Title: Action Learning Pilot Programme
1Action Learning Pilot Programme
- Project Khaedu
- Social Welfare Pietermaritzburg
14 October 2005
2Agenda
- Executive summary
- Situation
- Complications
- Some suggestions
3Executive summary and key message
PMB District Office is assisting a substantial
number of citizens on a weekly basis under very
difficult conditions with excellent team spirit
at a section level
Social security can significantly improve its
grant application process, but needs to
decentralise. Social Welfare Services is
critically short of key resources and could
consider devolving some of the functions in order
to cope.
4Situation
Social security can significantly improve its
grant application process, but needs to
decentralise. Social Welfare Services is
critically short of key resources and could
consider devolving some of the functions in order
to cope.
Situation
- Application process is very long and time
consuming - Citizens very unhappy with the overall process
and service levels - Substantial increase in grant applications
- Staff are not multi-skilled
- Lack of delegation of responsibility to District
Offices - Insufficient managerial staff
- Vacancies and secondments restrict service
delivery - Insufficient and out-dated equipment
- Unpleasant working conditions (e.g. no air
conditioners for front line staff)
5The PMB district office processes over 3,000
applications per month
Grants processed per month
- Age limit for child support grant increased from
11 to 14 years - HIV AIDS causing increasing numbers of
Disability grants
6which has impacted service delivery
I have been told to come back 3 times now and
still my application is not ready
I have been waiting the whole day here
7Our citizens are unhappy with the service we are
offering, mainly due to long wait times and
repeated visits for the same thing
Very good
Good
OK
Poor
V. poor
8Key resources are critically short
- HUMAN RESOURCES
- 12 Overall Staff vacancy rate in the Social
Security Section - Head of Social Security post vacant for 6 months
- 16 of production level staff are seconded to
Regional Office - 40 vacancy rate in Social Workers
- Social Workers carrying a case load of 400 cases,
whilst norm is 100 - Social Development has only one incumbent
seconded from Social Work and 3 vacancies
- PHYSICAL RESOURCES
- Additional computers are required and existing
ones need to be upgraded - Frontline staff have no air conditioners
- Furniture is old and dilapidated
- Shortage of outside shelter for clients
- Office layout not conducive to a production line
9Staff morale appears low
Very good
Good
OK
Poor
V. poor
The department does so much that we dont know
what to focus on Management has no trust in the
staff The system is over-regulated
10but Batho Pele revitalisation is seen to be
successful
Question Is this not as a result of staff not
wanting to be seen in a bad light?
11Complications
Social security can significantly improve its
grant application process, but needs to
decentralise. Social Welfare Services is
critically short of key resources and could
consider devolving some of the functions in order
to cope.
Situation
Complications
- Application process is very long and time
consuming - Citizens very unhappy with the overall process
and service levels - Substantial increase in grant applications
- Staff are not multi-skilled
- Lack of delegation of responsibility to District
Offices - Insufficient managerial staff
- Vacancies and secondments restrict service
delivery - Insufficient and out-dated equipment
- Unpleasant working conditions (e.g. no air
conditioners for front line staff)
- Process is fragmented, complicated and
duplicative - Organisation management complicates service
delivery improvement - The physical environment impedes workflow
12Complications
Process
Organisation management
Physical environment
- Process is severely fragmented resulting in
limited management of the overall process - Poor production monitoring (gathering of workflow
information / statistics) - Poor workflow management resulting in severe
bottlenecks and backlogs - Scanning
- Registry
- Unrealistic and un-informed norms
- Fraud and corruption an ongoing threat
- Confiscation of files by audit team complicated
process significantly - Litigation increased significantly due to
backlogs in the process - HIVAIDS increasing volumes
- Outdated and unreliable technology with little
pro-active maintenance impedes process flow
- Minimal obvious change management at a national
provincial level with regard to the future and
SASSA - Staff unsure about their future role
- Major improvements in limbo
- Minimal obvious service delivery improvement at
the regional level - Appears to be a lack of communication between
management and staff (affects morale) - Decision-making appears highly centralised, with
frequent interference from outside the office,
especially - Training
- Recruiting
- Lack of stable leadership (many changes, many
acting positions) leading to inexperience at
senior levels - Inappropriate control measures slow the process,
but do little to prevent fraud - Existing process will not allow department to
reach MECs turnaround target - Lack of cooperation between Social Welfare and
Home Affairs - Internal general management controls appear to be
neglected
- Impedes workflow
- Affects employee morale
- Unsuitable customer facilities
13Batching and movement of files causes severe
backlogs
14The current grant application process is long,
complicated, fragmented and duplicative
Applicant arrives and sits in queue
Prescreen check docs status on SOCPEN
1st attesting officer interviews and fills
application form (manually)
2nd attesting officer checks application
2nd attesting officer completes register
Files re-checked and sorted into type and category
Files batched at Registry
Yes
Go and get documents
Applicant told to return in 3 months
No?
Query or non-approval
No?
Data capture
Registry batches and sends weekly to Regional
Office (RO)
RO Registry accepts files and signs
Data processing and approval
Load approval onto SOCPEN
Beneficiary has bank acc?
Print letter
No?
Yes
Yes
Currently 3-6 months
Payment initiated
Files moved to electronic registration
File prepared for scanning
File scanned
Files moved to registry (RO)
Files batched and moved DO
File batched
File to Registry
DO Registry
File to enrol-ment officer
Applicant returns to enquire if approval granted
Applicant queues for enro-lment officer
Enrol-ment officer logs approval
Applicant to CPS officer for payment card
Beneficiary leaves to collect payment
15Retention of our remaining social workers is a
challenge under existing conditions
- Salary progression at the District level a
significant source of discontent and poor morale - Absence of Performance Management and Assessment
fuelling poor morale - Feel left out lack of overall cohesion in the
office - Poor communication with management
- Retention strategy not successful at district
level - Social Workers carrying a case load of 400 cases,
whilst norm is 100
16Complications
Social security can significantly improve its
grant application process, but needs to
decentralise. Social Welfare Services is
critically short of key resources and could
consider devolving some of the functions in order
to cope.
