AUSTRALIA

1
PRESENTATION

• AUSTRALIA
• SOUTH AFRICA
• LOCAL GOVERNANCE PARTNERSHIP
• 7 NOVEMBER 2002
• G J R GREVELING

2
PURPOSE OF EXCHANGE

• Enhance capacity of Kwanaloga to assist
  municipalities

3
TERMS OF REFERENCE

• Training
• Performance management sec 57 employees
• Governance
• Gender
• Western Australian Local Government

4
METHODOLOGY TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE

• Most time spent at Walga exposure culture, work
  ethics general functioning
• Local government week
• Individual interviews
• Attend training course

5
TRAININGWALGA TRAINING

• Walga developed training programmes for all
  councillors to ensure compliance with statutory
  obligations
• Training needs identified through consultation
  with all stakeholders

6
WALGA TRAINING CONT.

• Training is outcomes based
• competencies that must be acquired
• Training material owed by asso- ciation
• Facilitators appointed by asso- ciation

7
WALGA TRAINING CONT.

• Learnerships implemented at municipal level
  central govern- ment in some instances provide
  subsidy

8
NATIONAL TRAINING FRAMEWORK

• Nationally new training package introduced for
  local government in 2000
• Competencies recognised as basis for national
  qualifications
• Competency focus on what employee is expected to
  do as oppose to learning

9
NATIONAL TRAINING CONT.

• Identify what people need to do in their jobs
• Identify what they need to know to do job
• Standard of performance required to do job as
  expected by enterprise

10
NATIONAL TRAINING CONT.

• Competency standards used to develop job
  descriptions
• Performance reviews imple- mented by using
  competency standards
• Prior qualifications and informal learning
  recognised through process of assessment

11
NATIONAL TRAINING CONT.

• Councillors and officials can obtain formal
  qualifications in local government
• Certificates
• Diplomas
• Advanced diplomas

12
NATIONAL TRAINING CONT.

• Place emphasis on language literacy and numeracy
  needs prior to training
• Conducts pre-training question-
• naire on
• Educational background
• First language
• Specific needs of participants

13
NATIONAL TRAINING CONT.

• Previous training conducted
• Why participating in course

14
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

• A culture of performance management exist
• Compulsory for all employees since 1995
  introduced through legislation
• One review per annum

15
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT CONT.

• CEO reviewed by council other employees reviewed
  by CEO delegate to line managers but remain
  accountable
• Training and development method most commonly
  used as opposed to scoring system

16
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT CONT.

• This involves open and free discussion within
  overall performance of organisation
• This method allows council to assess strengths
  and weak- nesses of CEO in specific areas

17
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT CONT.

• This in turn lead to training and development to
  fill gaps in knowledge and expertise
• All employees only receive one adjustment to
  salary no specific cost of living or performance
  adjustment see it as problematic to adjust the
  salary at same time as measuring performance

18
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT CONT.

• City of Perth have performance system that have
  four compo- nents
• Vision and leadership
• Provide strategic direction
• Facilitate workplace effectiveness
• Formulate business strategies

19
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT CONT.

• Strategic goal management
• Formulate business strategies
• Manage change
• Manage risk

20
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT CONT.

• People management and custo- mers
• Manage delivery of quality client service
• Facilitate people management

21
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT CONT.

• Performance and task manage- ment
• Manage financial resources
• Manage resources

22
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT CONT.

• Team management applied in respect to outside
  employees
• Team evaluates performance of team members
• Performance management not seen as opportunity to
  dismiss employees

23
GOVERNANCE

• Every council have a four year principle
  activities plan that is developed by council and
  also published for public comment
• This plan is the same as our IDP program

24
GOVERNANCE CONT.

• The roles and functions of councillors as opposed
  to officials are clearly defined in the Local
  Government Act
• Council agendas are developed by officials with
  very little or no council involvement

25
GOVERNANCE CONT.

• Council agendas, minutes and four year activities
  plan available where public pays accounts
• Council plays no part in discipline of employees
  with the exception of the CEO whilst the senior
  managers cannot be dismissed without council
  consent

26
GOVERNANCE CONT.

• Collective bargaining is done with unions by
  officials of council with no council involvement
• Appointments of officials are the responsibility
  of the CEO whilst the council is responsible for
  appointment of CEO

27
GOVERNANCE CONT.

• Appointments of officials are the responsibility
  of the CEO whilst the council is responsible for
  appointment of CEO

