RESPONSE TO COVID-19 THROUGH THE

EXPANDED PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME (EPWP)

REPORT TO PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE

04 MAY 2020

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Table of Contents

• Background – DPWI EPWP NSS COVID 19 response intervention

• Breakdown of participants Targets per Province

• EPWP COVID-19: Scope of Work

• Risks and Management of Risks

• Implementation Plan

• Response To Ministerial Directive- Payment of EPWP During

Lockdown

• Recommendations

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Background DPWI EPWP NSS COVID-19 Response Intervention

• Around 18 March 2020 the National Joints (NatJoints) Committee took a decision to mobilise a youth brigade to assist with quarantines sites. DPWI was amongst the department to respond to this matter.

• Around the 20 March 2020, in a teleconf on the Department of Health’s (DoH) draft Hygiene Strategy, DoH requested EPWP to assist with the educational component of the Hygiene Strategy.

• DPWI identified the EPWP Non-State Sector (NSS) Non-Profit Organisations (NPO) Programme as the best response mechanism to support the Department of Health (DoH). 20400 Participants were initially identified to assist.

• The Minister issued a Minsiterial Directive on 27 March 2020, directing that 25 000 EPWP participants be recruited to assist with quarantine sites.

• To give effect to this commitment, DPWI has signed a three (3) months addendum with the Independent Development Trust (IDT), on the 12 April 2020, to contract CSD qualifying NPOs registered on the IDT database across the 44 Districts and 8 Metros to appoint 25 000 predominantly youth (16-35 years).

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Background - DPWI EPWP NSS COVID-19 Response Intervention

• About 170 NPOs in all Provinces and Districts Municipalities were contracted to participate in the EPWP COVID 19 response.

• Guided by the EPWP Ministerial Determination, participants will be paid a dailywage rate of R101.00 per person day of work.

• The DPWI is procuring Personal Protective Equipment’s (PPEs) such as masks,hand sanitizers, and gloves for all the participants recruited. This will bedelivered in all locations where work will be taking place.

• Prior to EPWP participants starting with work:

• NPOs will induct EPWP participants on the EPWP conditions prior to signingcontracts with participants.

• The DoH, through local health authority will provide EPWP participants withtraining on the technical aspects of the work activities they will render.

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Background - DPWI EPWP NSS COVID-19 Response Intervention

• As at 27 April 2020, a total of 22 013 participants were recruited by the NPOs.

• The NPOs recruited participants in local communities, to ensure participants don’t incur travel costs whilst participating in the programme.

• The outstanding 3000 participants are to be finalised by the 7 May 2020.

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Breakdown of participants Targets per Province

ProvinceNumber of

NPOs TargetsNumber of participants recruited

to date Eastern Cape 24 4000 3 547

Free State 10 1950 1 625

Gauteng 20 4250 3 670

KwaZulu-Natal 60 4950 3 643

Limpopo 25 2500 2 462

Mpumalanga 20 1650 1 519

North West 21 2300 2 235

Northern Cape 2 800 781

Western Cape 9 2600 2 531

Total 191 25 000 22 013

NPOs still finalising the recruitment of participants to achieve the targets they were allocated. This is to be finalised by 07 May 2020.

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EPWP COVID-19: Scope of Work

CATEGORY OF WORK EDUCATION LEVEL WORK ACTIVITIES1. Promoting Hygiene

StrategyGrade 10 – 12 a) Participants will be required to perform the following

activities under the supervision of health officials:• Provide health promotion messages;• Demonstrate cough technique, correct method of

washing hands and spaying hands;• Demonstration of Tippy Taps, and• Monitor social distancing.

2. Tracking of contacts Grade 12 and beyond a) Participants will provide support to the DoH based onthe directive health officials or health professional onduty to:

• Conduct tracing according targets for the tracingteams;

• Document activities; and• Reporting to team leaders.

3. Triaging Grade 10 and beyond a) Members are allocated to specific PHC facilities;informing clients where to go and for what reasonbased on directive from Facility Manager orProfessional Nurse on duty.

As shown below the EPWP participants will participate in the following categories of work to support the Department of Health Promotion of Hygiene Strategy Activities.

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Risks and Management of Risks Risks How risks will be managed

The non-availability of Personal Protective Equipment(PPEs) as per S. 15.1 of the EPWP MinisterialDetermination for EPWP.

Procurement of PPEs for all participants to be used for the EPWP COVID 19 response done and delivery to Provinces already started. Procurement being done using guidance by National Treasury regulations.

Failure by the Department of Health to provide trainingto EPWP participants.

DPWI EPWP COVID 19 interventions will not be implemented.

EPWP participants infected with the COVID 19 duringthe EPWP COVID 19 programmes.

EPWP Participants to be covered through COIDA and upfront payments already done to ensure participants are covered prior to starting work.

Delayed payments due to late submission of requisite documents (i.e. attendance registers, contracts, copy of IDs) by NPOs

All NPOs to be inducted on the Programme prior to commencement of the project.

All responsibilities of the NPOs to be outlined in the SLAs to be signed between the IDT and NPOs for contracting.

DPWI EPWP Officials to provide support by conducting regular site visits to NPOs.

Delayed payments due non-reporting of participants in the EPWP-RS

The DPWI will provide capacity to NPOs for capturing of work opportunities created.

Participants who get infected during their participation in the programme litigating the DPWI

Participants to be inducted on the risks of the work to ensure consent before they sign employment contract. Indemnity clause to be included in the contract to be signed.

Duplication of efforts with other spheres of government NDOH will notify the Provincial and Local Government on this initiative to ensure there are synergies on work done by all stakeholders across the three spheres of govt.

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Implementation Plan

No. ACTIVITIES RESPONSIBLE TIMELINES

1 Screening and Verification of Participants NPO & DoH 01/05/2020

Precautions

• All participants should be wearing masks

• The NPO must apply hand sanitisers to all participants and official

performing verification

• Participants should be verified in groups of 50 per session

• NPOs with more than 50 participants will have their participants

verified over a period of at least four days

• The venue where verification of participants will take place should

allow for 6 square metre space per participant (practice social

distancing)

2. Verification and Confirmation of Deployment/Implementation Sites IDT, DPWI & DoH TBC

3. Training / Induction of participants DoH TBC

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Implementation Plan

4. Deployment of participants as per the required numbers and sub-

activities

DoH, NPO, IDT &

DPWI

TBC

• Tracing of contacts

• Triaging of clients / patients

5. Joint monitoring (site visits) of implementation activities DoH, IDT, DPWI &

NPO

On-going

during project

implementatio

n period

6 Reporting NPO, IDT & DPWI On-going during

project

implementation

period

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Response To Ministerial Directive- Payment of EPWP During Lockdown

• The Directive was issued by the Minister on the 26 March 2020 with the intent toensure that EPWP participants, who are drawn from the poorest households,receive an income during the lockdown.

• Subsequently, on the 06 April 2020, the Minister of Employment and Labour,realeased the Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme (TERS), whichprovides for employers to claim UIF benefits for on behalf of their workers.

• DPWI is of the view that EPWP participants can claim from TERS.

• There is currently a process within DPWI to align the Ministerial Directive of 26March 2020 with TERS.

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Recommendations

• The Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure notes

and support the Implementation Plan of the DPWI EPWP COVID-

19 response intervention.