DWAF STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP ACCOUNTING OFFICER’S OVERVIEW Mr. JI Sindane Director-General CSIR Conference Centre Date: 29 January 2007

STRATEGY TO DELIVER SERVICES MINISTER HENDRICKS HAS GIVEN US MARCHING ORDERS. SHE HAS ARTICULATED THE POLITICAL MANDATE AND VISION OF THIS DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS THE PRIORITIES. OURS IS TO WORK TOGETHER (DWAF AND ITS PUBLIC ENTITIES) AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO IMPLEMENT PROGRAMMES TO REALIZE THE OBJECTIVES THAT THE MINISTER HAS ARTICULATED.

STRATEGY TO DELIVER SERIVICES (CONTINUED) AFTER THIS WORKSHOP, A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE FINALIZED & SENT TO THE MINISTER FOR APPROVAL BY FEBRUARY. WHILST IT IS A LEGAL REQUIREMENT, THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS A USEFUL TOOL TO UNITE US ALL TO REALIZE THE GOVERNMENT OBJECTIVES OF SERVICE DELIVERY AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION. IN TODAY’S WORKSHOP, WE NEED TO COME OUT WITH A SENSE OF BELONGING TOGETHER & A START OF THE PROCESS OF STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT WITH OUR PUBLIC ENTITIES.

ALIGNMENT WITH OUR PUBLIC ENTITIES IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, WE MUST UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER’S MANDATES & HOW THESE RELATE TO, AND/OR DEPEND ON, ONE ANOTHER. FROM THE SIDE OF THE DWAF, WE HAVE RECOGNIZEDTHAT WE NEED TO DO MORE TO LEAD AND SUPPORT OUR PUBLIC ENTITIES. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DEFINING THE ROLE OF OUR REGIONAL OFFICES IN REGARD TO THE SUPPORT AND GOVERNANCE OF OUR PUBLIC ENTITIES IN THOSE PROVINCES.

ALIGNMENT WITH OUR PUBLIC ENTITIES (CONTINUED) WE REALIZE THAT WE CANNOT ACHIEVE ALIGNMENT, LET ALONE ADDRESS ALL THE ISSUES, IN ONE DAY. FOR TODAY WE WANT OUR PUBLIC ENTITIES TO MEET OUR SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM, DIRECTORS TO DIRECTOR-GENERAL. WE ARE BEGINNING A PROCESS OF INTERACTION AND STRATEGIC CONVERSATION. WE WANT TO HEAR, AT A HIGH LEVEL, WHAT OUR PUBLIC ENTITIES ARE DOING OR INTEND TO DO TODAY’S ENGAGEMENT MUST BE FOLLOWED BY MORE STRUCTURED AND ROBUST ONES.

STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT WITH OUR PUBLIC ENTITIES (CONT.) OUR REGIONAL OFFICES ARE THE FACE OF THE DWAF IN THE PROVINCES AND THE REGIONAL CHIEF DIRECTORS MUST THEREFORE BE THE FIRST PORTS OF CALL FOR OUR PUBLIC ENTITIES. THERE IS NO REASON E.G. WHY AMATOLA WATER MUST GO ALL THE WAY TO PRETORIA TO RECEIVE ATTENTION FROM THE DWAF. WE AS THE DWAF MUST LEAD IN SETTING UP GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK AND IN CREATING EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION CHANNELS.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FLAGSHIP PROJECTS THE FLAGSHIP PROJECTS THAT THE MINISTER HAS ARTICULATED WILL BE IMPLEMENTED AND REGULAR REPORTS WILL BE PROVIDED TO THE MINISTER. THIS YEAR ALL THE SENIOR OFFICIALS OF THIS DEPARTMENT, FROM LEVEL 13 TO THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL MUST HAVE SIGNED THEIR PERFORMANCE AGREEMENTS BY 31 MARCH 2007. REGULAR AND ROBUST PERFORMANCE REVIEWS MUST TAKE PLACE AND AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT ADDRESSED TIMEOUSLY.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FLAGSHIP PROJECTS (CONTINUED) THERE IS A CORRELATION BETWEEN THIS DEPARTMENT’S QUALIFIED AUDIT REPORTS AND OUR STATE OF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT. IN THIS REGARD WE WILL NOT ONLY FOCUS ON FINDING QUALIFIED PEOPLE TO RUN OUR FINANCE PORTFOLIO BUT WE WILL ALSO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE OF US DOES THEIR PART IN TERMS OF COMPLIANCE AND TIMEOUS SUBMISSION OF COMPLETE AND ACCURATE REPORTS. FURTHER, EVERY MANAGER WILL BE APPRAISED ON, AMONGST OTHERS, THE ROLE THAT THEY HAVE PLAYED IN THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN.

