Local Government Sector Education Training Authority

1. Local Government Sector Education Training Authority SAM MALOKA CHAIRPERSON BUDGET REVIEW REPORT 2007/8 TO PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON PROVINCIAL & LOCAL GOVERNMENT

2. Chairperson’s Report The LGSETA‘s financial year end report for the period 2007\08 ends a remarkable period in the history of the organization. The seta made significant strides in bringing key projects and programmes to fruition which largely address the seta’s key strategic priority areas; • Development of training materials for traditional leaders ( LED and Community Development) • Launch and Training of Traditional leaders • Launch of Training for Ward Committee programme • National Skills Colloquium which was held in May 2007 which assisted the sector in responding to the sector challenges pertaining to matters related to training and development The seta has also made some impact in the field of the scarce skills by providing bursaries to qualifying young learners to study in the following fields that are cornerstone to Municipalities in providing service delivery to the communities: • Electrical Engineering • Water Services • CivilEngineering An amount of R 1m has been budgeted for this purpose and to date at least an amount of R197 000 has been allocated in a form of bursaries to 20learners

3. Chairperson’s Report Cntd…/1 The funds mentioned above for bursaries may not be necessary sufficient and as the sector together with the department of education we would need to motivate and encourage learners particularly from high school level to consider technical studies as an attempt to deal with a shortage of skills in the technical field within the local government sector The seta also prides itself for the work done in development of the following learnerships that would be implemented in the next financial year: 2007/8 Municipal finance NQF level 5 & 6 Emergency service operations NQF level 4 & 5 Councilor Practice Ward Committee IDP Traditional Leadership The abovementioned qualifications could not have been successfully developed if it were not the assistance and commitment of the following strategic partners: • IMFO (Institute of Municipal Finance Officers) • SEASI (Institute of Fire Officers) • German Technical cooperation (GTZ) • DPLG • SALGA In an attempt to coordinate training and development matters within the sector, the LGSETA has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with its strategic partners, namely DPLG and SALGA to ensure that a cohesive approach in coordinating of training is achieved.

4. Chairperson’s Report Cntd…/2 The 2006/7 SSP process identified skills gaps in the sector in the following areas: • Infrastructure and service delivery • Municipal financial viability • Community based participation and planning • Management and leadership • ABET The year 2007\8 has been one of the exciting one of the seta in terms of achieving its target and hope that by the end of seta license in 2010 the seta would have complied accordingly as per service level agreement entered into with department of labour and the impact made through seta initiatives would have changed lives of ordinary people within their communities

5. Sector Skills Planning Cont…/1 The LGSETA has engaged in a series of discretionary grant funded projects to attempt to assist the sector in addressing these skills gaps.

6. Sector Skills PlanningCntd…/2 1. Research and Information Management: SSP research was conducted into scarce skills in the sector. These findings were incorporated into our Sector Skills Plan update which was signed off by the DPLG and was approved by the Dept of Labour in February 2008. The basis of the scarce skills research are the Workplace Skills Plans submitted by municipalities and municipal entities. The LGSETA has a 90% submission rate of WSPs from the sector, of a steadily improving quality. As a result our data on the sector is becoming increasingly accurate. The updated scarce skills listing has been distributed to the sector, and Skills Development Facilitators in the sector have been trained in the use of the scarce skills guide. In addition, to training on the scarce skills guide the SDFs have been trained on the use of the new WSP template, guideline and quality criteria. A new quarterly monitoring reporting schedule has been distributed to municipalities, allowing the LGSETA to capture the levels of training undertaken in the sector more accurately, and allowing us to fulfill our reporting obligations to the Dept of Labour. The template allows the LGSETA to monitor municipal expenditure on training funded by the mandatory grant. BUDGET: R2, 6m EXPNDITURE: R 1,38m

7. Comparative WSP Submissions Mandatory Grants Disbursed over two quarters = R29,3m

8. Sector Skills Planning Cntd…/3 Discretionary grant funded projects: • Training of traditional leaders ( in conjunction with the NHTL and DPLG): to date contracts worth approximately R 1,8m have been signed with: North West, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape, covering the training of approximately of 480 traditional leaders in community facilitation and local economic development. Assistance will also be given to KZN to provide ABET for traditional leaders Budget: R5m Expenditure: R1,8m • Infrastructure Asset Management training: new programme has been instituted on the training of municipal officials in infrastructure asset management. Approximately 600 officials will be trained in the first year, commencing April 2008. It is envisaged that a further 1200 will be trained later. In addition to the training, the project will register a customizedqualification in infrastructure asset management. Budget: R5,5m Expenditure: R3, 78m

9. Sector Skills Planning Cntd…/4 1.2 ABET A feasibility study was commissioned and concluded on assessing the possibility of developing a customized ABET programme relevant to the sector’s specific needs. A tender was launched and awarded to a consortium comprised of UNISA ABET Institute, and the SA Institute for Distance Education. Budget: R2.2m Expenditure: R0 It is hoped that the introduction of a streamlined focused ABET programme targeted specifically at the needs of our sector will improve the participation rates for ABET in our sector. Currently, the position is as follows: .

