The PSC’s Public Administration Monitoring and

Evaluation System

First Consolidated Report12 Nov 2003

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Structure of Presentation

• Introduction and Background to Project

• Purpose of the Public Administration M & E System

• Unpacking the Nine Principles

• Conclusions

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Background to Project

• The PSC’s Public Administration System• Built up in phases:

• Scoping exercise• NC pilot• Initial round in 2002/3 included

research in seven nat depts and seven prov depts in three provinces

• This report is an overview of the first 14 research projects

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Purpose of the Public Admin M & E System

• Contribute to improved government and service delivery

• Problems are identified, priority areas are communicated, good practice is noted

• Departments reflect on own performance• BUT:

– Value and acceptance of findings and recommendations remains a concern

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Assessment Framework

• How is it packaged?• SA Constitution lists 9 principles that

should govern our PS• Assessing Departmental adherence to these

principles forms the framework– A high std of prof ethics must be promoted– Efficient, economic and effective use of resources – Public administration must be development oriented– People’s needs must be responded to and the public

must be encouraged to participate in policy making– Accountability; Transparency; Good HRM and career

development practices; Representivity

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The underlying programme logic

Overall result:Better governance and service delivery in South Africa

Problems areaddressed

Achievementsare affirmed

and promoted

Departmentsfocus on

priority areas

Learning fromGood practiceexamples takes

place

Problem areasidentified

Good practiceby others is

identified andpromoted

Priority areasin public

administrationAre

communicated

Departmentsreflect ontheir own

performance

Public service monitoring

FOLLOWUP:

REPORTING:

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Professional Ethics

• System Checks:– How cases of misconduct are handled

• Findings:– Basic infrastructure for promoting a high

standard of professional ethics has been created BUT it is still rudimentary and not yet fully effective

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Professional Ethics• Strategy for improvement:

– Depts need to develop a link to the National Anti-Corruption Strategy

– Capture ethics-related processes and procedures in manuals and guidelines

– Improve record keeping– Shorten the time of handling cases of

misconduct

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Efficiency, economy and effectiveness

• System Checks:– Expenditure is as budgeted– Programmes are implemented as planned

• Findings:– National depts are generally spending within their

targets, although in some instances variations were quite high.

– In provinces, while expenditure is more or less on target, there are more serious concerns around alignment of departmental objectives with strategic priorities.

– Programmes are generally being implemented as planned

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Efficiency, economy and effectiveness

• Strategies for improvement:– Research shows that the PS is starting to overcome its

difficulties in spending funds BUT:– Management reporting systems in both national and

prov depts are unimpressive and can be improved– Prov depts need support in strategic planning processes– Training will be required:

• Key management concepts not well understood (outputs, outcomes, activities, objectives, etc)

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Development Orientation• System Checks:

– Programmes targeting poverty are in place and are successful

– Beneficiaries participate in project design– Good project management standards are

maintained– Poverty alleviation projects and programs are

integrated into local development plans

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Development Orientation

• Findings:– Most departments implement programmes that either

directly or indirectly seek to alleviate poverty.– Water Affairs and Forestry and Agriculture are

succeeding admirably in drawing a pro-poor, developmental approach into their core business strategy.

– PROBLEMS:– Generally accepted development management

principles are not implemented.– Generally prov depts slower to support or undertake

such projects

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Development Orientation

• Strategies for improvement:

– Absence of a single, national social development strategy is felt by depts

– Project management manuals and info systems must be more widely available

– Institutional learnings need to be captured and shared

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Impartiality and Fairness

• System Checks:– Compliance with the Administrative Justice

Act:• Prior notice of the nature and purpose of admin

action is provided• Opportunities are provided for people affected by

admin action to make representations• Clear statements are provided on admin actions• Departmental policy for responding to requests for

the provision of reasons for admin decisions is in place

• Request for reasons are properly processed• Reasons provided for decisions are fair and

reasonable

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Impartiality and Fairness

• Findings:– Performance by Depts is disappointing– In most instances, low level of awareness

of the Act– Few efforts to ensure compliance– Few depts have provided training to their

staff– Almost none have amended business

processes specifically in order to comply

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Impartiality and Fairness

• Strategies for improvements:– Widespread need for training and

increased awareness of the Act and its requirements is needed

– More effort is needed to monitor compliance with this Act by the Dept of Justice and Constitutional Dev

– Need for a National campaign?

