The Establishment of Government Multi-purpose Community Centres

Chief Directorate: Provincial and Local Liaison, 6 August 2000

Plan for the Establishment of government Multi-purpose Community Centres

Towards an integrated information and service delivery system

1. Executive Summary

A significant part of the process of developing a new policy and structural framework for South Africa’s government information system has been the approach of providing development communication and information to communities, to ensure that they become active participants in changing their lives for the better.This approach is envisaged as a response to the particular historical, social and economic factors, which characterised freedom of access to information and citizen participation in our past political system. This includes socio-economic problems such as high levels of poverty and unemployment, low standards of living (people living below the poverty line), poor access to basic services, remote settlement patterns, lack of access to technology, lack of information, poor health services, lack of education and skills, lack of infrastructure etc.

In South Africa, Multipurpose Community Centres (MPCCs) have been identified as the primary vehicle for the implementation of development communication and information as they can offer a wide range of services that communities can use for their own empowerment. Many different types of centres are termed MPCCs in South Africa. For the purposes of the government initiative, MPCCs are defined as those centres that have at least six government departments offering services. MPCCs should also have access to technology in the form of an Information Technology Centre (ITC) such as Telecentre.

These add value to other services that are offered by the NGO and business sectors. A workshop to capture the lessons learned during the pilot phase, when three MPCCs were established, was held on 3-4 May 2000. The report below reflects significant developments in the understanding of the process of designing an integrated information and service delivery system. The evaluation suggested that the sustainability of MPCCs is fundamentally linked to the relocation of government services to the centre. The presence of government does not only bring resources, but provides a sense of permanency that is appealing to community organisations and commercial ventures. Centre sustainability is however, also linked to creative self-funding initiatives run by MPCCs. Sponsorship and donor funds will be important in the MPCC roll-out process.

The establishment of a centre management committee early in the process, and the appointment of a centre manager, are critical to the effective operation and sustainability of the MPCC. The launch event so prominent in the pilot phase should rather be seen as a small step in the process of centre establishment.

Launches however, remain important milestones as they encourage community ownership and involvement and offer the opportunity for communities to interact with senior political and government leaders. Site identification should be carried out by the Local Intersectoral Steering Committee (LISSC) in close liaison with Provincial and National ISSCs. This is because ownership and management of centres is most likely to rest with the local government structure in the MPCC area.

A significant role has been identified for the provincial government to appoint paid staff as centre managers. Research is to be done continuously, before, during and after the establishment of an MPCC. The launch event also offers the opportunity of gauging how the community is experiencing service delivery at the centre, and whether information and service delivery meets the real needs of communities. The branding of MPCCs should not only reflect the Batho Pele principles and values which drive government service delivery; the involvement of non-governmental, community and private sector organisations should also be recognised.

An endorsed branding approach for all centres is proposed. Marketing campaigns will become vehicles of development information as they seek to inform stakeholders across the district about the MPCC and the services it offers. A significant promotional campaign is needed at local, provincial and national level to assist the public in understanding the MPCC initiative. All forms of media will be mobilised in this regard.

The following key recommendations emanate from the strategic review of the MPCC pilot phase:

1. A minimum of 6 government services be provided per MPCC
2. Launches to be done at least one month after the centre is operational
3. One presidential launch
4. National politicians are key, and essential for the launches
5. Training for centre staff (government and NGO)
6. GCIS briefings to provincial top management
7. GCIS CEO to address the MPCC approach in the monthly column. Minister Pahad to present MPCC issues to the Presidential Co-ordinating Council and the Governance and Administration Cluster of DGs.

The roll out plan for MPCCs:

This plan will be implemented in two phases.

• The first phase will concentrate on the establishment process between June and August. Centres in this first phase will operate for the month of September and be launched from October to November 2000.
• The sites for the second phase need to be identified by the end of October 2000. Establishment will be from November to December 2000. Centres in the second phase must be operational for the month of January 2001 for launches between the months of February and March 2001.

