NORTH WEST PROVINCE : SUBMISSION TO THE SELECT
COMMITTEE
ON
SOCIAL SERVICES: OLD ASSEMBLY BUILDING, CAPE TOWN
DATE:13 MAY 2003
PRESENTED BY: MEC E. M. MAYISELA
I. PROVINCIAL SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES
The President's State of the Nation Address, the Provincial Needs the Provincial Imbizos, the MEC's Road shows discussions at and participation in different fora inform the Department's Strategic Plan.
Managers from the Provincial, Districts and Local Offices developed the 2003/2004-priority focus for the Chief Directorate Social Services in a workshop held over three days. These are:
1. ACCELERATION OF SERVICE DELIVERY with emphasis on improvement of service delivery in the area of social security, accelerating the process of reforming social welfare programmes and developing clear programmes within community development.
BROAD ACTIVITIES
o Increase the uptake of all grants especially the foster care and Care dependency grant.
o Strengthen human capacity and improve conditions of service.
o Develop comprehensive, integrated programmes that promote sustainable development, transformation and broaden access to better quality of life for vulnerable groups.
2. MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT emphasizing on the consolidation of appropriate systems and enabling frameworks and processes within the department to respond effectively to identified and prioritized needs.
BROAD ACTIVITIES
Infrastructure development for Service Delivery. Implementation of the Decentralised District Model.
· Impact assessment of existing policies, approaches and legislative framework
3. PARTNERSHIPS with emphasis on restructuring and strengthening existing relationships with civil society and broadening the base for CBO/FBO and private sector participation in government programmes.
BROAD ACTIVITIES
· Transformation of Services
· Regulatory framework Guiding Public Private Partnership
· Strengthen capacity of community structures.
· Mobilize additional resources to augment resources
4. INTEGRATION AND CO-ORDINATION with emphasis on developing cost effective strategies that promote social integration and multi-disciplinary approach to service delivery.
BROAD ACTIVITIES
· Comprehensive plan facilitating Integration of Programmes at a Departmental level aimed at maximizing the impact of the department's intervention.
· Develop programmes that support cluster approach to service delivery.
· Alignment of service delivery to local government IDP's.
· Devolution of functions to minimize duplication of services and resources
II. EXPENDITURE PATTERNS 2002/2003
1. Trends
In the North West Province, where access to the former state maintenance and other grants was low, social development spending has grown from 1997 to 2002, with the real average annual growth reaching
11.1%. Transfer payments consist mainly of social security grants which comprise 92% of total expenditure. Other transfers include subsidies and payments to NGO's for services involving Child and Family Services, Residential Care, Crime Prevention and Care of Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities
Only 8% of the Departmental budget was available for Social Welfare Services and Development Programmes.
The progress towards inter-provincial equity appears to be slow with great disparity in budgetary provision to poor Provinces such as the North West compared to the Western Cape and Gauteng.
The total figure of Social Grant beneficiaries was 189,980 in April 1997
increasing to 419 625 in April 2003 (16.48% growth rate). Child Support
Grant beneficiaries have increased from 120146 (April 2001) to 220482
(April2OO3) (83.5% growth rate). The total number of children reached
through the child support grant up to March 2003 is 220482.
2. Conditional Grants
For the financial year 2003/04 the following amounts were transferred a conditional grants
HIV/AIDS
R7 580m
2.1 Integrated Food Security and Nutrition
R41, 615 m
2.2 Social Grants
o Child Support Grant Extension R125 426m
The Department received an allocation of R 3.680 000 from the National Department of Social Development in respect of poverty relief. This provision enabled the Department to support a range of activities to alleviate poverty. A special focus is on vulnerable groups such as disabled, women, youth and children. The Department aims to assess these programmes to determine their impact on the targeted individuals and groups.
3. Personnel Challenges
Shortages of social workers are fast becoming a critical issue. Whilst a range of interventions is being designed to improve working conditions it is important that consideration be also given to Social Professionals.
The management of conditional grants provincially with national mandates and imperatives continues to pose challenges.
