Review 3 final 2 - TAU - National Treasury

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE UNIT REVIEW | From “Kuvernan” to Cyber-Networks
also, and fundamentally, The Public Service Commission,
the mandated custodian of good governance in
South Africa.
According to the State of the Public Service Report
(2010: 2), the Vision of The Public Service Commission
is to be “an independent and impartial body created by
the Constitution, 1996, to enhance excellence in governance
within the Public Service by promoting a professional
and ethical environment and adding value to
a public administration that is accountable, equitable,
efficient, effective, corruption-free and responsive to
the needs of the people of South Africa.”
As such, the Public Service Commission sets out as its
mission “to promote the constitutionally enshrined
democratic principles and values of the Public Service
by investigating, monitoring, evaluating, communication
and reporting on public administration” (2010:2).
State of the Public Service Report
Each year, a State of the Public Service Report is published.
It takes up critical areas of public service through
a particular thematic area. The latest Report, of October
2010, has the theme of “Integration, Coordination
and Effective Public Service Delivery”.
The Commission, in this Report, focuses on the newly
emerged outcomes approach of government and offers
a critique on this approach and its implications for
good governance. The report concludes that: “By proposing
outcomes, government is setting itself up to
be measured on a more rigorous and tangible basis,
on matters which citizens can identify with...(and)... the
manner in which government can make the greatest
difference in terms of public participation and responsive
service delivery is certainly not through significant
policy changes at this stage, but implementation.”
Summary of Basic Values and Principles governing Public Administration
Principle 1: A High Standard of Professional Ethics must be Maintained
Principle 2: Efficient, Economic and Effective Use of Resources must be Promoted
Principle 3: Public Administration must be Development Oriented
Principle 4: Services must be provided Impartially, Fairly, Equitably and without Bias
Principle 5: People’s Needs must be Responded to and the Public must be Encouraged to Participate in Policy-Making
Principle 6: Public Administration must be Accountable
Principle 7: Transparency must be Fostered by Providing the Public with Timely, Accessible and Accurate Information
Principle 8: Good Human Resource Management and Career Development Practices, to Maximise Human Potential,
must be Cultivated
Principle 9: Public Administration must be Broadly Representative of the South African People, with Employment
and Personnel Management Practices Based on Ability, Objectivity, Fairness and the Need to Redress the
Imbalances of the Past to Achieve Broad Representation
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