Competency Levels for Accounting Officers

PCF AGENDA ITEMS

Item Number: [Will be inserted by Secretariat]

1. COMPETENCY LEVELS FOR ACCOUNTING OFFICERS

VAARDIGHEIDSVLAKKE VIR REKENPLIGTIGE BEAMPTES

2. PURPOSE

This report is tabled for the PCF meeting as the minimum competency levels for accounting officers is a requirement across the province and nationally. This item has been discussed at the DCFTECH level within the West Coast District and the proposal(s) are to be made at the PCF level to be considered for the entire province.

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The required minimum competency levels for accounting officers and its accompanying deadline has been discussed at the DCFTECH level of the West

Coast district and the forum is proposing a uniform methodology for Recognition of Prior learning (RPL) and/ or customized area based training in order to meet the requirement.

4. DISCUSSION/ CONTENTS

On 15 June 2007, National Treasury published the Municipal Regulations on

Minimum Competency Levels in Government Gazette No. 29976.

These Regulations prescribe the higher education qualifications, work related experience and financial and Supply Chain Management (SCM) competency areas to be met by 31 December 2012 by all officials of South African municipalities/municipal entities who exercise financial management responsibilities.

The list of these officials includes:



Accounting Officers

– Municipal Managers;

 CFO’s;



Senior Managers

– Executive Directors;



Heads of Supply Chain Management (SCM) Units

– Directors : SCM; and



Managers of Supply Chain Management Units – Assistant Directors: SCM.

A number of officials have been undergoing the University of the Witwatersrand

(WITS) Certificate Programme in Management Development (CPMD) in fulfillment of the minimum competency requirement for accounting officers.

West Coast PCF Item 1 Report 18-19/11/09 Page 1 of 8

As the deadline for compliance in this regard is approaching municipalities have to decide to undergo training or have their current skill set assessed through a recognition of prior learning (RPL) process or equivalency of current qualifications being tested.

The consult of Prof Hennie Van As from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan

University has been sought and prof Van As has submitted a quotation for the

RPL of candidates within the West Coast region in order to analyse the gap between the current skills level and the requirement. The cost associated with one two-hour individual RPL is as follows: R2500 per 3-day unit standard, R3000 per 4-day unit standard, R3500 per 5 day unit standard.

A uniform process is proposed by the DCFTECH of the West Coast for the rest of the province to decide collectively on a way forward with respect to RPL and/ or arranging customized area based training.

The content should reflect an alignment with the one, some or all of the following strategic criteria:

(b) Policy and Legislation

• Commenting on policy and legislation affecting both Provincial and Local

Government mutually and respectively

5. RECOMMENDATION RESOLUTIONS

1. That the Provincial Department of Local Government and Housing in conjunction with Provincial Treasury assist Municipalities with the process of identification of accredited services provider(s) to perform assessment(s) of designated officials to determine competency and/or gaps;

2. That the Provincial Department of Local Government and Housing in conjunction with Provincial Treasury confirm which courses available and which institutions are accredited; and

3. That the Provincial Department of Local Government and Housing in conjunction with Provincial Treasury provide guidance and clarity of the position of officials who completed tertiary qualifications at the equivalent or higher level than the requirements as stipulated in the regulations.

6. ANNEXURES

NONE

APPLICANTS CONTACT DETAILS:

Name

Contact Number/s

E-mail address

Earl Williams

082 55 77 674/ 022 433 8400 fwilliams@wcdm.co.za


Signature of Author

[Sign only applicable section]

HF Prins

MUNICIPAL MANAGER

[Compulsory to Insert name]

(Author to obtain signature before submission to the PCF)

D ATE

EM HC K ITSHOFF M RS

M AYORAL C OMMITTEE M EMBER



D ATE

Comment:

Comment:




7. SINGLE PUBLIC SERVICE

ENKEL STAATSDIENS

8. PURPOSE

This report is tabled for the PCF meeting to deliberate on the mandating process which was followed by SALGA Western Cape in submitting their support to

SALGA national for the Single Public Service. This item has been discussed at the DCFTECH level within the West Coast District following individual municipalities’ submissions to SALGA Western Cape in this regard and it was proposed that the matter be deferred to the PCF discussion.


