Annual Performance Plan 2013/14 - Department of Education

Annual Performance Plan 2013/14
STRATEGIC GOAL 6
GOAL STATEMENT Efficient administration ensured through good corporate governance and management
JUSTIFICATION Corporate governance and management in the Department do not meet the requirements of the Constitution, 1996, as amended, the Public Finance Management Act,
1999, as amended, the Public Service Act, 1994, as amended, Treasury Regulations and prescripts as well as the Public Service Regulations. This has been confirmed
by the Auditor-General’s disclaimers or adverse findings for every year since the establishment of the Department. The Department is under obligation in terms of the
relevant legislation, resolutions of the Provincial Standing Committee on Public Accounts and the Education Portfolio Committee to urgently address this undesirable state
of affairs.
The AG’s findings have been mainly as follows:
Poor document management, including failure to produce documents as and when required during audits;
Poor Payroll Management;
Lack of proper internal controls with regard to supply chain and financial management; and
Inadequate management of performance information.
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LINKS This goal is linked to the MTSF Strategic Priority, Building a developmental state and improving the public services, and strengthening democratic institutions.
In addition, in terms of National Outcome 12 South Africa is striving towards ,“An Efficient, Effective and Development Oriented Public Service and an Empowered,
Fair and Inclusive Citizenship”, to address, inter alia, persistent underperformance by management, slow bureaucratic decision making and processes and corrupt
behaviour contribute towards poor public sector performance. The intention is to transform the public sector into a high performance organisation over time. The key
components of an efficient, effective public sector capacity include, inter alia:
Delivery of services in terms of quality, quantity, and cost;
Appropriate decision rights and accountability;
Well-functioning business systems;
Effective procurement processes;
Appropriate level of transparency; and
Appropriate allocation of powers and functions.
The NDP argues that a developmental state needs to be capable, but a capable state does not materialise by decree, nor can it be legislated or waved into existence by
declarations. It has to be built, brick by brick, institution by institution, and sustained and rejuvenated over time. It requires leadership, sound policies, skilled managers
and workers, clear lines of accountability, appropriate systems, and consistent and fair application of rules. To achieve the aspiration of a capable and developmental
state, the country needs to, amongst others, stabilise the political administrative interface, professionalise the public service, upgrade skills and improve coordination. It
also needs a more pragmatic and proactive approach to managing the intergovernmental system to ensure a better fit between responsibility and capacity. Equally, the
state needs to be prepared to experiment, to learn from experience and to adopt diverse approaches to reach common objectives. To professionalise the public service,
the NPC proposes, amongst others things, that:
There are several weaknesses in the accountability chain, with a general culture of blame-shifting. The accountability chain has to be strengthened from top to bottom. To
begin with, parliamentary accountability is weak, with Parliament failing to fulfil its most basic oversight role. Education outcomes cannot improve unless accountability is
reinforced throughout the system, from learner results to the delivery of text books.