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MCPP
ANGLO AMERICAN MUNICIPAL CAPABILITY & PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME (MCPP)
A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT IN ADDRESSING SERVICE DELIVERY CHALLENGES IN MINING TOWNS
Service delivery and developmental challenges are increasing across the country, with the rising pressures on local government. These challenges are even more pronounced in mining regions, often faced with fast growing settlements, rapid rise in demand for services and the need to ensure sustainable livelihoods and economic transition, especially in areas where mining investment is declining. The need to ensure access to services, the reality of limited financial viability and the resources required to participate and
lead a multitude of parallel community and industry participatory processes, are placing a huge burden on already under capacitated municipalities.
The Genesis of MCPP
The current phase of the Municipal Capability and Partnership Programme was initiated by Anglo American in 2019 as part of its commitment to collaborate with government to strengthen service delivery and partner capability to address development challenges. Participating municipalities currently include Musina, Blouberg, Mogalakwena, FetaKgomo Tubatse, Moses Kotane, Thabazimbi, Tsantsabane and Gamagara. The programme operates on the foundation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Anglo American (including its Kumba Iron Ore, Anglo Platinum, and De Beers businesses) and the Department of Cooperative Governance (DCOG). The Council for Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR) has been appointed as the implementing partner and plays a critical role, not only in terms of research and innovation, but also in supporting municipal and industry partner collaboration in the realisation of the programme objectives and in contributing to resilient regional futures.
Anglo American mines, through their social and labour plans (SLPs), socioeconomic development investments and corporate social investments, make significant investments in municipal regions and play a critical role in supporting their municipal partners with everyday delivery of services (especially water) in communities close to mining operations. Musa Jack, Anglo American MCPP Programme Manager said, “The challenges faced by municipalities result in the need for mines to step in and undertake service delivery functions that are the responsibility of local government. Anglo American is of the view that this arrangement is not sustainable especially in the context that mining activities have a life span.
"It is for this reason that Anglo American, through the MCPP, has embraced the responsibility to collaborate with our partner municipalities to support them to better respond to their service delivery responsibilities. In the spirit of “Local Government being everybody’s business”, Anglo American is also heeding the call by government for the private sector to play a role in contributing to the capable state as outlined in the National Development Plan (NDP)."
A programme like the MCPP is critical to facilitate better integration of investments by government and industry so that the benefit can be felt at the level of communities.
The socio-economic development investments by the mines bring about improvements. However, it is but a drop in the ocean of what is needed, and impact is often lost due to non-alignment and isolated efforts by different mines and municipalities.
A programme like the MCPP is critical to facilitate better integration of investments by government and industry so that the benefit can be felt at the level of communities.
MCPP Approach
The MCPP is designed to contribute to the strengthening of capability of municipal area partners including municipal institutions, mining partners, traditional authorities and others, to:
• Improve development impact and service delivery by strengthening, aligning and integrating strategic plans and processes and accessing resources that are critical in facilitating a development vision for municipal areas, towns and communities.
• Collaborate in solving pressing service delivery and infrastructure challenges; and
• Facilitate meaningful and effective ways to contribute to economic transition and diversification in preparation for eventual mine closure.
The programme is primarily focused on working with teams in participating municipalities to address critical problems, through strengthening individual capability and the collaboration between teams and partners, whilst contributing to getting the basics right for an effective municipality. This is largely done through enhancing municipal institutional capability (for example development planning and management processes, integrated development planning instruments and processes, asset management practices and tools, operational procedures as well as municipal financial viability).
The MCPP is not just focused on municipal partners, it is also focusing on supporting the mines in better understanding the local government systems and challenges and strives to equip industry partners with deeper insights into municipal development and operations with the aim of refining their own processes and requirements, which in turn, is impacting on local government. This approach facilitates better cooperation between municipalities and industry in galvanizing partnering which is key to achieving the joint vision of servicing communities. This is in stark contrast to an approach where mines provide services and develop infrastructure on behalf of government which increases dependencies and financial liabilities.
Rather than mere technical assistance, MCPP emphasizes outcome-based strategies, understanding the unique requirements of local government capability development. The goal is to enable problem-solving through collaboration and tackle key constraints across the service delivery and partner value chains. This approach, which encourages developmental leadership and collaboration between varied stakeholders, is built on adult and peer learning principles, functionality of teams, reflective practices and ensuring an environment conducive to learning and innovation.
A Collaborative effort
The MCPP is being rolled out through collaboration not only with the participating municipalities but also with other key partners including provincial governments, the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency (MISA), the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), Enterprises University of Pretoria, Impact Catalyst, Kagiso Trust, National Business Institute (NBI) and the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI).
Rather than mere technical assistance, MCPP emphasizes outcome-based strategies, understanding the unique requirements of local government capability development.
According to the Deputy DirectorGeneral: Policy, Governance and Administration in the Department of Cooperative Governance, Dr Kevin Naidoo, “The Anglo American MCPP is a welcomed industry and government collaboration, aimed at strengthening partner capability to address shared service delivery and developmental challenges in support of government’s drive to strengthen state and municipal capacity and capability.”
Similarly, Yolyna Buys, Director: Local Government Capacity Development in Limpopo CoGHSTA, underscores MCPP's unique position in aligning with provincial government's support initiatives to municipalities and being an active member of the Provincial Steering Committee with partners such as the DBSA, MISA, SALGA and district municipalities in line with the District Development Model (DDM).
Similarly, Yolyna Buys, Director: Local Government Capacity Development in Limpopo CoGHSTA, underscores MCPP's unique position in aligning with provincial government's support initiatives to municipalities and being an active member of the Provincial Steering Committee with partners such as the DBSA, MISA, SALGA and district municipalities in line with the District Development Model (DDM).
Results we are starting to see
Local government challenges remain complex and require all hands on deck to work together to find lasting solutions. While it is still early days, the collaboration between Anglo American, government and the CSIR, is a step in the right direction and the programme is already observing improvements in:
• Water quality as evident in improved Blue Drop Assessments. This is the case in all municipalities where the programme provides in-service coaching and works with water teams to improve monitoring of water quality compliance and the annual development and implementation of Water Safety Plans for key water systems;
• Water balance reporting, where the capability of institutions to monitor and maintain assets are strengthened to improve access to water and municipal financial viability in participating municipalities;
• Value created through municipal sector departments working together intentionally i.e. through collaboration between technical, planning and finance departments in determining service demand, costing of planning infrastructure and service delivery and deliberate efforts to obtain financing for critical developments; and
• Galvanising of partners to work together in developing joint spatial visions for the areas which is important for integration and impactful investment decision making.
• Councillors' responses after training about changes in portfolio committee work - due to appreciation of the need to collaborate and a more informed understanding of the interdependencies between ward and municipal priorities.
The programme adds specific value in generating intelligence and creating opportunities for municipalities and mines to recognise critical development priorities, as well as each other’s institutional challenges, and to carve out ways to join hands in addressing complex development challenges - whether through deliberate collaboration in area based development planning processes or through aligning of investment for impact.
For more information on the programme please contact:
Ms Musa Jack, Anglo America Programme Manager at: musa.jack@angloamerican.com or Dr Elsona van Huyssteen, CSIR Programme Lead at: EvHuyssteen@csir.co.za
