PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM IN SOUTH AFRICA Dr Yvonne Muthien

PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM: KEY CHALLENGES OF EXECUTION Introduction  Public Service  Pre 1994 “Command & Control” to  Post 1994 “Decentralised Government”  Paradigm Shift  Democratisation & Transformation ( )  Building a Development State ( )

SERVICE DELIVERY PROTESTS

RSA Constitution Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Public Administration Basic values and principles governing public administration 195. (1) Public administration must be governed by the democratic values and principles enshrined in the Constitution, including the following principles: A high standard of professional ethics must be promoted and maintained. (a) A high standard of professional ethics must be promoted and maintained. (b) Efficient, economic and effective use of resources must be promoted. (c) Public administration must be development-oriented. (d) Services must be provided impartially, fairly, equitably and without bias. (e) People’s needs must be responded to, and the public must be encouraged to participate in policy-making. (f) Public administration must be accountable. (g) Transparency must be fostered by providing the public with timely, accessible and accurate information. (h) Good human-resource management and career-development practices, to maximise human potential, must be cultivated. (i) Public administration must be broadly representative of the South African people, with employment and personnel management practices based on ability, objectivity, fairness, and the need to redress the imbalances of the past to achieve broad representation.

Public Service Commission 196. (1) There is a single Public Service Commission for the Republic. (2)The Commission is independent and must be impartial, and must exercise its powers and perform its functions without fear, favour or prejudice in the interest of the maintenance of effective and efficient public administration and a high standard of professional ethics in the public service.

PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM: KEY CHALLENGES OF EXECUTION Building a Capable Development State  Governance: Accountability & Ethics  Organisational Design for Service Delivery  Process Redesign  Skills Deficit & Quality of Leadership  Political vs. Professional Appointments

Governance: Accountability & Ethics  President Zuma 2010: “ The failures in our government are not mainly caused by any significant lack of capacity. The simple truth is that we face a crisis of accountability ” (PSC 2010)  Value of Business with State by Employees (Auditor-Gen/PSC)  2010/11 – R1.2bn  2011/12 – R438m  2011/12 – R141m – family members  Tip of the Iceberg  NDP/PAM 2013 – Prohibits public officials from conducting business with state/politicians?  13 Agencies & 7 Forums deal with Corruption  Weaknesses/Gaps in Regulations, Statutes

Organisational Redesign for Service Delivery  President Mbeki 2004: “is the SA public service capacitated, organised and resourced to deliver on government’s socio-economic objectives in the context of the developmental state”? (FOSAD 2005)  Forum of SA Directors-General Report 2005:  Organisational structures poorly designed  Span of control uneven  Poor understanding of responsibility in policy making  Lack of service delivery models  Duplication of roles/functions  Lack of supply chain management  Lack of monitoring & evaluation  Organisational Design Manual 2007:  80 toolkits & templates  9 organisational architecture tools  10 change management tools

Process Redesign  Simplicity in Execution: Customer Centric vs Policy Design  Culture of Execution  Clarity of Responsibility  Re-Engineering of Business Process Design  Simplify layers of tasks, decision-making, discretion, permission  Example: State Bank of India  200,000 employees  From Hierarchical, Bureaucratic, Government Bank to  Modern, Customer Focussed, Technologically Advanced Global Bank  Steve Jobs: “Focus, Simplify, Take Responsibility End to End”

Skills Deficit & Leadership Quality Effective Service Delivery Requires:  Architecture of Execution  End-to-End Capability  Strong Operational Culture  Training With A Purpose  Skills Gap Analysis  Strategy Needs & Outcomes  Competitive Performance Culture  Appropriate Incentives/Rewards  Prototype Leadership Model

Political vs. Professional Appointments  PSC Study 2010:  HoD Turnover (2003-7) 59 % = Terminations (Cabinet Reshuffling)  Rapid Management Mobility: 68% - Rapid Career Advancement & Internal Movements  Implications for Medium Term Planning & Delivery  Cadre Deployment vs. Impartial Appointments Authority?  Career Civil Service  Limit rapid internal turnover?

NDP Propose Hybrid System “It would be counterproductive to give the PSC a far-reaching direct role in recruitment, because an overly centralised recruitment system would make it more difficult for departments to recruit their staff and undermine the ability of departmental heads to formulate a strategic direction for their own departments. However, the PSC should play a direct role in the recruitment of the most senior posts. “A hybrid approach is proposed: A selection panel convened by the chair of the PSC and the administrative head of the public service would draw up a shortlist of suitable candidates for senior posts, from which the political principal would select a candidate. This allows independent oversight to ensure that candidates are suitably qualified, while also ensuring that the final selection is compatible with the priorities of the political principal.”

NDP

Conclusion  REQUIRED:  Transition from Good Policy-Making to Effective Service Delivery  Integrated Coherent Model of Public Administration & Management  Independent & Impartial Task Team  National Skills/Integration/Efficiency Audits  Simplified Organisational Design Model for End to End Service Delivery  Independent & Impartial Appointments Agency  Review Appointments  Enforce Standards & Ethics  Address Skills Deficit  Develop Prototype Leadership Model

Successful Capable Development States  Strong Charismatic Leadership  Favourable Constellation of Economic Forces  Integrated & Coherent Public Administration Model  Clear Measureable Goals & Outcomes  Development Pact with Key Stakeholders  Nation-Wide Mobilisation of Population behind Development Objectives