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SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW

LETTER FROM BATHO PELE HOUSE

A learning magazine for the Public Service Vol 12 No. 3 of 2019

Revisiting the Batho Pele Ethos

Minister Mchunu outlines priorities for the Public Service

Housing scheme empowers government employees to become homeowners Public Service Developmental Programmes tackle youth unemployment Volume 12 No.3 of 2019 | SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW

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CONSOLIDATING OUR COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE FOR THE FUTURE InnovateLearnDeliver

SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 12 No.3 of 2019

LETTER FROM BATHO PELE HOUSE

CONTENTS REGULARS 2

From the Editor’s Desk

Letter from Batho Pele House

News in Brief

PUBLIC SERVICE 10 Public Service Developmenta Programms tackle youth unemployment 13

Heeding the call to serve

15 Housing scheme empowers government employees to become homeowners

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT 17 Is the Public Service ready for Knowledge Management? 20 A ‘Computer Village’ in Lagos offers lessons on what it takes to help small firms thrive

FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION 22

Behold the Future of Work

Africa and the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Estonia goes all out in the digitisation services

25 years of forging a common identity

Volume 12 No.3 of 2019 | SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Managing Editor Colette Clark

A brand new world for the Sixth Administration. Two of these have a bearing on the mandate of the MPSA.

Editor Dudley Moloi

These are, namely, “consolidating the social wages through reliable and quality basic services” and building “a capable, ethical and developmental State”, that are dependent on there being a higher sense of Batho Pele among public servants.

Editorial Team Sebenzile Zibani Louisa Teane Editorial Advisory Group Rhulani Makubela Zamokwakhe Khuzwayo Mataywa Busieka

A brand new world

To order copies of the Service Delivery Review contact This electronic Service Delivery Review Sebenzile.Zibane.dpsa.gov.za

(e-SDR) magazine is the last of three editions under the we undertook at Wepilot belong the beginning of the quarter in 2018. Wefirst care While we have We not serve formally assessed the pilot, the benefits of for migrating to a Invitation digital version of the magazine have contributions been outstanding from a production and distribution point of view.

The Service Delivery Review is a learning and knowledge Moreover, the anecdotal feedback tool for the Public we have received from Service. readersIt has a platfrom debate been provides largely positive. Theforinitial worry and the exhange of ideas about the end-reader’s access and to aid improved service experiences of the “flipbook” version of the publication turned out to be just that delivery. … worries. Public servants, academics, communities and other Now that there is a level of confidence interested parties are from the production and side,welcome the next phase encouraged to in the respond evolutiontoand andimprovement raise issuesofinthe SDR magazine this would be to strengthen regard. the quality, relevance and usefulness of the editorial content. These would Letters and feedback should include ensuring that each of the three be more 500 words annual not editions hasthan a thematic focus and the maximum lenght for as based on original material such articles is 2 000 words. case studies, special feature articles, personality profiles and issue fact Forthe more sheets. Until nextinformation edition, the reader please contact is invited to go through the collage of material contained in this edition. Dudley@dpsalgov.za

In a similar vein, the article Heeding the call to serve profiles the rise of Humbulani Tshivhase up the the ranks of the Public Service. Having started as an intern a decade ago, Tshivhase is now Director and Organisational Design Specialist. The ServicetoDelivery Review (SDR) communities play a meaningful role in magazine takes this opportunity growing theteam economy.

to welcome the new Minister for Public Service Administration Yet anotherand article, Re-tooling(MPSA), for the Senzo industrial Mchunu. Appointed the MPSA fourth revolution, tourges us to portfolio on 29 May 2019, Minister be more proactive in terms of preparing Mchunu no stranger to public adminfor the isfourth industrial revolution istration market. leadership. labour However, the most intriguing of the technology-themed set A former teacher himself, Minister how Mchunu of articles is one that reports the has served in various enlists capacities within Gauteng government drones in the provincialdelivery. government of KwaZuinfrastructure

lu-Natal. These include chairing the

agriculture, socialwedevelopment and Inside this edition also publish some education portfolio committees, and nocase studies that are borrowed from the tably, serving Member ofInnovation, the Execlatest edition as of aGrassroots utive Council (MEC) Educationsome and an annual booklet thatfor showcases laterthe as KwaZulu-Natal Premier. of moving work that community development workers (CDWs) take on The readers of the SDR magazine are under physically and emotionally trying familiar with the Letter from Batho Pele circumstances. column, which is traditionally reserved

The between technology for acontrast sitting MPSA. Thethe quarterly colarticles and the CDW case umn provides a platform fromstudies which is What the CDW cases theinstructive. Minister could directly address the studies assert is thatwho no amount millions boldly of public servants, are the of technology can ofreplace human primary readership the electronic compassion and empathy in helping us SDR magazine. to overcome obstacles, as in the case of young man who was nursed away In ahis inaugural column, the Minister from drug addiction and into emphasises the need for law the school. Public

Service to reclaim Batho Pele (Putting

In conclusion, weworking would like to ininvite People First) as ethos the our readers to help us navigate the next course of delivering public services. phase in is theframed evolution e-SDR This call by of thethe concerns magazine actively helping us to make raised by by President Cyril Ramaphosa the future content of Nation the publication during the State of the Address relevant, informative and useful. Help us (SoNA), following the May 2019 gento goelections. forward. nIn the SoNA, President eral

One of the striking things about the three editions (including this one) is how the topic of technology and the Public Service keeps cropping up, especially in the broader sense that includes the idea of the fourth industrial revolution. For example, the Western Cape’s Ramaphosa identified seven priorities expansion and upgrade of its broadband offering is underpinned by the bigger SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 12 No.3 of 2019 2 vision of leveraging technology. It is hoped that this would ultimately

Tshivhase’s story illustrates what underpins the implementation of Developmental Programmes in the Public Service, that are primarily targeted at young people, as reported in the Public Service Tackling Youth Unemployment article. The march of technology is relentless, which explains why it seems each edition of the SDR magazine carries something on technology and more specifically the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Two pieces are worth highlighting in this regard. The first one, Behold the Future of Work, is a summary of a research report by the Institute for Futures Research, which is based at Stellenbosch University. The other article is a thoughtful interview on the meaning of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the context of Africa’s development trajectory. The interviewee is Professor Rasigan Maharajh, founding Chief Director of the Institute for Economic Research on Innovation at the Tshwane University of Technology. While the edition carries snippets that the reader would hopefully find informative and stimulating. The SDR magazine team welcomes suggestions for articles, case studies and relevant research reports in the interest of building the Public Service as a learning organisation.

LETTER FROM BATHO PELE HOUSE

Revisiting the Batho Pele Ethos in the Public Service Back to Batho Pele These priorities link up to the MPSA’s five key priorities over the next five years. A core priority among these is the need to re-infuse the Batho Pele ethos back into the Public Service.

In July this year, I delivered my maiden Budget Vote Speech in my capacity as newly-appointed Minister of Public Service and Administration (MPSA). Part of my induction included holding consultations with a range of stakeholders in the portfolio. This exercise, along with the processes leading up to the Budget Vote, had been a source of valuable insights into the workings of the Public Service. The net result has been greater appreciation of the achievements of the Public Service over the past 25 years of our freedom. In this learning process, one develops a deeper sense of the value that millions of South Africans continue to attach to the work of government. Of utmost importance, however, is how this exercise helps us in sharpening our vision for the Public Service in the short, medium to long-term as per the National Development Plan (NDP). Whatever the course of action, we also need to take the state of the economy and its impact on the Public Service into account. In the long run, diminishing revenue deflates the value of the “social wage”. In his 2019 State of the Nation Address (SoNA), Presiden Cyril Ramaphosa charted the course for the Sixth Administration by listing seven priorities. The priority of “consolidating the social wage through reliable and quality basic services” indirectly falls under the ambit of the MPSA portfolio and has been appropriately flagged in the departmental Budget Vote Speech, along with three others from the President’s list.

Already raised as a serious concern by President Ramaphosa who eschewed instances in which some of the organs of the State have descended into the worst forms of existence, the MPSA is committing itself to a dramatic reversal of blatant disregard of the Batho Pele principle in certain quarters of the Public Service. In the end, the intention is to ensure that public servants are not only aware of the eight principles, but they live these through practice. PAMA implemented Delivering the SoNA Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa stipulated clearly what the Sixth Administration sets out to achieve in terms of the Public Service, when he stated: “We want a corps of skilled and professional public servants of the highest moral standards – and dedicated to the public good.” What the President describes forms our vision for the Public Service that we are to turning into reality individually and collectively as public servants. The second priority is to fully implement the Public Administration Management Act (PAMA), as our intention is to apply all basic principles and values governing the Public Service across all three spheres of government and in stateowned enterprises. Stabilising the Public Service We also intend stabilising the Public Service. We will develop a remuneration policy that will include the shape of the general Public Service. One of

the possibilities for the cost of the Public Service being so high could be that we have more senior people than we require. Those are some of the issues that will require attention as we embark on the journey to rejuvinate our Public Service to ensure it responds to the expectations of the public from whom we derive our mandate. This we will do working with our very important partners, among whom are the Public Service Commission (PSC), public sector unions and the public. Fighting corruption The fourth priority is fighting corruption, which has become a serious cancer in our administration. Corruption stands in the way of service delivery, depriving the public their basic rights. In some instances, corruption results in loss of lives, as services end up not reaching their intended recipients. This is one of the immediate tasks that we have to execute with diligence as the public, on a daily basis, remind us of this big monster that needs to be tackled as a matter of urgency. Policy implementation The fifth and the last priority is implementation of policy. It has been said on many occasions that government policies are good, but we fall short on ensuring that they are fully implemented. It is therefore important that we all walk this journey together to ensure that we become a Public Service that shares a common vision and to make being a public servant a calling and government an employer of choice, by attracting skills even from the private sector. Senzo Mchunu MP Minister for Public Service and Administration

Volume 12 No.3 of 2019 | SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW

NEWS IN BRIEF

Drone delivery takes medicine to new heights The delivery of life-saving blood has been taken to new heights by the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) with the launch a new drone blood-delivery service. Launched in May, the Tron Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) drone, features a wing design suited for maximum efficiency and allows for long travel time with minimal power usage. The drone has a range cover of over 100km and can travel up to 180km/h but can also travel as slowly as 60km/h if necessary, the SANBS said. The drone is a highly specialised aircraft that will be used to transport blood from blood banks to hospitals. Just like a helicopter, the Tron is capable of vertically taking off and landing. Once in flight, it switches into a highly efficient aircraft.

