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ORGANISATIONAL FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS CASE STUDY

OFA FINDINGS linkages between Departmental HR, Infrastructure and IT
plans and their dependencies and impact on organisational
Poor alignment of organogram to the Strategy functionality and productivity.
Value of Service Delivery Model Lessons Learned
Alignment of SMS Performance Agreements to
APP In providing technical assistance to departments on conducting
Lack of Terms of Reference for Governance the OFA, the DPSA have found a number of important factors
that support successful implementation of OFA. During the
Structures post assessment analysis between the DPSA and departments
Poor Alignment of Delegations the following issues have often been raised in discussions and
departments indicated that the issues discussed below will be
Importance of Change Management handled differently when they conduct a second OFA.

Value of Business Process Mapping • OFA requires a high level of commitment from the host
Value of Standard Operation Procedures department. The success of the OFA is enhanced
when the Head of Department sponsors the project
ICT Infrastructure and Connectivity and communicates specific objectives that the process
should achieve.
Development of Staff • On reflection of the OFA process, departments realise
the value of a project plan with assigned roles and
Alignment of HR and Related Plans responsibilities. This is important to ensure that
nominated project members can be held accountable
for responsibilities assigned to them in the project
Importance of Change Management: The reorganisation of
departments often brings uncertainty and fear to employees plan. The challenge with accountability can further
about their future. In engagements with employees in a high be resolved where the Head of Department nominates
number of departments (76%), frustrations were expressed project members and assigns project responsibility
at the lack of clear and concise information on organisational to a senior manager The frequent changes in the
change initiatives. Departments have addressed this problem composition of the work streams conducting the
in a planned and focused manner through an approved assessment from start to finish is an important factor in
change management strategy and communication plan. the process taking longer than anticipated during the
planning phase.
• An important lesson that was applied in completed OFA
Value of Business Process Mapping (4/26 departments): The processes has been the value of a through document
OFA process has at times (15% of departments) highlighted study that needs to be undertaken prior to the
the lack of or outdated business process maps in departments assessment. The OFA process must take cognisance
and the value add they can have on organisational functionality of other investigations done within the department that
and performance.
may affect the outcome of the OFA process.
• In order to obtain buy-in from managers, advocacy
Value of Standard Operation Procedures (4/26 depart- sessions with a departmental management team should
ments): OFA assessments, in 15% of departments identified be held. However, the lack of regular feedback at
that standard operating procedures need to be improved, management meetings on the progress made with the
which will likely result in improved turn-around times and cost OFA may unnecessarily delay the finalisation of the
management. project. A clear communication strategy that includes
all employees is essential to the conducting of an OFA.
ICT Infrastructure and Connectivity (11/26 departments): • Regular written feedback to DPSA could also ensure
Provincial departments are often characterised by outdated improved technical assistance to address problems
ICT Infrastructure and tools of trade influencing productivity that could otherwise jeopardise project implementation.
of employees. This was indicated in 42% of departments that
conducted the OFA. District offices in remote areas often have Although departmental mangers are often very sceptical on
connectivity challenges affecting the flow of communication. the value of conducting an OFA, the findings and recom-
mendations made during these departmental assessments
Development of Staff: In all departments, OFA has contributed have highlighted the strategic value of the OFA process
to improved understanding of departmental operations and that will enable Departments to implement a more focused
service delivery challenges across the whole department. organisational review. The OFA process supports better
Due to the multi-disciplinary nature of OFA project teams, all quality decision making with regard to the management
project teams have indicated that after conducting the OFA of Departmental operations that will contribute to overall
they developed a better understanding of the integrated improvement in service delivery. 
nature of departmental operations and by reflecting on depart-
mental operations and processes in such a structured manner, Contact Information
creative solutions have been developed. Department of Public Service and Administration
Branch: Policy, Research and Analysis
Alignment of HR and Related Plans: In 50 % of the assessments Directorate: Organisational Performance Management and
conducted, project teams expressed during quality assurance Institutional Capacity Assessment
sessions that they developed a better understanding into the Private Bag X916, Pretoria, 0001

22 SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 12 No. 1 of 2018