28
GOVERNANCE CONT.

• Should council decide not to accept
  recommendation of CEO then council must provide
  reasons for non acceptance but cannot substitute
  the recom- mendation of CEO with their
  recommendation

29
GOVERNANCE CONT.

• Majority of income are from rates and services
  whilst grants are also received from central
  government
• Development of projects in councils are not
  addressed in isolation to sustainability of
  projects in the long term

30
GOVERNANCE CONT.

• Alternative funding constantly investigated and
  factors that impacts on future income such as an
  ageing population is identified
• Meetings with public held in bigger councils once
  every 3 months

31
GOVERNANCE CONT.

• Council provide secretariat for these meetings
• Any questions that cannot be responded to
  immediately is addressed in writing to person
  that asked the question

32
GOVERNANCE CONT.

• The following skills identified during a training
  workshop as important for councillors
• Listening skills
• Communication skills
• Common sense
• Mediation skills

33
GOVERNANCE CONT.

• Councillors receive a maximum attendance
  allowance of 6000 per annum plus cell phone
  allowance of 2000 per annum

34
GOVERNANCE CONT.

• The minister of local government can remove a
  council for failure to provide good government
  cannot only remove an individual
• Establishment of tribunal can resolve the current
  problem

35
GENDER

• Women in Australia like in South Africa under
  represented in local government in Australia
• 30 of councillors
• 15 of mayors
• 10 of senior executives

36
GENDER CONT.

• Established a women's asso- ciation
• Activities include
• Act as information base for women
• Hold conferences, seminars and workshops on
  issues of interest to women

37
GENDER ACTIVITIES CONT.

• Run mentor bank
• Speak to schools and community groups about
  careers for women in local government
• Arrange networking and support for women in local
  government

38
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

• Association launched on 6 December 2002
• The association has a member- ship of 143 out of
  possible 144 municipalities

39
COMPARISON BETWEEN KWANALOGA AND WALGA

• Kwanaloga staff - 13 employees
• Walga staff - 63 employees
• Kwanaloga member munici- palities - 61
• Walga member municipalities - 143

40
COMPARISON CONT.

• Kwanaloga budget R6 million
• Walga budget 14 million R 84 million
• Kwanaloga sources of income
• Membership fee

41
COMPARISON CONT.

• Walga sources of income
• Membership fee
• Grant funding central government
• Services Income
• Kwanaloga number councillors - 1781
• Walga number councillors - 1400

42
COMPARISON CONT.

• Kwanaloga population - 8.4 million
• Walga population - 1.2 million
• Kwanaloga employees in local government - 32 000
• Walga employees in local government 12 000

43
SERVICES PROVIDED BY WALGA

• TWO MAIN STREAMS
• POLICY
• SERVICES

44
SERVICES PROVIDED BY WALGA CONT.

• POLICY
• ROLE AND FUNCTION
• Investigate the issues of highest priority to
  Western Australia Local Government

45
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• Determine a collective position on these
• Give effective voice through program of advocacy
  targeted at key decision makers in local
  government

46
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• THREE CORE OBJECTIVES
• Create strategic relationships through which
  influence can be exerted
• Pursue continued increased funding to benefit
  local government

47
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• Maintain and expand local government political
  autonomy

48
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• THE FOLLOWING POLICY MATTERS ARE COVERED BY
  ASSOCIATION
• Community development
• Environment
• Health
• Intergovernmental relations

49
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• Governance
• Transport
• Waste management

50
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• SERVICES
• Majority of services provided in partnership with
  other service providers
• Work place relations services similar to labour
  relations service of kwanaloga

51
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• Members have to pay additional for the following
  services
• Advice and support on drafting and negotiating of
  collective agree- ments at local or central level

52
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• Facilitation of CEO and senior management
  performance review
• Executive recruitment and selec- tion and
  development of employ- ment contracts

53
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• COMMERCIAL SERVICES
• Purpose of this service is to harness the
  purchasing power of local government
• The core contracts that current- ly exist

54
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• Advertising
• Corporate wear
• Telecommunications
• Hotel accommodation
• Travel management

55
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• FOR EXAMPLE
• ADVERTISING
• Ass. negotiated with biggest news- paper group
  reduce advertising rates for local government

56
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• Rebates given to municipalities on level of use
• Placing merit done by municipality with
  advertising agent
• Account send to association for settlement
• Association bills the municipality

