Business Case forthe Pongola-Umzimkulu Catchment Management ...

Business Case for the Pongola-Umzimkulu Catchment Management Agency
• Effective communication with staff on the need for the change, the nature of the
change, and the benefits of successful implementation. Such communication should
also contain information on the details of the change, such as timeframes, activities,
who will be involved and how it will affect them. The communication should enable
a two-way communication process so that employees are able to contribute
suggestions and ask questions about the process. The people affected by the change
need to agree with, or at least understand, the need for change, and have a chance
to influence how the change will be implemented. Face-to-face communications for
sensitive elements of the change process, particularly those affecting employees’
careers should be used.
• A training or capacity building programme for relevant staff so that they can benefit
from the change and see it in a positive light;
• Identification and countering of resistance from staff and the alignment of the staff
with the new mandate of the organization;
• The provision of personal counselling (where required) to reduce and manage any
change related fears;
• Monitoring of implementation and adjustment of the strategy as needed.
8.6 Rebranding and stakeholder engagement strategy
It will be important to ensure that stakeholders in the water management area are fully
informed about the proposed changes and about the establishment, purpose and functions
of the Pongola-Umzimkulu CMA. This will require a good communication and rebranding
strategy which reaches all stakeholders, particularly the marginalised and disadvantaged.
Amongst other things, the rebranding strategy should ensure that stakeholders understand
the functions of the CMA, the purpose of the CMA, and how to contact the CMA.
In this process, there is an opportunity to engage with stakeholders about how they view
the existing and future CMAs, what services they are expecting, what their requirements are
etc so that the new CMA and the rebranding strategy can address these needs and
expectations.
9 Financial Arrangements
The viability of any institution is dependent on a number of aspects that go beyond the
purely financial. Whilst very important, some of these aspects can be addressed and
developed over time, whereas financial viability has a very direct impact from early on in the
institutional development process and remains a key factor in the longer term. It is equally
important to note that these financial aspects are not static and shift over time, and this is
particularly the case in the establishment and development of new institutions or where
there are functional, and financial, transitions from a certain management regime to
another.
The CMA’s financial arrangements need to support the performance of water resource
management functions in the Pongola-Umzimkulu CMA, and should provide for an
increasing level of responsibility over time, whilst the DWAs role also fundamentally shifts
over time. Furthermore, financial viability needs to be cognisant of costs to the fiscus and
water users.
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