Department of Social Development1 DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Presentation to the Portfolio...

Department of Social Development 1

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development on the

Transformation of Welfare Services15 April 2003


MINMEC Review

MINMEC decision to review Financing Policy in February 2001Review was motivated by:

Concerns raised by internal and external stakeholders, including Portfolio CommitteeMINMEC observations about protracted process of implementationConfusion about status of the Financing Policy


Key Recommendations

Overall conclusion: Policy has good intentions, but lacks direction to advance implementationImplementation of policy to be held in abeyance until detailed review is doneFunding to continue on current basisPrinciples of policy to be retained


Key Recommendations

Detailed review and revision to include:

Legislation/regulation to be developed to enforce policyCosting of policy to consider financial implications for government and partners


Transformation Agenda

Proposal from National Department to MINMEC to adopt more comprehensive approach to transformation of welfare services Motivation for comprehensive approach:

Financing Policy is one of many transformation initiativesFragmentation of different initiatives


Outputs of Review

Norms and standards for services:

Human Resource Issues

Improving infrastructure

Review of welfare policies and legislation

Financial Issues

Monitoring and evaluation

Implementation Plan


Norms and standards for servicesActivity Progress Constraints/

Way Forward

A gap analysis between service needs and service provision

Mapping of services done and migration plans initiated

Some of the activities need to be outsourced

Service Standards director post to be filled – urgent

An audit of service provision by the national and provincial departments

Types of welfare services rendered at both levels identified

Gap analysis results will be used to determine quality of service delivery

Impact of services rendered cannot be measured due to unreliable information received from provinces



Way Forward

An audit of service provision by subsidized welfare organizations, including national councils

Desk-top study of profile and services rendered by National Councils completed

Some initial information could be obtained from Provinces – results will determine whether this task should be outsourced



Way Forward

Norms and Standards for services

Minimum Standards developed for children, youth, disabled persons and older persons

DQA process developed and implemented in most

provinces

Uniform approach needed for all service fields

Similar process used for Social Security to be followed

Treasury promised support


Human Resource Issues

Activity Progress Constraints/ Way

ForwardFinalise HRD Strategy for sector

HRD Strategy finalised

See slides 12 to 23

Revise curriculum for social service professionals in sector

Initial discussions undertaken with Tertiary and other training institutions


Human Resource IssuesActivity Progress Constraints/

Way Forward

Review and revise service conditions of social service professionals to address issues of low morale and low retention

Involvement in development of CORE

Piece-meal work attempted by SACSSP

No competency at both national and provincial levels to effectively assess problem

Conference planned to address crisis

Low morale has definite link to poor salaries - Situation worse in NGOs


PURPOSE

HRD Strategy:

To facilitate the delivery of the 10-point plan and it’s statutory obligations.

To expedite the government’s commitment to the public service transformation.


OBJECTIVES OF THE HRD STRATEGY

Analyse key elements of the functional strategies: provincial and national.

Analyse skill, service delivery and personnel audit reports from provinces (where they exist).

Examine workplace skill plans: relevancy and linkages.

Determine current education and training supply in the sector


OBJECTIVES OF THE HRD STRATEGY (continues)

Investigate institutional arrangements for successful HRD.

Determine generic employee profile (existent vs. ideal).

Collate and assimilate into HRD strategy and tactical plans


THE SUCCESS TRIANGLE

For a value adding strategy, there are three key cornerstones that have to be considered:

The organisational culture itself – and how enabling it is.

The process of ensuring that other systems and processes are complementary.

The process of ensuring that the strategy adds value to the business and the HRD function.


AREAS OF THE STRATEGY

Transformation of services.Transformation of the curriculum.Proffessionalisation of social work.Financing mechanism.


ROLE PLAYERS

Govt. departments.Professional Bodies.Universities (Training providers).NGO’s.HWSETA.SAQA.


THE STRATEGY

Ensure the appropriate training, education and employment of a new category of social workers:

Recruitment of new workers: moving from traditional forms of Welfare and social work to a developmental form.

A sufficient skills pool in terms of numbers and quality of graduates and future incumbents.


THE STRATEGY (continues)

X number of employees at all provinces to undergo reorientation training.

A standard pilot programme to be piloted at nine universities across all provinces.


THE STRATEGYRelationship with Universities

A Forum of key stakeholders established to develop common, multi-skilling foundation to curricula at NQF levels 5 and 6.