In an emergency the blood can be delivered to hospitals much faster and more efficiently. According to the blood service, the Tron aerial vehicle will be a South African first, complementing the existing logistics infrastructure. It will continue to cement the non-profit organisation’s place as a thought leader and a cornerstone of the health care system in South Africa through the gift of life. “We believe that this is an innovative step in the history of blood transfusion. SANBS is determined to improve rapid access to life-saving blood products in rural areas through the use of drone technology,” said SANBS Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Louw.

“Patients can receive emergency ‘O negative’ blood from one of our blood banks via drone. The same drone can then take that patient’s blood sample to the blood bank for comprehensive cross-matching and then safely and rapidly deliver compatible blood back to the patient,” said Louw. The Tron’s cargo compartment is able to securely accommodate even the most fragile payload, up to 2kg, and actively cool it. The Tron will fly at an altitude of 100m to hospitals as far away as 100km delivering up to four units of life-saving blood. – SAnews.gov.za Thursday, June 27, 2019

By using the drone, a two-way service will be provided to patients.

Audit outcomes for municipalities worsening A large majority of the country’s municipalities continue to disregard Auditor-General (AG) Kimi Makwethu’s recommendations, resulting in worsening financial positions, he has announced. Makwethu made the revelation while releasing the 2017/18 Consolidated General Report on the Local Government Audit Outcomes in June this year. The AG audited 257 municipalities and 21 municipal entities during this financial year. The report reveals that of the country’s 257 municipalities, only 18 (8%) received clean audits – a decline from the previous year’s 14%. About 12 of these municipalities were in the Western Cape, while KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Eastern Cape each had one municipality with a clean audit. 4

Addressing reporters, Makwethu said: “Since the current local government administration took office, the governance issues affecting municipalities have consistently been flagged by them in various formats, including individualised meetings with the leadership and through the AG’s 2016/17 General Report, but the latest set of results indicates that this constant advice has largely been ignored.” According to the report, municipalities recorded a decreased irregular expenditure of R25 billion, compared to R29 billion in the previous year. In the report, Makwethu notes that accountability in local government continues to decline. “Of the audited municipalities, the audit outcomes of the 63 regressed while

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those of 22 improved. Only 18 municipalities managed to produce quality financial statements and performance reports, as well as complied with all key legislation … This is a regress from the 33 municipalities that received clean audits in the previous year,” Makwethu said. The AG also bemoaned the poor quality of submitted financial statements and performance reports, saying these were crucial to enabling accountability and transparency. Unqualified opinions on financial statements decreased from 51% from the previous year’s 61%. The AG reported that 92% of the municipalities recorded non-compliance with key legislation, an 85% increase from the 2016/17 financial year.

NEWS IN BRIEF “Municipalities with material compliance findings on supply chain management increased from 72% to 81%. Both these are the highest percentages of non-compliance the AGSA has reported since 2011/12,” he said. Although irregular expenditure had decreased, Kimi Makwethu said the figure could be much higher as R4 billion was of those municipalities whose audits had not been completed by the cut-off date of the report. “In total, R17.3 billion (81%) of the irregular expenditure related to expenses incurred in 2017/18 – representing

5% of local government expenditure budget. “This total includes R6.4 billion in payments made on contracts irregularly awarded in previous years – if the non-compliance was not investigated and condoned, the payments on these multi-year contracts continue to be viewed and disclosed as irregular,” he said. Makwethu bemoaned the continued lack of consequences for transgressions and irregularities, saying there continued to be a failure to investigate findings.

The AG said 74% of municipalities did not adequately follow up on allegations of financial and supply chain management misconduct and fraud, while 45% of councils did not have the required mechanisms for reporting and investigating. The AG said the governance lapses in local government could only be turned around if leadership takes the lead in the drive towards clean administration in the public sector. – SAnews.gov.za Wednesday, June 26, 2019

A doctor where patients pay what they can afford

medication, and by basic medication, I mean the type of medicine that has been around for about 40 years, so it is relatively cheap. So a little session of antibiotics costs us around R20 to R25. We don’t charge for any of this. I see the patient; I give them medication if necessary. You then go to the reception, and you decide your fee. The staff is trained not to tell you what it is or what it isn’t because we don’t have a set fee. It’s what you decide, what you can afford – it’s between you and your conscience. Dr Paulo de Valdoleiros, also known as the Walk-In Doctor, has created a massive (and important) online conversation after opening his medical practice in Westdene in Bloemfontein on 17 June 2019. His practice… and the idea to offer his services are not what is making waves, but rather the fact that he is asking patients to pay what they can afford! “Basically, the concept was I can take care of anybody – you pay what you can afford. So, I see the patient; I examine if necessary. We give out basic

In a sense, I’m getting people to make decisions they never had to make. I feel that just because you don’t have money shouldn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to see a doctor,” he said in a telephonic interview with Gateway News. De Valdoleiros explained to Bloemfontein Courant that no bookings are necessary, as they work on a first come, first serve basis, but patients are welcome to call first if they would like. He says that his sole interest is in

primary health care and providing for day-to-day health and medical needs, and teaching people to take better care of their bodies to live healthier longer lives. “There are so many people who really need help but cannot afford it,” said De Valdoleiros. De Valdoleiros moved to South Africa from Mozambique when he was just 14 years old but had always had a dream of helping people. Unfortunately, he simply could not afford medical school as his family were quite poor so opted to start working as soon as he was done with school. It was at the age of 46 when the determined Good Samaritan managed to enrol in medical school at the University of the Free State and finally graduated at 51. Speaking to Gateway News, he explained that he later did another study in functional medicine (which is a speciality in the USA but is not taught in South Africa). He is also a regular guest on the health-product-oriented Real Health Show on the Home Channel on DStv.

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NEWS IN BRIEF “I believe that medicine is my calling, it’s something that you’re born for, and I have always wanted to do this. We all chase money, but I’m tired of chasing money, I don’t want to be the boss and be in charge, I just want to do what I

like to do, and that is help people,” he said to the Bloemfontein Courant. De Valdoleiros said several people had asked him about the risk of people abusing the opportunity he provided.

He responded that there is nothing to abuse as there is no system, as there is no minimum. He also explained that he is not contracted to any medical aids as this would defeat the purpose of the practice. – GoodThingsGuy.com

Minister Zulu looks into unemployed social workers issue Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu is looking into the plight of unemployed social workers.

inclusion of all social work graduates in government recruitment processes,” Minister Zulu told the committee.

Social work, Minister Zulu said, remains a critical skill and one of the most important professions which contributes towards improving the lives of poor and vulnerable South Africans.

She said 7 000 unemployed workers have since registered on the departmental database. This excludes 5 000 unemployed social workers who studied through the Social Development Scholarship Programme.

This comes as Minister Zulu tabled the department’s Annual Performance Plan (APP) with the Select Committee on Health and Social Development in Parliament, where concerns were raised about the plight of unemployed social workers around the country. At the meeting, the committee wanted to know what plans the department has to employ social workers across government. The Minister said the employment of social workers was high on her agenda and she believes that an engagement across government and the private sector was necessary. “In March this year, the department called on all unemployed social workers to register on the departmental database. “This initiative was aimed at informing the department about the number of unemployed social work graduates who studied outside the Social Development Scholarship Programme; thus enabling efficient planning and wider 6

Management strategy Keeping in mind that the social work profession was declared a critical skill in the country in 2001, the Minister said government, through the Department of Social Development, is developing an interdepartmental human resource planning and management strategy. “The strategy is informed by the National Development Plan (NDP) Vision which aims to facilitate the employment of social workers, as part of 55 000 social service practitioners required by the country by the end of the year 2030,” the Minister explained. The committee also raised the issues of gender-based violence, the continued rise in HIV infections among young people, alcohol and substance abuse, as well as fraud and corruption in the grant system. It urged the Minister to work with the Social Development Sector. The department had planned a workshop with the Portfolio Committee on

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Social Development in Parliament, in Cape Town. Priority areas Meanwhile, during her first meeting with MECs of the department last week, Minister Zulu and the principals unanimously agreed on certain priority areas over Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period. These included, among others: • F ighting the scourge of alcohol and substance abuse that causes immeasurable damage to the country, especially the youth. • Child abuse, neglect and exploitation, which rob children of the joys of childhood. • Gender-based violence, which is an affront to the ideals of the Freedom Charter of building an equal and non-sexists society. • Improving the provision of developmental welfare and community development services to deliver better results for the most vulnerable. • Deepening comprehensive social assistance by extending the scope of social security provisions. • Enhancing coordination mechanisms, integration, planning, monitoring and evaluation to measure the impact of interventions. – SAnews.gov.za Wednesday, July 17, 2019

NEWS IN BRIEF

Eshowe achieves UNAIDS target ahead of 2020 deadline The community of Eshowe in KwaZulu-Natal has been lauded for its stellar efforts in reaching the 90-90-90 United Nations AIDS target ahead of the 2020 deadline. The ambitious target calls on countries to reach the goals of having 90% of people with HIV diagnosed by 2020; 90% of diagnosed people on antiretroviral treatment by 2020 and 90% of people on treatment with fully suppressed viral load by 2020. Not only did the small community of Eshowe reached the deadline ahead of time, but it exceeded its target by obtaining a 90-94-95 target. This means that 90% of people living with HIV have been diagnosed, while 94% of those diagnosed are on antiretroviral treatment and 95% of people on treatment have a fully suppressed viral load. This achievement was lauded at the official launch of the UNAIDS Global Report on the latest data on the HIV epidemic at the King Dinuzulu Stadium in Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal. The report contains the latest information on progress and challenges in the AIDS response and highlights the enormous impact community health

workers have in successfully expanding access to treatment, supporting adherence and preventing new HIV infections. This victory has been attributed to the joining of hands by government, activists and global partners such as UNAIDS – with communities at the heart of the efforts. Deputy President David Mabuza officiated the official launch of the report. He was accompanied by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Gunilla Carlsson and KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala. Deputy President Mabuza said the success of the work done is a testament to the power of social capital. “It reminds us of the social capital vested in our communities. This social capital needs to be harnessed to help guide our response,” said the Deputy President. Carlsson, who released the report, said by placing communities at the centre, South Africa has made a dent in the epidemic. “South Africa has turned its epidemic around by focusing its policies and pro-

grammes on people and not diseases,” said Carlsson. Since 2010, new HIV infections have been reduced by 25% among young women. New infections and funding threaten 2020 target Despite the strides made, new HIV infections and a decline in funding prove to be a major hurdle. Carlsson stressed that it is unacceptable that every week 6 200 adolescent girls and young women become infected with HIV worldwide. In South Africa, which is home to 20% of the global HIV epidemic, 200 young adolescent girls and young women become infected daily. Carlsson stated that global resources for HIV declined significantly by nearly US $ 1billion. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize called on the community to end the HIV stigma and encouraged men to go out and get tested. – SAnews.gov.za Tuesday, July 16, 2019

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NEWS IN BRIEF

R38m allocated towards establishing Investigative Directorate Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Ronald Lamola says the department will provide budgetary support towards the establishment of the NPA’s Investigative Directorate. This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the establishment of the directorate in his State of the Nation Address in February in a push to tackle corruption head-on at a time the country finds itself recovering from the effects of State capture. Minister Lamola said fighting fraud and corruption forms part of the department’s core mandate and that the levels of brazen corruption and avarice that are seen in society can and must be halted. “The various commissions of inquiry currently underway are part of the process of addressing fraud and corruption. The department will continue to provide the necessary administrative support to enable these commissions of inquiry to do their work. “In addition, the department will also provide budgetary support to the establishment of the Investigative Directorate, under the auspices of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to deal with all cases emanating from these commissions.” Minister Lamola said the Investigative Directorate will work collaboratively with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), the SIU Special Tribunal and the Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigations (DPCI) to ensure that perpetrators of acts of fraud and corruption are brought to book speedily.

