Issue 21, Summer 2016

MILEstones

October to December

About MILE

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The Municipal Institute of Learning, (MILE) is a Knowledge Management initiative of eThekwini Municipality that was established to position Durban as an international city of learning.

The purpose of MILE is to help enhance the capacity of professionals working in local government on the continent (and beyond), to respond more effectively to meeting the scale and variety of developmental local government challenges – from getting the basics right, to effectively dealing with contemporary global challenges.

Its mandate also includes providing municipal technical support to selected municipalities, collaborating with local universities and fostering strategic national and international learning partnerships.

This edition of MILEstones focuses on MILE learning activities held since the release of the Spring 2016 issue and it also provides a glimpse of future events that are scheduled to take place.

For more information visit: www.mile.org.za

The time for Africa has come!

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Former Johannesburg mayor and current chair of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) Parks Tau has been elected as president of the United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) at the 5th UCLG World Congress in Bogota on 15th October 2016.

UCLG is the world organization of local and regional governments and their associations, representing and defending their interests on the world stage. This network includes over 240,000 towns, cities, regions and metropolises, and over 175 associations of local and regional governments in 140 countries.

A MILEstone for South Africa and Africa, through his election, Parks Tau will drive the entire local government fraternity to achieve its key objectives, amongst which are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Paris Accord on Climate Change, the New Urban Agenda (Habitat III), together with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction.

“It is not somebody doing us a favour. We are active and leading members of the world body UCLG. We are ready. We have demonstrated our cohesion and that we can work together as a continent,” said Parks Tau.

eThekwini Municipality has been chairing the UCLG Urban Strategic Planning Committee for the past 8 years and has also been responsible for driving the City to City learning agenda internationally through the Municipal Institute of Learning (MILE). During the UCLG Congress, MILE had the privilege of co-ordinating 6 learning sessions, including a session on the Art of Strategic Facilitation run by MILE.

The City Manager, Sibusiso Sithole and Human Settlements and Infrastructure Committee Chair, Councillor Mondli Mthembu launched the Public Space Framework document which eThekwini had been co-ordinating at the Congress. Cllr. Mthembu also had an opportunity of presenting a short report at the UCLG World Council on Saturday. The efforts by eThekwini Municipality and SALGA over the last eight years, is certainly now bearing fruit for the Country and Continent at large.

Highlights

The Road Towards Habitat 3 - Durban Urban Breakfast

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eThekwini Municipality joined 50 other cities on the planet that participated in a series of Urban Breakfasts to raise awareness of the New Urban Agenda before the Habitat 3 meeting in Quito in mid-October. This was indeed a historic moment as provincial and city political leadership joined civil society stakeholders as they deliberated on pertinent themes related to Habitat 3. The Learning Event was held on 5th October 2017 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban. Mayor Cllr. Zandile Gumede in her opening remarks noted the importance of the role of local government in the New Urban Agenda and was delighted that eThekwini was hosting the H3 Urban Breakfast. She recommitted the leadership of the eThekwini Municipality in the global arena in the UCLG and in the UNHABITAT. She drew a strong linkage between her inauguration speech and political commitments made and the key issues of urban governance and building inclusive, safer cities as priorities within the New Urban Agenda. Habitat III Secretariat shared an overview of the New Urban Agenda, noting that the draft outcomes document has now been crafted through an inclusive and participatory exercise. In the last 20 years, the growing inequalities within cities, urban sprawl and climate change were highlighted as critical challenges that require decisive action immediately. The Quito declaration through its transformative commitments, effective implementation plan and follow up and review mechanism were outlined. What was interesting to note was the new urban paradigm that is innovative in that it recognizes a new perspective of looking at urbanization as not just a challenge, but as a source of value generation that can contribute to development at large.

CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT

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The five action areas proposed in the agenda were summarized: • NationalUrbanpolicy• UrbanLegislation• Urbanrenewal• Urbanplanninganddesign• Urbaneconomyandmunicipalfinance Honing in on the sustainable mobility and transport theme of the urban breakfast, the issues of equity and social inclusion, efficiency and economic impact as well as environmental impact and health / road safety were raised as key to be considered. The focus should be on urban planning and design in an integrated approach and through the utilization of innovations and renewable energy. KZN MEC for Human Settlements & Public Works, Ravi Pillay posed a self-criticism on our inability to continually engage on global challenges and was grateful for the opportunity to begin to dialogue. MEC suggested that nationally we are not dealing with the Outcome 8 objective, and that much more effort is required to deal with this. MEC was encouraged that the new leadership in eThekwini was serious about addressing these issues, and urged that the momentum be kept up. MEC asked for more engagement with citizens that are truly people-centred as well as the need for the issue of planned informal settlements that need to be put on the table, as well as the issue of housing allocation that can be divisive. KZN Cogta, MEC Nomusa Dube Ncube in acknowledging the urban population explosion highlighted a series of key challenges that municipalities are faced with, and the role that local economic development can play if placed at the center of the city strategy. The use of technology as part of our innovative responses around energy, land and natural resource management must be taken more seriously. Urban planning it was noted has recently emerged as a key priority to address sustainable development. MEC also acknowledged the role of MILE and the city in collaborating with COGTA to rethink spatial equity issues in a learning exchange in September.

During the deliberations the following issues were raised:

• Theneedtofocusonruraldevelopment,giventhecontextofeThekwini• TheprocessofhowtoincludethevoicesofordinarySouthAfricans• Thelimitationsofplanninglegislationinfacilitatingtransformation• TheroleofICTasanenablerinsustainabledevelopment• Needtofocusonthemessageofthe“righttothecity”andtheroleof informal settlements Click here to read more:

CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT

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CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT

Building a Greener and Liveable City

eThekwini Municipality’s Senior Management gathered at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on 27th of October 2016 to discuss the circular economy and innovative methods of creating a more greener and liveable Durban.

The circular economy refers to an industrial economy that promotes greater resource productivity aiming to reduce waste and avoid pollution by design or intention.

The Keynote Speaker for the Seminar was Lise Pretorius , Head of the Strategy Division at GCX Africa.

“Waste should be seen as an opportunity and a resource .We need to look into history to find how we can adopt the innovation wave at a critical mass. Organisations also need to get rid of silo thinking as the circular economy is cross cutting and complex,” said Pretorius.

Departments within eThekwini were also given an opportunity to share “What is Green in Durban,” showcasing the Green Projects the City has undertaken.

The city has numerous projects that already promote sustainability in daily operations. From waste beneficiation through the Use-It project to recycling, and generating power through the sludge digestion process and hydro-power through the bulk water lines, the city is innovative in its approach to creating a greener city.

As the 31st MILE Management Seminar, the session provided a space for officials to share valuable insights and good practice on creating a greener city for all.

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CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT

Officials learn more about Municipal Performance Monitoring and Evaluation

Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) plays a pivotal role in local government. It helps to evaluate, improve performance and achieve results. Thus, in the spirit of knowledge sharing and following a very successful launch of the Inaugural Master Class on Performance Monitoring and Evaluation in 2015. The eThekwini

Municipality’s Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) Unit and the Municipal Institute of Learning (MILE), in partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (KZN-COGTA), and SALGA hosted a PME Master Class from 22-24 November 2016 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, with about 80 officials from municipalities across South Africa. During the opening session Ms Nirmala Govender, Head of eThekwini Municipality’s Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Department mentioned the pertinent role of PME within an organisation. “Performance Monitoring and Evaluation is important to ensure that programmes within the Municipality are implemented. It also safeguards the effective utilisation of resources,” said Govender. The three day Master Class is facilitated by practitioners from eThekwini Municipality’s Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Unit and selected practitioners from other municipalities in South Africa which have made significant strides and gained recognition for their innovations in building organizational efficiency. The Course covered the following areas: Organisational Performance Management, Performance Reporting and Quality Assurance , Individual Performance Management Systems and Audit of Performance Information. PME Manager, Nosipho Zungu from Mandeni Municipality felt the Master Class was very beneficial to her work. “This Master Class is a long overdue idea which has helped expose best practice and benchmarking in terms of PME. It has opened my eyes on how fast and sophisticated PME really is and cuts across all levels,” said Zungu. Click here to read more.

