3rd ANNUAL LEARNING ACADEMY

1
3rd ANNUAL LEARNING ACADEMY

• Report back Informing Policy And Implementation
• 28 07 04

2
Presenters

• Mrs Defile Masiteng, Presidency Information for
  policy and Implementation
• Mr D Coetzee, DWAF Implementation for a
  comprehensive water, sanitation and forestry
  policies in the 1st decade of democracy.
• Prof. Job Mokgoro, University of Fort Hare
  Translating policy for implementation.

3
Mrs Kefiloe Masiteng, Presidency

• Macro perspective from the very Centre of
  Government.
• Structural Arrangements Cluster Committees
  support by Cabinet Office, Policy Unit in
  Presidency, Technical Teams from Departments
• Focus is on information to support integrated
  planning and decision making
• State of nation address to set macro priorities
• Filtered down into programs of Departments who
  develop policies and implementation programmes,
  (resources , etc on recommendation of Cabinet).
• Implementation monitoring by Cluster Committees
  in conjunction with Departments

4
Mrs Kefiloe Masiteng, Presidency

• National Planning Framework (Medium Term
  Strategic Framework) that set generic standards
  for planning to fulfill electoral mandates across
  government spheres.
• Assists with the articulation of major Government
  priorities.
• Centre of Government to play leadership and ME
  role.
• Link with MTEF to be rolled out over 5 year
  cycle.
• Impact and outputs focused

5
Mrs Kefiloe Masiteng, Presidency

• Information aggregated through cluster reviews to
  Cabinet Lekgotla, where inputs for the State Of
  the Nation Address is consolidated and translated
  into the Medium Term Strategic Framework.
• Challenge up to now that success was achieved
  with policy development and review, but
  implementation was not as strong.
• In future, emphasis would be stronger on M E and
  impact assessment (outcome focused).
• Lessons from the 10 year review revealed
  information to assess impact was falling short.
• Future focus would be on impact indicators for 10
  year review and indicators to measure progress
  over medium term.

6
Mrs Kefiloe Masiteng, Presidency

• Policy Unit to collect data, verify, validate and
  develop reports.
• Emphasis will be on use of integrated information
  systems, development, utilization.
• Early Warning to track progress to target and
  identify problems.
• 3 levels of information systems
• Tracking state of Nation Address
• Tracking progress by Government as a whole
• Tracking progress departmentally
• At this stage development only focused on
  national sphere of government
• Essentially to be able to monitor impact versus
  just outputs (How many CSGs improved quality of
  life to what degree).

7
Mrs Kefiloe Masiteng, Presidency

• Elements to be assessed
• Systems approach
• Inputs (resources), Processes (Project cycle),
  Outputs (Deliverables), Outcomes (Quality of life
  of of target customer improved to what degree).
• Challenges
• How do we prioritize between programmes?
• Do we have requisite skills to ME?
• Can good monitoring lead to good to good
  evaluation?
• Questions
• How to determine in which Cluster a Department
  would fit best?
• Would new system have additional reporting
  requirements for Depts?

8
Mr D Coetzee, DWAF

• Implementation arrangements by a national
  department with both a policy and implementation
  brief.
• Functional overview of Dept, but presentation
  focused on water and sanitation provision
• Water Institutions
• Catchment management
• Bulk water provision
• Water and sanitation reticulation
• Forestry

9
Mr D Coetzee, DWAF

• Implementation of water and sanitation policies
• Started with Presidential Lead projects
• Policies were developed.
• Funding from State and Donors
• Criteria for resourcing should be similar for
  purposes of reporting
• Water Act, 1997 set stage for water projects
• Accelerated service delivery through BOTT
  (alternative service delivery through outsourcing
  - PPP)
• Cost was a criticism.
• Followed through and achieved actual benefits.
• Marketing of concept amongst municipalities had
  mixed success.

10
Mr D Coetzee, DWAF

• Very good concept to spend quickly in focused
  manner, skills transfer.
• Basic water supply to more than 9 million people
• Sanitation to more than 6 million people
• Lessons learned
• invest in planning
• Standardize planning format and approach
• Improve information for baseline of planning
• Integrate with other role players
• Ensure sufficient funding to complete projects
• Policy integration between different role players.