“The regulations of the tribunal will be finalised shortly to enable this important institution to commence with the task of recovering moneys stolen through corruption and maladministration,” he said.

“A further 146 mobile recorders are used in periodical courts. The CRT enables efficient recording and storage of court proceedings. This system will also improve operational efficiencies in courts.”

Meanwhile Shamila Batoni, the National Director of Public Prosecutions, said R38 million would be allocated to the new directorate for start-up purposes, and that over a three-year period, she expects over R200 million to be allocated towards the running of the new unit.

Minister Lamola said the modernisation efforts will also extend to the Master’s offices where work is underway on the Master’s Online project, which is scheduled to be implemented by 2020.

“But this is for start-up costs at this stage. We have also made a bid to the Criminal Asset Recovery Account (CARA) fund for funds that we will require for the first year. The total amount is about R200 million over three years. We have made a bid to the CARA fund and we are quite confident that we will be successful in that bid,” she said. Modernising the courts system According to Minister Lamola, the modernisaton of the justice system lies at the heart of the transformation trajectory of the department. A total of R1.3 billion has been allocated for the department’s modernisation programme. “As such, through the Integrated Justice System (IJS), the department is driving a multi-department effort to increase the probability of successful investigation, prosecution, punishment and rehabilitation of offenders. “The Court Recording Technology (CRT) system has been rolled out to over 2 000 courts.

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The project aims to streamline the Trust registration process and will assist in curbing fraud. “The condition of our courts as service points to the public, is a top priority. A total of 25 courts will be part of the total facilities management solution implemented by the Department of Public Works. “This will bring relief to users of our facilities as breakdowns in equipment often disrupt court sittings and contribute to delays in the finalisation of cases. The department is also implementing an in-source model, which allows sentenced inmates and participants in the Extended Public Works Programme to be utilised for minor maintenance work,” said the Minister. – SAnews.gov.za Tuesday, July 16, 2019

NEWS IN BRIEF

Health to tackle staff shortage Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize says the department will deal with staff shortages for frontline services in the year ahead.

sultation, the structure of the National Department of Health will be reorganised to support the implementation of the NHI.

The Minister led a debate on the department’s budget vote in mid-July this year.

“The NHI Implementation Unit will be established while the legislative processes are underway.

“The shortage of frontline service delivery staff needs to be eliminated once and for all. We have identified the shortage of staff, which requires urgent attention. Of the 4 143 required medical officer positions, we will fill 2 680 in this financial year,” Minister Mkhize said.

“This unit will form the embryo of the National Health Insurance Fund. Capacity building for staff that will be in this unit will be undertaken,” said the Minister.

This intervention, said the Minister, should be implemented simultaneously with the preliminary steps to introduce the National Health Insurance (NHI). Some of the nurse, allied health professions and community health worker positions will also be filled within the same period. “We are undertaking to absorb all the qualifying 2 625 medical interns, and 6 786 community service health professionals, including an anticipated 700 additional graduates from the Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro collaboration programme on training medical students in Cuba. “The joint team of National Department of Health and National Treasury have met to reprioritise the budget and identify vacant posts to be converted into professional service delivery posts,” Minister Mkhize said. Implementation of the NHI After Cabinet approved the NHI Bill for tabling in Parliament for public con-

In the implementation of the NHI, the department has developed the Health Patient Registration System. The system will be the backbone of an electronic health patient record. “We have already registered 42.6 million users on the system and all South Africans will be registered by the end of this financial year. “We support the Department of Home Affairs in the registration of babies in our hospitals, as they will then be registered automatically on the NHI patient register. “NHI will require a digital health platform that will support the operations of the NHI Fund and work has already commenced in this regard,” said Minister Mkhize. The department has identified over 30 managers at various levels of the health system, who will receive training within the next four weeks – supported by international development partners. These managers will learn how NHI is implemented from different parts of the world to ensure sustainability of implementation.

Regarding Mobile app to monitor drug stock-outs Mkhize announced the development of a mobile app linked to a call centre that will allow instant reporting by patients or civil society whenever vital medication is unavailable at clinics and hospitals. “This information will enable authorities at provincial and national level to immediately intervene,” he said. He said where there are global shortages of medicines, the department will work tirelessly to timeously identify alternative global suppliers or therapeutic alternatives. “We are also exploring procurement of available software for prescription and delivery of medication to centres closest to patients. “Patients would not need to go to hospitals for the sole purpose of collecting medicines. We will partner with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to take advantage of IT systems that have already been piloted in the country. “In this way, we want to ensure that the entire health system can guarantee security of supply of medicine and timely delivery of chronic medication in areas including townships, informal settlements and rural areas, as has already been demonstrated in Alexander, Diepsloot, Bara and Ndofaya malls,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za Friday, July 12, 2019

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PUBLIC SERVICE

Public Service Developmenta Programms tackle youth unemployment

This article is made up excerpts from the Implementation of Developmental Programmes in the Public Service 2017/18 report, which assesses the efforts of the Public Service in making a dent on youth unemployment. Introduction The National Development Plan (NDP) identified a number of areas requiring urgent and focused attention to ensure that the Public Service becomes a career of choice for young people and that it attracts the necessary skills and capacity to deliver on the objectives of government. Consequently, the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) has undertaken several interventions that are aimed at contributing towards reducing youth unemployment, such as the following: â&#x20AC;˘ supporting the appointment of youth to developmental programmes; 10

â&#x20AC;˘ i nvestigating the feasibility of developing and piloting a formal graduate recruitment scheme to support departments in attracting and developing young talent. Tracking the numbers Therefore, the annual Implementation of Developmental Programmes in the Public Service reports track the extent to which departments are creating opportunities for young people in the Public Service. They highlight the trends, laud the achievements and make recommendations on how to overcome challenges. According to the latest 2017/18 report, a total of 75 058 interns, learners and apprentices were recruited into developmental programmes in the Public Service. Of these, 19 054 were graduate interns, 16 735 student interns, 33

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270 learners who enrolled into learnership programmes, 1 642 apprentices and 4 366 individuals with matric who were placed into other developmental programmes to equip them with work experience required in the labour market. Departments are required to promote equal opportunities for employment in order to redress the disadvantages in employment experienced by designated groups in line with the Employment Equity Act (No. 55 of 1998). The Implementation of Developmental Programmes in the Public Service is a crucial part of redressing past discrimination. The latest report indicates that more than half (58%) of individuals who participated in developmental programmes were female and 42% were male. The racial profile indicates that

PUBLIC SERVICE Table 8: Progress towards 2018/19 performance target Provincial/ National Departments

Total Interns, Learners Total Interns, Learners Total Interns, Learners Total Interns, Learners Total Number Recruited and Apprentices 2014/15 and Apprentices 2015/16 and Apprentices 2016/17 and Apprentices 2017/18 during 2014 – 2018

Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng KwaZulu-Natal Limpopo Mpumalanga National Northern Cape North West Western Cape NARYSEC Total

2 502 2 243 575 1976 2 849 993 9 658 217 908 1 368 20 356 43 645

561 2 275 10 443 415 2 835 1 230 6 241 289 1 074 2 482 2 863 30 708

2 352 1 364 12 434 2 483 3 281 914 13 189 496 938 3 211 6 243 46 905

Employee retention shows that of the 75 058 individuals recruited in the 2016/17 – 2017/18 financial years, 16 866 secured employment within the Public Service. Of this total, 14 851 were permanent and 2 285 contract employment positions. The report further illustrates retention into employment per sector. In this regard, the Social sector recruited 4 690 employees and retained 985, which is equivalent to 21% of beneficiaries. The Transport sector came second place at 14%, recruiting 3 574 and providing 497 beneficiaries with employment. Third is Human Settlements, which retained 8%. Although Education recruited the most beneficiaries (30 140), the sector

Africans constitutes 90%, Coloureds 7%, Whites 2% and Asian/Indians 1%. People living with disabilities also constitute a designated group and are key beneficiaries of affirmative action measures. Therefore one of the objectives of disability management in the Public Service is to ensure equal access to training and skills development opportunities for people living with disabilities. According to the report, while some departments were able to reach the 2% policy target, most still struggle. National and provincial departments achieved, on average, below 2%. This indicates that the Public Service needs to improve recruitment strategies for the employment of people living with disabilities.

1922 2370 4648 3053 3193 823 9165 327 1021 1631 0 28153

7 337 8 252 28 100 7 927 12 158 3 960 38 253 1 329 3 941 8 692 29 462 149 411

retained the lowest figure among nine sectors. Progress towards the MTSF target In line with the Programme of Action for Outcome 12: Sub-Outcome 1: A Public Service that is a career of choice, the DPSA committed in its Annual Performance Plan to support national and provincial departments to appoint 100 000 youth to internship, learnership and apprenticeship programmes. Table 8 above illustrates the annual performance towards the achievement of the MTSF target of 100 000. It also reflects the contribution of national and provincial departments, as well as that of the National Rural Youth Service Corps (NARYSEC) Programme.