The following table outlines the launch schedule:

2 Background and context

The Government’s national Communication and Information System (co-ordinated at the Government Communication and Information System [GCIS] ) has, among others been tasked in the Cabinet approved Comtask Report to provide development communication and information to the public to ensure that they become active participants in changing their lives for the better. To achieve this, all appropriate forms of media, print and electronic have to be used to provide the required information as well as two-way communication Services. This would include direct communication with communities through unmediated products and community liaison, the internet and telecentres.In South Africa, Multipurpose Community Centres (MPCCs) have been identified as the primary approach for the implementation of development communication and information as they can offer a wide range of Services that communities can use for their own empowerment.The MPCC approach is envisaged as a response to the particular historical, social and economic factors, which characterised freedom of access to information and citizen participation, in our past political system. This includes socio-economic problems such as high poverty, high unemployment, low standards of living (people living below the poverty line), poor access to basic Services, remote settlement patterns, lack of access to technology, lack of information, poor health Services, lack of education and skills, lack of infrastructure etc.In this context, a familiar feature of accessing information and Services in South Africa is the frustration of being referred from pillar to post and through a maze of public institutions. This leads to understandable despondency and a lack of confidence in the effectiveness of government service delivery. This phenomenon is exacerbated in rural areas where distances are vast and the cost of travelling to urban centres to access Services is high. This places a great strain on incomes of those citizens who can least afford it. Early in 1999, the GCIS started the process of networking with National and Provincial Communication counterparts toward more effective and community centred communication.

When President Thabo Mbeki assumed office, however, the focus shifted to integrated service delivery; the idea he long supported while Deputy President toward one-stop government information and service delivery. The logic here was that the ability to access a number of government Services as well as a range of information products of government, and also be able to communicate government at one locality, added value to the experience of citizenship. Further, such a process of accessing Services would allow for an improvement in the quality of such service delivery in line with the Batho Pele principles guiding government delivery. These principles speak of ‘people centred’ governance and place a high premium on client satisfaction and redress.

2.1 Development Communication Approach

The primary focus of development communication and information is to be on the poor and disadvantaged whose profile reflects not only a dearth of access to information, but also features as the main target of government socio-economic programmes. They are to be found mainly in the townships and rural areas.Some of the salient features of this approach relate to the expressed need for face-to-face interactions between government and people; "Government with a Human Face." A high premium is also placed on the introduction of Information and Communication Technologies ICTs) to such communities. This will also promote literacy and access to technology in communities. Political neutrality and acceptance by communities of the centre, is paramount.The main content of such communication and information includes:the rights and obligations of citizensthe policies and activities of governmentdevelopmental opportunities and how to access them.specific campaigns affecting communities.

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2.2 Policy framework

At the "Information Society and Development" conference of May 1996, the current President, Mr Thabo Mbeki, identified MPCCs as one of the five South African Information Society pilot projects. This, as well as a number of other policy prescripts, drives the MPCC initiative. These are:

2.2.1 The COMTASK Report

In October 1996 the report of a specialised Communication Task Group, was presented to government. Its primary responsibility was the development of a new policy and structural framework for South Africa’s Government information system, through all three spheres of government. This report recommended the establishment of the GCIS and specifically that this agency promote and accelerate the development of Multipurpose Information Centres in order to facilitate public access to information.

2.2.2 Batho Pele:

The guiding principle of the public service in South Africa is that of "service to the people". This principle is provided for by the Act on Transformation of public service delivery, 1997 (Batho Pele). This Act, like all other acts must be interpreted in the spirit of the Constitution of South Africa (Chapter 10) which also provides for the basic values and principles governing the country. Batho Pele means "People First". Chapter 10 of the Constitution advocates a public service that is based on objectivity, ability, fairness, and the need to redress the imbalances of the past. It further advocates that service provision should be provided impartially, fairly, equitably and without bias. The Act provides for an understanding of "Citizens as customers", hence the Public Service must work hard on customer satisfaction and improving service delivery. This implies listening to and taking into account the customer’s views, and treating them with consideration and respect. Programmes in the public service must be aligned with the objectives of Batho Pele.

The principles are:

1. Consulting with service users
2. Service standards
3. Increasing access
4. Courtesy
5. Providing more and better information
6. Increasing openness and transparency
7. RedressGetting the best possible value for money

In the process of co-ordinating the establishment of MPCCs / One-Stop Government Information and Services Centres, such principles of Batho Pele are not only critical in explaining the expected conduct of public servants in their dealing with clients, they also make it imperative that communities are involved in determining the information and services they receive.