11
Mr D Coetzee, DWAF

• Lessons learned
• Ensure sufficient Project Management skills.
• Policy contexts change over time and policies
  have to be adapted.
• Roles have to be adapted to changed policies.
• Improved information needed for ME of partners ,
  external service providers.
• Clear mandates of all role players needed -
  service integration.
• Service delivery targets to be realistic.
• Clients to be aware of how to use new
  services/products, as well as their rights.
• Free basic services - good progress, but much
  still to be done.
• However, there is a cost that will be passed to
  consumers.

12
Mr D Coetzee, DWAF

• Questions
• What is role of Water Boards versus
  municipalities?
• Impact of new Catchment Management Agencies
  versus Water Boards? Protection of water
  resources versus provision of provision of bulk
  water.
• Free basic services - good progress, but much
  still to be done.

13
Prof. Job Mokgoro, University of Fort Hare

• Perspectives from an experienced functionary
  looking back at experiences as a high level
  Public Service Manager, Academic and Consultant.
• Hands off but practical approach (practical
  theory).
• Policy is iterative process, where implementation
  is considered at 1st phase of policy conception.
  Policy is translation of government priorities
  into implementation.
• Focus on policy design, implementation and policy
  maintenance.
• Policy design must also consider possible risks,
  unintended outcomes, costs, intended clients not
  reached, etc.
• Taking this account, risks must be mitigated. Do
  not muddle through.

14
Prof. Job Mokgoro, University of Fort Hare

• When is new policy needed?
• Policies must address the manifesto of the
  governing party.
• Expenditure not bringing results,
• Indications from judiciary, etc.
• Start pro-actively , scenario planning, future
  thinking, early warning indicators.
• Consider drivers of change in local context.
• Departments must be responsive to all events that
  may impact on policy.
• Important that problems are correctly understood,
  based on sound analysis.

15
Prof. Job Mokgoro, University of Fort Hare

• Sound policy analysis only based on appropriate
  skills (research, political understanding,
  beneficiary characteristics).
• Assessing of feasibility of policy before
  implementation (social exclusiveness, cost of
  different options).
• Assessing risk
• Capacity to implement.
• Extent target beneficiaries to benefit.
• Cost to implement.
• Mitigating unforeseen circumstances.
• Awareness of rights by beneficiaries.

16
Prof. Job Mokgoro, University of Fort Hare

• Policy implementation
• Manage, costs, resources and risks.
• Risks to address
• Risk management policy, strategy.
• Skills and capacity
• Poorly managed integration of role players
• Project Management as a way to help
  implementation
• Discipline
• Planning,
• Control
• Integration
• Resource management

17
Prof. Job Mokgoro, University of Fort Hare

• Policy maintenance (adapt to change)
• Contingencies for potential problems.
• Risks management of continuing with current
  policy implementation.
• Policy modification require
• Reliable data.
• Reliable implementation monitoring and
  evaluation.
• Value for money assessment versus political
  assessment.
• Innovation to improve service delivery.
• Public perceptions of success.

18
Prof. Job Mokgoro, University of Fort Hare

• Lessons learned
• Departments must have good systems for policy
  development.
• Resources for implementation must be accurately
  planned.
• Reliable data needed, also to emanate from
  implementation ME.
• Questions
• Disjuncture between resources and implementation
  targets - how to manage?
• _at_ which point in policy cycle would foresight for
  intervention become important? Scenarios better
  approach than foresight.
• How to break negative attitudes towards good
  policies? Change them or lose them.

19
The Golden Thread of 3 Presentations

• Quality of research based on reliable information
  an absolute must.
• Necessary to track outputs and outcomes.
• Outcome assessments must take into account impact
  of service delivery on target groups.
• Implementation should be based on sound
  methodology - alternative service delivery,
  programme and project management.
• Integrate the roles of all stakeholders who could
  contribute to service delivery priorities.
• Policy development must be practical, take into
  account potential implementation imperatives.

20
The Golden Thread of 3 Presentations

• Important to plan the resourcing of policy
  implementation - without funding at appropriate
  time implementation of priority objectives would
  be dead in the water.
• Plan that policy development and implementers
  have appropriate skills and technology to support
  processes.
• Service delivery implementation often cost across
  different spheres of government and must be based
  on the constitutional principles of co-operative
  governance.
• Track, monitor, evaluate and head early warning
  to correct problems, change direction or stop
  implementation. Do not waste resources on good
  intentions, but big mistakes.