Total Number of Interns, Learners and Apprentices Recruited into the Public Service 160 000

149 411

140 000 120 000 100 000 80 000 60 000 40 000

46 905

43 645

30 708

20 000

28 153

0 2014/15

2015/16

2016/17

2017/18

2014/15 -2017/18

Graph 2: Progress towards the MTSF target Volume 12 No.3 of 2019 | SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW

PUBLIC SERVICE During the 2014/15 financial year, a total of 43 645 interns, learners and apprentices were recruited and placed across the Public Service. In 2015/16, the total number dropped to 30 708, while in 2016/17 it reached 46 905, but then dropped to 28 153 in 2017/18. The Service’s four-year performance assessment reflected indicates a cumulative amount of 149 411. The fouryear performance achievement signifies a surplus of 49 411 against the 2018/19 target of 100 000.

Despite these improvements, the DPSA observed the following challenges: • Departments are either not using the system, or capture data incorrectly, which compromises the quality of data obtained from the system. • The system is unable to automatically update stipends in line with the annual cost of living adjustments. These are currently effected manually.

Implementation challenges

Conclusion

After the 2009 Circular on the implementation of the internship programme, National Treasury issued a notice for using a specialised function on the Personnel Salary System (PERSAL) in the appointment of interns and learners. The PERSAL function is intended to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the programme. Its introduction has made it possible see the movement of recruits across the Public Service, which is usually motivated by the need for higher stipends. The function also tracks the performance of departments on the target of recruiting 5% of interns against their staff establishments.

The Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, Strategic objective: Appointment of young graduates into the Public Service set the target of appointing 100 000 youth by 2019 into learnership, internship and apprenticeship programmes within the Public Service.

An analysis of the Implementation of Developmental Programmes in the Public Service report indicates that government has made reasonable progress towards the achievement of this MTSF target. The report shows a cumulative value of 121 258, which implies that the target has been exceeded. Approximately 30% of youth

SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 12 No.3 of 2019

who participated in developmental programmes during 2016/17 – 2017/18 secured either permanent or temporary employment. Although the report illustrates that the majority of beneficiaries recruited into developmental programmes are Africans, the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (First Quarter 2018) suggests that African and Coloured youth are the main groups affected by unemployment. The Public Service needs to put more effort towards fighting the scourge of unemployment. The performance indicator on disability presents some challenges. People living with disabilities face discrimination. On average, departments are struggling to realise the disability target, with the challenge not being limited to recruitment of persons into developmental programmes, but rather across the entire Public Service. The challenge has persisted for several years. More effort is required to ensure that people living with disabilities participate in developmental programmes.

PUBLIC SERVICE

Heeding the call to serve tional Department of Health. Recently appointed to the position of Director: Organisational Design at the DPSA, his is a classic case of rising up the ranks of the Public Service. He had scaled up five positions and in three national departments in just over a decade.

Humbulani Oscar Tshivhase

Those young people who are swelling the ranks of the Public Service and making a mark while at it, ought to be celebrated, writes Themba Nkosi. “If you don’t come from a rich family, then you must build your own rich family,” Humbulani Oscar Tshivhase remarks with a naughty chuckle. That’s of one of the things that Humbulani says during an interview on this wintry day at his Department of Public Service (DPSA) office in Pretoria, Gauteng. Humbulani, aged 36, mostly strikes one as a quiet and regular public servant, putting in the daily hours like the more than a million others. Very few people get to see this side of Humbulani when the personal and the professional simultaneously and publicly come to the fore. Yet, there is more to Humbulani’s seemingly private exterior than meets the eye. Since being hard working and dedicated are to be expected (or should be) of a public servant, it is in the personal that one finds surprising things about him. Most intriguing is the fact that Humbulani is a storehouse of life’s good advice, which makes him worthy of a Steven Covey, the author of the widely read personal motivational book, The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People. Not many people are privy to the fact that this young public servant devotes time to write tidbits

of inspirational words. He occasionally shares these with followers and friends on social media platforms. “Most people really think that I am a quiet person … in actual fact, I talk a lot, especially in meetings and on issues pertaining to work,” Humbulani confesses. And a lot of talk could be squeezed into an over 600-kilometres long journey; the distance between where Humbulani was born and raised in a village called Thononda, about 40kms from the bustling town of Thohoyandou in Limpopo, and Pretoria Gauteng, and where he now works and resides. There is also plenty to talk about if one were born third of a family of nine siblings that finds itself on the harsher side of the urban/rural divide. For example, one could talk about one’s lived experiences of the urban/ rural divide itself. The sparse services and dearth of opportunities. However, it is the talk of personal obstacles and odds he overcame, which is most inspiring. In Humbulani’s story, one could get a sense of the kind of iron will that makes it possible to stick it out through school and tertiary education, especially when there were many valid reasons to give up. Humbulani got a foot in the door of the job market when he was offered an internship in December 2008 at the Na-

There is an African proverb that handily describes Humbulani’s life’s journey from the relative anonymity of rural Thononda to the senior management echelons of the government. The first part to it says “if you want to go fast, go alone”. While the second part advices “if you want to go far, go together”. The two contrasting meanings to the proverb are respectively about personal agency, such as Humbulani’s hard work and persistence, as well as being reflective of the long-game nature of government work. Personally, there is no doubt that Humbulani had successfully bridged the rural/urban divide and that his talk of “building a rich family” had not been idle. In the place where the humble abode of his childhood once stood there is now a towering monument to his mother, in the form of the massive house he had built for her. Moreover, the young public servant had also single-handedly managed to see six of his siblings through school and higher education and they are now able to sustain themselves. Yet Humbulani remains attuned to the plight of those still trapped in poverty, unemployment and inequality on the other side of the divide. It is important to bear in mind why one is in the Public Service, he advises, which is to serve. This young public servant had undoubtedly changed the fortunes of one family and his job in the Public Service means many more families could be similarly helped to sustain themselves. “I have always wanted to work in the Public Service in order to serve people,” he explains.

Volume 12 No.3 of 2019 | SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW

PUBLIC SERVICE

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SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 12 No.3 of 2019

PUBLIC SERVICE

Housing scheme empowers government employees to become homeowners

Russel Mamabolo, Stakeholder Management, Government Employees Housing Scheme (GEHS) reports on the achievements of the GEHS since its establishment. The Government Employee Housing Scheme (GEHS) initiative is a result of the adoption of the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) Resolution 7 of 2015 that led to the establishment of the scheme. The Department of Public Service and Administration should be proud that the GEHS is contributing to the National Development plan strategic Goal no 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Public Service that is a career of choice. Prior to 29 September 2004, public service employees could participate in the Homeowners Allowance (HOA) Scheme. However, the HOA was found to be cumbersome to departments, complex and open to abuse. The HOA scheme was phased out through a multi-year agreement, in terms of the

Public PSCBC Resolution 2 of 2004. The resolution was intended to recognise all forms of tenure including rental arrangements, and to set the base to equalise the value of the housing allowance and rental allowance until 2009. However in 2007, parties agreed through PSCBC Resolution 1 of 2007 to embark on a comprehensive review of the current housing allowance policy in order to promote home ownership for employees in the public service and achieving alignment with other practices regarding housing benefits in the labour market. Resolution 4 of 2010, led to parties agreeing to develop and implement a sustainable home ownership scheme for public service employees. The new scheme was to be developed in collaboration with the Department of Human Settlements (DHS), the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) and the Public Investment Corporation (PIC).

Again, Resolution 2 of 2011 directed that parties agree to develop and present a comprehensive Government Employees Housing Scheme that ensures home ownership for all levels of employees within the public service. It was agreed that the GEHS should assist employees by mobilising public investments, including the GEPF. Furthermore, Resolution 1 of 2012 was focused on the agreement that parties at the PSCBC share a common strategic vision of promoting and implementing home ownership for all public service employees. It was further agreed that a new housing dispensation will be negotiated in the PSCBC in the form of the GEHS. A milestone was reached when parties agreed and signed Resolution 7 of 2015 on 27 May 2015. The resolution is commonly referred to as a framework agreement for the establishment of a Government Employees Housing Scheme (GEHS).

Volume 12 No.3 of 2019 | SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW

PUBLIC SERVICE The objective of the resolution was to introduce a Government Employees Housing Scheme in terms of clause 4.2 of PSCBC Resolution 4 of 2010, clause 3.3 of PSCBC Resolution 2 of 2011 and clause 19 of PSCBC Resolution 1 of 2012, with the following goals: • to support, educate and advise employees on housing options and opportunities; • to enhance employees’ access to affordable housing; • to promote home ownership and facilitate asset security among employees; • to assist employees to access affordable housing loans and finance; and • to assist employees to rent houses with a view to buy and own homes. The scheme is being implemented incrementally since the signing of the Resolution 7 of 2015. It is generally accepted that when employees’ basic needs are accommodated, their loyalty to service is similarly strengthened. The GEHS initiative shows that government is a caring employer. A significant number of public service employees still find it extremely difficult to access loans to acquire houses, without additional assistance. Government is providing assistance to employees with the provision of the monthly housing allowance of R1336 to qualifying employees.

By 30 June 2019, GEHS has significantly increased the number of employees utilising the housing allowance for home ownership. In 2015, 355 000 eligible public servants used the housing allowance for home ownership. In 2019, the number had increased to 653 099. The number of employees renting had been reduced from 569 000 in 2015 to 289 088 in 2019 – a significant achievement. Employees are only able to access their savings for the purpose of acquiring home ownership. The number of employees who are registered as tenants continues to decrease, which is a positive sign that government’s ultimate goal of ensuring that all public servants become homeowners is indeed achievable. To date, R 7.2 billion has been saved in the Individual Linked Saving Facility (ILSF), which is co-managed with National Treasury. The money belongs to the 290 000 employees who are still registered as tenants. The employees can withdraw their individual savings. The departmental human resource practitioners help facilitate access to these saving. The focus of the ILSF is more on the 290 000 employees who are eligible to receive the Housing Allowance and do not own homes. This number has reduced from last year’s 390 000. Their

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Housing Allowance (or a portion of it) is saved in the Individual Linked Saving Facility at National Treasury. The funding line which was made available by the Government Employees’ Pension Fund (GEPF) and the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) through their investee company, SA Home Loans, have managed to assist public servants to obtain both mortgage and non-mortgage loans. So far 11 630 housing loans worth R7.1bn were approved and disbursed by SA Home Loans. The review of the GEHS operating model is underway and is aimed at enhancing employee benefits. Moreover, organised labour continues to play a crucial role in contributing to the strategic direction of the scheme. The review processs includes assessing the work that has been done by the GEHS over the past four years (since the adoption of Resolution 7 of of 2015), including consolidating the gains and strengthening areas where there are weaknesses. The review process will also allow the GEHS to build an operating model, and identify the capabilities that are required in order to strengthen the scheme. But most importantly, this process will help to refine the products and services that are offered by the scheme. The suite of products and services will assist public servants across the country to at least have their own homes, or to have access to decent accommodation, which will help in affirming their dignity. All this is done in order to improve and strengthen the work of the scheme, which would lead to a full implementation of the PSCBC resolutions relating to the GEHS.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Is the Public Service ready for Knowledge Management? The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) has concluded an assessment of the state of the implementation of knowledge management (KM) within the Public Service. In this article DPSA KM specialist, Sebenzile Zibani, takes us through the highlights of the findings.