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CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT

Creating a Client Centric Organisation

New trends in creating a customer centric organisation was discussed at the 32nd MILE Management seminar on 28 November 2016, when Vice Chancellor of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Albert van Jaarsveld delivered an impactful and thought provoking presentation on making organisations more customer

focussed.

He said that customer focus needs a totally different mind-set that needs to be driven by the organisational leadership. “Every level of the organisation needs to be brought on board with the values and ethos of the organisation through knowledge and empowerment and by breaking down the silos. The only way any organisation will be able to achieve successful client relations is if the right people are employed, every employee buys into the strategy, and displays the correct attitude towards the work that must be done. ” He said often the strategy surpasses the operations on the ground, and leadership needs to be cognisant of this and formulate strategies that are practical and speak to the needs of the customer.

In order to be truly client centric one has to make sure you deliver on what the client needs, he advised. “You have to understand and accept that your client’s problems are yours and you need to do whatever it takes to help – if everyone carries that attitude, then we will be truly client centric and change the face of the organisation.”

He also gave examples on how important it is to train the customer. Education is key in ensuring that the customer understands the organisation, what services are delivered and how it works. He reminded delegates that in order to build client loyalty, one has to ensure customer service excellence always. In that way, one would be able to convert “cynics into apostles’. Reputation, he said, takes years to establish, but just one incident to tarnish.

He wrapped up by saying that cooperation and collective responsibility within the organisation is critical, in order to ensure the success of any project. It is therefore imperative for leadership to ensure that decisions can be taken by the right people, subordinates are supported, all employees understand and share the same values system and organisational culture.

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CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT

City officials pledge towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

“All of the SDGs have targets that are directly or indirectly related to the daily work of local and regional governments. Local governments should not be seen as mere implementers of the agenda. Local governments are policy makers, catalysts of change and the level of government best-placed to

link the global goals with local communities” (UCLG, 2015).

According to UCLG Local governments globally play a crucial role towards achieving SDGs. With this in mind, about 80 of eThekwini Municipality’s senior management attended MILE’s 33rd Management Seminar on the of 7th December 2016. The Seminar focussed on Localizing and mainstreaming Sustainable Development Goals.

The objective of the SDGs is to eradicate poverty and to integrate the three dimensions of sustainable development namely economic, social and environment into the comprehensive global vision 2030.

Senior officials were welcomed by Mabongi Xhakaza, Deputy Head of eThekwini Municipal Academy. In her presentation Ms Xhakaza mentioned the important role local government plays in the implementation of SDGs.

“The Implementation of the 2030 Agenda requires a more holistic, coherent and integrated approach at the global, national, provincial and local levels. Policies to implement the 2030 Agenda need to address inter-linkages within the social sector, as well as between the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. Similarly, municipalities will have to adjust or expand the scope of work so as to accommodate the new mandates arising from the SDGs and recognize the need for strengthening the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development as well as enhance policy coherence.”

As part of MILE’s blended learning approach during the Seminar participants viewed a Ted Talk video by Michael Green on “How we can make the world a better place by 2030.” Social progress expert Green invited participants to imagine how these goals and their vision for a better world can be achieved.

Ms Helen North (Provincial Head: STATS SA) shares the Background and Approach to “Domestication” of SDGs. In her presentation North mentioned the importance of mainstreaming SDGs within local government. Click here to read more.