2.2.3 Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Strategy:

In his address at the opening of Parliament in June 1999, President Mbeki announced that the government was ready to implement an Integrated and Sustainable Rural Development Strategy (ISRDS). A process to involve national departments in the formulation of the ISRDS was followed and pilot areas were targeted in the Northern Province, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Government departments then initiated projects and programmes that targeted identified areas in the three provinces. The implementation process is underway in these areas. The MPCC initiative has been developed within this framework and MPCCs are seen as key institutions in the process of bringing services and information to areas identified in this programme.

2.2.4 GCIS approach:

The mandate of the GCIS is to provide information to the public thus ensuring that they become active participants in changing their lives for the better. Under the directive of a Cabinet Memorandum of November 1999, the GCIS was given the role of co-ordinating and facilitating government’s development communication initiative through MPCCs. The provincial Government Information Centres (GICs) will also support the effort by:a. continually assessing information needs in communities and developing creative ways to meet theseb. identifying and promoting the utilisation of the most appropriate mediums available in each areac. working with communities and all the stakeholders involved to develop creative ways of passing on messages for all-round developmentd. organising events for national, provincial, local and other stakeholder leadership to interact with communitiese. helping communities understand and utilising all available sources of information including radio, TV and the Internetf. promoting the need to maintain specific focus on gender, youth and other sectoral issuesg. sustaining intergovernmental relationships between national, provincial and local government.

2.3 MPCCs - Why they are necessary

There are currently many establishments where communities congregate or frequently meet to obtain services and information. Research indicates that these are mostly libraries, schools, churches, clinics and some other types of community service centres. This approach aims to optimise the use of these facilities by supplementing their communication capacity, thus minimising costly construction and staffing. These should therefore be the nucleus of the intended community centres, which will provide a wide range of added services and information. The aim is to have a Multi-purpose Community Centre in each of the forty-six district or regional councils of the country, based on the current demarcation by provinces. Current demarcation board processes are changing these boundaries and a final distribution of district-based MPCCs is presently being developed. Each area would service roughly 300 000 people, with major differences in terms of distances as well as population concentrations, between urban and rural areas. In most cases service and information delivery will also be through satellite points across the district. These MPCCs should be a beehive of activity, where communities could access a variety of services.

In this arrangement the GICs would provide available information on government as well as two-way governmental communication facilities. This would imply, among others, availability of various kinds of media, including the internet, video and audio facilities. The GIC’s themselves should be able to go out on road-shows utilising creative means of reaching out to the public. They should also have effective infrastructure for the distribution of government information. GICs should therefore be the communication and information nucleus of MPCCs.

Clearly, this requires intergovernmental partnership among national, provincial and local spheres of government to share available resources and to avoid duplication. The combined aim of government as a whole is to move towards the establishment of MPCCs, where communities can access all government services, including government forms and the processing of all kinds of applications, legal services, arts and culture, passports, identity documents, information on welfare, health, housing, education and bursaries, etc. This will enhance the process of decentralising government services to where they are needed most, and were never provided before.

On a broader scale, government cannot meet the needs for all these services and undertake the required community liaison all on its own. Partnerships between the public and private sectors, NGO’s, CBO’s and the many sectoral structures that exist [e.g., Universal Service Agency with its Telecentre Project, local business service centres with the Brain project, the Public Information Terminal (PIT) project, the Community Post Office initiative of the Department of Communication, and the Department of Public Service and Administration with its Shared Service Delivery approach], are crucial.

2.3.1 Brief description of an MPCC:

An MPCC is a place where a number of services are provided by local, provincial and national government, as well as parastatals, NGOs, CBOs and the private sector. The services offered at an MPCC are those that have been identified by communities. Every MPCC is different. Some will comprise a single building with a number of service providers in various offices. Others will comprise a cluster of service providers in close proximity to each other. The vision of MPCCs is to empower the poorest and disadvantaged with access to government information, services and resources for their own development. The mission is to provide a one-stop integrated service in under-serviced communities.