The mechanism to broaden access to services in accordance with the constitutional and other current government policies at an affordable level requires efficient and effective modes of delivery. Leveraging of additional resources to realize this aim is required to strengthen the Department's delivery systems.
4. Allocations 2003/2004
This year's budget adds R2,612,496 to the Department's spending plans. In real terms however the real growth appears to be centred around the Social Security budget leaving the remaining sections of the Department with a negative growth percentage particularly social work programmes, social development and population development.
It is however clear that 2003 Budget builds upon and takes further the policy priorities laid down in the 2001 and 2002 budgets namely progressive realization of the social and economic rights of our people.
Within this budget other elements of the development strategy are very poorly resourced such as crime prevention and broadening the skills base Capital programme development and infrastructural resources have been constrained by the 2003/ 2004-budget allocation.
The Department's aim to align service sites in accordance with municipal boundaries has led to the opening of nine new service offices. Additional institutional capacity within the new District system needs to be developed.
The need to develop a relevant and responsive cadre of development workers requires innovation and mobilization of extra- budgetary resources. We envisage support from the Health and Welfare Seta in this regard. Furthermore in accordance with the Departments Human Resource Development Strategy incorporating re-orientation and skilling is to be given priority.
Personnel allocations reflect an increase from R 131, 772 to R153.980. However cognizance must be taken that this budget provides for the personnel cost of entire Department including components of Sport and Recreation and Arts and Culture.
· Increased take up rate of child support grant and the phased in extension of children up to 14 years will increase infrastructural I needs.
· An amount of R125 426m will be available as a conditional grant for the phased extension of the child support grant for 2003/2004.
· Conditional Grant of R7,58m is allocated for HIV/AIDS. The increase of Community Home Based Care Initiatives, given the demand and need for community based with a 22% rate of HIV/AIDS prevalence in the Province and the need for services, necessitates additional donor funding for HIV/AIDS.
The budget allocated for Partnership and Financing remains low with no
significant percentage growth. The amount available for subsidization of thy
Non Governmental Sector and Community Based Organisations is R5 1 596m.
The leveraging of finances for new initiatives remains difficult to realise.
Social Security Budget allocation for 2003/2004
The allocation for Social Security Programme for 2003 is R2 764 289 with projected expenditure being R2, 860,407,460 is reflected. In real terms th budget allocated to social security permits payment to 433,613 beneficiaries, whilst the number of beneficiaries projected using the Straus Model is 546 834 The Department is concerned about this trend due to the limited budget.
Conditional Grant
The conditional Grant available in the Social Security Programme is toward the phased extension of the Child Support Grant . The amount allocated is R125 426m with 25 percent allocated for administrative costs.
The uniform budget structure for all Social Development Departments aims towards greater programme alignment , for greater efficiency and effectiveness and monitoring and evaluation.
SOCIAL SECURITY AS A MEANS OF PUSHING BACK THE FRONTIERS OF
POVERTY
· Social Security Programme provides critical income support to vulnerable groups mainly the elderly , young children and people with disabilities.
· Programme is government's largest redistribution programme presently reaching out to a total of 433,613 beneficiaries.
· The comprehensive Social Security approach aims to extend the safety net to vulnerable groups.
· However for the Social Security Programme to have the full impact the following challenges is prevalent in the North West Province:
- Adequate resources required for the full implementation of the norms and standards improving service delivery.
Strengthening of institutional and administrative capacity of service offices is required.
- The turnaround time of grant processing as set out in the I norms and standards is based on the assumption of an almost perfect institutional arrangement , with no weaknesses in the delivery systems However the Department shall continue to strive to adhere to standards of1 good customer care as well respecting rights of individuals.
- The Department upholds the principle of linking1 development programmes to the income support programme of Social Security ensuring beneficiaries upliftment and self reliance
- Linking beneficiaries to the Departments 'comprehensive Development programme shall lead to sustainable livelihoods
Whilst the introduction of Disability panels brings greater
opportunity for local adjudication and monitoring this system requires constant review and monitoring Assessment tools used are not universal measures and therefore require standardization and greater uniformity amongst the Provinces.