integrated planning and budgeting between the province and municipalities.
PROVINCIAL IGR INSTRUMENTS

IGR Implementation protocols are seldom used IG structures.

Where they were used, implementation protocols have been very
successful, E.g.
 Case studies of coordination involving all spheres
○
Xenophobic violence
○ World Cup 2010, Implementation between province and city e.g.
 Case studies on specific issues involving two provinces
○
Management of cross border municipalities
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North West and Northern Cape (transport, roads and community safety)
Gauteng and Mpumalanga (management of transition)
 Case studies involving departments and others
○
Department of Land Affairs and other partners (Settlement and Implementation Support
Strategy for Land and Agrarian Reform
EMERGING TRENDS IN IGR
IMPLEMENTATION
•
The 15 Year Review noted the following emerging trends in terms
intergovernmental relations over the last five years
– An increasing shift from the institutional design (policy and legislation) of the IGR
system to actual practice and implementation of intergovernmental relations
– A shift from process (structures and procedures) to substance based IGR, to
greater emphasis on the sectoral service delivery priorities
– A shift from national and provincial IGR structures and processes to greater focus
on and engagement with local government (creation and support for municipal
IGR forums and processes)
– A shift from primary sectoral focus to integrated development planning for the
whole of government, intergovernmental budgeting and joint implementation and
other cross cutting issues.
•
Another emerging trend is one of competitive rather than
cooperative government at a provincial level. Western Cape vs other
provinces and national government, due to different electoral
mandate.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
•
IGR system is evolving and the impact of the IGRF Act is yet to be
seen.
•
IGR is not yet effective and efficient in delivering a coherent,
coordinated and integrated government to the people. The policy
review of provincial and local government emerged from this and poor
service delivery performance of provinces.
•
The functioning of provincial structures is affected by the nonadherence to the strict requirements of the Act.
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Composition and size must be mean and lean as prescribed in the Act
Agendas must be strategic and meeting must be held at strategic moments
informed by the planning and budgeting cycle to influence provincial and local
planning.
– Rationalization of IGR structures and engagement, have fewer but more
effective structures
– IGR structures should have an IGR Calendar Framework which is informed
by the budgeting and planning cycle.
– IGR structures between provinces need to be resuscitated. And provinces
must refrain from competition to cooperation.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Since there is a shift from establishing structures towards
content of these structures, IGR processes must be used and
improved
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Where necessary, provincial policy frameworks must be developed to guide
IGR in the province
IDPs should be the single development planning tool for all spheres of
government , IDP Indaba in the Western Cape are a step in the right direction
Speed up the synchronisation and alignment of budgeting and planning
cycles of different local government, and national and provincial government
Provincial departments must better coordinate and integrate their IGR
engagements with municipalities (rationalisation of IGR structures)
National government must enact provincial policy and legislation clarifying
roles and functions provinces and other spheres of government
Given its track record of relative success, implementation
protocols should be used more on integrated service delivery or
joint work or projects.