Transcript Document

Capacity, Skills Development and
Women’s Empowerment
Democracy Development Programme
Theme: Twenty Years of Local Democracy in
South Africa: Quo Vadis? Towards Good Local
Governance
20 October 2014
Purpose of Presentation
To provide a background and speak to:
• What capacity versus skills development entail in
the local government context and the criteria being
considered to address the Ministerial Back-to-Basics
approach towards ensuring good governance in LG
• Building on the Women in Local Governance
Conference – 2013 (of which the theme was:
‘Empowering Women towards a more Integrated
Cooperative Governance System’)
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Background
It is good to have an opportunity like this Conference to
reflect on the past 20 years and how far we have come: To
indicate where we are at a high level (extract amended
from PCC Report): Since 2000 various stakeholders
have been actively engaged in supporting, monitoring and
intervening (SMI) in municipalities, resulting in:
a.
A sound and comprehensive legislative
framework for municipal governance;
and
fiscal
b.
The formulation of guiding capacity building strategies, such
as the National Capacity Building Framework for Local
Government, and the creation of inter-governmental political
and technical co-ordination platforms;
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c.
d.
e.
The introduction of a large number of flagship programmes
such as the Local Government Turnaround Strategy, the
Municipal Infrastructure Support programme, the Municipal
Financial Management Improvement programme, Operation
Clean Audit and the Cities Support Programme;
Increasing examples of innovative provincial-level responses
to the provision of effective support and monitoring within
the local sphere;
A significant increase in the number of households with
access to basic services as shown in the Census 2011
results
Given the relative infancy of the new democratic system
of local government in South Africa, there is however a
need to continuously reflect and review the performance of
municipalities
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What does capacity versus skills development
entail in the local government (LG) context?
LG “Capacity” is not tightly defined and in practice is used in a
broad and loose fashion. However, the Municipal Structures Act,
no. 118 of 1998 defines “capacity”, in relation to a municipality, as
including the administrative and financial management capacity and
infrastructure that enables a municipality to collect revenue and to
govern the local government affairs of its community on its own
initiative.
There is a need however to further detail this definition as capacity
is a multi-dimensional concept with three inter-related core
elements, i.e. individual capacity, institutional capacity and
environmental capacity influenced by the macro context
(illustrated in slide 10). Skills development is considered to be an
element of individual capacity.
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Key elements of a functional, well-performing municipality
Community Oversight and Accountability
Constitutional
objects of
local
government
Provision of
sustainable
services
Social and
economic
development
Safe and healthy
environment
Communities
involvement in
LG matters
Strong Organisational Capacity
Democratic and
accountable
government
Sound Political Leadership
Governance
Good governance practices that facilitate transparent,
accountable and participative decision-making and oversight
Responsiveness to community participation and feedback
Priorities,
Policies and
Plans
Priorities and policies that address the community’s social and
economic development needs, with a sustainable emphasis
on the interests of the poor
A sound spatial development plan
Integrated and sustainable IDPs and Budgets
Staff
Systems
Budgets,
SCM and
Financial
Management
Competent and dedicated senior managers
Key technical positions filled by competent staff
Employees committed to serving the community
Key decision-making, management and reporting systems in
place and functioning
Efficient and effective service delivery systems
Sound revenue and expenditure management processes
Procurement processes that are efficient and honest
Effective contract monitoring and management
Good project management processes and systems
Economies of Scale
Choice of Technology
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Some criteria being adopted to address the Ministerial Back-toBasics approach towards ensuring good governance in LG
• The delivery of basic services by municipalities:
Operations
and
maintenance
of
infrastructure,
spending
on capital budgets, community protests,
provision of basic services, quality of services, water
conservation and demand management, water quality,
sewerage spillages, electricity cut-offs and theft of
infrastructure
• Financial management - functional areas: audit
outcomes in the last five years, servicing of debts, cash
backed budgets, liquidity, submission of annual financial
statements, functionality of supply chain management and
revenue collection
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• Municipal governance: Holding of Council
meetings as legislated, functionality of oversight
structures, i.e. Section 79 committees, audit
committees, etc., public participation, fraud and
corruption, execution of local government
mandate in terms of the Constitution, political
and administrative interface, accountability,
application of rules and order and feedback of
councillors to communities.
