INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY IN THE UMGUNGUNDLOVU REGION Presentation to Chief Director: Umgungundlovu Region Date: 14 October 2005

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INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY IN THE
UMGUNGUNDLOVU REGIONPresentation to Chief
Director Umgungundlovu Region Date 14 October
2005
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Overview

• Key messages
• Situation analysis
• Complication
• Resolution

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Key Message

• Current non transparent and inefficient processes
  can be radically overhauled to improve service
  delivery

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Situation

• Overly complicated and non transparent process of
  infrastructure planning, without link to budget,
  including poor consultation and communication
  with stakeholders such as community, principals,
  governing bodies etc resulting in inadequate and
  inappropriate products and dissatisfaction
  amongst stakeholders

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Situation

• 1415 schools in region (2005)
• 565 375 learners (2003)
• Shortfall of 2270 classrooms in the region (on 1
  40 norm, disregarding specialist rooms)
• Excessive response time on maintenance requests
• Principals office petrol bombed, reported on 13
  September but no action yet
• Conservancy tank at school overflowing, reported
  in March 2001 but still not attended to
• Burst water pipe reported in September and now
  water bill is R7000 per month

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(No Transcript)
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Situation

• Complicated and non transparent processes for
  addressing need for new buildings, additions and
  repairs.
• Reporting of needs happens either to Mr Bulcock
  or department of Works or Municipality. Seems as
  if Mr Bulcock is contact point for 1415 schools
• Budget centralised at head office for new
  buildings, additions and upgrades, at region for
  maintenance.

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Pace of response things are not happening at
the pace they should and the Department of
Education should be man enough to admit this

• Information base for doing prioritisation flawed
  EMIS information is suspect at best of times

Classrooms needed badly more classrooms in
schools is promised every year and is not at all
fulfilled we have the problem that projects
should have been done in 2001 but up to now
nothing..
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Situation

• No input and accountability from other layers and
  managers especially circuits and wards
• One Director in head office dealing with 5695
  schools

At present it is extremely difficult to provide
exact details on the number, type, conditions and
utilisation of all school building and related
infrastructure KZN DOE infrastructure plan
2005/06
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Situation

• Delivery rate vs need? (2 new schools built since
  1994. In 2005 budget monies allocated to 6
  schools but not one has taken off yet)
• Turnaround time for maintenance request from
  region to Works for quote around 2 months.
  Average 30 requests per region per month (low
  relative to number of schools - 25 per year)
  Poor tracking of requests due to various channels
  to obtain quote
• Average cost of classroom at R3300 per sq meter

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Building costs for class rooms seem high
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Complication

• School budgets which should be used for
  educational purposes are channeled towards
  infrastructure maintenance
• Feedback loop to inform principals on status of
  their requests does not exist
• Track on expenditure of maintenance budget non
  existent
• Unclear consultation process with principals
  feeling that not enough inputs are given
• Roles of all stakeholders not clear

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Complication

• Demographic shifts makes infrastructure planning
  difficult e.g. Inter provincial migration of
  learners from Eastern Cape (120 out of 1035
  pupils in one school)
• No link between project approval and budget
  available
• Physical planning process driven by units in
  regions and head office, both understaffed.

Post Total Filled Vacant
CES 1 1 0
DCES 3 2 1
FES 4 1 3
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Complication

• No feedback to principals on progress with regard
  to priority position of project
• Criteria that determine priority not clearly
  defined and communicated
• Inappropriate skills for planning and project
  management
• No clarity exists in the role the ward and
  circuit level should perform.
• Process change not communicated for example the
  change to put requests through regional office to
  Works

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Complication

• No system documented. Institutional memory
  captured in specific individuals
• Organisational misplacement of unit with
  supervisory skills not in line with those needed
  for oversight of unit
• Implementation agent is Works department with
  their own capacity constraints

• Principal requests more classrooms but head
  office insists that they will build storerooms
• Kwa Mpungose school built with oversupply of
  classrooms even though the oversupply was
  indicated by the principal before construction
  was completed

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Resolution

• PROCESS SIMPLIFICATION
• MAINTENANCE FOR AMOUNTS NOT EXCEEDING R5000
• Decentralise budget to ward for section 20
  Schools and for section 21 schools to the school
  itself R25 000 per school
• Establish database of SME service providers in
  local community with long term contracts. To be
  used with 3 quote system and on rotational basis
• Publish one page idiots guide with process map
  for all schools,principals and inspectors
• Pilot in one ward per district before rollout

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A process map for maintenance under R5000
(Section 20)
School requests
Submits to Ward
Commission
Obtain 3 Quotes from service provider
Selection
Signs off
Ward Pays
School
Ward
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A process map for maintenance under R5000
(Section 21)
School requests
Commission
Obtain 3 Quotes from service providers
Selection
Signs off
School Pays
School
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Resolution

• MAINTENACE EXCEEDING R5000
• Remaining budget to be retained in Regional
  Office
• Submit request to works and copy regional office
  see process map
• Publish standard operating procedure and
  communicate to all stakeholders
• Pilot as indicated for amounts not exceeding R5000

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A parallel process for major repair submissions
would speed up the process
Approves budgets
School requests
Copy to Region
Region Logs On database
Submits to Works
Investigate Estimate
To Reg.Off For approval
Tenders/ Quotes
Commissions Repair
Signs off
School
Principal Signs off
Pay Works Contractor
Region
Works
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Resolution

• New Schools/Upgrades and Additions
• Link 3 year planning cycle to MTEF thus one
  planning session every three years
• Publish clear and simple criteria for
  prioritisation which must be transparent.
• Publish idiots guide and process maps for all
  stakeholders

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Resolution

• COMMUNICATION AND CONSULTATION
• Establish District Principals Forum (or existing
  structure)
• To include principals,SEMs and relevant staff
  from the region where necessary
• Forum to meet quarterly to minimise periods away
  from school
• Deal with all issues relevant to functionality of
  schools
• For new schools
• Ward Committes/Councillors and principals with
  schools in close proximity
• For Upgrades and Additions
• SGBs and Prinicipal

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Resolution

• FEEDBACK
• Once priority list is finalised it must indicate
  only funded projects which must be communicated
  to principals and SEMs in writing
• Develop and set up M E tracking system in
  Regional Office Client updates every 2 months
• Publish service standards including turnaround
  times

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Resolution

• TACKLE BACKLOGS THROUGH ACCELERATED DELIVERY
  PROCESS PROJECT ACCELERATE
• Establish Project office War Room
• Use extra capacity, freed from line duties to
  focus on backlog
• Draw in IDIP for technical support
• Mobilise EPWP process and resources
• Utilise excess personnel that can be deployed
  from Education and other departments
• Undertake needs assessment for ECD and Special
  Schools in consultation with Social Welfare

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Resolution

• LOBBY FOR DECENTRALISATION OF CAPITAL BUDGET FROM
  HEAD OFFICE TO REGION
• Region to manage both capital and current budget

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Areas for further attention

• Expenditure tracking
• Allocation of budget and link to other
  role-players such as Head Office and Works
• More innovative responses such as Enviro loo,
  more mobile classes etc.
• Required skills levels in relation to existing
  skills
• Investigate current cost structures