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Public Participation in Policy Making

• System Checks:– Policy on public participation is formally stated– A system for soliciting public inputs is effectively

implemented– All policy inputs from the public are acknowledged and

formally considered

• Findings:– Most depts have a formal commitment BUT this is not

translated into formal policies and procedures.– However, in some depts eg Justice and Constitutional

Dev, consultation does take place regularly despite the absence of a written policy.

– DWAF has a well-structured and useful Guide.

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Public Participation in Policy Making

• Strategies for improvement:– Strategic direction and executive leadership is

required to ensure that there is formal interest in community views, policies and procedures in place

– DPSA to lead process?– Good practice needs to be shared more widely

(DWAF)

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Accountability• System Checks:

– The Auditor General’s assessment of financial controls conclude that they are adequate and effective

– Fraud prevention plans are in place and implemented

– Key staff for ensuring implementation of fraud prevention plans are in place and operational

– Fraud prevention plans are based on a thorough risk assessment

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Accountability• Findings:

– Most nat depts appear to have solid internal control systems

– In many instances fraud prevention plans had just recently been adopted and are in the process of being rolled out

– Performance by provinces is less satisfactory– In many instances the Auditor-General has

issued qualified audit reports with the lack of internal controls a common concern

– In some instances fraud prevention plans are not in place

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Accountability• Strategies for improvement:

– National depts are more advanced in addressing this area, but prov depts generally appear to need extensive support and assistance.

– Building provincial accountability structures and systems will clearly be a long-term process that needs to be tackled in a systematic and sustained manner

– Financial capacity programmes should be accelerated

– Consider accreditation for Public Service Financial managers

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Transparency

• System Checks:– Compliance to Treasury-prescribed

standards for compiling of Annual Reports

– Reporting on performance against predetermined objectives

– Quality of the reports

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Transparency• Findings:

– Annual Reports have improved in recent years BUT many depts do not systematically report on their results in achieving strategic objectives

– Annual Reports of Depts of Agric and Social Dev of a very high standard (egs of best practice)

– Prov dpets Ars are less succesful in meeting the prescribed standards

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Transparency• Strategies for Improvement:

– Distinct improvement in annual reports is a positive trend that must be encouraged

– Depts that do not meet the prescribed stds should be advised and assisted

– Now that basic compliance is being addressed, more attention should be paid to the style and language of annual reports – simple and accessible

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Good Human Resource Management Practices

• System Checks:– Whether vacant posts are filled in a

timely manner

– Implementation of the Skills Development Act:• A skills development plan is in place• Activities planned for are implemented• Results achieved through skills development

are monitored and recorded

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Good Human Resource Management Practices

• Findings:– Most nat depts have recruitment policies and

procedures in place– However, there are high vacancy rates– Skills dev plans generally adopted but in many

instances implementation had not commenced– Prov depts are less effective in managing

recruitment processes– In some instance, take very long to fill posts– Also less effective in implementing skills

development plans, with many depts having no plan in place

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Good Human Resource Management Practices

• Strategies for improvement:– Policy and procedure issues need to be

addressed especially at the prov level

– Implementation of skills development strategies need improvement

– Should be a systematic, widespread assessment and general upgrade

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Representivity• System Checks:

– Whether depts are representative of the SA people and diversity management measures are implmented

• Findings:• PS is successful in overcoming racial imbalances

in a fairly short space of time BUT• Attracting and retaining women into senior posts

remains a challenge• Depts are finding it difficult to meet their

disability targets.• Few prov depts have diversity management

measures in place

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Representivity

• Strategies for improvement:– Attracting and retaining disabled people is an

area that needs dedicated attention– Depts should prioritise recruiting and retaining

women in senior managerial levels– Diversity management is an area that is

relatively underdeveloped and needs to be better promoted

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Conclusions• Need for a government wide M & E framework• National depts

– Research results depict a diverse and complex PS– Appear to be performing better than prov counterparts– Closer compliance to prescribed stds

• Provincial depts– Tend to be large– Are often in need of support and development both in

their management and delivery of core services

• Using research findings in a constructive and positive way

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Conclusions

• Using research findings in a constructive and positive way– To be valuable and useful, findings and

recommendations must be taken up or alternatives put in place

– Not clear whether depts are using the research findings

– Need for a better and sustained relationship between the depts and researchers