The Canada / South Africa Provincial Twinning Project's contribution to strengthening South African provincial governments
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Date
Oct-05
Authors
Minja, Lynn Amelia
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
Afrikaans: Vennootskapsooreenkomste word as bestuursinstrumente in die openbare, privaat en vrywilligheidsektore gebruik. Dit is die
afgelope jare toenemend aangewend as ‘n meganisme om kapasiteit in die regeringsektor te ontwikkel. Die Kanadese
Internasionale Ontwikkelingsagentskap (CIDA) het tussen 2000 en 2004 ‘n soortgelyke vennootskapsooreenkoms, te wete,
die Kanada Suid-Afrika Provinsiale Vennootskapsprojek, ten opsigte van regeringsamewerking befonds. Die Instituut vir
Publieke Administrasie van Kanada (IPAC) het as die uitvoerende agentskap vir hierdie vennootskapsooreenkoms gedien.
Die kantore van die projek was gesetel by die Universiteit van die Vrystaat, Bloemfontein, Suid Afrika en die
Staatsdienskommissie, Regina, Saskatchewan, Kanada.
Die doel van die projek was om Suid Afrikaanse provinsiale regerings te versterk deur hulle te verbind met Kanadese
provinsiale regerings. Die primêre vraag wat in hierdie studie ondersoek is, was dus of die vennootskapsooreenkomste as
bestuursinstrumente demokratiese regering in die nuwe Suid Afrikaanse provinsiale regerings kon versterk deur middel van
hulpverlening op ‘n vrywillige grondslag deur Kanadese ampsgenote. Die studie het die totale tydsduur van die
vennootskapsooreenkoms ingesluit.
Kanadese provinsiale regerings het geleenthede gebied aan Suid Afrikaanse provinsiale regerings om ondersoek in te stel na
strukture, prosesse en diensleweringsmodelle en het ook met hulle gedeel oor die onderliggende beginsels van en lesse geleer
tydens bekendstelling en implementering. Suid Afrikaanse openbare amptenare is die geleentheid gebied om hul Kanadese
ampsgenote te evalueer in terme van elemente van hul werk wat ooreenstemmend is. Hulle het die nodige veranderinge in
hul werksomgewing ingestel en die nodige leierskap verskaf vir die goedkeuring, verfyning, implementering en voortgesette
gebruik van sodanige veranderinge.
Elke Suid Afrikaanse provinsie en elke vennootskap het spesifieke resultate wat gedokumenteer is, opgelewer. Van die
resultate het verband gehou met aspekte wat met die projek geintegreer is,insluitend geslagsgelykheid, volhoubare
ontwikkeling, armoedeverligting en HIV/VIGS. Beleide, programme, metodes en hulpbronne wat deur een provinsie
ontwikkel is, is gedeel met, en word tans nog gedeel met ander provinsies sowel as ander Afrika lande. Die resultate het ‘n
hoë vlak van volhoubaarheid gehad, want dit is onderskryf deur senior amptenare en verkose politieke ampsdraers, gebaseer
op beginsels wat aangepas is vir plaaslike omstandighede en geïnkorporeer is by die regering se agenda sowel as provinsiale
begrotings.
Teen die einde van die Vennootskapsooreenkomsprojek, het die gedokumenteerde resultate aangedui dat daar wel kapasiteit
in die Suid Afrikaanse provinsiale regerings ontwikkel is. Kapasiteit is gebou deur vaardighede te verbeter in terme van
individue, groepe binne provinsiale regerings in terme van besluitneming, masjinerie van regering, menslike hulpbronne en
programontwikkeling en lewering. Kapasiteit is ontwikkel deur die verkryging en deel van kennis sowel as die toepassing
van hierdie kennis. Die leer van nuwe idees en inligting relevant tot mense se provinsies het in elke aktiwiteit plaasgevind in
elke provinsie. Kennisdeling en kundigheid het wyd in die werksomgewing voorgekom deur die ontwikkeling van
leernetwerke.
