Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members, comrades, friends, and ladies and gentlemen, I greet you.
One of the hallmarks of the current administration led by the ANC has been the transformation of the Public Service into one that focuses on service delivery outcomes as opposed to exclusively focusing on outputs and activities. To achieve this, Cabinet adopted a set of 12 priority outcomes, which were later linked to performance agreements and delivery agreements to provide a strategic focus for government. The primary focus of Programme 2 is to ensure a progressive realisation of this strategic focus by focusing on outcomes monitoring and evaluation.
It is against this background that the ANC unanimously supports the budget. There is no doubt that this budget will go a long way in assisting the department to achieve its key priorities. In addition to the monitoring of the implementation of the delivery agreements for the 12 outcomes and producing quarterly reports, the key priorities of this programme include the following.
Firstly, in regard to producing a 20-year review and the Medium-Term Strategic Framework for 2014 to 2019, the department, in collaboration with the National Planning Commission, plans to produce a 20-year review of performance. The 20-year review will focus on assessing progress made since the inception of the democratic government in 1994, which is the ANC-led democratic government. The department will further translate the National Development Plan into the 2014-2019 Medium-Term Strategic Framework and delivery agreements by 2014.
These are indeed progressive initiatives. The ANC commends and continues to strongly support such initiatives because, as a developmental state premised on the solid National Development Plan, South Africa needs to progressively monitor and evaluate its performance and inform the public about trends in key areas of development and the challenges lying ahead. This is what social accountability is all about.
Secondly, in regard to local government performance monitoring and capacity- building, another key priority of Budget Vote No 6 is to pilot the Municipal Assessment Tool in 10 municipalities. The assessment of the 10 municipalities will be carried out and completed in the 2013-14 financial year and submitted to the relevant municipalities by March 2014. In the medium term the department plans to complete 24 additional municipal assessments. The ANC applauds the department for this great initiative, because it will lead to improved delivery of local government services to South African citizens.
What is even nobler about this initiative is that the department plans to focus on weaker municipalities, be they rural or urban, which really need attention in regard to capacity-building for the benefit of our citizens. It is important that local level structures be integrated in the government- wide Monitoring and Evaluation Policy Framework.
Thirdly, there will be improved capacity-building for evaluations, where 300 government staff members will complete at least one course commissioned by the evaluation unit of the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation in order to improve staff capacity to undertake evaluations. [Interjections.] The ANC strongly supports this initiative because it has always been our view that government must increase its internal capacity in order to reduce reliance on consultants. As the Portfolio Committee on Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, we have gone further and recommended that the department should consider the sharing of services with other departments. There are cases where the services of consultants are necessary and cannot be avoided, but it cannot be the norm that anything we have to do goes to consultants instead of our capacitating our people. [Applause.]
Fourthly, in regard to improved data quality for outcomes reporting, this budget will also be used to hold data forums with sector departments to improve the quality, credibility and reliability of data used to compile quarterly reports. Quality, credible and reliable data is central to the work of this department and government in general. We call upon all stakeholders, such as Statistics SA, to contribute in this area. It is also important for the alignment of data by government departments and its entities, where possible.
Great strides have already been made under this programme. The following strides were made in 2012-13 - they were achievements and are worth mentioning: four quarterly monitoring reports per outcome were submitted to Cabinet; delivery agreements were reviewed and revised; 200 government staff members were trained on evaluations, excluding the 300 that will still be trained; eight evaluations were initiated and one final report was approved by the evaluation steering committee; and four quarterly progress reports on core indicators were successfully completed and made available to the public.
Although I have been talking about the achievements, I wish to note that there are also challenges. The main challenge will be achieving the mandate, priorities, targets and outcomes under this programme. This department will require strong support from every South African, as well as strong co-operation across government departments. The ANC will see to it that the strategic vision of a public sector geared to results and outcomes is realised. With this said, I wish to add this note to the department: It simply means that your success is my success and your failure is my failure. However, success is inevitable.
Do you know why I am saying this, hon George? I am saying this because in your own house there is infighting! [Laughter.] In yesterday's Cape Argus we read about Zille and De Lille's disagreement. However, you don't talk about that! You come here and criticise us! [Interjections.] That is fair. The other issue is this. I know that you are on your way out. So, that was the kick of a dying horse. You will do anything to discredit us. [Interjections.]