FLAGSHIP PROJECTS (FOREST BBBEE CHARTER) WE HAVE RAISED THE PROFILE OF FORESTRY WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF A DDG TO HEAD THE BRANCH FORESTRY. THE BRANCH IS BEING CONSOLIDATED. FROM THIS YEAR WE MUST SEE VISIBLE PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR FORESTRY PROGRAMMES IN THE EC AND KZN. THE FOREST BBBEE CHARTER, TO SERVE AS A FRAMEWORK FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE FORESTRY SECTOR, IS ON THE VERGE OF BEING ADOPTED. WE MUST GET DOWN TO IMPLEMENTATION.

MEETING WATER AND SANITATION TARGETS AS REFERRED TO BY THE MINISTER, WE NOW HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD OUR PARTNERS AND MOVE WITH SPEED TO ADDRESS WATER AND SANITATION BACKLOGS. TO THIS END WE WILL NEED NOT ONLY TO CO-OPERATE, BUT ALSO TO ENSURE THAT OUR ACTIVITIES ARE CO-ORDINATED AND ALIGNED WITH THOSE OF OUR PUBLIC ENTITIES AND OTHER SPHERES OF GOVERNMENT WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS. WE ARE GOING TO ACCELLERATE THE RATE OF SERVICE DELIVERY TO MEET OUR TARGETS.

PROGRAMME OF ACTION (FLAGSHIP PROJECTS AND PRIORITIES IN ORDER TO REALIZE THE FLAGSHIP PROJECTS AND OTHER PRIORITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT A PROGRAMME OF ACTION IS BEING DEVELOPED BY THE DDGs. EACH OF THE DDGs WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SPECIFIC PROJECTS AND WILL REPORT QUARTERLY AT MANCO. I WILL WORK WITH THE COO TO ENSURE THAT THE DDGs DELIVER ON THE FLAGSHIP PROJECTS AND OTHER PRIORITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT.

MEASURING ORGANZIATIONAL PEFORMANCE (MONITORING & EVALUATION) WE NEED A SYSTEM THAT ENABLES US TO MEASURE OUR INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN AN INTEGRATED WAY, AND GENERATE VARIOUS MANAGEMENT REPORTS TIMELY. TO THIS END, THE COO AND I ARE LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF INTRODUCING A DEPARTMENT WIDE MONITORING AND EVALUATION SYSTEM. A MONITORING AND EVALUATION SYSTEM WILL ALSO ENABLE US TO DO PERFORMANCE AUDIT AND WILL MAKE OUR PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS EASIER THAN NOW.

WORKING WITH PARLIAMENT MINISTER HENDRICKS HAS REFERRED TO THE PARTNERSHIP OVERSIGHT ROLE OF PARLIAMENT. WE NEED A MUCH MORE STRUCTURED INTERACTION WITH PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON WATER AFFAIRS AND FORESTRY. WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT ISSUES RAISED BY THEM ARE RESPONDED TO AND ADDRESSED AS A MATTER OF PRIORITY. IN THIS REGARD, WE ARE PRIVILEGED TO HAVE MS CONNIE SEPTEMBER TODAY. WE MUST GIVE THEM COMPLETE AND ACCURATE INFORMATION TIMELY WHEN REQUESTED.

POSSIBLE ROLES OF DWAF INSTITUTIONS DRINKING WATER QUALITY MONITORING AND RESPONDING (FS) ASSISTANCE TO HOST CITIES RE 2010

ASGISA HELP IDENTIFY HURDLES WORK WITH GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES SUCH AS NATIONAL (Health) AND PROVINCIAL DEPARTMENTS (Umzimvubu) ACCELARATION OF SERVICE DELIVERY TO MEET THE TARGETS

PROVINCIAL & LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT (Check list) LIAISE WITH PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION AT PROVINCIAL INTER GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS FORUMS PROMOTE GOOD RELATIONS WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH SAAW

DWAF CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROCESS OF INSTITUTIONAL REFORM INCLUDING s 78 PROCESSES COMMENT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CONCEPTS SUCH AS INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PARTICIPATE AT THE MASIBAMBANE FORUMS

DWAF cont… IZIMBIZO – INVOLVEMENT PRE; DURING & POST INVOLVEMENT IN DWAF EVENTS (OVER & ABOVE SPONSORING) WATER WEEK; SANITATION WEEK; ARBOR WEEK,etc SHARING EXPERIENCES OF INVOLVEMENT IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

CONCLUSION I AM HOPEFUL THAT TODAY WE WILL ACHIEVE A SENSE OF BELONGING TOGETHER AND BEGIN A PROCESS OF STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT. I BELIEVE THAT OUR PUBLIC ENTITIES WILL AT LEAST FEEL THAT THEY HAVE A STAKE IN OUR NEXT STRATEGIC PLAN. POLICIES AND LEGISLATION ARE IN PLACE: LET US IMPLEMENT EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY. THANK YOU.