Prestasiemeting, spesifiek resultaat gebaseerde bestuur, was die instrument wat deur die Venootskapsooreenkomsprojek
gebruik is om resultate te identifiseer, te meet en te rapporteer. Hoewel al die deelnemers die meting van prestasie en
dokumentering van resultate ondersteun het, is bevind dat die stelsel wat deur die befondsingsagentskap gebruik word rigied
en nie koste-effektief is nie. Onduidelikhede in terme van rolverdeling en verantwoordelikhede is ander uitdagings wat
ervaar is.
Verskeie voorbeelde waar die Vennootskapsooreenkomsprojek aan die geïdentifiseerde beste praktyke voldoen en dit selfs
oortref het, is geïdentifiseer. Voorbeelde sluit in die effektiewe gebruik van die vennootskap as instrument, die oordrag van
kennis, kapasiteitsontwikkeling, samewerkende vennootskappe, en vrywillige deelname. Die
Vennootskapsooreenkomsprojek het hoë vlakke van volhoubaarheid gedemonstreer indien gemeet word aan die kriteria van
plaaslike eienaarskap, relevansie, omvattendheid, vennootskappe, skakeling en stabiliteit. Netwerke wat deur middel van die
Vennootskapsooreenkomsprojek vasgestel is sowel as dié buite die projek het die deel van gemeenskaplike waardes
beklemtoon en het bygedra tot die ontwikkeling van blywende vriendskappe en verhoudinge tussen die Suid Afrikaanse en
Kanadese provinsies.
Die algemene ervaring van die twee lande met die vennootskapsooreenkoms as instrument was positief. Die vennootskappe
het gehelp om die kapasiteit van sentrale agentskappe en lyndepartemente te bou. Dit het staatsamptenare gehelp om kennis
en vaardighede te bou wat nodig is vir die ontwikkeling en implementering van beleide en programme, en om die
verwagtinge van die publiek en agenda van verkose politieke ampsdraers te bevorder. Hierdie projek het bygedra tot ‘n
sterker fondament vir demokratiese provinsiale regering sowel as samewerkende regering.
English: Twinning is a widely used instrument in the public, private and voluntary sectors. In recent years it has come to be used as a mechanism for building capacity in governance. Between 2000 and 2004 the Canadian government, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), funded the Canada South Africa Provincial Twinning Project, a twinning project on governance. The Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) served as the executing agency for this project. The offices of the project were located in the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa and the Public Service Commission, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The purpose of this project was to strengthen the South African provincial governments by matching them with Canadian provincial governments. The primary question examined in this study, therefore, was whether the instrument of twinning could strengthen democratic governance in new provincial South African governments when small injections of assistance from Canadian provincial governments were provided on a voluntary basis. The study covered the duration of the Twinning Project. Canadian provincial governments provided opportunities for South African provincial governments to examine structures, processes, programs, and service delivery models and shared with them the underpinning principles and the lessons learned during introduction and implementation. South African public servants evaluated their counterparts’ information and selected those elements that were relevant to their provinces’ needs. They introduced the desired changes to their own governments and provided the leadership needed for their adoption, refinement, implementation and continued use. Each South African province and every partnership achieved results, with many specific results documented. Some of the results responded to cross cutting issues including gender equality, sustainable development, poverty reduction, and HIV/AIDS. Polices, programs, methods, and resources developed by one province were shared with, and can continue to be shared with and used by, other provinces and other African countries. The results had a high level of sustainability because they were supported by senior officials and elected office holders, based on principles, adapted to local conditions, incorporated into the business of government, and funded in provincial budgets. By the end of the Twinning Project, the results documented indicated that much capacity had been developed in the South African provincial governments. Capacity had been developed by strengthening competencies of individuals, groups and provincial governments in the areas of decision making, machinery of government, human resources, and program development and delivery. Capacity was developed through the acquisition and sharing of knowledge as well as the application of knowledge. Learning of new ideas and information relevant to one’s province occurred in every activity and every province. Sharing of information and expertise occurred widely in the workplace and through the development of learning networks. Performance measurement, specifically results based management, was the tool the Twinning Project used to identify, measure and report results. While all participants supported the measuring of performance and documenting of results, the system used by the funding agency, in its current iteration, was found to be rigid, onerous, costly and unwieldy. Ambiguities in roles, requirements and responsibilities were other challenges. Many examples of the Twinning Project meeting or exceeding the benchmarks of best practices were identified. Such examples included effective use of the twinning instrument, knowledge transfer, capacity development, collaborative partnerships, and voluntarism. The Twinning Project demonstrated high levels of sustainabilty when benchmarked against the critieria of local ownership, relevance, results, inclusiveness, partnerships, linkages and stability. Linkages, both those established within and those established outside of the Twinning Project, supported the sharing of common values and contributed to the development of long lasting friendships and relationships between the South African and Canadian provinces. The overall experience of the two countries, with the twinning instrument, was positive. The twinnings helped build the capacity of central agencies and line departments. They helped public servants to acquire and apply the knowledge and skills needed to develop and implement policies and programs, and to meet the expectations of the public and commitments of the elected representatives. This strengthening contributed to a stronger foundation for democratic provincial governance as well as co-operative governance.