Introduction The Minister for Public Service and Administration (MPSA) is legally required to set up uniform norms and standards in the interest of efficient and effective service delivery. Likewise, the KM Maturity Assessment was not conducted as an end in itself. It is informed by an appreciation of the potential role that KM plays in not only enhancing the performance of the Public Service, CAT

Maturity

In March this year the Learning and Knowledge Management (LKM) unit of the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) officially released the results of the long-awaited Public Service Knowledge Management Maturity Assessment report. Two main objectives underpinned the necessity for undertaking the assessment. The first was to evaluate how advanced the respective Public Service organisations are in terms of understanding and implementing knowledge management practices. The second, and perhaps most crucial, is that results of the assessment would inform the DPSA on the kind of support needed to ensure that the similar levels of maturity are attained across the Public Sector.

High

Maturity: 189-210

KM is mainstreamed in the institution.

Refinement: 147-188

KM implementation is continuously evaluated and improved.

Expansion: 126-146

Stable and 'practiced' KM activities that are integrated with everyday work process.

Initiation: 84-125

Beginning to recognise the need to manage knowledge. KM unplanned and random. KM activities are non-systematic and ad hoc.

Reaction: 42-83 Figure 2: Maturity level grid

but also in driving innovation. Apart from seeking permission to conduct the assessment at their respective national and provincial departments, the circular that DPSA issued to Head of Departments (HoDs) required them to nominate designated KM specialists or delegated persons who played a key role in completing the assessment tool. Methodology Using a spreadsheet with programmed calculations, the KM Maturity Assessment instrument was undertaken across seven broad categories and with a total of 105 statements. The seven categories had a potential score of between 0 and 30 individually, and 210 collectively (7 x 30). Thus, the total ranges of between 0 and 210 measures KM maturity from

CATEGORY SCORES

Score

Max. Score

KM LEADERSHIP & GOVERNANCE

BUSINESS ALIGNMENT

PEOPLE & CULTURE

TECHNOLOGY

KNOWLEDGE PROCESSES

LEARNING & INNOVATION

MONITORING & EVALUATION

210

Figure 1: Assessment tool

TOTAL SCORE

the minimum range score of between 42 and 89 to a maximum range of between of 189 and 210 on the maturity grid. The two extreme points coincide with the “reaction” and “maturity” levels of the implementation of KM. The matter of sampling is worth noting for context. Forty-seven national departments were targeted by the maturity assessment tool. Of 24 that identified people to complete the assessment tool, 17 submitted these to the DPSA. Altogether 113 provincial departments were targeted and of these, only 52 submitted completed assessment tools: Findings At the national level of government, of all departments that submitted only three are still in the reaction phase, while the rest are in the initiation phase. This seems to suggest an acknowledgment of the need for KM at national level. The three departments that are in the reaction phase demonstrate a clear picture that the management of knowledge happens randomly and these activities are not systematic but materialise unexpectedly. At provincial level, of the 51 departments that submitted, 24 are in a reaction phase, 19 are in the initiation phase, and seven are in expansion phase and

Volume 12 No.3 of 2019 | SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT KM Maturity Assessment Submission 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

No of dept

No of nominees

Submitted

Figure 3: KM maturity assessment response and submission

one is in refinement. National KM Maturity

18% Reaction Initiation

[VALUE]

Figure 4: National departments maturity Provincial KM Maturity 2% 14% Reaction 47%

Initiation Expansion

37%

Refinement

Figure 5: Provincial departments maturity

It is clear from the findings that at a provincial level, less than 50% of departments are at the reaction phase which means that the KM in these organisations happens randomly, is unplanned, with little or no KM activities within organisations. However, there are a number of departments that have moved to the initiation phase and also 16% that are practicing KM and striving to integrate it into their day-to-day processes. 18

A selected number of national departments have a KM strategy in place, which is an indication that managers are aware of the need for KM in departments. However, in most instances the business case for KM is not clearly defined and as a result the responsibility and accountability of the function are left at junior level. This is a clear indication of ad hoc implementation of KM due to the absence of government-wide guidelines on the implementation thereof in the public service. This affects standardised and integrated implementation of KM in organisational processes. The findings also depict that KM is not viewed as a strategic management function by many government organisations and as a result critical organisational knowledge needed to advance strategic goals is not explored and recognised. The location of KM in organisations plays a significant role in ensuring that mainstreaming of KM processes and initiatives are effective. Furthermore, the absence of a linkage between KM and business needs and processes encourages the formation of silos and thus inhibits knowledge flow and impact. An analysis on the national departments that have indicated that they have KM strategies in place, but does not demonstrate how these filter down to their provincial offices. Provincial departments’ responses on governance and leadership, as well as business alignment, demonstrate silos co-exist even among sister departments due to the absence of standardisation of KM processes within

SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 12 No.3 of 2019

provinces. The fragmented approach brought about by working in different departments also has a bearing on the organisation’s culture of knowledge sharing. The findings also indicate that senior managers’ participation in informal knowledge sharing platforms is minimal, thus resulting in knowledge sharing forums being poorly attended and not being regarded as a critical activity. Learning and sharing platforms are key opportunities to capitalise on knowledge obtained and senior managers’ participation enhances the quality of knowledge shared, while also setting an example to all in organisations. Often critical organisational intellectual capital resides as tacit knowledge among the experts in the department. A sharing platform is a vehicle to promote knowledge transfer, especially tacit knowledge, thus ensuring that critical knowledge which forms the organisation’s intellectual capital is harvested and documented for future use and innovation. The findings also highlighted that in departments that are mostly project-driven, collaborations are evident due to the nature of work where task systems are utilised. However there is a need for a knowledge system that is easily accessible and whereby accumulated knowledge could be disseminated to all within the organisation. A beneficial knowledge sharing culture in all departments will promote collaboration and eliminate silos. Findings also show that while there are technological support systems in the government departments, there is a need to provide innovative knowledge sharing e-platforms that will promote collaboration and knowledge exchange between government departments. Government departments create knowledge and use various tools to capture knowledge, but the analysis, classification and storage of this knowledge to ensure accessibility is not clear. The findings of the assessment also shows a need for government technology to support knowledge

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT transfer, collaboration and learning over and above the communications function. Knowledge management processes allow departments to ensure that critical knowledge needed to achieve organisational goals and objectives is documented and easily accessible. Both national and provincial departments expressed concern that KM processes are not embedded in business processes, thus inhibiting organisations from harvesting current key information and knowledge for departmental advancement. It is also evident from the assessment that while formal learning is encouraged and supported throughout government, informal learning is regarded as the individual’s responsibility, resulting in inadequate time and resource allocation for peer learning , knowledge exchange and mentorships programmes. Recommendations The following recommendations emanated from suggestions and opportunities identified by participating departments:

• A KM framework for the public sector needs to be finalised, approved and endorsed. • The location of a KM function needs to be clearly identified to ensure that it is strategically positioned. • In order to succeed, the KM function should be embedded in organisational processes and knowledge sharing should form part of the Management Performance Assessment Tool (MPAT) assessment with KM indicators. • The KM units need to be capacitated with relevant personnel to drive the KM processes and activities within organisations. • KM forums need to be facilitated and resuscitated in provinces to ensure knowledge exchange driven by the Offices of the Premiers. • Learning and sharing platforms driven at senior management level should be encouraged to promote knowledge sharing and organisational learning. • It is proposed that the Director-General of DPSA be the KM champion, as this will facilitate entrenchment of KM in the public service, as well as enforce the institutionalisation of it.

Conclusion The assessment indicates a clear need for the DPSA to finalise the framework as a working document that will guide the implementation of KM in the Public Service. There is a dire need for the identification and location of critical knowledge in government organisations to ensure it is easily discovered and accessible for future use. Therefore, the DPSA guidelines need to give a clear indication of the location of the function so that it will be strategically placed to identify departmental challenges and access key departmental information. This will facilitate improved integrated planning supported by management information systems. Finally, the DPSA KM unit needs to facilitate KM forums in provinces in coordination with the Offices of the Premiers to assist provinces in optimally building the knowledge management capacity. *The National Knowledge Management Framework has since been approved.

Volume 12 No.3 of 2019 | SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

The Otigba Computer Village shows that sharing knowledge widely benefits all businesses in a cluster. Shutterstock

A ‘Computer Village’ in Lagos offers lessons on what it takes to help small firms thrive Senior Researcher at the University of Johannesburg, Oluseve Jegede, describes how knowledge sharing empowers the members of Nigeria’s tech small business cluster. Nigeria’s Otigba Computer Village is arguably the biggest information, communications technology (ICT) market in Africa. It started off as a one-man business on a street called “Otigba” in Ikeja, the capital of Lagos State. Within a short time, it grew to a few thousand businesses occupying a vast area in the state. It represents an ICT solution centre for Nigeria, as well as West Africa. Three years ago Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics estimated that the informal sector had accounted for as much as 41% of the country’s economy in 2015. The informal sector in Ni20

geria continues to grow for numerous reasons. These include: • l imited ability of the formal economy to absorb surplus labour (largely dominated by people aged between 15 and 50 years); • barriers to entry into the formal economy by young entrepreneurs who have ideas but little capital to compete with large firms in the formal sector; • weak government institutions (regulatory bodies); and • poor economic conditions which are forcing many consumers to demand cheap goods and services.