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• Municipal institutional arrangements: Vacancy rate,
qualification of personnel, role of organised Labour,
municipal staff establishments, training and development
of staff and filling of key management positions such as
in the engineering, finance, development planning, legal
and corporate departments
• Community
satisfaction
functional
areas:
Communication
with
communities,
participatory
budgeting, service delivery provision, allegations of fraud
and corruption, responses to petitions, queries and
complaints
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Macro Context
Enabling
Environment
Broader
Economic &
Social Context
Short-term vs
Long-term
focus
Strategy vs
compliance
Local
Government
Fiscal Powers
& Functions
Organisational
Culture
Legislative
& Policy
Systems &
Context
Procurement
Spatial
fragmentation,
Urbanisation &
urban/rural
interface – huge
service delivery
backlogs
Institutional
Capacity
Political
Climate
Social Value
Individual Capacity Accountability & System
consequences
Qualifications
Experience
Competences
(Knowledge, Skills
and Attitudes)
Professional
Values
Networks
Staff turnover
Behaviour
Leadership
and
Management
Monitoring
& Support
Financial
Resources
Bulk InfraStructure
capacity
Climate
Change,
Environment &
Resource
Management
Education &
Skills
Demarcation
Structure
& C &B
powers &
functions
Corruptio
n
Stability
Planning
Alignment
Macro Political
Context –
Leadership &
Vision
Regulations
Political/
administrative
interface
Networks
Affordability
of service
provision
Powers and
Functions
devolved
Capacity of
community,
including to
pay for
services
InterGovernmental
relations
Education and
Training System
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The following are regulatory mechanisms implemented to
facilitate the address of local government capacity:
a. National Capacity Building Framework for LG (to include
the Professionalisation Framework for Local Government)
b. National Capacity Building Strategy for LG
c. National Capacity Building Plans / Programmes for LG
d. Batho Pele Service Standards Framework for LG
e. Guidelines for Provincial municipal Support, Monitoring
and Intervention Plans
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Individual Capacity
Weak political leadership
Institutional Capacity
Corruption at all levels with
no consequences
Enabling Environment
Lack of central co-ordination
support, information and M&E
Technical skills gaps and
lack of relevant
competencies
High staff turnover and
vacancy levels
Weak understanding of
policies
Unclear
administrative/political
interface
Weak strategy – focus on
compliance
Weak financial management
and low budget spend
Political deployments not
always competent
appointments
Lack of career progression
Weak council decisions,
often against technical
advice
Organisational instability,
including review of S 57
contracts linked to political
term of office
Lack of oversight and
accountability
Poor attitudes & values of
staff
Lack of professionalism &
regulation thereof by
professional bodies &
government
Rank
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Financial viability of
municipalities
Macro Context
Huge pressures of poverty,
unemployment and
inequality
Huge service delivery
backlogs
Bulk infrastructure gaps
Weak public participation
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Lack of clarity re
decentralisation of powers
and functions & role of the
districts
Unclear role for DCOG
Huge social issues, such
as crime, drug abuse,
gender-based violence
4
Weak revenue base of
municipalities with low
levels of affordability
Political dynamics,
including coalitions
resulting in inertia
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Pressures of in-migration
and urbanisation
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Lack of planning alignment
amongst the 3 spheres – IDP
not taken seriously by other
spheres
Local government financing
system, including Equitable
Share, needs to be reviewed
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Lack of legal compliance or
regulatory support
Unstable political environment
Declining economies and
weak LED responses
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Weak municipal systems
Inconsistent, incoherent and
complex local government
legislative environment
Weak education system
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Lack of customised support to
municipalities & support
focused on compliance
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Prioritisation of Capacity Constraints facing Municipalities
Building on the Women in Local Governance Conference
– 10 Resolutions [indicators have been developed]
In 2013 the DCoG has re-established dedicated
internal capacity to focus on mainstreaming
Women in Local Governance
To launch this initiative a Women in Local
Governance Conference was held to inform the
future agenda
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The 10 Resolutions from the WiLG Conference:
• Strengthen / establish Intergovernmental
Gender Forums at all levels of government,
including Women Traditional Leaders – working
with the Department of Women, Children and
People with Disabilities as well as associated
institutions, NGOs / Civil Society
• Review the existing Gender Policy Framework
for Local Government and develop an
implementation strategy with clear and smart
indicators
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• Utilise
the
Gender
Barometer
Monitoring
Framework to enable annual reporting (to monitor
legislative compliance and Gender policies)
• Ensure that the capacity building programmes focus
on women
• Ensure recruitment and retention of women for
political senior management positions (50/50) at all
levels of government
• Ensure that each pillar of the National Development
Plan includes women issues for implementation
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• Ensure that the IDP has an impact on women and
girls to significantly improve service delivery
• Identify and implement targeted programmes
towards empowerment of young women
• Ensure that at least 15% of the Strategic Integrated
Projects (SIP) budgets are ring-fenced to directly
benefit women in communities
• Re-instate the entire 1998/1999 Gender Budget
Commitment
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CONCLUSION
DCoG can thus reflect that LG has moved forward
since inception but that there is still some distance
to go towards ensuring good governance across
all municipalities
Opportunities such as these allow for reflection on
improvements and challenges remaining and
sharing good practices and / or concepts that
could assist local government to continuously
move towards functional and performing
institutions that adequately deliver services to their
communities
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THANK YOU!
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