Perspectives on NDP& the role of Legislators

SALSA Development Seminar Durban 09 December 2014

Mandate of legislatures

• Parliament elected to represent the people & ensure government by the people under the constitution

• Mission – to represent, and act as a voice of the people, to pass laws and oversee executive action

• Vision – to build an effective parliament responsive to the needs of the people, focused on better quality of life for all people

• Values – constitutionality, people-centredness, co-operative government, professionalism & good institutional governance

Reminder : systems thinking

Delivery

Quality of Life

Feedback

People / HR

Measurable Change

Strategic Planning

Systems Thinking

NDP Systems Approach

Development occurs when there is policy clarity AND a set of planned actions

Strong Leadership

Effective Government Active

citizenry

Elements of a Decent Standard of Living

A decent standard of

living Employment

Health care

Recreation and leisure

Safety and

security

Clean environment

Transport

Nutrition Housing, water,

sanitation, electricity

Education and skills

Parliament linear approach

Portfolio committees • Policy evaluation • Legislation • Budget discussion (including EPC’S) • Annual reports

Antithetical to systems approach!!

MTSF

MTSF Example 1

Quality basic education • Improve school governance leadership, competence criteria,

management support for principals • Investment in school buildings & maintenance, address

backlogs, meet minimum standards • Support teacher development and improved training of future

teachers • Assure 95% learners access to textbook in every grade • Strengthen quality of Grade R • Further development of ECD • Introducing African languages to schools

MTSF Example 2

Long and healthy life for all • Construct 213 clinics and CMC’S & 43 hospitals, refurbish 870

health facilities in 11 pilot areas • Double training of doctors to 2 000 per annum • Double patients on ARV’S to 5.1 million • Intensify TB screening and treatment – 150 000 inmates and

500 000 mineworkers, and 600 000 living in mining communities

• Vaccinate 90% of 9 & 10 year old girls against human Papilloma virus

MTSF Example 3

All people in South Africa are and feel safe • Reduction in number of reported crimes • Increased proportion of citizens feel safe walking alone • Increased proportion of citizens satisfied with police services

in their area • Improvement in citizens perception of levels of crime • Improvement in SA’S ranking in transparency international

corruption perception index

Monitoring implementation of the MTSF

• “MTSF contains high-level development indicators for each outcome”

• “Designed to enable cabinet, parliament, provincial legislators and public to monitor overall impact”

• President will enter into performance agreements with each minister – key indicators and targets for MTSF

• Greater levels of operational detail, together with other areas included in strategy plans, annual performance plans, IDP’S & programme plans for individual institutions.

Parliamentary cycle

• January – vacation • February – SONA and budget/s • March – 1st reading debate, legislation • April – ‘constituency period’ • May – departmental budget vote debates, legislation • June – continued • July – vacation • August – legislation • September – strat plans and annual reports • October – strat plans, MTBPS, adjustment estimates • November – continues & parliament rises • December – vacation

We celebrate

• State of the Nation Address • Budget speech/es • Policy announcements

We don’t celebrate • Audits • Outcomes • Measurement

When does Parliament evaluate evidence?

Yogi Bear Philosophy

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you don't know when you’re lost”

Parliamentary Weekly Schedule

Monday No parliament Tuesday 09:30 to 13:00 x number of portfolio committees

(say 30 x 210 minutes = 6 300 minutes) Tuesday 14:00 – 17:00 Plenary legislation, motions,

members statements, debates (180 minutes) Wednesday 09:30 to 13:00 x number portfolio committees

(possibly 6 300 minutes repeated) Thursday 08:30 to 09:30 Programming meeting 10:00 to 12:30 Party caucuses 14:00 to 17:00 Plenary – members’ statements,

motions, legislation and debate Friday TGIF

Questions

• Are the legislators equipped to supervise implementation of NDP/MTSF?

• How can conditions be improved?

• How can secretaries, as non-MP’S facilitate?