STATE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE REPORT 2002 21

STATE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE REPORT 2002 21 February 2003 1

The Public Service Commission • The Public Service Commission constitutionally mandated to monitor and evaluate the public service and to promote a high standard of professional ethics • The PSC initiates own research and responds to requests • Principals are Parliament and the Executive at National and Provincial level 2

This report • Second edition of the State of the Public Service report • Values prescribed in the Constitution used as an analytical framework » First edition had a historical, problem analyzing perspective • This edition intended as a strategic, high level overview with a focus on future challenges facing the SA public service 3

The SA Public Service • Employs over 1 million people with 70% of them in provincial administrations • Excludes parastatals and local government • Generally very large organizations • Complex and managerially challenging • Has been a fundamental change from a single system to making each entity responsible for its own good governance 4

Major challenges • Policy implementation, coordination and integration of service delivery • Many provincial administrations still vulnerable and need support, although there are cases of excellence • Good governance is overall challenge • Needs to be supported by improved performance management, innovative service delivery partnerships and better use of human resources 5

Efficient economic and effective use of resources • Is a performance evaluation framework for assessing public service delivery • Elements that make up this framework include strategic plans, budgets, implementation strategies and processes, monitoring and evaluation systems, reports and audits 6

Efficient economic and effective use of resources (cont…) • Elements generally being adopted and implemented, although they are demanding and some public service elements have not successfully shifted to this modern management style • PSC calls for the explicit adoption of a clear performance evaluation framework that shows how these various elements should work together 7

Human resource management and career development • Transformation of the public service a priority since 1994 • Includes decentralisation and increasing managerial accountability • “Deracialising” conditions of service, restructuring and redeployment and ending discrimination have been priorities 8

Human resource management and career development (cont…) • Remaining challenges include improving the evaluation system, the management of discipline, adjusting work organisation, improving the use of IT, and supporting clearer job pathing • PSC calls for finalisation, consolidation and promotion of the new HRM framework, with a special emphasis on training 9

Professional ethics • Public sector corruption is a serious problem • Legitimate empowerment and affirmative frameworks and policies are being manipulated for individual gain • PSC undertakes investigations that aim to identify the systemic weaknesses that permit corruption 10

Professional ethics (cont…) • Combating corruption requires institutional ethics infrastructures including codes of conduct, fraud prevention and risk management strategies as well as financial disclosure • PSC promotes a return to fundamentals such as proper filing and administration as well as proper controls • Minimum anti-corruption capacity is needed in every department, and basic training in ethics should be a requirement for every public service manager 11

Other constitutional principles Development orientation • Needs to be greater clarity on a national strategy for development that incorporates poverty alleviation and social development • Local authorities have a lead role to play in this regard, but cooperative governance with the public service remains a challenge 12

Other values (cont…) Responsive, participatory policy making • At all levels conscious efforts made to promote a participatory approach to policy making, although these are inconsistent and undermined by the current weakness of civil society • Clear policy guidelines on what constitutes an acceptable level of public participation in policy making should be provided, and more innovative techniques should be promoted and adopted 13

Other values (cont…) Accountability • Well developed regulatory framework to support accountability in place, but not fully operationalized and implemented • PFMA key legislation in this regard -emphasis on requiring certain capacities in place is sound • Risk management and fraud prevention strategies important, but often inadequately tailored to meet specific needs of individual institutions 14

Other values (cont…) Transparency • Relates to ensuring access to information and providing clear simple reports on important matters • Can be demonstrated through Annual Reports- PSC research shows that standard of public service Annual Reports has improved, but certain bodies need to improve • Departments should have a clearly allocated monitoring and evaluation function that plays a lead role in drafting annual reports that meet Treasury guidelines in every way 15

Other values (cont…) Representivity • Government has performed well in efforts to be more representative of the population, but segmented nature of racial distribution across the occupational levels remains a concern • Disabled people still seriously underrepresented • Employment equity programmes should be supported by capacity building and training programmes activated upon recruitment 16

Conclusion • Values described in the Constitution set a very high standard for the public service • Changes already profound and fundamental • Sustainable development requires strong public administration • PSC is committed to using its knowledge and findings to contribute to the process of building SA’s public administration capacity 17