Action Learning Pilot Programme

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Action Learning Pilot Programme

• Project Khaedu
• Durban Scottburgh Home Affairs Offices
  preliminary findings

20 May 2005
2
Agenda

• Key message
• Current situation
• Complications preventing action
• Suggested resolution

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KEY MESSAGE

• The Departments Turnaround Strategy appears to
  be having little noticeable impact at the service
  delivery coal face.
• Core existing operations are not stable
• - long queues with poor process flows, signage
  and form design
• - high error and return rates
• - long and unpredictable times to receive
  critical documents
• - staffing not matched to highly variable
  demand pattern
• - unhappy and de-motivated staff
• - significant and persistent corruption
• While at the same time, the Department is
  launching initiatives that threaten to further
  over stretch available resources E.g mobile
  units.
• However, with a limited investment in temporary
  capacity, process redesign and organisation
  alignment this situation can be reversed and the
  strategy reinvigorated.

4
Executive Summary - Situation

• Process
• Customers unhappy with long wait times and lack
  of certainty / responses on when documents will
  be ready
• Staff unhappy with facilities and career
  progression
• Wide variation in volumes of work by time of day,
  day of week, time of month and year, but largely
  predictable
• Weak internal and external communication
• Low levels of actual efficiency as the
  organisation and processes either lack scale or
  are highly silod
• Processing efficiencies are low (data capture,
  quality checking, work-flow tracking)
• Organisation
• Silod and not multiskilled in big offices
• Small offices all multiskilled
• Poor levels of delegation for critical HR and
  budget decisions at the regional and office level
• People management
• Unhappy staff
• PMS not working and not linked to development
• Budget
• Budgets not prioritised on stabilising the core
  operations
• Many easily implemented gains not implemented in
  favour of big bang solutions

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Volumes vary widely by time of year e.g. ID
applications Scottburgh
6
and business volumes vary widely by day of the
month and week e.g. Scottburgh
Mondays
Fridays
Mondays
Fridays
But flexi-hours are creating a staffing shortage
on Mondays
7
But, the staffing model fails to take into
account the significant variation in work
volumes, particularly at smaller offices
Scottburgh
Port Shepstone
23
113
8
Office efficiency appears to vary widely with
smaller District Offices (eg. Scottborough) being
the most efficient
2-3
No. of Staff
6-10
18-25
70-100
9
driven in large part by multiskilling and
teaming in smaller offices vs large rigid
hierarchies e.g. civic affairs eThekwini
Office Head
Immigration admin etc.
Ass. Director x2
SAO IDs
SAO BDM
SAO Aux Serv
SAO Serv Del
SAO Passport
CAC IDs
CAC BDM
CAC Serv Del
CAC Passport
SupervisorIDs
Registry x3
Security x1
Late reg process x2
Queries x1
Cleaning x2
Floorwalker x1
Birth cert. x3
Capturing x2
Collections x2
S/Board x1
Handouts/ queries x2
Late reg apps x1
Collection x1
Intake x2
Amendments x1
Sorting filing x2
Fingerprint x1
Death cert. x2
Intake x2
Processing x2
Marriages x1
Telephone x1
Cashier x1
Solemnising x1
Filing x1
Unabridged births proc x1
Issue EPS x1
Data x2
Cashier x1
10
However, the expansion of some service points is
also having an impact on efficiency.
11
as is the flexi-hours initiative(405PM at
eThekweni)
12
Customers are very unhappy with the waiting times
and overall process at Home Affairs.

• Ive applied for an ID document four times, but
  the department fails to issue one
• Passport application in June 2004No response.
  Moved around Staff not sure of service points
• Applied three times for an IDsuggest that ID s
  be posted

13
A customer survey showed unhappiness with waiting
times
14
46 come to Home Affairs more than twice on the
same matter
I have been here 4 times for my ID and it is
still not here.
15
Staff are very unhappy with basic
resources,career progression and communication
with management

• We dont even have the basics a working fax,
  printers, photocopiers, network points or two way
  radios.
• I have to pay for my own training to get the
  firearms license's.
• There is a lot of communication breakdown in the
  Department.
• The management must be open about new
  procedures
• There is no security for counter staff in
  Scottburgh
• I have been stuck in the same job for 21 years
• I am considering early retirement because there
  is no career progression

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Staff Survey Results show unhappiness in a number
of areas
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Over 45 of staff have been in one position for
more than 5 years
18
Not knowing when a document is ready for
collection is a major frustration which could be
partially solved using a simple SMS message

• Majority of customers have cell phone access even
  in rural areas
• Over 6,000 IDs uncollected in Port Shepstone
  region
• Over 60 of IDs cannot be linked to a postal
  address in Scottburgh
• Why cant they tell me it is lost and stop
  wasting my time

Cell Phone Access
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The peak season for ID's is a significant burden
on the department Resulting impact is a large
number of uncollected documents, particularly IDs
at peak periods
20
Long and unreliable timelines to receive
responses from Head Office significantly impact
service delivery particularly if errors / issues
only detected in Pretoria
E.g. passport application
Wait for Pretoria to respond
Pick up documents
Receive and check application
Load application
Ship to Pretoria
1-6 weeks
2-4 months average
Longer cases
10 mins
24 hrs
12 hrs
E.g. ID replacement
Wait for Pretoria to respond
Pick up documents
Receive and check application
Load application
Ship to Pretoria
1-6 weeks
2-6 months average
Longer cases
10 mins
24 hrs
12 hrs
Error / loss / issue in Pretoria start at
beginning
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Agenda

• Key message
• Current situation
• Complications preventing action
• Suggested resolution

