1. The key difference between the Western Cape and Public Service is that the Western Cape appointed a service provider to conduct lifestyle audits and the DPSA opted to prepare policies and to develop its own system so that lifestyle audits can sustainably be conducted as part of an integrated departmental ethics management process.
In order for the Public Service to be able to conduct lifestyle audits, it had to prepare the legislative environment and adopt the required policies and systems that would make lifestyle audits effective. This included the following:
The above elements were provided for in the Public Service Regulations that were amended in 2016 and is regarded as essential for an effective lifestyle audit regime.
After amendment of the Public Service Regulations, 2016, the necessary systems and processes had to be developed and implemented, with some requiring the adoption of directives, determinations and guides.
The proclamation of the Public Administration Ethics, Integrity and Disciplinary Technical Assistance Unit (PAEIDTAU) by the President in 2019 provided the necessary structure to coordinate, monitor and support the implementation of lifestyle audits on national and provincial level. With structures, systems and policies in place, the next step was to prioritise the training of role players. This required the development of training material. With that completed, the actual training of Ethics Officers started in 2021, with the assistance of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Bank and the Canadian Government funded Strengthening of Ethics and Integrity Project (SEIP). Training will continue for Ethics Officers and departmental investigators.
All of the above activities required time, and as such the Public Service became ready to implement lifestyle audits from April 2021, when the Guide on implementing lifestyle audits in the public service was adopted and implementation of lifestyle audits became compulsory.
As the system and processes are integrated in the management of ethics, lifestyle audits will become a normal part of the work of departments.
2. No, for reasons discussed under par (1) above.
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