The objectives of MPCCs are:

• To identify community information and service needs
• To provide access to integrated, cost-effective and responsive government information and services, particularly to those in rural areas
• To enhance the quality of life in under-serviced communities
• To provide government information to the public in a manner in which it can be used to improve their lives
• To provide two-way communication between government and people
• To improving community participation in government decision-making processes
• To enhance co-operation amongst the three spheres of government in terms of delivery
• To properly manage and control government resources (e.g, financial and human resources)
• To enhance the decentralisation of government services
• To provide access to and facilitate use of, Information and Communication Technologies.

2.3.2.Some of the key elements of MPCCs are:

1. political neutrality: an MPCC must be a non political community institution that brings services closer to the people.
2. physical infrastructure: the community needs to use an existing accessible infrastructure as a site for providing services. If an under-utilised existing building (with potential for growth) is available, the community should look at the possibility of using it as an MPCC site. In some areas, there are no appropriate buildings to be used as MPCCs, in which case, other options of providing prefabs, containers or mobile units need to be explored.
3. ICT infrastructure: In order to provide fast, efficient and effective services, there is a need to have appropriate Information and Communication Technology infrastructure at MPCCs. This will help people in rural areas to be exposed to technologies, thus enabling them to participate meaningfully in the global economy.
4. Integrated service delivery: An MPCC is a place where people have access to information and services from various service providers. This may include government (Labour, Home Affairs, Welfare, Education, Agriculture, etc.) parastatals (e.g. Eskom, Telkom, DBSA) NGOs, CBOs as well as the business and private sectors.
5. Information from all sectors is critical to MPCCs. Government information, policies and plans should be communicated through this institution to communities.
6. Sustainability issues
7. Continuous research, monitoring and evaluation.

3 Implementation strategy: How to set up MPCCs

The project aims to establish at least one MPCC in all district or regional councils of the country, based on the current demarcation by the provinces. This should be achieved by negotiating with the applicable stakeholders/ sponsors to add more value to existing MPCCs becoming centres, capable of meeting wider community needs. The plan is to establish 20 such centres during the financial year 2000-2001 and the remaining 23 are to be established by the end of the financial year 2001-2002.

The table below shows old and new demarcations provincially.

Note:

The total of 50 reflects 46 District Councils and 4 metro areas in Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg (former demarcation). The former figure of 55 MPCCs countrywide was derived as follows:

• 46 District/Regional Council areas
• 4 Metro areas - Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.
• Variance of 5 (as per Cabinet Memorandum) reflects the use of the 7 political regions in the Northern Province to guide MPCC establishment and not the 2 District Councils. For purposes of MPCCs, the recommendation from the Northern Cape PISSC is that the former demarcation of 6 regions be used to guide MPCC establishment and not the current demarcation into 4 regions. This is to compensate for the vast distances in this province.

The Provincial Intersectoral Steering Committee (PISSC) in the Northern Province has also suggested that the 7 political regions of the province be used for MPCC establishment given population densities and distances, and not the new allocation of 4 District Councils and 2 CBDCs.

If the Northern Cape and Northern Province recommendations are accepted sixty MPCCs would be established and not fifty-eight. The current proposal therefore suggests the establishment of sixty MPCCs countrywide instead of fifty-five recommended in the Cabinet Memorandum. If not accepted, it would still mean an increase from fifty-five to fifty-eight centres, in keeping with new local government demarcations.

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3.1 Project Structure

The project will be co-ordinated by an Inter-Sectoral Steering Committee at National level (NISSC); an Inter-Sectoral Steering Committee in each of the provinces (PISSC) and an Inter-Sectoral Steering Committee at each of the targeted localities or disctrict (LISSC).

3.1.1 National Inter-Sectoral Steering Committee (NISSC):

This Committee was formed on June 17, 1999 and comprises of more that 25 national. government departments, eight parastatals and non-governmental organisations with various degrees of MPCC interests and involvement. This committee co-ordinates and manages issues of the MPCC initiative on behalf of government. It is also responsible for the overall leadership of the project from a national perspective, to ensure that the interests of all members are met and that members ensure that their services are provided at identified centres. Identification of, and interaction with other potential partners, is also part of the responsibilities of the Committee.