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The Otigba cluster is no exception. It remains largely informal despite its size, the volume of economic transactions being done daily and the technical knowledge put to use in the market. Numerous studies have been done to evaluate the size and capacity of the cluster, its evolution, mode of operation, performance, sustainability and constraints. But before my research there had been no studies on how businesses within the cluster identified new and useful knowledge and how they applied that knowledge to innovation to increase their performance and profitability by scaling-up their operations.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT Research across the world shows that when businesses cluster together there is bound to be an exchange of knowledge. This can be through spillovers or conscious transfers. With more than 4 000 businesses, Otigba should be no exception. So, I set out to test this by surveying 200 business units, representing about 5% of the size of the cluster. I wanted to understand how knowledge is being identified, acquired, developed, used and diffused in the cluster. The study also sought to understand how the spread of knowledge within the cluster led to innovation and the scaling of business operations. Innovation here refers to significant technical changes in the product, services, production processes or delivery method. To measure the scaling up of businesses, the study examined: • i nputs (access to more finances, number of employees), • activities (sub-contracting, outsourcing and collaborations), • outputs (turnover, quality, quantity) and • impacts (compliance to international standard, technology upgrading and net export). The study used these indicators because they are yardsticks for measuring growth in firms in the formal sector. Some interesting findings When businesses operate in close proximity, as they do in clusters, knowledge sharing is inevitable. I found this to be true in Otigba. This is mainly because the daily routine of the businesses involves: rotation of tasks and the regular training of employees (mainly apprentices) by highly skilled technical personnel, usually the owner of the business or someone appointed as senior manager. Most businesses didn’t give preference to employees with relevant experience when hiring. Instead, they used the expertise of qualified technicians to train new employees. As a result apprentices learnt on the job.

By and large, it took new employees less than two years to acquire all the necessary knowledge they needed to do the jobs they were hired for. The result is that apprenticeship has become one of the major channels for skills acquisition and knowledge diffusion within the cluster. Apprenticeship involves on-the-job learning by young employees under the supervision of experts. During this period, tacit knowledge is passed on to the apprentices until they become experts themselves. These apprentices thus graduate, ready to start their own businesses or secure employment as technicians in the formal sector. The other channel for diffusion of knowledge within the clusters is the trade association and the unions. These have enabled collaborative innovation in the cluster which has made it possible for firms to compete as a cluster against international players. This is because of the monitoring role played by trade association and unions, such as the Computer and Allied Product Dealers Association of Nigeria. The union ensures that new knowledge about new technologies (product and process) are made known to all it members. The union facilitates collective importation of expensive equipment, as well as sharing tools and technicians among its members. Because of knowledge sharing in the cluster, the majority of new businesses were able to scale up their operations within the first three years of operation. This is remarkable given that research shows that a third of new small business die within two years, and half within five years of starting up. Thus knowledge sharing through clustering is organic incubation – one viable way to survive the first three years as a start-up. Knowledge sharing also enabled most of the enterprises to increase their capital resources within three years of startup. They did this either through their own generated resources or through loans. The main source of loans came from commercial banks followed by

co-operative societies, business angels and micro-credit organisations. Most enterprises increased their work force to run their businesses because of good business performance. During the scaling-up period, there was lots of collaboration between firms within the cluster, as well as with other businesses, organisations and institutions outside of the cluster. This facilitated the transfer of knowledge among cooperating firms. Finally, the effects of scaling-up enhanced the ability of businesses to: • satisfy customers’ demands; • comply with Nigerian regulations and standards; • develop more environmentally friendly products/processes; and • improve product quality. Also, knowledge sharing that happened during the scaling-up enabled businesses to extend their product range, deal successfully with new competitors abroad, and lower their production costs. Conclusion My research found that openness and proximity increased access to information, customers, new domestic markets, tools and technology, suppliers of raw materials and inputs. In addition, all the enterprises that benefited from proximity in the cluster were involved in at least one form of innovation. In conclusion, the study posits that knowledge need not be protected in clusters or in the informal sector generally. Instead, it should be shared widely so that other businesses can adopt, or adapt, it. This in turn spurs further innovation and the rapid development of the sector. Openness will also aid the development of other sectors through knowledge spillovers. This, in turn, will create healthy competition among businesses. *This article originally appeared in The Conversation Africa online publication and is reused under the Creative Commons licence.

Volume 12 No.3 of 2019 | SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW

FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Behold the Future of Work

Futurists Professor André Roux, Doris Viljoen and Deidre Samson from the Institute for Futures Research at Stellenbosch University, provide snapshots of the future world of work in South Africa, in a report commissioned by Nedlac and released early this year. Introduction As has been the case for all previous industrial revolutions, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) will, of necessity, result in technological, economic, social, political, business, moral, and even aesthetic disruption. However, the perceived impact of this disruption ranges from the dystopian to the enlightening. The ambivalence towards the 4IR is perhaps best captured by Geoff Livingston: “I see the movement towards artificial intelligence (AI) and 22

Graph 1: General environmental context

robotics as evolutionary, in large part because it is such a sociological leap. The technology may be ready, but we are not – at least, not yet”. The dichotomous nature of the expected impact of the 4IR is co-created by

SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 12 No.3 of 2019

a broad spectrum of vectors, including hyperbole, superstition, ignorance, propaganda, ideology, resistance to change, lack of foresight, ethics, prejudice, and historical misinterpretation. These sentiments and views are magnified in South Africa where poverty,

FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION Highest level of education attained, by employment status (numbers in 000’s). Highest level of education

Employed

Unemployed

Not economically active

TOTAL

No schooling

312

582

961

Less than primary

947

355

1 477

2 779

Primary completed

643

222

1 008

1 873

Secondary not completed

5 553

2 868

8 319

16 740

Secondary completed

5 410

2 102

3 321

10 833

Tertiary

3 473

482

588

4 543

Other

190

172

245

Table source: Compiled from StatsSA Labour Force Survey, 2019

unemployment, and inequality add further layers of complexity to the issue. In the Futures of Work study, which was commissioned by the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac), various methods were used to triangulate the research which aimed at describing the futures of work in South Africa towards 2030. This project aimed to gain insights by focusing on a sectoral analysis, the potential impact of skills development and emerging trends. General environmental context A number of global trends are influencing the world of work. In South Africa, we are feeling the influence of these trends in the economy as a whole, but also on industry and personal levels. Whatever our understanding of all these trends and forces might be,

there can be little doubt that the world economic architecture of today and tomorrow (as well as those factors that influence and are influenced by the changing economy) is and will be vastly different from that of a few years ago. Demographic context South Africa has the potential to benefit from a demographic dividend – the fact that the numbers of the working age population are growing faster than those of children and older people, creates the potential for a demographic dividend. Interesting trends of the South African population projections are the stagnation in the numbers of people aged 0 – 19 and 20 – 29, and the rapid growth in the number of people aged 30 – 59

and those older than 60. The population of South Africa is urbanising at a rapid rate: • N ineteen million people were living in rural areas in 2014; this number is projected to decrease to 14.3 million in 2050. • In 2014, 34.2 million people lived in urban areas, projected to increase to 49.1 million by 2050. • Significant progress has been made in providing basic schooling to everyone in South Africa. However, there are still many people with low levels of education among the population. The majority of people of working age in South Africa has completed less than 12 years of schooling. Scenarios: The world of work in South Africa in 2030 During the course of two engagements, a set of scenarios was developed. Twelve driving forces were identified and assessed using the intuitive logics approach. The six pivotal uncertainties were further analysed using an impact analysis, producing the two axes for the scenario set. Groups developed the details for each scenario, taking the driving forces into account.

Graph 2: Scenarios: The world of work in South Africa in 2030

In 2030, we are going down a cul-desac; a dead-end road. There are some positives (like patches of economic growth), but mostly negatives. In terms of skills development, business spent minimal money on developing people, labour focused on protecting existing jobs and did not collaborate with other parties about developing next skills. In this scenario, the social compact deteriorates because each of the social partners are focusing on their deemed Volume 12 No.3 of 2019 | SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW

FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION immediate needs and rights and not on what is best for the country as a whole over the longer term. We call the scenario demand and control, because it describes what happens. There is a constant tug of war between government wanting to control (they design plans for society and individuals) and what those individuals demand based on what they deem themselves to be entitled to. But, as a nation, we are succeeding in developing the appropriate skills. Our people are able to work and earn a livable wage, mostly in permanent jobs in the designated industries, under the guidance of a descriptive and directive government. Collective bargaining now happens between government and a newly formed coalition of business, labour and the community. In the missing the mark (for now) scenario, we did not see a great change in time for 2030. However, the structures and environment are a lot more enabling than what it was in 2019 and we believe that we will see the benefits as a result of the enabling environment being in place and our people operating from a true sense of empowerment. If only we realised sooner that our skills development initiatives were stuck in the past. Accomplished game changers are accomplished because they have the appropriate, in-demand skills, and they are game changers because as empowered people, they change the rules of the game – they change the labour market for the better. In 2030, empowered people – women and men – with the right skills are active agents of change. Concluding remarks This research project highlighted a number of insights:  If we continue on our current path, South Africa’s economy and her people may suffer greatly.  We are in a position to gain from a demographic dividend, but only if our working age population have the appropriate skills. 24

 The reality is that we are competing against international providers that have access to low-cost, productive labour and locally, our people will increasingly ‘compete against’ robots, automated systems, and machines that learn and are able to perform the same activities with higher efficiency and at lower cost.  Education needs a total ‘facelift’; the entire education environment, from pre-school to postgraduate education, needs to be re-imagined and aligned with emerging skills requirements. Life-long learning must become an imperative; not simply a ‘nice-to-have’.  We should not steer ourselves toward a situation that pegs people against robots, automated systems, and machines that learn, but rather one that works toward people working with new technologies.  Leaders on all levels of society should engage with their people to facilitate understanding and share knowledge and insights about emerging opportunities and potential threats.  The outcomes and insights gained from this research resonates with the three pillars of recommendations in the ILO Global Commission on the Futures of Work report, namely investing in the capabilities of people, investing in the institutions of the world of work and investing in decent, sustainable work. A number of non-negotiable truths exist: The 4IR is a given. • P roduction could happen without people. This implies the potential substitutability of smart robots and artificial intelligence for human beings in the labour force in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy. • Economic growth is not the panacea to job creation. • The growing democratisation of the workplace presents the firm possibility that full-time employment contracts might, in some instances, give way to less formal, gig-economy workplace agreements.

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Given the above, the labour landscape, in the event of inappropriate skills and entitlement will be very unfavourable for the majority of workers in South Africa and they will indeed run the risk of being replaced by robots, automated systems and machines that learn. That said, we do have a young population creating the opportunity for a demographic dividend which will probably only be fully exploited in the event of appropriate skills development and a growing sense of empowerment. In this kind of scenario, labour is augmented by 4IR artifacts and increased production creates more jobs. It should be noted that, in the short run, a number of jobs may be destroyed; in the longer run, however, new job families are likely to be created. This is a typical manifestation of the process of creative destruction. One of the key imperatives to both escape the dead-end scenario and to achieve the accomplished game changers scenario is a total re-haul of the education/training/skilling system. Here all stakeholders have roles to play. The National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) should play a leading, coordinating, orchestrating, integrating role in engaging all the relevant stakeholders, and a social labour market compact should be facilitated. The trade-off between efficiency and equity should be taken into account; decision-makers should explore the trade-offs and design policies and procedures that both acknowledge that trade-offs exist and reward efforts to mitigate job losses, reduce poverty and narrow income inequality. All four of the scenarios that were generated as part of this research, are plausible. The preferable scenario is that of the accomplished game changers and, in the words of President Cyril Ramaphosa during his address at the launch of the ILO Global Commission on the Futures of Work report: “… we are optimistic that with the right approach, an approach that is proactive and inclusive, we can achieve what we set out to”.

