How to fix the public service - CDE

Reform must be affordable

Public services are very large and complex institutions, and reforming them can be very expensive.

The two best options for funding reform (which are not mutually exclusive) are through a dividend from economic growth, and from making savings, perhaps by cutting back inefficient services. When an economy shrinks, state revenues also diminish. The recent green paper on national strategic planning emphasises this repeatedly, and correctly so. Policies that threaten or slow economic growth harm the prospects for improving anything, including the public service.

Reform needs pressure from the top

Every success story about public service reform emphasises the vital role of political leaders, at presidential or ministerial level. Conversely, many failed initiatives have lacked high-level political support.

This means that any serious attempt to improve the South African public service as a whole should be championed by the Presidency, and implemented or co-ordinated by a capable state entity answerable to the Presidency.

Reform needs strategic coalitions

Attempts to reform any organisation will always antagonise parties with an interest in the status quo.

In the case of the South African public service, this includes trade unions representing public servants, those in and outside the public service who benefit from corruption, and those sheltered from the costs of their incompetence by political loyalty. Anyone seeking to reform an organisation needs to understand who is likely to oppose the reform progamme, and why; build alliances of supporters, including those suffering from poor service delivery; and work to reduce fears about the transition.

Reform requires clear goals, effective monitoring, and accountability

Successful institutional reform programmes need to meet three basic requirements. They need a clear and realistic set of measurable goals; their progress should be regularly and accurately monitored; and they should be held accountable for their performance.

While thorough but infrequent monitoring such as audits and annual reviews are important, efficient delivery needs frequent and local feedback. Monitoring systems should not be cumbersome.

Measured against these requirements, the South African public service seems to lack clear goals as well as accountability. However, some successes have been achieved, and the national government has recently acknowledged that it needs to tighten the loop among goals, monitoring and acountability in some areas. Moves in this direction should be recognized and encouraged.

The ANC's ‘deployment' policy should be abandoned

As Maphela Ramphele has noted: ‘The deployment policy of the ANC that has packed public services with incompetent politically connected people has undermined the institutional culture of our public service. The good officials are demoralised, and may have left or are leaving the service.'

Good services cannot be delivered by personnel who are not qualified to perform their duties, or feel that, given their political loyalty, their competence has little or no bearing on their employment. If the challenge of delivering decent services is to be met, deployment should be conditional on competence, and take account of merit. Ideally, merit should be a primary consideration, and it should be possible to be a dedicated and effective public servant irrespective of political allegiance.

Corruption must be fought far more effectively

Corruption should be taken very seriously. It harms the effectiveness of any institution by distorting hiring, resource allocation, and business processes.

Combating it in the public service requires strong political support, systematic monitoring, and effective processes for dealing with offenders. Corrupt individuals weigh up the chances of being caught and punished. Fighting corruption requires changing the rules of the game to make corrupt practices far riskier than they are now.

Reform requires good management practices

Efficiency can be increased by putting processes first, and working out how an institution should be changed to improve key processes. When planners design state institutions they often start with (overcomplicated) organograms, and then begin to think about processes. Many of the success stories presented to the Round Table included periods of ‘process re-engineering', often with the temporary help of expert consultants. Consultants can also be used to clarify job descriptions, improve training, and design efficient performance management systems.

Reform requires attention to human resources

Public service institutions need to be staffed by skilled and motivated people. Their managers also need to know whether staff members are performing well. Dealing with these challenges requires paying careful attention to human resources. Procedures need to be developed to identify present and future skills gaps; recruit suitable staff; manage their performance.

Very senior managers should probably serve for longer periods. Poorly performing officials should be demoted or dismissed, and corrupt officials or those committing other criminal acts should be prosecuted.

Affirmative action should be carefully handled

Structural inequalities bequeathed by the previous social order should be redressed, and affirmative action is one way of doing so. However, it can have negative consequences, notably the abrupt loss of skills, experience, and institutional memory. Redress and efficiency need to be carefully balanced, and close attention to human resources and business process issues can help to get this balance right. If processes are simplified, and performance effectively managed, this can help to clarify exactly what people need to do, and how they should be trained.

One size doesn't fit all

Although many of the lessons learnt from the Round Table apply to the whole civil service, it comprises bodies which differ widely in size, function, and technical demands. What works for one won't necessarily work for another. The nature and function of each institution should be considered when designing appropriate reform strategies. The activities of the various state entities should also be properly co-ordinated. South Africa currently falls short in this area, as shown by the many instances of poor co-ordination within and among the various spheres of government raised at the Round Table. The government's new Medium Term Strategic Framework could be a step in the right direction.