Situation
Complications
Suggestion
- Application process is very long and time
consuming - Citizens very unhappy with the overall process
and service levels - Substantial increase in grant applications
- Staff are not multi-skilled
- Lack of delegation of responsibility to District
Offices - Insufficient managerial staff
- Vacancies and secondments restrict service
delivery - Insufficient and out-dated equipment
- Unpleasant working conditions (e.g. no air
conditioners for front line staff)
- Process is fragmented, complicated and
duplicative - Organisation management complicates service
delivery improvement - The physical environment impedes workflow
- Immediate lift the 3-month lapse period on grant
applications - Short-medium term eliminate duplicative and
non-value-adding process steps bring data
capturers forward to client eliminate scanning.
Turanaround time (TAT) 2w - Long-term all application and approval functions
done at District office. TAT 2-4hrs - Ongoingimprove organisational people management
17Non-value-adding and duplicative steps can be
removed
Applicant arrives and sits in queue
Prescreen check docs status on SOCPEN
1st attesting officer interviews and fills
application form (manually)
2nd attesting officer checks application
2nd attesting officer completes register
Files re-checked and sorted into type and category
Files batched at Registry
Yes
Go and get documents
Applicant told to return in 3 months
No?
Query or non-approval
No?
Data capture
Registry batches and sends weekly to Regional
Office (RO)
RO Registry accepts files and signs
Data processing and approval
Load approval onto SOCPEN
Beneficiary has bank acc?
Print letter
No?
Yes
Yes
Currently 3-6 months
Payment initiated
Files moved to electronic registration
File prepared for scanning
File scanned
Files moved to registry (RO)
Files batched and moved DO
File batched
File to Registry
DO Registry sends SMS to applicant
File to enrol-ment officer
Applicant returns to enrol
Applicant queues for enro-lment officer
Enrol-ment officer logs approval
Applicant to CPS officer for payment card
Beneficiary leaves to collect payment
18simplifying and shortening the process
Applicant arrives and sits in queue
Prescreen check docs status on SOCPEN
1st attesting officer interviews and... Captures
data on system
Check sample
Yes
Go and get documents
No?
Query or non-approval
No?
Registry batches file and sends daily to Regional
Office (RO)
RO Registry accepts files and signs
Data processing and approval
Load approval onto SOCPEN
Beneficiary has bank acc?
Print letter
No?
Yes
Yes
2 weeks
Payment initiated
Files batched and moved DO
File to Registry
DO Registry sends SMS to applicant
File to enrol-ment officer
Applicant returns to to enrol
Enrol-ment officer logs approval
Applicant to CPS officer for payment card
Beneficiary leaves to collect payment
19Minimal physical changes will enable the process
change at the District Office
Help desk
1
2
3
4
1 queue
Pre-screen check if got docs (but no system
check)
File to registry
Signage
1-2 checkers
Signage
Regional office
Numbering system for queue management
20Not knowing when applications have been approved
is a major frustration, which could be partially
solved using a simple SMS message
Why cant they tell me when my grant is ready?
I have come 4 times now and it costs me lots of
money to come here
- Majority of customers have cell phone access
- Many grant applications cannot be linked to a
postal address
Customer survey 11 Oct 05
21Scanning is a major bottleneck and appears to add
little value
Current
District office
Data processing approval
Regional Office Registry
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Preparation
Scanning
22Long-term change
Audit unit
Help desk
1
2
3
4
Data capture, check system, approve, print letter
1 queue
Pre-screen check if got docs (but no system
check)
Entire process 2-4 hrs
Registry
Signage
1-2 checkers
CPS for card
Signage
Numbering system for queue management
23The regional and district office functions will
merge, while other functions will be handled by
Head Office
- Audit unit
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Litigation
- Policy and research
Head Office
Regional Office
- Application and enrolment
- Appeals
Combine functions
District Office
24The organisation would function more smoothly if
key functions are decentralised
- Decentralisation
- Recommendation of appointments
- District/Regional office to recommend Level 1 to
Level 12 - Provincial Head office to recommend Level 13
above - Approval of appointments
- District/Regional office to approve Level 1 to
Level 10 - Provincial Head office to approve Level 11
above - Managers and Supervisors to be involved in the
recruitment selection process.
25Organisational management changes could improve
employee morale
- Communication
- Between district region
- Between district clients
- Within offices (district and regional)
- Organisational structure
- Review existing organisational structure
- Fill critical vacant posts
- Consider relocating the Social Development
function to Economic Development - Training Development
- Involve managers and supervisors in staff
development - Multi-skill and re-skill staff
- Consider reducing load on qualified social
workers by developing auxiliary social workers
and lay probation officers - Implementation of effective Performance
Management Development System - Develop norms, job descriptions KPAs Core
Management Criteria - ME the KPA Core Management Criteria
- Feedback to staff
26as well as the physical working environment
- Physical Environment Resources
- Ensure adequate and suitable office space
- Office furniture and staff comfort area
- Office equipment
- Reliable networks
- Upgrade computers printers
- Office maintenance and cleaning
- Adequate shelter for customers
27Backup
28Client Questionnaire Social Welfare
29The process can be shortened significantly
- Signage rules requirements
- Information / Help Desk / Enquiries
- Investigate use of SMS technology to communicate
with beneficiaries - Consider multi-skilling and bankers queue
- Lengthen opening hours Flexi-time
- Remove function of 2nd attesting officer but
implement sample checking