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Africa and the Fourth Industrial Revolution The Need for “Creative Destruction” Beyond Technological Change

In this question and answer interview, Professor Rasigan Maharajh, founding Chief Director of the Institute for Economic Research on Innovation at the Tshwane University of Technology, discusses the prospects and potential risks of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

five techno-economic paradigms since the mid-18th century:

What is the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution all about?

• The steam engine (1780 – 1830) • Railways and steel (1830 – 1880 • Electricity and chemicals (1880 – 1930) • Automobiles and petro-chemicals (1930 – 1970) • Information and communication technologies (1970 – 2010)

In 1926, Nikolai Dmitriyevich Kondratiev was amongst the first to describe long waves of depressions and recoveries within capitalist business cycles. The hypothesised cycle-like phenomena became popularly known as “Kondratieff Waves” following the promotion of the idea by economist Joseph Schumpeter in 1939. Schumpeter would also establish the idea of “creative destruction”, which occurs when innovation deconstructs long-standing economic structures and frees resources to be deployed elsewhere. Building on this school of thought, later scholars have conceptualised at least

More recently, John Mathews, an honorary Professor at Macquarie University, proposed the emergence of the sixth Kondratieff Wave, beginning in 2010, which was being driven by the technology surge associated with renewable energies. Based on such complex systematic and structural technological change that has creatively destroyed hitherto established forms of social, political and economic organisations and established subsequent successor regimes and infrastructures, the idea of the so-called “Fourth Industrial Revolution” – as promoted by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and its

founder Klaus Martin Schwab – does appear to be weakly composed from stylised facts and popular generalisations. While such a perspective may be relevant when looking down at the world from the freezing heights of Davos, it does not coincide with perspectives of the global South and the global experiences of world systems. In the WEF’s conceptualisation, the First Industrial Revolution (1760 – 1840) ushered in mechanisation of production; the Second Industrial Revolution (1870 – 1914) established mass production; the Third Industrial Revolution (1960 – continuing) formed around computer and digital technologies; whilst the Fourth Industrial Revolution began at the turn of this century and builds on the digital revolution. It brings a much more ubiquitous and mobile Internet, smaller and more powerful sensors that have become cheaper, and artificial intelligence and machine learning. Such rendition eschews the processes of mercantilism,

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FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION slavery colonisation, and the struggles for national liberation fought against imperial metropoles that entangled and ensnared the countries that constitute the global South into world systems at their relative disadvantage. Absolute disadvantage continues to be reproduced through unequal exchanges and inequalities are increasingly maintained through military force.

further carbon emission. Technological competencies are therefore paramount, but need to be carefully operationalised within socially determined parameters, and, most critically, within planetary boundaries.

Roger Karma recently reminded us that “... the British took the equivalent of $45 trillion from India during its rule and the United States stole $14 trillion worth of slave labor from Africa, without which the industrial revolution would not have been possible” (2019). As noted by Jason Hickle, “rich countries aren’t developing poor countries; poor countries are developing rich ones” (2017).

The technological capacities and capabilities of the new Industrial Revolution hold huge potential to redress some of the existing negative human conditions, but only to the extent of amelioration. Radical transformations are necessary if a just transition is to be possible. This requires the inclusion of all the people of the continent in a democratic engagement that seeks endogenous development rather than merely shackling into global value chains and production networks.

How is Africa prepared for the next industrial revolution? According to the International Energy Agency, approximately 14 per cent of the world’s population (estimated at 1.1 billion) does not have access to electricity and more than 95 per cent of those living without electricity are in countries in sub-Saharan Africa and developing Asia. While development in Asia has accelerated in recent decades, Africa’s rate of economic growth progresses off a very low base. It is thus clear that the global South in general, and Africa in particular, has not benefited from the third economic-techno paradigm, which was enabled by the availability of modern electricity. It is therefore imperative that the people of Africa hold their governments accountable for the state of relative underdevelopment and seek accelerated ways to redress the mal-distribution of scientific and technological infrastructure necessary for the continent to catch up with the means available to those in the global North. Africa has a huge advantage in not needing to replicate failed mega-generation projects that are resource-intensive, corruption prone and ecologically disastrous. Rather, renewables should be mobilised and utilised closer to consumption, thereby eliminating 26

What is the potential then for the new Industrial Revolution to lead to just transitions?

Younger generations of Africans could be considered the motive force for ensuring transformation. It is therefore critical that young Africans are not excluded from realising a just transition by ensuring that they have education and training systems that build their capacities and enable their capability formation. These systems need to be retained as public goods and not further privatised as the state continues to be hollowed out. Elite capture needs to be confronted and the democracy defended against further predation from the transnationals and their local comprador vendors and franchisee. What do Africa and its people have to offer to the new Industrial Revolution? Is home-grown innovation happening in Africa? Africa is the current home of nearly 17 per cent of the world’s population, nine of the 14 terrestrial biomes, and six climatic zones. Within the territory is a range of progressive initiatives that have domestic and regional constituencies. Numerous efforts to link the generation of knowledge with socially useful production hold much of the promise for a better life for all Africans. Home-grown innovation from Africa, as a cradle of humankind, has enabled

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the widespread dispersal of us all as a species-being, through the diffusion of technological know-how emanating from creativity and curiosity. In our contemporary conjuncture, the relegation of Africa as a territory of exclusion and marginalisation has certainly reduced Africa’s propensity to contribute to the global knowledge commons. Global commodity chains, global value chains, and global production networks largely operate within an international division of labour governed by transnational corporations, multilateral institutions, and the military might of the more advanced and mature core capitalist countries. This gives rise to an apparent tendency to discount or reject “new or improved products or processes (or combinations thereof) that differ significantly from the previous products or processes and that had been made available to potential users or brought into use” – or “innovation” as defined by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) – emanating from Africa. Notwithstanding such prejudice and difficulties, initiatives for innovation abound across the continent, such as the Makerspace movement, science and technology incubators, and innovation hubs set up at the interface between the post-school education and training system and communities and enterprises. In its 2018 edition of the Innovation Prize for Africa, the African Innovation Foundation recognised ten major examples, including: • t wo molecular tests for the rapid, accurate and effective detection and load quantification of tuberculosis and hepatitis C (Morocco); • eNose sensor for tea processing (Uganda), which supplements current tea-processing procedures using low-power sensor devices to determine optimum levels of tea fermentation; • Mobile Shiriki Network (Rwanda); a similar solar kiosk powered by strong solar panels and equipped with large capacity batteries, Internet-of-things sensors and a custom-designed router, which offers

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device charging, virtual top-ups and low-cost connectivity; and • Waxy II technology (Tanzania), which recycles and transforms post-consumer waste plastic into durable and environmentally friendly plastic lumber using a chemical-free and energy-conserving technology for building, construction and furniture production. Clearly, Africa lacks neither the creativity nor the capacity for innovation. The building of enduring institutions and capabilities, however, requires more attention to the political economy and the reproduction of combined, yet uneven, development. Efforts towards colonialised curricula, sustainable development, and the defence of democratic advances offer the peoples of

Africa a wider canvas upon which to inscribe a real new dawn, one which redresses the “premature de-industrialisation” of most of the continent’s economies. Initiatives that revitalise civil society also hold much promise. Africans Rising, for example, is a pan-African movement of people and organisations working for peace, justice and dignity. It emerged from a bottom-up series of on and off-line consultations and dialogues between and amongst social and social justice movements, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), intellectuals, artists, sportspeople, cultural activists and others, across the six regions of the African Union and the inter-state efforts towards transcontinental integration.

All these progressive ideals, however, remain moot if economic orthodoxies, neoliberalism and corrupt governance retain the inordinate power they now exercise over society. The systematic destruction of indigenous knowledge demands redress, opening the possibility of co-constructing a harmonious relationship with nature, bound together in solidarity and cooperation, for a shared moderate prosperity for all. The young people of Africa are building the road whilst they walk. We should all be supportive and ensure intergenerational empowerment for creatively destroying the constraints of post and neo-colonial Africa, and for midwifing the birth of a really new Africa that works for all its peoples.

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Estonia goes all out in the digitisation services Online, tiny Estonia, a member of the European Union (EU), is making a name for itself as a world leader in digital technology, education, and cyber security, reports Christopher Livesay.

“It’s safe and secure,” says Anna Piperal, the Managing Director of Estonia’s e-Showroom, which promotes the country’s digital society to the world.

On a winter’s day, Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, can be long and cold, but it’s hardly a place frozen in time. In fact, in less than 30 years, Estonia has gone from being an impoverished member of the former Soviet Union to one of the most technically advanced countries in the world. It’s the first country to declare the Internet a social right.

The key to Estonia’s digital society is a digital identity (ID) card, which is similar to an ATM bank card in all respects, save that it can do more than just banking. The ID card is issued to every Estonian at birth and covers some 94% of the country’s population of 1.3 million. Embedded in the card is the typical microchip, which contains encrypted files that are used together with a pin code, which opens up a gateway to a variety of government services, from the cradle to the grave and in-between.

