Chairperson, thank you for the promotion, with due respect. [Laughter.] Chairperson, the ACDP welcomes this initial debate on the Green Paper on Improving Government Performance. In the Green Paper, government correctly concedes that despite massive increases in successive budgets service quality and standards have deceased.
I actually said "deceased", but I believe the word was "decreased". This has resulted in widespread service delivery protests, as we are all aware, and there is consequently an urgent need to improve government performance at all levels and to reverse the trend of growing incapacity, corruption and lack of accountability.
The stacking of priorities will be the main challenge, as government Ministers will have to agree on 25 to 30 key outcomes in the areas of education, health, job creation, rural development and crime and corruption.
Now the central aspect of the outcomes performance management system relates to performance contracts of Cabinet Ministers and MECs to achieve deliverable and measurable outputs. As they are appointed by a political prerogative, they clearly can and should be held accountable and, I agree with the hon Davidson, fired for lack of performance, unlike in the past when Cabinet members were protected.
The previous performance management system for directors-general and public servants in general has been weak and erratic, for Ministers nonexistent. Whilst everyone in the Public Service is supposed to have a performance contract, many are either not in place or not monitored properly, this particularly at municipal level. Important matters have also been left out of such contracts, such as achieving a clean audit. How can we have the situation of directors-general and managers being awarded bonuses where there were qualified audits?
The Green Paper describes the process of translating government's mandate into a set of measures against which it can hold itself and be held accountable. We as the ACDP welcome the initiative and will contribute and add to the framework to ensure it is effective. I thank you.