Page 14 - DPSA - Service Delivery Report

PUBLIC SERVICE
During the 2014/15 financial year, a total of 43 645 interns, learners and apprentices were recruited and placed across the Public Service. In 2015/16, the total number dropped to 30 708, while in 2016/17 it reached 46 905, but then dropped to 28 153 in 2017/18. The Service’s four-year performance assessment reflected indicates a cu- mulative amount of 149 411. The four- year performance achievement sig- nifies a surplus of 49 411 against the 2018/19 target of 100 000.
Implementation challenges
After the 2009 Circular on the im- plementation of the internship pro- gramme, National Treasury issued a notice for using a specialised function on the Personnel Salary System (PER- SAL) in the appointment of interns and learners. The PERSAL function is in- tended to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the programme. Its introduction has made it possible see the movement of recruits across the Public Service, which is usually moti- vated by the need for higher stipends. The function also tracks the perfor- mance of departments on the target of recruiting 5% of interns against their staff establishments.
Despite these improvements, the DPSA observed the following chal- lenges:
• Departments are either not using
the system, or capture data in- correctly, which compromises the quality of data obtained from the system.
• The system is unable to automat- ically update stipends in line with the annual cost of living adjust- ments. These are currently effected manually.
Conclusion
The Medium-Term Expenditure Frame- work, Strategic objective: Appointment of young graduates into the Public Service set the target of appointing 100 000 youth by 2019 into learner- ship, internship and apprenticeship programmes within the Public Service.
An analysis of the Implementation of Developmental Programmes in the Public Service report indicates that government has made reasonable progress towards the achievement of this MTSF target. The report shows a cumulative value of 121 258, which implies that the target has been ex- ceeded. Approximately 30% of youth
who participated in developmental pro- grammes during 2016/17 – 2017/18 secured either permanent or tempo- rary employment.
Although the report illustrates that the majority of beneficiaries recruited into developmental programmes are Africans, the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (First Quarter 2018) suggests that African and Coloured youth are the main groups affected by unem- ployment. The Public Service needs to put more effort towards fighting the scourge of unemployment.
The performance indicator on disability presents some challenges. People liv- ing with disabilities face discrimination. On average, departments are strug- gling to realise the disability target, with the challenge not being limited to re- cruitment of persons into developmen- tal programmes, but rather across the entire Public Service. The challenge has persisted for several years. More effort is required to ensure that people living with disabilities participate in de- velopmental programmes.
12 SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 12 No.3 of 2019