The NISSC is managed and coordinated by an executive committee comprising five working groups responsible for the compilation of database and research; funding; implementation; technical issues; and identification of other stakeholders. The Committee would be secretarially and administratively supported and facilitated by GCIS. It should organise and structure itself towards optimum functional efficiency and may appoint the necessary sub-committees and task teams necessary for the purpose. The importance of current information to inform decision-making, would require a dynamic infrastructure for evaluation, feedback and reporting on the achievements in establishing MPCCs.

The ISSC is responsible for:

• Directing the mandate of the Project Management Team via the ISSC Executive
• Collating research that confirmed the site as a suitable MPCC venue
• Horizontal liaison: as members of a national forum to participate in the collective decision-making process toward integrated service delivery
• Vertical liaison: as independent agencies to transfer the information necessary for a successful establishment to provincial and local functionaries of own institutions/departments, thereby equipping them to function effectively in Provincial and Local ISSCs
• Secure funding for the establishment process (in cash and in any other kind)
• Securing support from political and management principals for the establishment process through regular report-back sessions (written reports and management meetings)
• Development of templates for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Measuring community satisfaction with the Services provided- determining new needs
• Establishment of the frequency of use of the centre and its Services

3.1.2 Roles and Responsibilities of executive committee of ISSC:

1. Research and database
2. Stakeholders team
3. Implementation team
4. Technical team
5. Funding team

3.2 Provincial Inter-sectoral Steering Committee (PISSC):

Each province should form a PISSC made up of all sectors involved in the delivery of information and services to communities. The PISSC, like the NISSC, should be coordinated by an executive committee with at least one of the departments providing secretarial services.

The PISSC is responsible for:

• Coordination at provincial level
• Liaison with relevant Local Authorities and District Councils toward site identification
• Development of a profile of the centre concerned, as foundation for the feasibility of the site as an MPCC
• Liaison with local community structures in determining service and information needsLobbying relevant departments to survey the site when the need has been identified for their services at the centre.
• When these services are offered through national agencies, to direct this request to the ISSC for action
• Collating of field reports of individual agencies regarding the feasibility of the launch and forwarding these to the ISSC Executive
• Provision of regular feedback/reporting to political and management principals provincially
• Interaction with the Local ISSC about arrangements for the launch event.

3.2.1 Roles and responsibilities of the executive committee of the PISSC:

1. Research and database
2. Stakeholders team
3. Site identification team
4. Technical team
5. Funding team
6. Launch team

3.3 Local Inter-Sectoral Steering Committee (LISSC)

Each district council /metropolitan council should form a Local ISSC (LISSC), representing stakeholders which have an interest in the MPCC. The structures here should include local government, traditional leaders, NGOs, CBOs, government departments in the locality, local business, youth, women, religious institutions churches, etc. This committee, like the NISSC and PISSC should be coordinated by an executive committee, with the district council or local government providing secretarial services.

The LISSC should be responsible for:

• Identification of the MPCC siteDesign community profile
• Determining the user needs profile of the MPCC
• Facilitation of the process toward the establishment of a management committee for the MPCC
• Coordinating the setting up of the MPCC
• Coordinating and manage the launch event

3.4 Linkages and relationships between ISSCs at all levels On all occasions there must be clear communication between the NISSC and all provincial ISSCs. Each PISSC needs to clearly communicate with the LISSCs across the province. Different government departments at all levels of the ISSCs should also communicate and share information with their structures and between one another, to ensure smooth implementation of the project as well as effective and efficient service delivery. The different working groups at NISSC and PISSC should liase with each other and should also make sure that information flows to the LISSC.

4 Establishment of Sustainable MPCCs

4.1 Community awareness

The process of establishing an MPCC should be communicated to the community. Various communication mechanisms like meetings, imbizos, radio, newspapers, pamphlets, etc. can be used to build community participation and involvement. This publicity and awareness programme should be the responsibility of the LISSC assisted by the PISSC and NISSC.

4.2 Site identification

Site identification should be carried out by the local ISSC. This process should be guided by some of the following:

• accessibility and centrality
• availability of other infrastructure like electricity, telecommunication, water, roads
• rural setting
  In performing this duty, the LISSC should work closely with the site identification group of the PISSC. Their joint finding should be communicated to the community and the NISSC.