57
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• Advertising service mainly used for tenders, town
  planning recruitment and any statutory
  obligations necessitate adverti- sing
• Ass. provided with free column in newspaper every
  Wednesday and Saturday

58
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• INSURANCE SERVICE
• Biggest money earner for Ass.
• Joint venture with international insurance
  company
• Coverage relate to all risk and workers
  compensation

59
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• Largest self insurance operation in Western
  Australia
• Under these schemes local government pools their
  workers compensation and liability premiums and
  establishes own fund to cover claims

60
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• Differ from traditional insurance as
  participating municipalities own it and any
  surplus is retained as net assets

61
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• The savings achieved on payment of premiums the
  scheme is not for profit insurance companies
  have large administrations and adverti- sing cost
  plus profit margins this cost no longer paid by
  munici- palities
• As reserves are built up it allows for further
  reductions on premiums

62
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• Current scheme provides 100 million R600
  million public liability cover and 25 million
  R150 million professional indemnity cover
• This is much higher than what councils enjoyed
  individually

63
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• Scheme supervised by board of management with
  extensive experience in both local government and
  insurance
• Took some time to establish as insurance firms
  wanted to protect their interest 100 of munici-
  palities participate on this scheme

64
SERVICES PROVIDED CONT.

• The commercial services will allow Ass. to grow
  whilst it will ensure that membership fees will
  not be the only source of income membership fees
  should remain static and possibly reduce as these
  services are introduced

65
OTHER IMPORTANT FINDINGS DURING OUR VISIT

• Local government not recognised in constitution
  this leads to local government not always
  consulted on matters effecting local government
  current attempt to enter agreement with
  provincial government to ensure consultation
  prior to any decision that impacts on local
  government.

66
IMPORTANT FINDINGS CONT.

• All mail, e-mail, fax received at central point
  where it is opened prior to sending on.
• Rates not paid can prosecute or charge
  outstanding debt as charge against land which is
  recovered when property is sold.

67
IMPORTANT FINDINGS CONT.

• Will sell property if rates outstanding for
  longer than 3 years.
• Incentive for early payment of rates given by
  awarding cash prices.
• Special dispensation for pay- ment of rates for
  pensioners.

68
IMPORTANT FINDINGS CONT.

• TWO OPTIONS
• Pay rates in full receive 50 discount.
• Can accumulate rates as charge against property
  and debt paid on death of property owner.
• Grants are received from central government.

69
IMPORTANT FINDINGS CONT.

• GENERAL GRANT UNCONDITIONAL
• Purpose to ensure munici- palities can provide
  service on same level to all residents.
• Two Components

70
IMPORTANT FINDINGS CONT.

• Number of residents
• Weighted disability factors which makes it more
  difficult to provide service or develop an area.
• SPECIFIC GRANTS ROADS

71
IMPORTANT FINDINGS CONT.

• Council minutes provided to council 48 hours
  after meeting
• Minister can remove council for lack of good
  government

72
IMPORTANT FINDINGS CONT.

• This is measured in terms of
• Its decision making
• Community participation in its decision and
  affairs
• Its accountability to its com- munity and its
  effectiveness

73
IMPORTANT FINDINGS CONT.

• Amalgamation of municipalities are voluntarily
• No advantage for councils to amalgamate as this
  lead to reduction in grants received
• Councils have minimum of 5 and maximum of 17
  councillors

74
IMPORTANT FINDINGS CONT.

• Lessons learned
• Training
• Co-ordinated approached
• Career path local government
• Alignment of training to competencies and skills
• Consultation with stake hol- ders

75
IMPORTANT FINDINGS CONT.

• PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
• Developmental approached as opposed to scoring
  system
• GOVERNANCE
• Roles clearly defined Councillors and officials

76
IMPORTANT FINDINGS CONT.

• GOVERNANCE CONT.
• Development not addressed in isolation to
  sustainability
• No formal recognition for local government
• Community access to Council Agendas, Minutes and
  Busi- ness Plan

77
IMPORTANT FINDINGS

• GOVERNANCE CONT
• Feedback forms to respond on performance of
  council
• GENDER
• Women also under represen- ted in local
  government in Australia

78
IMPORTANT FINDINGS CONT

• WALGA
• Membership fees need not be only source of income
• Focus services without sacri- ficing policy
  development

79
IMPORTANT FINDINGS CONT

• WALGA CONT
• Importance of partnership arrange- ments with
  private sector
• One stop shop for all information on local
  government