3.5 Administration programme 3.5.1 The Administration programme provides administrative; management; financial; information, communication and technology; research; policy co-ordination and good governance support functions necessary for service delivery, good governance and accountability to oversight institutions. 3.5.2 The DCS' vacancy rate showed an increase from 3,3% in 2011/12 to 4,1% in 2012/13. The highest number of vacancies were reported in relation to psychologists, social work and related professions, educationists and professional nurses. Of concern is that after resignations, retirement and expired contracts were the biggest contributors to the high number of vacancies. The Audit Committee had also raised serious concerns about long standing vacancies particularly in relation to the internal audit unit: at the time of reporting both the Deputy Commissioner: Internal Control Compliance, and the Chief Audit Executive posts had been vacant, the latter for longer than five months. 3.5.3 Of serious concern too is the leadership instability brought about by high staff turnover at senior management level. At the time of reporting the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Deputy Commissioner: Strategic Management posts had been vacant for approximately 12 months; and the National Commissioner post had also become vacant at the end of August 2013. 3.5.4 Despite numerous calls that vetting should be treated with the necessary urgency, and despite government departments having been implored to prioritise the vetting of those in supply chain management, the DCS' Annual Report is silent as far as its performance in this regard. 3.5.5 The DCS reports that it had exceeded its target for convictions in fraud, corruption and serious maladministration matters by 3,39%, but unfortunately the detail related to the reported success was not included, nor could it be provided during the interrogation of the Annual Report. What is provided is that in the period under review the DCS had opened 358 cases and 299 enquiries for investigation. Of the 146 cases that were finalised, 19 were referred for disciplinary action, and 127 could not be pursued for lack of evidence. At the time of reporting 212 cases and 257 enquiries were still open for investigation. The DCS provided little information on how long it took resolve these matters, or the types of sanctions imposed on those found guilty of such transgressions. 3.5.6 Although, according to the Annual Report, the target for the number of person days lost due to suspensions had been exceeded by 2 925 days, the Committee reiterates that the DCS' prolonged disciplinary processes and long suspensions remained a major challenge, particularly given the DCS' already acute staff shortages. 3.5.7 The Committee notes with concern that the DCS again failed to meet the target in relation to 'interoperability' between its own and other Justice Crime Prevention and Security-cluster departments' core business systems. The lack of progress was ascribed to the Remand Detention and Offender Management System (RDOMS) having had to be put on hold owing to delays caused by the service provider. The Committee recognises the importance of the RDOMS system, and first raised its concern about the delays in the finalisation of the project in 2012. Despite frequent interactions with both the DCS and the State Information and Technology Agency (SITA), little if any progress as far as resolving the deadlock reached with the service provider, was reported. The Committee also notes with concern that despite it being a critical information, communication and technology (ICT) roadmap, the ICT Strategic Plan, requested by the Audit Committee, was not provided it. 3.5.8 The DCS has for the past several years been battling a number of serious human resource-related challenges. These include the establishment of shift systems that would make the successful implementation of the Seven Day Establishment possible, the implementation of the second phase of the occupational specific dispensation, payment of backdated overtime, and the management of disciplinary matters. The Committee had welcomed the establishment, in February 2013, of a Ministerial Consultative Forum (MCF). It had been hoped that the Ministerial Task Team that formed part of the MCF, and which comprised labour unions and DCS senior managers, would be able to amicably and within a reasonable timeframe conclude negotiations on how the ongoing challenges may be resolved. The Committee has noted with concern that despite the intervention being in its final stages, labour unions were expressing extreme frustration about the lack of progress, and about their apparent exclusion from some aspects of the process. 3.5.9 An organisational restructuring proposal was submitted to the former Minister of Correctional Services in 2011/12. According to the 2011/12 annual report the proposed restructuring was aimed at addressing "serious functional misalignments", the accounting officer's "unmanageable span of command" and to correctly align strategic and operations management functions. The phased implementation of the restructuring commenced at the most senior level on 1 June 2012. The most notable change in the DCS' structure is the creation of a chief operations officer (COO) post. The COO reports directly to the National Commissioner, and is responsible for the management of the six regions. Labour unions raised serious concerns about the expanded organisational structure which is due for implementation in the 2013/14 financial year, but on which labour unions had not been consulted.