The Estonian government claims that the country’s high-speed broadband which covers 88% of the country makes it possible for 99% of its services to be easily accessible online. It’s a country where you can do your taxes in a few minutes and vote online from anywhere in the world. 28

One-stop-shop of services

In addition to accessing public services such as hospitals, tax filing and even voting, the ID card integrates with

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the commercial world. It can be used to access the financial services that banks offer, shopping, and purchasing telecoms and energy services from utility companies. “So, banking, health care, voting. It’s all done digitally and there’s no need to ever sign paperwork,” adds Piperal. Blockchain technology In addition to the pin code, the cyber security features incorporate a digital signature, which consists of numbers with a timestamp. Blockchain technology, which is famously used by the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, is the backbone to Estonia’s cyber security. This is the technology which makes it possible to decentralise and authenticate data in order to prevent hacking. Estonia is the first country to use the technology on a national level. According to Piperal there are ways in

FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION which data can be bridged, but a lot of the responsibility to safeguarding the integrity and security of the system requires basic common sense on the part of the end-user. Consequently, a high premium is placed on personal responsibility in ensuring data integrity in the society. It might be hard to imagine the transition that Estonia has made from being one of the backwater nations within the former Soviet Union. A visit to the repository of Estonia’s Museum of Occupations helps give a firmer grasp of how far back and how fast the country had transited towards a fully digital society. “By the time Estonia got freedom in 1991, about 20% of Americans were already using personal computers, but here in Estonia, there were virtually no computers, but we had typewriters,” Merlin Piipuu, the Director of the museum, explains. She explains that though there were landlines, mobile communication technology was unheard of, let alone the then nascent Internet. A new Estonia had to be built from scratch when the country broke away from the former USSR. That meant they could take advantage of something that was as brand new as the Internet. Their new vision of what the country could be and how it ought to be run, meant that within a few years Estonians had jumped from typewriters to the latest web-connected computers.

of trust in the nation’s digital frontier is none other than the 2005 decision to migrate voting from being paperbased to online, in what Dr Krimmer rightly describes as “bold”, as well as demonstrable of “how much people trust their online government services”. Cyber security One might get the impression that the entire shift to becoming an e-society was a breeze. It wasn’t. In fact, Estonia faced a major crisis in 2007 when it became the first country to experience a massive cyberattack, which took down emails, banking and newspaper servers. The very portal on which electronic government services are so depended upon was severely affected, which created a lot of panic. In 2008, Estonia established the Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, a multinational funded think-tank opened in Tallinn in response to the ever-present threat of cyberattacks. The centre draws on trained military and civilian experts from 21 countries in order to keep abreast of ways to protect against cyberattacks on government systems, banks and utilities. While even the best of efforts can’t stop cyberattacks, as the centre Director, Merle Maigre, admits, being forewarned, within split seconds, could minimise damage. Digital embassies Another line of defence against cyberattack is the creation of a backup system in another country, in

what Estonians refer to as “digital embassies”. The first country in which the digital embassy had been established was Luxembourg, where Estonia’s strategic digital assets are stored. Maigre says the idea, in the long term, is to build a bigger kind of network of these digital embassies across the world, with the use of blockchain technology. The objective of digital embassies is that should anything happens within Estonia, or it gets attacked, the government would not lose strategic data. Next big thing? The next step for this small country is to expand beyond its borders. It is doing this by offering what is called an e-residency to everyone in the world. The programme is targeted at attracting entrepreneurs to Estonia. A minimum fee of about $120, plus background checks, entitles an e-resident to an Estonian digital ID card, which could be used to establish companies and facilitate easier access to the EU market. An estimated 30 000 people from 140 counties currently enjoy the e-residency status and there are plans to recruit even more. Nonetheless, the biggest gift that Estonia could bestow on the rest of the world is lessons learnt from their unique experiment in building a digital society. * Case study based on an edited transcription of a PBS News Hour documentary

The transition to modern-day Estonia is a classic case of necessity being the mother of invention, according to Dr Robert Krimmer, and a Professor in the School of Business and Governance at the Tallinn University of Technology. According to Dr Krimmer, Estonia did not have much choice back in 1991. There was just not enough money to pay for all the services if you have to do it the traditional way. It was then decided that information technology was the one thing that could help the country organise itself. One of the most powerful expressions Volume 12 No.3 of 2019 | SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW

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25 YEARS OF FORGING A COMMON IDENTITY The successful evolution towards a common digital identity system is key to supporting a wide range of government services for citizens and for accelerating development broadly, writes Dr Naledi Pandor. South Africa is among the many countries on the continent hard at work to develop integrated, secure, digital identification systems. It has not been an easy road to travel. This work started in earnest after the dawn of democracy in 1994. We had inherited a fragmented civil registration system, largely, predicated on a divisive race discourse. It was a discriminatory system designed to systematically deny Africans of citizenship. Only 4.5 million White people in the country had enjoyed access to acceptable levels of civic services. Value of data

accounts, seeking employment, voting and enrolling at school. Over the years, we have learned that the full value of data from civil registries comes when they are properly integrated within government systems – for example, with the statistical institutions, population registers, national ID systems, and voter registration systems. It is possible to do this through 21st century Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems drawing on the availability of information and communication technology and innovations linking health records with civil registries. 100% birth registration by 2063 When the birth of a South African is registered, a child’s name and birth date are linked to an identity number and a record is created on the National Population Register (NPR). This gives the child an identity as a citizen, with all constitutional rights and obligations accompanying such status.

At the inception of democracy our immediate task was to forge a common, non-racial, and non-sexist, national identity in an endeavour to deconstruct the civic divisions and inequalities of our colonial and apartheid past. Accordingly, as one of the landmarks of the democratic era and its transformation agenda, we introduced a common, compulsory identity document for all citizens, irrespective of race, and established a single national Department of Home Affairs.

The SA Department of Home Affairs seeks to ensure a single entry point into the NPR, at birth. To this end, the law demands that parents register their new-born babies within 30 days of birth. Once a child has a birth certificate, that child can be issued with a passport, and can enjoy access to services offered by other government departments, like Health and Education.

The ID, popularly known as the greenbarcoded ID book, of 1986, was then issued also to the African majority, a right hitherto denied to Africans in the former apartheid-designed homelands. In this manner, we succeeded in providing a common ID for all citizens, and, officially, opened doors for citizens to exercise their rights and to access services, including, registering births, assessing social grants, opening bank

Home Affairs in South Africa entered into a memorandum of understanding with the country’s Health Department with the sole purpose of ensuring births at health facilities are registered. To date, it has connected 391 health facilities in public hospitals. Mothers who give birth in these facilities can now register their children and receive birth certificates before leaving the facility.

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Home Affairs South Africa is currently engaged in a pilot to automate registration of births, marriages and deaths. It prints names of parents in their children’s passports, for ease of travel. As part of the CRVS objectives, in the achievement of Agenda 2030, as outlined in the country’s National Development Plan, South Africa is expected to be at 90% on birth registration by 2030 and at 100% in 2063. In the 2018/2019 financial year, the country reached 85.7% on birth registration. Modernisation As with other organisations, the department’s policies and priorities have evolved over the years. Systems that were considered to be state of the art during the 1990s had proved inadequate to meet the everchanging needs of the department. Accordingly, in 2011, Home Affairs SA initiated a system-wide modernisation programme. Since then, it has made tremendous progress in creating a responsible, credible, digital, paperless and reliable identification system, along similar lines to those now agreed by ID4Africa. In July 2013, the green ID book, which was manual and paper-based, and thus open to manipulation, was replaced with a new, smart ID card, which is very secure. The smart ID card is an end-to-end process which is wholly automated. It is supported by a live capture system. Of the 412 Home Affairs offices in the country, 193 are modernised and can thus process the new smart ID cards and machine-readable passports. It has a readable and verifiable card-chip and embedded biographic data. More than 13 million smart ID cards have been issued in the quest to replace about 38 million green-barcoded ID books.

FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION From this experience, we are better placed to argue for the adoption of identity ecosystems for service delivery. Digital transformation has shown great potential to open new pathways towards smarter platforms and new ways of service delivering.

technologies. The new national identity system South Africa seeks to build will serve as a master source for civics and immigration management, with key elements such as the following:

The department has introduced innovative modes of service delivery. It has launched an electronic platform – eHomeAffairs – through which citizens can now apply for new smart ID cards and passports online, from the comfort of their homes or offices, by simply visiting the website. The eHomeAffairs portal was made possible by the partnership of Home Affairs with four major commercial banks in South Africa – ABSA, First National Bank, Nedbank and Standard Bank – entered into in April 2016 and piloted in 13 bank branches in Gauteng and Western Cape provinces.

• Records of persons throughout their lifespan (from the cradle to the grave). • Birth, marriage and death records of residents (citizens, permanent residents, asylum seekers and refugees). • All persons entering the country will have their biometrics captured during the visa application process or at the point of entry. • Processing and storing of asylum seekers and refugees’ applications. • Records of visitors who enter and leave the country. • Records of illegal persons in the country (registration of birth and death).

Going forward, and in line with the goal of building a ‘future-fit home-affairs’, the focus is on implementing a single source of information about all clients, with both biographic and biometric

The modernisation of South Africa’s Home Affairs, when fully and successfully implemented, will reengineer and automate most of the key processes of the department and yield a significantly

enhanced national identification system, and a credible national population register. This modernisation process is underpinned by five key business pillars, namely: • a single view of home affairs clients, • integrity of home affairs data, • secured borders while embracing visitors, • improved citizen (client) experience, and • a citizen/client-oriented workforce. We will achieve our goals to the extent that we enhance the interaction of the State with its citizens, by being more customer-centric, within a secure environment. With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the ultimate goal is to utilise technology in bringing government services closer to the people, where they live. *Dr Pandor is International Relations and Cooperation Minister and this article is an edited version of a speech she delivered at the 2019 ID4Africa Annual Meeting, which was held in South Africa in June.

THE 5TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ID4AFRICA MOVEMENT The Department of Home Affairs hosted what is regarded as the largest identity for development gathering, which was held between 18 and 20 June this year. Since its establishment in 2014, the ID4Africa Annual Meeting has become the place to be to report on progress, share experiences and best practices, identify open challenges in the context of development, and establish the priorities for the identity community related to legal and digital identity. The overarching theme for the 2019 conference, ‘Identity Ecosystems for Service Delivery’, affirmed that identity is not just a right but must be of utility for it to contribute to development. To this end, the programme is organised along several thematic tracks in support of that theme including, foundational identity, identity for inclusion, migration and borders, identity and democracy, advanced technologies and processes, along with several side meetings, spotlight sessions and workshops related to infant biometrics, privacy, data protection and appropriate uses of identity. Over 120 experts and practitioners from governments, international agencies and the private sector shared regional and international experiences in support of the stated theme. Of significance this year is the record number of senior level African government officials attending; with over 650 decision-makers from a diverse cross-section of government stakeholders, representing 50 African nations, present. Also of significance is the breadth of participation of the remaining 900 delegates, who represent international multi-lateral, civil society and the private sector. In its fifth year, the movement is launching a series of new initiatives that were evident within the 2019 programme activities and side meetings. These included discussions on the relationship between e-identity and financial inclusion. Another matter taking centre stage this year is the complex issue of privacy, data protection and appropriate use of identity, which are addressed through several activities embedded in the overall programme. Source: www.id4africa.com

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