4.3 Research of needs as well as gap analysis:

Research is to be done continuously, before, during and after the establishment of the centre, as well as during the launch event. Issues to be researched and evaluated are:

• Community needs
• Prioritisation of service needs
• Community profiling detailing the population and structures in the community, etc. Social dynamics of the community MPCC concept has been understood at grassroots level. Community expectations must be realistic. Real needs of the community are being met by the MPCC
• Teething problems in the first month of operation
• Whether the experience of delivery has been positive
• The operation of the MPCC
• The quality of service that is rendered at the MPCC
• The frequency of use of the MPCC by community members
• The monitoring of the commitment of all service Providers
• FAQs as a basis for updating service needs and expectations in the area.

4.4 Setting up of the Management Committee for the MPCC:

The role of the management committee will include:

Coordination of the day to day running of the centre Development of the Memoranda of Understanding to be signed by all Service Providers in the MPCC Drawing of contracts to be signed by Service Providers Necessary renovations at the centre to accommodate new tenants All technical considerations and plans regarding offices and space Ensuring that appropriate infrastructure like water, electricity and telephones are in place Allocation of office space to service providers Appointment the centre manager and support staff (including secretary, cleaner/s, handy men, gardener, etc.) Development of the service provision programme of the centre Monitoring of proper service provision by all service providers Distribution of questionnaires and templates designed by NISSC and PISSC to all service providers in the centre Collection of reports from various service providers Coordination of the centre’s monthly meetings which are attended by service providers Submission of reports to LISSC and PISSC

4.5 Financial Resources for the centre:

Funding, along with proper management of the facilities, is central to the sustainability and survival of an MPCC. It is therefore important to have funding and financial management guidelines available to guide those responsible for the maintenance of viable centres. Given the limited funds available for this initiative, establishment and especially maintenance efforts, will have to be enhanced through creative efforts directed at fund-raising, self-sustaining activities of MPCCs and the soliciting of sponsorship from donor agencies and private sector. See Appendix 2 for more details in this regard.

4.6 Resource planning by individual service providers:

Each service provider will be responsible for the resources of their office. These include: Business plan of the services they will provide Budgets of their services Staffing of their offices (job descriptions, appropriately trained personnel, appropriate training programme, etc.) Ensuring that appropriate office equipment and furniture is available Ensuring that all necessary infrastructure like telephones are in place (application for their own phone when this in not provided as a general service by the centre management) Development of their own departmental programme Set-up and service provisionA dministration and filling in of all questionnaires and templates distributed by the management committee Compilation of monthly reports and collation of all statistics from various templates Submission of their monthly reports to the management committee as well as their respective departments/ principals at either national or provincial levels Attending the monthly meetings of the centre management Payment of their services to the management of the centre

4.7 Branding:

Branding of MPCCs is very important and it must include the Batho Pele principle underlying service delivery, and the overarching role which the new Coat of Arms would be able to play. There are various levels at which branding could take place in the Corporate Identity project, and how corporate material could appear at different levels e.g. stationery for the MPCCs may have a special colour or have the embossed Coat of Arms logo.

4.8 Training:

To ensure effective and efficient service delivery, all staff from various service providers should have appropriate skills to provide quality services. NISSC should facilitate the creation of tools to do skills audit of staff. Once this is in place, all staff need to be exposed to appropriate training programmes.

4.9 Marketing and promotion:

Some of the major objectives of marketing and promotion are: To inform stakeholders and the public about the initiative and forthcoming launches To identify the value which will be added to existing centres through the provision of more Services especially by government departments To inform the media of the process, the launch and the value of the initiative to government and the public To encourage communities to use the Services to better their lives To encourage stakeholder buy-in through informing them of the value of being at an MPCC and the value it would provide to the communities To create a supportive marketing environment so that service providers, stakeholders, and the public understand the MPCC initiative.

4.10 Media promotion:

A comprehensive media plan will ensure that communities have access to information about government and how the MPCC initiative aims to improve the quality of people’s lives. To make this a success there is a need to ensure a free flow of information from government to representatives of the media for reporting to the public as print or broadcast material. In this regard, the media is a valuable asset to assist government to reach and talk to communities about the services offered at the MPCC’s in their area. All forms of media, especially the ones that reach the majority of communities (radio, loud hailers, workshops, roadshows, etc.), are to be utilised. People need communication in their own languages.