10. Sector Skills PlanningCntd…/5 1.3 Discretionary Grant Funded strategic projects and Scarce Skills Initiatives: 1.3.1 South African Council for the Property Valuers Profession (SACPVP): The 2006/7 SSP review demonstrated a lack of capacity within the sector to implement the Municipal Property Rates Act. Consequently, the LGSETA approved a discretionary grant funded project to be implemented in conjunction with the SACPVP and DPLG to contribute to increasing municipal capacity in this area. An amount of R 7,5m has been committed to this project over a three year period.This amount will provide bursaries for 50 students p.a. (150 bursaries over 3 years) and internships for 100 students over 3 years. Currently, 100 bursaries have been awarded ( 2007 = 50, 2008= 50). However, only 12 interns have been placed in municipalities to date, due to a scarcity of suitable candidates. Budget: R7.5m (3 years) Expenditure: R655 000 1.3.2 South African Institution for Civil Engineers (SAICE): The 2005/6 SSP Review revealed a severe shortage within in the sector of suitably qualified engineers and engineering technicians which affects the sectors capacity to deliver services. Consequently funding was set aside for both bursaries and internships and SAICE was contracted to administer the project. The project has been running for 3 years and 60 engineering bursaries have been awarded to municipal employees wishing to further their studies in engineering ( part time studies). A total of 240 engineering interns have been placed at municipalities over the three year period. The project is scheduled to continue until 2010. Budget :R1m (1 year) Expenditure: R196 000

11. Sector Skills Planning Cntd…/6 1.3.4 Institute of Municipal Finance Officers (IMFO) TheInstitute of Municipal Finance Officers was contracted to administer bursaries and internship schemes. The focus of these schemes was informed by the inadequately qualified internal audit personnel in municipalities. An amount of R 7,900, 000. 00 has been committed to this project over a three year period.This amount will provide bursaries for 100 students and internships for 100 students per annum. Bursaries will be awarded, and interns placed during April. Budget: R3.5mExpenditure: R 525 000 1.3.5 Local Government Network (LGNET)/Local Government Resource Centre (LGRC) The above project is funded by LGSETA and initiated by the Development Bank of Southern Africa. An amount of R5m was set aside for the implementation of the project during the 2007/08 period and DBSA was contracted to administer the project. About 144 Municipalities will acquire basic Information Technology knowledge and skills through this project. To date 20 municipalities have completed their training ( 223 officials). Budget: R5.7m Expenditure: R2.85m 1.3.6 Local Government Skills Audit: In conjunction with DPLG, SALGA, SAMWU and IMATU the LGSETA is implementing the sector wide skills audit of all municipal staff. The skills audit commenced in August 2007 and is scheduled to be completed by 2010. The Section 57 skills audit process has been fast tracked and will be completed by November 2008. To date, approximately 15 municipalities have been completed. A further outcome of the skills audit will be the establishment of recommendations and guidelines for staffing norms and organograms linked to service delivery needs. Budget: R15m Expenditure: R2m

12. Sector Skills Planning Cntd…/7 1.3 Discretionary Grant Funded strategic projects and Scarce Skills Initiatives: 1.3.7 Community Development Workers A grant was approved to train a further 590 community development workers, mainly in the North West and Limpopo provinces. Budget: R13m Expenditure; R6.38m

13. LEARNERSHIP In giving effect to its legislative obligations in terms of the Skills Development Act,1998 (Act No. 97 of 1998),which requires the LGSETA to establish, register, promote and administer learnerships in the Local Government Sector. The Learnership department has been involved in the following functions; • Ensuring the development of qualification and skills programmes which address the needs of the sector; • Initiating and supervising the implementation of a wide range of needs-oriented training interventions in the form of Learnerships, Skills Programmes, Apprenticeships or other types of structured learning; • Ensuring the disbursement of discretionary grants to municipalities ; Furthermore, the Department has also supported the implementation of quality Training with the commissioning and provision of comprehensive training and support material to accredited training providers to as part of a more strategic intervention.

14. LEARNERSHIP Cntd/...2 2.1 Career path and professional progression Based on the analysis of the Workplace Skills Plan and with inputs from the major stakeholders such as the Department for Provincial and Local Government (the dplg), National Treasury (NT) and SALGA the LGSETA is continuously implementing and expanding a comprehensive career path for municipal employees. The Career path and progression diagram (on slide 17) illustrates this strategy, where an employee has the chance to progress from one NQF level to another level. With this approach the professional progression of employees is supported and which will also lead to improved service delivery of local government.