Focused agencies can be more effective than large bureaucracies

A number of the success stories from outside South Africa and within it showed that relatively small and specialised agencies can be far more efficient than larger government bureaucracies. In Tanzania a number of agencies were created to perform specific tasks (such as issuing passports) formerly handled by large government departments. The CAA in South Africa was able to turn around so quickly partly because it is relatively small, and has clearly demarcated functions. Many of the services delivered by the public service could be offered in more focused ways, and policy-makers should seriously consider this option.

Public-private partnerships can work very well

While governments need to ensure that certain services are delivered, that does not mean it has to deliver those services itself. Many public service functions can be contracted out to private providers, which will deliver those services far more efficiently than the state itself. As private health care provision in Lesotho shows, getting these partnerships to work requires careful planning, but the gains more than justify the effort.

Institutional culture matters

Not all organisations have performance-oriented cultures. Networks of corruption, and loyalties to goals other than performance, can be deeply entrenched.

This means that people may not automatically change their behaviour as a result of decrees. It can take work and time to make employees understand a new set of rules, and to learn to work with new systems for monitoring their performance. Success stories demonstrate the importance of regular and specific monitoring, which can help to entrench a culture of performance.

The public must be brought on board

Service delivery protests indicate a lack of confidence in, or knowledge about, other avenues for participation and criticism. As the ultimate beneficiaries of public services, members of the public should be consulted about services, informed of attempts to improve them, and made aware of channels for communicating with the government at various levels especially about poor services and corruption. Vitally, they need a sense that the government is responding to their complaints and suggestions. Citizens who believe that calling a helpline will really help are far less likely to take to the streets.

Concluding remarks

In summary, the technical keys to improving the public service are appropriate and specific goals, accurate monitoring, and effective accountability. Attending to business processes and human resources play vital roles in achieving these three goals.

But technical changes are not enough. Any attempt to reform South Africa's public service must be initiated and supported by its most senior political leaders. This CDE Round Table has demonstrated the importance of closing the loop among goals, monitoring, and accountability. We need to find the political will to close this loop.

In a successful public service, efficient delivery has to matter much more than good political connections, seniority, loyalty, or union power. Public servants in South Africa must be motivated to perform, and made to understand that poor performance will have real consequences.

This is a major challenge. Senior positions in the public service are often held by ANC stalwarts. The public service is heavily unionised, and the ANC is in an alliance with the trade union federation representing most of those civil servants.

Our political leaders will have to face up to this dilemma. It is possible to design some reforms in ways that will reduce the anxiety felt by incumbents.

Nevertheless, if our civil service is to be reformed, the President and cabinet will have to choose the interests of the future over those of the present, and the needs of the many over the preferences of the few.

The hopes of all South Africans must count for more than the comfort of the bureaucracy.

This is an extract from the Centre for Development and Enterprise publication, "South Africa's Public Service: Learning from success", CDE Round Table, Number 13 November 2009. The full report held on the seminar held in September 2009 can be accessed here (PDF).

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Public Private Partnerships = screwed taxpayers PPPs otherwise known as Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) are a great way for private companies to print money. They have proven a catastophic waste of money in the UK. If you want half the service at twice the price- go PFI. If you want the . .more government to pick up the bill when anything goes wong- go PFI If you want to borrow money through the private sector at a higher rate of interest than the government borrowing itself- go PFI The only people that benifit from PFI/PPPs are CEOs and overpriced consultants. Everybody else gets screwed. This issue beyond anyrthing else proves the SA business press are a bunch a useless anus lickers. . .less by Magog on February 16 2010, 15:18 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Much simpler than 14 principles Let's cut to the chase: name one effective, clean, non-corrupt civil service staffed by Africans. Haiti? Zim? South Africa? There is only one way to fix the public service. Make it look the same way it did in 1970 in terms of those who staff it. Either . .more that, or live with incompetence, corruption and disintegration. . .less by Afrikaner on February 16 2010, 18:12 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Animal farm Goals(objectives) assessments and accountability...seems to me that the consultants are making a packet. In our highly centralised administration everybody is lying to everyone else, a recent report issued by the department of finance on municipalities . .more would give you an idea of the level of deceipt. I just compared one section on Jhb City council with the actual figures published by the city. It was a joke. The dept had just repeated the figures from the last 4 or 5 years and even audited figures from the City were ignored. So the people in the dept of finance producing this large document well...just didn't care... if your job depends on meeting certain objectives, well you met them ...didn't you? and if you didn't well it was someone else's fault. At the top of the pile the ministers have no hope as the administration is so riddled with corruption, incompetence and patronage that even if individuals within those administrations wanted to get the job done they couldn,t. You cannot produce anything without the majority of your staff being at lease capable. Centralisation is about power and in the rush to control everything the ANC have loaded regulatory and oversight bodies and placed cadres in positions of power....and now the solution is to set objectives, provide oversight and demand accountability! . .less by Wendy on February 17 2010, 06:45 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