4.11 Distribution plan:

It is essential to develop a well-coordinated distribution plan to ensure cost effective and timeous delivery of products and material to MPCCs. The specific details of this process can be found in Appendix 3.

4.12 Monitoring and evaluation techniques and plans:

In order to sustain quality according to set service delivery standards, but also to ensure that information responses are in keeping with information requests, an important element in the sustaining an MPCC will be monitoring and evaluation techniques. Monitoring and evaluation are similarly important to keep track of operational and management issues in running an MPCC. In this regard the following templates are needed: Templates for FAQ Templates of questionnaires for users (service delivery) Templates and log sheets for operations Quality service delivery/ Quality assurance plan For more details about monitoring and evaluation, Appendix 1 can be consulted.

4.13 Reporting, feedback and aftercare:

The effective operation of the centre once opened, is addressed through issues such as sustainability, management structure, reporting, monitoring and evaluation, funding options, etc. which are all addressed in Chapter 3.

4.14 Launching the MPCC

Launching the MPCC is an event that is important to the service providers and the community at large for some of the following reasons: Community events form a significant part of the life of rural communities They cultivate support for the program envisaged and offer a platform for the contribution of all relevant community stakeholders in the establishment of an MPCC The event also becomes one where acknowledgements can be made and information shared The event offers an opportunity to draw a big crowd to the MPCC which assists in the marketing and popularisation of the centre It is recommended that the launch be a small step in the life of a centre. It should be an event to symbolise that the development communication process is underway in the community and that services and information are being provided. For this reason it is suggested that a centre be operational for at least one month before the launch event is held. All the necessary strategies and plans supporting a successful launch event can be found in Appendix 6.

5 SUSTAINABILITY OF MPCCs

There are many different types of centres termed MPCC in South Africa. For the purposes of the government initiative, MPCCs are defined as those centres that have at least six government departments offering services. Government services add value to other services that are offered by the NGO and business sectors. An MPCC should also have access to technology in the form of an Information Technology Centre (ITC) such as Telecentre or other forms.

5.1 Barriers to MPCCs sustainability

Major factors affecting the sustainability of MPCCs are political will and commitment of government departments to implementation of the MPCC initiative

5.1.1 Lack of political will

In south Africa political will has been demonstrated through various government policies and programmes aimed at improvement in service delivery and access to government information and Services. The Comtask Recommendations; the Batho Pele Principles; The Integrated Rural Development Strategy; Poverty Alleviation Fund and many more. Government has approved the use of MPCCs to provide access to information and Services in an integrated manner through the Cabinet Memorandum No 15 of November, 1999.

5.1.2 Implementation of Government Policies

The sustainability of the MPCC initiative depends very much on the commitment of government departments to bringing services closer to the people through the centre. Government departments have to relocate staff, equipment and resources to MPCCs to provide services identified by communities in MPCC areas.Once government services are relocated, they will provide a sense of permanency to the MPCC. Community empowerment through provision of information and services can only add to the sustainability of MPCCs. Availability of permanent government services implies that the centre has little risk of becoming insolvent and closing down, as is currently the fate of many MPCCs that have no government Services in them. Government departments providing services in MPCCs bring their own staff and equipment, including maintenance and repairs, as well as salaried employees, thus providing continuity and reliability of service in the communities served. The sense of permanence provided by the presence of government will attract commercial activities to the centres.

5.1.3 Budgetary issues lack of budgeting for the MPCC initiative by government departments is a serious threat to sustainability of MPCCs. 5.1.4 Resource issues Lack of commitment of staff and resources by government departments to effective service delivery through MPCCs is a serious threat to sustainability of these centres.

5.2 Key elements for the Sustainability of MPCCs

5.2.1 Capacity Building

The presence of well-trained government staff in MPCCs will help build capacity in the communities served, through transfer of skills and training to communities. The skills of communities thus served will also be enhanced through access to technology, and training to use the new technologies for better access to the job market or for self-employment.

5.2.2 Management of MPCCs

MPCCs need well-trained management staff capable of co-ordinating activities of service providers housed in MPCCs both government and non-government. Lessons from the three pilot projects suggest that the provincial governments through the Premier’s Offices should provide management staff that are employees of the province. This is especially beneficial where a centre does not have an appointed manager reporting to an existing Board or centre Management Committee. MPCC management will add to the sustainability of the centers by providing security measures, administration and reception services as well as guidelines for centre operations.