15. 7 6 National National National Certificate Certificate LED Certificate Municipal Transport Finance Planning 5 National National National National National Diploma Certificate IDP Certificate Certificate in Certificate LED Municipal Transport Community Finance Planning Dev. Worker 4 National National National National National Municipal National Certificate Certificate LED Certificate Fire Certificate Certificate in Leadership Certificate Municipal & Rescue Road Traffic Community Development Environmental Finance Operations Management Development Programme Practice Worker 3 National National National Certificate: Certificate Certificate Intro to Local Councilor Environmental Government Training Practice 2 National National Certificate Certificate Ward Environmental Committee Practice Training 1 National Certificate Environmental Practice LEARNERSHIP Cntd/...3

16. LEARNERSHIP cntd/...4 2.2 Progress on the Implementation of Learnerships In the 2007 / 08 financial year, the municipalities at all levels increasingly implemented a wide range of unit standard based training, in particular Learnership programmes:

17. LEARNERSHIP cntd/...5

18. LEARNERSHIP Cntd/...5 2.3 Apprenticeships and artisan Learnerships By contributing to the national priority on scarce skills the LGSETA is also focusing on promoting and funding training in the artisan field in the form of apprenticeships or artisan Learnerships

19. LEARNERSHIP Cntd/...9 2.4.4 Municipal Finance & National Treasury Training has been completed at the cost for 380 employees to do a Municipal Finance Management Programme offered by Wits University in the eleven core National Treasury competencies for Municipal Finance Managers. The cost of training per Learners is R45 000.00. The funding is directly from municipalities assisted by national treasury Budget: R17.1m Expenditure: R17.1m A further 150 municipal finance officials are being trained as part of a partnership between IMFO and ABSA. The training is being monitored by the LGSETA and funded by ABSA bank through the University Pretoria Budget: R1.6m Expenditure: R870 000.00

20. ETQA 3. EDUCATION TRAINING QUALITY ASSURANCE (ETQA) The LGSETA in line with its re-accreditation mandate by the SAQA on 27 September 2005 has continued to fulfil its main primary functions outlined below on quality assurance of Education Training and Development within the Local Government sector. In the performance of these functions, as further discussed in this report, the LGSETA has continuously reported to SAQA on the performance of its mandatory functions and positive feedback from SAQA has been received through their monitoring and auditing, however, certain areas were identified for improvement. The LGSETA has continued to develop qualifications and standards within its primary focus areas, especially Ward Committee, Fire and Rescue, Environmental Practice, etc. This allowed the possibility of accreditation of providers that were greatly limited in some areas of training to deliver learning. It further enhanced the registration of assessors and moderators against such qualifications as scarcity continued to exist with respect to ETD Practitioners within the Local Government sector around specific fields of expertise. The LGSETA has therefore continued to ensure that all training was monitored and evaluated so that quality measures were not compromised. This report therefore highlights most of the work performed by the ETQA division in line with its quality assurance mandate. MILESTONES The LGSETA has made significant milestones in the performance of its quality assurance functions in the current financial year.

21. ETQA Cntd/..1 QUALITY PROMOTION AND PROVIDER DEVELOPMENT • The LGSETA has nationally rolled out six projects to ensure that there is a greater pool of Education Training and Development providers, Assessors, Mentors, Coaches, Moderators, and RPL Advisors are available to perform quality assurance functions in the attainment of the qualifications: • Accreditation of Providers: Provider development workshops have been completed and they are currently being supported on submitting accreditation PoEs. Approximately 30 ETD providers out of the targeted 90 (i.e. 10 per province) have submitted PoEs.. • Quality Management System: Provider development workshops have been completed and approximately 166 delegates attended workshops in all 9 provinces. A provider QMS toolkit has been developed for use by providers seeking accreditation. • Training of Assessors, Coaches and Mentors: Training has been conducted in all 9 provinces and 741 candidate Assessors/Coaches/Mentors, as opposed to the targeted 900 have been trained. All have been found competent. • Training of Moderators and Verifiers: Moderator/Verifier training has begun in the 9 provinces on the 741 Assessors found competent. This will ensure that a pool of Moderators exist in the sector. • Apprenticeships Assessment System: An pilot apprenticeship transformation project has begun at the Ekurhuleni Training Centre. The pilot aims to structure the curriculum in NQF format, develop the level 3 and level 4 assessment tools, identify and analyse learning materials for any gaps which need to be addressed

22. ETQA Cntd/..2 PROVIDER DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT FOR THE TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (TLDP) • The LGSETA has developed a TLDP at NQF level 4 to train Traditional Leaders in different provinces. • The TLDP is based on two skills programmes focusing on Local Economic Development and Community Development Worker linked to 5 unit standards • The learning material and assessment guides were developed with specific focus to LED and Community Facilitation unit standards. • A total of 25 ETD providers have been accredited and/or programme approved to deliver the TLDP and these are spread across the provinces. • The TLDP project is viewed as one of the successful projects that focuses on providing quality training for AmaKhosi.