Professional qualification thresholds established for Community Development, Probation, Child and Youth Care Workers.


THE STRATEGY (continues)

Department / academic partnerships established to promote relevant development of curricula productive research, student coaching and appropriate staff forecasting / absorption.


PROGRESS MADE:

The JUC activities has been revived

Council is looking into the notion of Continuous Development Programme (CDP).

The strategy has been submitted to theHWSETA to inform to process of developing a Sector Skills Plan.


CHALLENGES:

There is slow progress in the development of the tools for transformation e.g. financing mechanism.

Instability at the line-function SETA (Health and Welfare).

Slow progress in SAQA processes.

Current working conditions for social workers.


Improving InfrastructureActivity Progress Constraints/

Way Forward

Location of service centres and service points, focus on rural areas, informal settlements

Equipment of service centres

No in-depth work undertaken - will piggy back on Social Security processes

Poor and or lack of offices, systems, equipment etc compounds low morale


Improving InfrastructureActivity Progress Constraints/

Way Forward

Upgrading or establishing facilities for target groups in rural areas and under-serviced urban areas

Existing services in all provinces mapped – need to be updated

Some facilities needing upgrading have been identified

Some provinces have embarked on the establishment of new facilities

Lack of a coherent data-base on facilities

Problem compounded by discounting of loans issue

Need to link this output to broader SD process of addressing the infra-structure problem


Review of policies and legislation


ForwardRewriting of Financing Policy

Some aspects have been reviewed

Recommendation made to separate three issues namely transformation of services, financing of services and the DQA in new document

DG/HSD to appoint small task team rewrite financing policy to concentrate only on the financing of welfare services

Policy and guidelines on Quality Assurance to be rewritten



Activity Progress Constraints/ Way Forward

New policy and legislation : Older Persons

Draft policy document on the status of older persons consulted

Zero draft Bill ready to be submitted to Cabinet Committee

Directorate Older Persons established and Director appointed

Lack of capacity at both national and provincial departments

Other departments to show commitment

Costing process to be initiated




ForwardReview of Prevention and Treatment of Drug Dependency Act

Gaps in Act identified

Task team to develop discussion paper established

Act still a national competency – It should be assigned to provinces

Amendments to be affected to deal with flaws

Review of Probation Services Act

Amendment Act finalised

Align with Child Justice Bill

Appointment of POs and Assistant POs – cost implications of Child Justice Bill




ForwardNew Child Care legislation

Discussion Paper finalised and to consulted

Draft bill discussed with other departments

Process drawn out

Policy issues suggested in Discussion Paper to be discussed, amended or adopted before it is written into law

Act to be costed


Financing issuesActivity Progress Constraints/

Way Forward

Costing of services Historical and present information of expenditure and amount budgeted in process of being captured

Process to be informed by norms and standards

Costing exercised to be outsourced

Simplifying options for financing of services provided by NGOs and CBOs

HSD team appointed to develop uniform funding formula

Assistance from Treasury to beenlisted


Financing issuesActivity Progress Constraints/

Way Forward

Costing implementation of transformation programme and identification of sources of funding

Cost incurred thus far not captured

Transformation programme to be project managed and therefore costed


Monitoring and evaluationActivity Progress Constraints/

Way Forward

Key performance Indicators identified

Some indicators identified

Process to finalise KPIs to be expedited

Design system for data collection

System not yet designed

IT directorate to assist

Commission impact evaluation studies

Outsource


Implementation PlanActivity Progress Constraints/

Way Forward

Set out institutional arrangements

To be addressed when project is implemented

Guidance on the what and how sought

Procedure manuals for officials, NGOs, CBOs

Training programme in new approach


Implementation PlanActivity Progress Constraints/

Way Forward

Ongoing communication programme for all role players

Outdated – need to be redesigned

New communication strategy to be developed

Consultation with broad spectrum of role players

Ongoing A well thought out consultation process to be implemented


Issues and Challenges

Scope of project requires dedicated financial and human resourcesHow to draw in existing initiatives without slowing down their progressSequencing the various elements of the projectDeveloping a sensible interim funding policy for NGOs and CBOs

Department of Social Development1 DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Presentation to the Portfolio...

Documents

Transcript of Department of Social Development1 DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Presentation to the Portfolio...