5.2.3 Integrated approach to service delivery

Sustainability will be enhanced through shared resources and the reduction and eventual elimination of duplication of efforts. Most government departments have in their budgets, funds for community-focused activities such as in labour centres, arts and culture centres, community post offices, and so on, while other departments have funds for infrastructure rehabilitation and development. All these could be utilised in the MPCC initiative in various forms.

5.3 Strategies to enhance sustainability of MPCCs

Government has to intervene at the highest levels to ensure relocation of services to MPCCs according to community needs. Government has to make the necessary financial support available to enable departments to relocate staff and equipment to MPCCs. Departments should budget for MPCC initiatives. Provincial governments should provide management staff for MPCCs for monitoring purposes. Government to identify a lead department for the PMCC initiative provincially. Implementation is beyond GCIS mandate of information provision. Implementation implies relocation of government departments to MPCCs and it is not incumbent upon the GCIS to dictate operational decisions to other government departments. The initiative toward shared service delivery managed by the Alternative Service Delivery Unit of the Department of Public Service and Administration may prove valuable in this regard.

6 Conclusion

One of the cardinal requirements of effective and sustained development is the political will to drive programmes aimed at improving the life circumstances of the poor and disadvantaged. In South Africa this political will has been demonstrated through various government policies and programmes aimed at improvement in service delivery and access to government information and Services.

This has been strengthened by government’s approval of MPCCs as points of access to development information. While the GCIS has played a significant coordination role in the pilot process, the strategic evaluation of this phase suggests the necessity to build wider ownership of the initiative, especially through the establishment of Provincial and Local ISSCs. The GCIS has a significant role to play in this process, especially through the process of arranging a series of high-level briefing sessions to politicians and government officials. A series of bilateral meetings between the GCIS and National Departments need to be hosted to share the insight and lessons learnt.

There is a perception that the MPCC initiative is solely a GCIS one and that other stakeholders were mainly observers (National ISSC members did not contribute any money to the launch event or process). This is not the case. Bi-lateral meetings need to confirm that the sole role of GCIS is to facilitate the establishment of MPCCs. GCIS is also an ordinary player that must contribute to the process like any other stakeholder.

In this vane, the ISSC Executive must meet officials from the Office of the Deputy President to advance the process of dovetailing the objectives of the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Strategy with the MPCC initiative. This will help establish common ground between the two initiatives and alleviate any possible confusion which may exist at community level between the two initiatives.

Government partners in the MPCC initiative have to be encouraged to undertake more effective vertical and horizontal communication. Reporting was often incomplete and this led to political principals being poorly informed of the progress being made with the MPCC initiative. Similarly, officials of national departments do not inform their counterparts in their regional or provincial offices of the process and developments. In other cases they did not inform their colleagues in different directorates to ensure that there is delivery from the same department. The same applies to some parastatals. It has therefore been proposed that the ISSC Executive devise a strategy to reach high echelons of both national and provincial departments in order to establish an effective reporting mechanism.

At provincial level, government departments are most aptly suited to provide leadership and guidance in order to ensure that the MPCC initiative becomes integral to the development strategy planned for each province. At local level, the structures of government are best suited to identify where MPCCs will best be situated to serve communities who are the main target of government socio-economic programmes. One of the significant lessons learnt in this process has been how the unfolding MPCC initiative can stimulate economic empowerment in communities. This is not only through the involvement of SMMEs in the launch event but how access to technology and training in the use of new technologies offers communities better access to the job market or self-employment.

In conclusion, the MPCC pilot phase served the purpose it was intended for. It provided the opportunity to generate and document lessons which will have far reaching implications for the quest for a democratic and participatory system of government communication.

6. Appendixes

6.1. Appendix 1: Research plan for MPCC initiative
6.2. Appendix 2: Funding plan for MPCCs
6.3. Appendix 3: Marketing, distribution and branding strategy
6.4. Appendix 4: Media plan for MPCCs
6.5. Appendix 5: Launch plan for MPCCs1
6.6. Appendix 6: Sustainability plan for MPCCs
6.7. Appendix 7: Training plan for MPCCs