23. ETQA Cntd/..3 STANDARDS GENERATION The LGSETA and SAQA set up a Joint Implementation Plan (JIP) to facilitate and fast track the generation of qualifications and their associated unit standards in the various fields within Local Government. • 24 registered qualifications have been accredited to the LGSETA, • All these qualifications have been supported by the JIP process between SAQA and the LGSETA. • Bi-monthly meetings are held with SAQA’s Standards Setting Directorate. • The LGSETA is proud to highlight that a number of training providers have been accredited against these qualifications and this also includes SMME training providers. • Further development of these qualifications to higher NQF levels is envisaged to ensure articulation and career pathing possibilities.

24. ETQA Cntd/..4 ACCREDITED AND PROGRAMME APPROVED PROVIDERS The LGSETA is proud to highlight that a total number of 96 providers have accredited and programme approved within the current financial year. Most of the training providers have been accredited against full qualifications and this has assisted the LGSETA to ensure that the learners enrolled attained full recognition of their achievements against registered qualifications.

25. ETQA Cntd/..5

26. ETQA Cntd/..6

27. FINANCE & IT 7.LGSETA FINANCES AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY The mandate of the Finance and IT Department is to plan , execute and to efficiently manage the finances of the LGSETA to ensure that assets of the organisation are properly managed , safeguarded and that a fair and transparent procurement system is implemented in terms of the LGSETA policy and applicable legislation in this regard. In streamlining the objectives of the Finance and IT Department, the Finance \Tender Committee plays an important role in ensuring effective and transparent control over the financial processes and procedures which have been implemented to ensure to ensure that the finances of the LGSETA are efficiently managed. The Finance/Tender committee has met three times during the 2007\8 financial year. The Committee approved tenders and recommended policies to the EXCO for approval. The following internal audits were completed during the year under review: • Finance and administration • Governance and regulatory • Human Resources • Procurement and programmes • Information Technology system • The reports of the independent Internal Auditors are submitted to the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee has met five times during the year under review and both the internal and external audit reports were dealt with accordingly at these meetings.

28. FINANCE & IT Cntd… 1 SKILLS DEVELOPMENT LEVY INCOME AND EXPENDITURE In terms of section 3(1) and 3(4) of the Skills Development Act, 1999(Act no 9of 1999), registered member companies of the LGSETA pay a skills development levy of 1% of the total payroll cost to the South African Revenue Services who then collects the levies on behalf of the Department of Labour. The Department of Labour transfers eighty percent of the total skills development levy paid by employers in the sector to the LGSETA and twenty percent to the National Skills Authority Fund of which two percent is paid to SARS for collecting skills development levies. It must be noted that LGSETA Database currently makes provision for demarcation code for employers within the local government sector and therefore “other “ in the charts below represents employers in the sector including employers which have been incorrectly registered with the LGSETA. The total Skills Development Levy Income accounted by the LGSETA as at 31 Dec 2007 for the 2007\8 financial year amounts to R125,5 million

29. LGSETA ADMIN LEVIES VS EXPENDITURE2003 TO 2008

30. FINANCE& IT cntd/..3

31. FINANCE & ITcntd/..4

32. FINANCE & IT Cntd/…5 Discretionary Grant Income & Expenditure The Discretionary Fund comprise of 20% (2005: 10%) Discretionary Grant income from the Skills Development Levy, interest and penalties paid by employers in the sector, interest accrued, unspent income for administration from previous years and unclaimed Mandatory Grant income which have been transferred to the Discretionary Fund and interest accrued. The Executive Committee have approved funding to be utilized during the 2005 – 2010 financial years from the Discretionary Fund for Discretionary Grants and Special Projects with the aim of strengthening training activities in the sector through support to learnerships, skills programmes and apprenticeships, to address the priorities identified in the LGSETA Sector Skills Plan and to meet NSDS targets in accordance with the MOU with the Department of Labour. An amount of R21 million has been disbursed from Discretionary Funds to the end of December 2007. The projects which have not been completed during the 2007/2008 financial year will continue in the 2008/2009-Financial Year. Further sector priorities had been identified and funds have been allocated from the Discretionary Fund accordingly to be utilized during the 2005-2010 financial year. CONCLUSION Given the challenges faced by the sector in particular to continuous restructuring of municipal staff strictures much has been done in terms training and development but one cannot disregard that the local government sector is one of the most politicized environment and in certain instances such conditions may interferer with delivery of training including seta projects that impacts towards negative impacts in achieving seta targets

33. CONCLUSION THANK YOU!