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Complications that limit progress
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Basic management execution appears to be a
challenge e.g. recruitment
Recruitment
Snr Admin Officer, Port Shepstone
Jan 04
Feb 04
April 04
May 05
Position vacant
1st advertised
1st interviews
No appointment yet
Cleaner, Scottburgh
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and procurement and systems

• BAS computers at Scottburgh delivered Feb 2004,
  connected Mar 05
• Critical printers in Scottburgh and Durban well
  past replacement dates (Epsom PQ 2080)
• No access to Persal at Regional level
• Inadequate IT support ( One person in the
  province)

Infrastructure
Moved to new premises July 2004

• Cashiers booth not yet completed
• Counter space not yet completed
• Signage non-existent

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with signage still awaited at Scottburgh.
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with signage still awaited at Scottburgh.
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as is construction of the cashiers area
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The PMS system is barely functioning and not
linked to development.The system is still
incident based at ScottburghThe system is
highly subjective, I ended up with a 69,6 score
and no bonusOnly Indians benefit from this
PMSTraining is not linked to PMDS as there is
no training in DBNTraining in Scottburgh is
not linked to personal growth random and ad hoc
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Agenda

• Key message
• Current situation
• Complications preventing action
• Suggested resolution

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Suggested resolution lies in five areas

• Focus on stabilising and improving existing core
  operations before expanding
• -The Stabilisation Plan-
• Once stabilised develop an integrated people
  management plan
• -The People Plan-
• Accelerate the regional restructuring and
  delegate authority
• -The Restructuring Plan-
• To establish an Integrity Unit at provincial
  level to fight corruption
• -The Anti-corruption Plan-
• Implement a comprehensive client communication
  strategy including SMS messaging and marketing of
  new capabilities and geographic reach
• -The Communication Plan-

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The key elements of the Stabilisation Plan

• Recognise the major variability in volumes and
  build flexible staffing capacity to cover
  December, January and February peaks and
  elections
• budget now to pay for temporary staff
• Recruit temporary staff from prior volunteers
• Provide training during quiet period
• Provide with a basic uniform (golf shirt)
• No training, workshops or leave during peak
  January and February period for any staff
• Make a major drive to improve signage (in more
  than one language) across the province
• Re-layout counters in eThekweni main hall as
  multi-skilling takes place

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Stability Plan continued

• Develop a major drive to connect and refurbish
  the IT environment across the province
• Implement the quick win process improvements at
  all offices e.g cash registers and printers at
  relevant counters
• Implement security improvements where required
  e.g Scottburgh is highly vulnerable
• Review geographic expansion and flexi-hours in
  the light of real capacity to implement and a
  properly budgeted marketing campaign
• Develop simple customer guides (in English and
  local languages) for common applications E.g. IDs

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Employ 15 Casuals at eThekweni and 5 at
Scottburgh per annum based on-

• 80 peak work days
• 52 weekends
• Ensure sufficient casuals during times of the
  Elections
• Basic Functions-
• Queries/Help Desk assistance
• Queue Management
• Collections
• Form filling out
• Cost of Casuals is estimated at R180 000 per
  annum
• Factors included-
• Salaries
• Training
• Clothing (Shirts)

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Proposed Floor Plan Revision - eThekweni
Supervisors Office
12
11
10
C
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
M
Fingerprints
Helpdesk
1
Entrance
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Functions Groupings

• Counter 1 is for enquiries and Helpdesk
• Counter 2-5 is for
• Applications for Permits, Visas, Permanent
  Residence and citizenship
• Counter 6-9 is for
• Application for Birth Certificates, Full Birth
  Certificates, IDs, Re-issue of IDs and Amendments
• Counter 10-12 is for
• Applications for Death Certificates, Collection
  of IDs, Printing and collection of all
  certificates

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The Restructuring Plan

• Accelerate (6 months not 3-years) the regional
  restructuring plan with a properly linked
  transitional budget and HR plan - stop the
  organisation sitting in limbo
• Ensure that the appropriate budget and HR
  authority is delegated
• Institute a bottom-up budget process (within Head
  Office norms) prioritised around stabilising the
  existing core operations and only then spreading
  geographic reach
• All HR processes (recruitment, selection,
  training, retention, PMDS) to be delegated up to
  Director level.
• Extend partnering efforts with Community
  Development, municipalities and schools as
  capacity becomes available

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The People Plan

• Ensure an effective PMDS system is introduced
  that is linked to individual development and
  career progression
• Develop a comprehensive multiskilling programme
  in the bigger offices linked to creating flexible
  team based organisation structures
• Develop a job rotation programme to alleviate
  boredom and burnout
• Engage with the unions on the plan and gain
  support
• Train frontline management in modern people
  management skills
• Budget for overtime for flexi-hours or reward
  time-off, BUT not Mondays

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The Anti-Corruption Plan

• Create a province level Integrity Unit
  partnered with SAPS3-4 undercover
  investigators1 prosecutor2 special
  investigations officer2 HR managers to process
  immediate disciplinary hearings and suspensions
  of officials caught.
• Ensure simultaneous
  sting arrest
  departmental hearing
  suspensionI.e.not 3
  months gap between arrest and hearing and allowed
  to return to work)
• Widely publicise case successes

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The Communication Plan

• NOTIFICATION
• Capture client cell phone numbers (owned and
  accessible cell phone numbers)
• Use them to automatically send SMS notification
  message when documents are available for
  collection (also suggest afternoon collection or
  Saturdays) where documents are not mailed to
  clients
• This can be done either centrally in Pretoria or
  at a provincial office level using standard PC
  enabled SMS messaging (26c per message)
• MARKETING
• -Province level communication campaign on new
  flexi- hours and service points to drive volumes
  (otherwise a wasted effort)