public service This is old, recycled stuff from the private sector of the 1980s. by witbooi on February 17 2010, 07:34 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@Afrikaner Working in a public office I find that my white managers and colleagues from the 'good old days' still fill their day with teas and lunches before pushing off at 3pm. They have mastered the art of looking busy, a culture crafted during the decades of . .more apartheid comfort. Sure, black managers have similar and different faults but you may need to look further than race to make a valid argument here. . .less by Al on February 17 2010, 08:09 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

laughing all the way to the bank Indeed it is witbooi, in fact I implemented and used this system in the late 70's. The consultants must be laughing all the way to the bank... by wendy on February 17 2010, 08:16 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Agencies South Africa is a unique country in that it has 1st, 2nd and 3rd world components. In its quest to eradicate the 3rd world component there are many developmental projects initiated by 1st world experts who then hand over the projects prematurely to . .more bureacrats (who are mainly 3rd world thinkers). The experts are not given or have no mandate to implement, monitor and evaluate. The idea of agencies solves this problem because the agency acts as a project initiator, manager, implementer, trainer, and 1st world skills developer. . .less by Observer on February 17 2010, 08:25 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Nie Fooook This ain't gonna work, not each and every principle that has proved to be effective in the private sector will ipso facto also be in the public sector and this is true with all your suggections. The Public Service has has perculiar needs and priorities, . .more i.e provision of effective, economical and efficient services to communities(ANC has failed by high grade on this noble mission) whereas the Private S has profit maximization as its ultimate motif. . .less by Afrique on February 17 2010, 08:27 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

How come Agreed PPP are a waste of taxayers money and only creates jobs for friends. I would challenge Universities to create case studies of these PPP and see the actual costs of the work. What is to be noted is that the costs are tripled and there is no . .more transparency. Why are has this not been done as yet and the public informed of salaries costs how 3 people are doing 1 job. Yes PPPs' are a total waste of money as for Cosatu why have they courted and approved the unsustainable jobs. And how did Trevor Manual in his genuis mindset how this was not looked at more seriously. . .less by Moving Forward on February 17 2010, 08:30 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

The ANC doesn't understand or care what you are saying. The only why to improve government is to build the political system up from the bottom to the top, e..g giving people the freedom to become as independent as they want at every level. by RT on February 17 2010, 08:31 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

What's so bad about accountability? @Wendy: What's your vision, then? If there isn't accountability, how does that help? If there is, how do you have it without it being clear what people are being held accountable to? And if that isn't clear, in what sense does one have goals at . .more all? Who seriously thinks that most of our government schools would not work better if teachers got into real trouble (that is, were held accountable) for rampant absenteeism and negligence? Would it not be a good idea to have the goal that they be in class and teaching? That they be qualified? That somebody try to figure out efficient ways of checking that these goals were being met? . .less by Moriarty on February 17 2010, 09:10 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Failed African States In France and Germany there are special universities that train and educate civil servants. Here the ANC (and in the rest of Africa) thinks that any old cadre is up to the job. The ANC is right, they will rule till Jesus comes again, it is about that . .more long before they will be able to run a country and also be civilised. . .less by Koos on February 17 2010, 09:15 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

The all-singing, all dancing pantomime Aren't words cheap? What a magnificent article. What utter tosh! Does anyone wwhose skull is not mererly there to keep his apart from each other think that the ANC is capable of fixing the shambles they have created. Their whole . .more intention is to stuff things up and they have done so with remarkable efficiency. The system is now totally broken and the implosion, although it might take a few years is unstoppable . .less by Plutarch on February 17 2010, 09:18 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Summary of article Boot out the ANC and all they stand for. Sadly, it ain't gonna happen by Theseus on February 17 2010, 09:27 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Beware self-serving nostalgia @Afrikaner, AI is correct. The old apartheid civil service wasn't that great. It provided sheltered employment for a minority, and in parts of it there was plenty of corruption. It never even tried to give the whole population decent service. by Moriarty on February 17 2010, 10:07 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@ moriarty For accountability to work you need independent and skilled management to complete assessments. Also you need a working environment that has the capacity to achieve success. Neither are available. A recent report by the SA institute of race relations on . .more skills shortages in the public sector gives statistical evidence of this. In one municipality the ex tea lady was appointed as the chief financial officer! There is nothing wrong with accountability but within the party political system everyone lies their heads off and if they have to admit to non performance blame someone else. In fairness even if the very best administrators were appointed as city/town managers they could not get results unless they had the ability to hire and fire ...and then not be subjected to labour laws and affirmative action restrictions. You can not fix what is broken by using the same people who broke it. You need to build up administrations from outside and that means bringing in competition to government administrations which are after all nothing more than monopolies. . .less by Wendy on February 17 2010, 10:58 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@moriarty Education- Adv Paul Hoffman had an article published in the Business Day on the 9th regarding service delivery. His comment regarding education " Only 42000 of black matriculants in 2007 were able to pass a basic functional literacy test. But 278000 black . .more students passed matric that year".... Everyone lying to everyone else with 236000 people passing matric who were functionally illiterate. Some outcome! Absenteeism and negligence as well as being in class to teach or for that matter even having qualified teachers do not necessarily resolve matters, when your matric standard is so low to pass people who are functionally illiterate you must know the entire system is built on lies. Inspectors used to keep a lid on gross negligence and mismanagement, now it's a free-for- I hardly think honest inspectors would come back in an education environment permeated with intimidation and anarchy. . .less by Wendy on February 17 2010, 11:14 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@wendy Your pedagogical statements may be correct and applicable but I have this deep down feeling that the time for simple academic debate on a subject with representatives of the ruling oligarchs is becoming more and more meaningless. They hold everyone . .more who disagrees in total contempt. They have an Alice in Wonderland definition of their words They will brook no dissent. I hold firmly to the academic belief of thesis, hypothesis and argument leading to changing the underlying, prevailing thesis whenever the facts no longer support a particular thesis (we would still believe in a solar system which revolved around the earth if that was not the case). Unfortunately, academic discussuion with a bonobo ape is not going to add any kudos to the blind and patient academe. Please tell me why you think we should accept contemptuous handling and arrogant adherence to total falsehoods as a basis for having discussion with hoodlums? . .less by Cassandra on February 17 2010, 12:55 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

