1. Department of Cooperative Governance Portfolio Committee Briefing by LGSETA (including DCoG and SALGA) on programmes, learnerships, etc. in local government 13 August 2013

2. Content of the Presentation 1.Background information on the DCoG’s involvement with the LGSETA. 2.Initiatives undertaken in partnership with the LGSETA to an amount of approximately R79.5 million. 3.Relationship currently and going forward.

3. 1.Background information on the DCoG’s involvement with the LGSETA 1.1 Prior to the Administration of the LGSETA, the DCoG had 1 seat on the LGSETA Board and had secured 1 seat for the DTA. Thus, both Departments had participated in the approval of projects, including learning programmes and learnerships, etc. funded by the LGSETA. The DCoG also participated in the LGSETA Policy Committees. 1.2 The DCoG had an expired MoU with the LGSETA with a renewed version awaiting approval. The aim with the MoU is to manage the relationship between the two parties.

4. 1.3The LGSETA (and SALGA) managers also participate on the DCoG’s National Municipal Capacity Coordination and Monitoring Committee (NMCCMC represented by provinces, sector departments’ active in local government and associated institutions, including professional bodies). The NMCCMC’s purpose is to improve coordination, facilitation and monitoring of capacity building initiatives aimed at local government and the impact that they make. 1.4The LGSETA’s annual Sector Skills Plan assists in determining DCoG’s capacity building policy / strategy decisions as it provides the sector’s qualifications’ profile and trends in municipal skills development provision.

5. 2.1The development of qualifications for the sector - LGSETA in partnership with DCoG currently, for: a.Disaster Management (R4 million) and the registration of learnerships b.Property Valuers (R 7 million) c.Fire Fighters (R2.5 million) The development of qualifications for the sector - LGSETA in partnership with DCoG or sector departments and / or municipalities, for: a.Electricity (R 2.5) b.Environmental Practice and Water (R2.5) 2.Initiatives undertaken in partnership with the LGSETA to an amount of approximately R79.5 million

6. 2.2Training partnerships, LGSETA, DCoG and sector departments: a.Water Process Controllers (2,000 learners at R42 million) b.Labour Intensive Construction to address EPWP and MIG challenges (1,100 learners at R7.5 million) c.Commitment for GIS internship and training (R3 million) The DCoG also supports the SALGA Induction of Councillors that the LGSETA funds and the partnership between the unions and LGSETA on Local Labour Forum training to rebuild workplace training systems and improve labour relations (2,500 learners at R5 million).

7. Also of importance to the DCoG is the annual approximately R 3.5 million that the LGSETA spends on training of Skills Development Facilitators 2.3Past partnerships that are being sustained or will be reviewed are, the: a.Local Government Skills Audit (2007 to 2010). Municipalities have been tasked to update the information on the GAPSKILL (web based tool) b.Development, piloting and implementation of various qualifications for Ward Committees, Community Development Workers, Integrated Development Planning and Local Economic Development

8. 2.4LGSETA and MISA: a.The contents of the extended DCoG MoU is under discussion to address local government technical skill areas such as Artisan Development. b.The MoU will assist with the implementation of MISA’s Capacity Building Strategy.

9. 2.5LGSETA research papers since 2007 that support DCoG’s work are: a.Professional Bodies active in Local Government b.Capacity Assessments on Municipal Training Institutions c.An Evaluation on the Effectiveness of the Use of the Mandatory Grants in Metros

10. 3.1 Upscaling of skills development within the Local Government Sector is essential to improve the reach to all employees through the LGSETA (below 50%) and the entrance rate into the sector in the next financial year; with the aim to address the National Development Plan’s (NDP) requirement for a capable state. The NDP will also require that the DCoG, LGSETA and SALGA have: a.Closer working relations to ensure that national priorities and the Minister for Cooperative Governance’s Delivery Agreement is achieved. b.A more inclusive approach to sector departments and professional bodies - if the scarce and critical skills of the sector are to be effectively addressed. 3.Relationship currently and going forward

11. c.Improved access to demand versus supply information per occupation and municipal functional unit to understand the extent of the exercise. d.One vision that they work towards if they aim to achieve, the SSP challenges and: i.Indicators contained in the National Capacity Building Strategy for Local Government. ii.Indicators contained in the Professionalisation Framework for Local Government. iii.Preparation of a Local Government as Career of Choice (driven by a Strategy).

12. 3.2A School for Local Government a.It is envisaged that a School for Local Government will be established by the Ministry for CoGTA, including MISA and traditional leaders in collaboration with the DHET, DPSA, LGSETA and SALGA. b.A draft Business Plan has been developed using PALAMA as benchmark and proposing a phased approach to addressing the sector’s elected and appointed officials’ needs.

13. c.The model being deliberated on currently is a consortium of FETs and HETs. These institutions will design and implement a curriculum of learning pathways linked to the competence profiles contained in the Municipal Systems Act’s draft Regulations for Municipal Managers (54A) and those directly reporting to them (56). Other staff Regulations to follow. d.The approach is similar to the School of Government with the required competences specifying the entry requirement. Alignment is further assured in view of close working relationships with PALAMA through the Public Services Sector Committee.

14. e.A funding model proposed is by accessing a portion of the % of skills development levies paid to the LGSETA by the sector annually. Also, in view of the fact that a School for Local Government will have a number of learners to be serviced to address the LGSETA Sector Skills Plan and DCoG Strategies and Frameworks listed previously it should ensure cost savings.

15. In conclusion, we thank you for this opportunity and want to be the first to admit that relationships between DCoG, LGSETA and SALGA has improved and also that more inclusive relationships with others’ active in the local government sector through the National Municipal Capacity Coordination and Monitoring Committee that meet quarterly has been initiated but there is still room for improvement