English: Twinning is a widely used instrument in the public, private and voluntary sectors. In recent years it has come to be used as a mechanism for building capacity in governance. Between 2000 and 2004 the Canadian government, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), funded the Canada South Africa Provincial Twinning Project, a twinning project on governance. The Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) served as the executing agency for this project. The offices of the project were located in the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa and the Public Service Commission, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The purpose of this project was to strengthen the South African provincial governments by matching them with Canadian provincial governments. The primary question examined in this study, therefore, was whether the instrument of twinning could strengthen democratic governance in new provincial South African governments when small injections of assistance from Canadian provincial governments were provided on a voluntary basis. The study covered the duration of the Twinning Project. Canadian provincial governments provided opportunities for South African provincial governments to examine structures, processes, programs, and service delivery models and shared with them the underpinning principles and the lessons learned during introduction and implementation. South African public servants evaluated their counterparts’ information and selected those elements that were relevant to their provinces’ needs. They introduced the desired changes to their own governments and provided the leadership needed for their adoption, refinement, implementation and continued use. Each South African province and every partnership achieved results, with many specific results documented. Some of the results responded to cross cutting issues including gender equality, sustainable development, poverty reduction, and HIV/AIDS. Polices, programs, methods, and resources developed by one province were shared with, and can continue to be shared with and used by, other provinces and other African countries. The results had a high level of sustainability because they were supported by senior officials and elected office holders, based on principles, adapted to local conditions, incorporated into the business of government, and funded in provincial budgets. By the end of the Twinning Project, the results documented indicated that much capacity had been developed in the South African provincial governments. Capacity had been developed by strengthening competencies of individuals, groups and provincial governments in the areas of decision making, machinery of government, human resources, and program development and delivery. Capacity was developed through the acquisition and sharing of knowledge as well as the application of knowledge. Learning of new ideas and information relevant to one’s province occurred in every activity and every province. Sharing of information and expertise occurred widely in the workplace and through the development of learning networks. Performance measurement, specifically results based management, was the tool the Twinning Project used to identify, measure and report results. While all participants supported the measuring of performance and documenting of results, the system used by the funding agency, in its current iteration, was found to be rigid, onerous, costly and unwieldy. Ambiguities in roles, requirements and responsibilities were other challenges. Many examples of the Twinning Project meeting or exceeding the benchmarks of best practices were identified. Such examples included effective use of the twinning instrument, knowledge transfer, capacity development, collaborative partnerships, and voluntarism. The Twinning Project demonstrated high levels of sustainabilty when benchmarked against the critieria of local ownership, relevance, results, inclusiveness, partnerships, linkages and stability. Linkages, both those established within and those established outside of the Twinning Project, supported the sharing of common values and contributed to the development of long lasting friendships and relationships between the South African and Canadian provinces. The overall experience of the two countries, with the twinning instrument, was positive. The twinnings helped build the capacity of central agencies and line departments. They helped public servants to acquire and apply the knowledge and skills needed to develop and implement policies and programs, and to meet the expectations of the public and commitments of the elected representatives. This strengthening contributed to a stronger foundation for democratic provincial governance as well as co-operative governance.
Description
Thesis (Ph.D. (Public Management))--University of the Free State, 2005
Keywords
Public administration -- South Africa, Provincial governments -- South Africa, Comparative government, South Africa -- Politics and government