strategic limitations Cassandra, I would gladly use other means if I thought I could get away with it! I don't believe we should accept the status quo....just restricted in how to approach the issue I suppose. by @Cassandra on February 17 2010, 14:23 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

How to fix the public service Name one country which runs their public service effeciently with no challenges? Is it because they used the right system, few population, they have all the money, they invest to their citizens, what is it? A 1970 system cannot work in 2010. Economy is . .more different, challenges are different, people who worked during that time are either dead or too bloody old. We are living in a global village. Even if the DA, COPE or IFP can take the Government they will face the same challenges which are facing the ANC, they will endup blaming the previous Government. You can try all the systems you can think off they are too many poor people in South Africa who were sidelined, discriminated, during the white only Government. If those whites the Verwoeds, Bothas thought of the future, they were supposed to grow this country by skilling all people not only whites. You cannot compare South Africa with all these countries because the challenges will never be the same. . .less by de Boer on February 17 2010, 14:39 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

you dont have to fix them all at once Just pick 3 priority departments ie police, health, education and then put in place special operating plans for ten years. No cadre deployment, no AA, big budgets to attract the very best personnel. Any corruption within these departments will result in . .more a no quibble specially promulgated 25 year jail sentence with hard labour. Ministers concerned to report to parliament and the public monthly. If the cadres want to phuque around it wont be in these core departments. After ten years you will hopefully have created some healthy, law abiding citizens who can carry on the work.. . .less by Swaar on February 17 2010, 15:45 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@Swaar I think that you are getting close! They should also introduce across the board the principle that an official receives no pay in the event of being suspended and if found guilty the official must face the might of the law and pay back what he has stolen, . .more or face a jail term. Similarly, senior managment/managers should also be suspended and treated in the same way if the official in question fell under their supervission! What is happening throughout the civil service today, is merely a replication of the incompetencies of those officials who worked in the former TBVC and self governing national states in SA. Today you now find some of these ex-officials in the private sector who serve as presidents on the representastive boards of professional body's due only to the colour of their skin, and not because of their competency! . .less by Zorba on February 17 2010, 18:13 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

merit selection, accountabilty and performance - NOT BEE or Deployment And not appointments made just because you are black or vote ANC. Will they ever do this? Never as it will hinder jobs for pals and corruption which as what they do so very well. by They on February 17 2010, 22:05 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

KZN ANC Provincial Secretary and John Mchunu are partners in tender fraud Sutcliffe passes the tenders for Sihle (ANC Provincial Secretary) and John Mchunu (ANC Chairperson eThekwini) Derek Naidoo organizes tenders for a price of his share. Krish Kumar takes the billion rand loans to fund the . .more corruption. Sipho Cele is a "yes man "for Derek Naidoo. Zweli Mkhize benefited from the fraud at Remnant Alton and Ithala Chief Shabalala These people steal with one hand and lie to the poor with their crooked lips. Time to kick out these highly influential ANC crooks Obed Mlaba is a silent mayor . Counting the days to his end. The great Section 36 fraud is being covered up by another silent ANC MEC...Nomusa Dube ...ANC corrupted stand together . KZN corruption was started by Sbu Joel Ndebele and Zweli Mkhize . . .less by nonhlanhla on August 30 2010, 18:21 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

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