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Following a meeting that was held recently between officials of the uMhlathuze Municipality and MILE, a team consisting of officials from MILE and eThekwini’s Development Management department travelled to uMhlathuze municipality to provide Municipal Technical Support. The focus of the support was on the enforcement of by-laws, town planning schemes and building regulations. Twenty Eight officials from the uMhlathuze municipality representing various departments such as building inspectorate, development planning, law enforcement, traffic department, legal, air quality control, human resources, parks, road verges and solid waste attended the workshop. uMhlathuze Municipality’s Deputy City Manager: Corporate Services, Ms S Masondo welcomed the MILE team and thanked them for sharing knowledge and empowering officials. Officials were hungry for knowledge, many questions were asked and much discussion ensued. It was agreed that whilst the workshop was very empowering, one day was not enough time to cover the topic appropriately. The way forward was that in the first quarter of 2017 MILE would facilitate a three day workshop for uMhlathuze municipal officials on the enforcement of by-laws, town planning schemes and building regulations. uMhlathuze municipality is also interested in developing a municipal institute of learning. In this regard MILE has offered to support and assist them by facilitating a three day workshop on Knowledge Management.

MUNICIPAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT

MILE provides Municipal Technical Support to Umhlathuze Muncipality

MILE Partners with Umgeni Water Planning Services

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MILE Technical Support team is surpassing all expectations and not just advising municipalities, but is also being asked by parastatals for assistance with strategic planning. The most recent intervention was the facilitation of a strategic planning workshop for Umgeni Water Planning Services Department. The workshop was held at Redlands Hotel in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday, 29th November 2016.

Officials from the Umgeni Water Services Department consisting of Geohydrologist, Planning Analyst, Planning Engineers, Town Planner, hydrologists, Interns and their Planning Administrator attended the workshop.

The purpose of the workshop was to brainstorm how the Umgeni Water Planning Services Department can become more efficient in their work processes. It also sought to identify the strategic opportunities, challenges and the underlying causes facing Planning Services. Delegates were enthusiastic and worked in their groups to identify the challenges that are facing the Umgeni Water Planning Services Department. They then developed a strategic action plan with strategies, timeframes and responsible persons to make this happen.

At the end of the workshop all delegates signed the Redlands Accord pledging to make concerted efforts to implement the SEVENTEEN point ACTION PLAN, within the agreed upon timeframes, by the agreed upon persons. MILE will facilitate a follow up workshop with the Umgeni Water Planning Services Department for all to review the progress that has being made as per the strategic action plan and the signed Accord. When closing the workshop the Manager: Umgeni Water Planning Services, Mr Kevin Meier thanked MILE for facilitating this important workshop for them that will assist them move from being good to being great.

MUNICIPAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Localising Sustainable Development Goals: An Inclusive Implementation Process

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MILE in partnership with eThekwini Municipal Academy and CIFAL Durban hosted a Brown Bag Seminar on localising Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for municipal officials from key departments within the City on 18th November 2016.

SDGs are a UN initiative, officially known as transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a set of seventeen aspirational “Global Goals” with 169 targets between them. On 1 January 2016, SDGs adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force. As part of the Brown Bag Seminar participants viewed a Ted Talk video by Michael Green on “How we can make the world a better place by 2030.” MILE Knowledge Management (KM) Programme Manager, Fezile Njokweni presented the background, scope and relevance of SDGS. “SDGs will be monitored in South Africa by STATISTICS SA . A National Framework has been developed and adopted. Resources need to be mobilised from local, provincial and international stakeholders/organisations to fund the implementation of SDGs, ” said Njokweni. In support of localising SDGs and as a centre of learning in Africa MILE will be hosting learning events as platforms to create awareness and share knowledge.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

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Upcoming Events for MILE

*These are proposed events for the next quarter and are subject to change

• Urban Strategic Planning Master Class-27th ebruary to 1st of March

2017

• Art of Facilitation Master Class -1st to 3rd March 2017

For more information about MILE learning events contact us on:

Email: mile@durban.gov.za Tel: 031 322 4525Fax: 031 261 3405

Fax to email: 086 265 7160visit: www.mile.org.za

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Municipal Institute of Learning

@eThekwiniMILE

Content Editor/Layout and Design: Janice Lee Moodley