REVIEW AND IMPROVEMENT OF PED REPORTING SYSTEMS PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON BASIC EDUCATION 07 MARCH 2017

PRESENTATION OUTLINE Purpose Background: Oversight Obligations Reporting Areas DBE Reports Collection of Data Verification of Information Consolidation of Information Progress/Success Weaknesses, Remedial Action 2

PURPOSE To present to the Portfolio Committee information that is received directly from provinces that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) uses for accounting and reporting purposes 3

BACKGROUND: OVERSIGHT OBLIGATIONS The Framework for Managing Programme Performance Information (National Treasury: May 2007) indicates that as a National Department: The DBE must provide an overview of Sector service delivery; and Do detailed performance evaluations of policies and areas of service delivery. Therefore, the DBE coordinates and collates information from the nine provinces on a quarterly basis to report and account. 4

BACKGROUND: OVERSIGHT OBLIGATIONS The information is used to report and account to DPME, Parliament, National Treasury and lead departments. This is to ensure that there is reporting on both performance and financial information. This reports therefore details how the DBE receives and verifies information as well as challenges and remedial actions.

REPORTING AREAS Performance against Annual Performance Plan (APP) Targets or programme information; School Readiness; Reports on levels of provincial funding of schools; Reports on progress with transfer of funds to schools; PEDs budget and expenditure reports; Preliminary Estimate of Provincial Revenue and Expenditure for the MTEF period; Performance monitoring of conditional grants; and Financial Reporting of conditional grants. 6

DBE-REPORTS Report Recipient Timeframe Outcome 1 Report DPME, Cabinet Committee and Cabinet Quarterly Outcome 7,13,14 Lead Departments Quarterly Performance Reports Treasury, DPME and Parliament Annual Report National Treasury, DPME and Parliament Annually 7

EXAMPLE OF OUTCOME 1 REPORT ANNEXURE B: REPORT ON PROGRESS AGAINST MTSF ACTIONS Indicator Baseline Target 2016 Progress July-Sept 2016 Progress Rating Data Source Number and percentage of Funza Lushaka bursary holders placed in schools within six months of their completion of studies. 3214 (83%) (2014)Q4 3 000 (90%) 87% (4 021 of 4 637)  PERSAL Percentage of schools with more than one financial management responsibility on the basis of assessment 79% (2011) SMS 89% (2016) Nationally- 99.28% EC-100% FS-100% GP-100% KZN-99.64% LP-100% MP-100% NC-99.27% NW-98.55% WC-91.65%  PED/EMIS Rate of utilisation of SA-SAMS in public school (excluding WC) New indicator 96% (2016) 95.6% SA-SAMS

COLLECTION OF DATA - INSTRUMENTS The data used for the compilation of reports is collected using different instruments: National School Learner Attainment (NSLA); School Readiness questionnaire; National Education Infrastructure Management System (NEIMS); and Analysis of Provinces’ In Year Monitoring (IYM) reports. 9

COLLECTION OF DATA – MECHANISMS Oversights/monitoring by different branches in the Department to monitor programme implementation. Onsite verification visits to a sample of schools/sites. Evaluation and Performance Management of conditional Grants School Readiness Monitoring. Quarterly reporting by PEDs. 10

VERIFICATION OF INFORMATION FROM DBE BRANCHES The reported outputs in the indicator tables are verified by checking the documentary evidence. When there are areas of discrepancy, Branch coordinators are informed to correct and make sure the evidence matches what is reported. 11

VERIFICATION OF INFORMATION FROM PEDs Financial information is compared with the National Treasury in year reports on monthly basis, AG Sector report and the section 32 reports from National Treasury. The PEDs are informed if there are any discrepancies. For conditional Grant, consolidated monthly BAS reports are checked. Audited financial statements of PEDs are checked. Annual Provincial Reports per grant submitted to DBE. 12

CONSOLIDATION OF INFORMATION Each DBE Branch prepares its report from information received from Provinces and submits to the Branch DDG for quality assurance. Each Branch processes its own report during a Branch Review session to identify gaps and to check outputs against documentary evidence. Reports from all Branches are recorded and collated by the reporting Directorate into one departmental report which is quality-assured by the Office of the Director-General. 13

PROGRESS/ SUCCESSES Standardising sectoral goals, indicators and performance measures for planning and reporting annually – APP/ Strategic Plans & Audits. Creating a sectoral practice of engaging & interrogating information collected and reported to ensure integrity and integration in reporting. Improving the overall quality of reporting & informing strategic decision making. In Programme of Action (POA) Outcome 1, there has been improvement across the sector in reporting against the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) indicators. The DBE works closely with PEDs through HEDCOM Subcommittees to ensure quality and credible reports. 14

AREAS OF WEAKNESS AND REMEDIAL ACTION Areas of Weaknesses Remedial Action Current gaps in plans/ reports (based on all mandates) are identified in order to strengthen planning and reporting. Quality assurance and verification of reported information. Evidencing process. An analytic tool to identify gaps in the Operational Plans and sector Annual Performance Plans and reports has been developed. Strengthening internal capacity within DBE Review and strengthen the evidencing process in view of working towards clean audits across the sector. 15

Areas of Weakness and Remedial Action Strengthening accountability measures. Development of Standard Operating Procedures. Coordinating a Departmental Research and Evaluation Plan. Prioritising standardizing research in provinces. Poor quality reports (insufficient details - dates, targets, duration, strategic reflection on sector impact; non submission of supporting annexures Challenge in standardising research and evaluation practices, guidelines and standards. Challenge in creating a platform for provincial research and evaluation collaborations. 16

RECOMMENDATION The Portfolio Committee to note and discuss information that is received directly from provinces that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) uses for accounting and reporting purposes. 17