SALGA Western Cape has submitted its support to SALGA National for the

Single Public Service. The process for arriving at this mandate in support of the

SPS was questioned by Swartland Municipality by letter (attached hereto as annexure B) and discussed during the recently held DCFTECH meeting within the West Coast. Further thereto it was agreed that the matter be discussed as

PCF level.


Following the support indicated by SALGA Western Cape for the SPS the process for arriving at this mandate by SALGA Western Cape was questioned and subsequently discussed at the DCFTECH. The matter was promoted to the

PCF and it was proposed that the SALGA Western Cape mandating process be discussed. In addition formal process of collectively formulating such a mandate through the PCF was proposed by the Swartland Municipality and endorsed at the DCFTECH meeting held recently.

The content should reflect an alignment with the one, some or all of the following strategic criteria:

(b) Policy and Legislation

• Commenting on policy and legislation affecting both Provincial and Local

Government mutually and respectively


That the process of SALGA Western Cape for arriving at a mandate in support of the Single Public Service be discussed.


That the PCF elicit a mandate by Local Government in the Western Cape with respect to the SPS and that the mandate be forwarded to SALGA

National etc.

12. ANNEXURES

Annexure B


Name


E-mail address


Earl Williams



HF PRINS




D ATE

ALD HC K ITSHOFF MRS

EXECUTIVE MAYOR



D ATE

Comment:

Comment:




13. CANCELATION OF MEETING WITH BY THE PROVINCIAL DEPARTMENT OF

PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORT AND THE LACK OF FEEDBACK ON

MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS PCF

KANSELASIE VAN VERGADERING DEUR PROVINSIALE DEPARTEMENT

VAN OPENBARE WERKE EN VERVOER EN DIE GEBREK AAN

TERUGVOERING VAN SAKE VOORTSPRUITEND UIT DIE VORIGE PCF

14. PURPOSE

Further to the previously held PCF meeting and its decisions regarding road maintenance, and feedback on scheduled sessions with Municipalities to discuss the implementation of new tariffs structures a meeting was scheduled between

Swartland Municipality and the Department of Public Works and Transport to discuss these as well as the increasing pressure on municipalities with respect to road maintenance. As this meeting and the pursuant PCF decisions was cancelled on the day of the meeting, after 29 days notice was given (notice dated

31 August for a meeting on 29 September) the matter is referred to the PCF for further progress on the issue.


As the decisions with respect to road maintenance was taken at the previous

PCF re

(1)“that the department must send out guidelines to municipalities by 15 September 2009”; (2) MM’s to submit their issues to the acting

HOD….. and that the acting HOD ……. will respond to the queries raised ” and follow through is pending on these issues, the matter has been referred back to the PCF meeting as well as to limit the impacts on Inter Governmental

Relations and Co-operative Governance in instances where formal meetings are cancelled unilaterally.


Severe and increasing pressure is placed on municipalities with respect to roads and road maintenance by the public. These pressures can only be balanced out through the necessary discussion and understanding by the respective spheres of government to ultimately present the public with a considered, uniform addressing of their concerns.

A process was followed to address the decisions made at the previous PCF to deal with road maintenance and a meeting scheduled and it is proposed by the

DCFTECH of the West Coast that the outstanding issue is resolved within the

PCF. At the PCF it was also discovered that the implementation of additional


physical requirements to Grade A and Grade B testing stations was promulgated on 27 May 2009 to be implemented on or before 27 May 2010. This places an additional financial burden on municipalities without consulting them to enable them to consider it for budget purposes. There is further a contradiction in clause

3 of the regulations: clause 3.1 par 5 refer to a “hydraulic jack OR play detector” whiles ’ the next paragraph stipulates that “………………….shall comply with the requirements for a play detector…………….”

The content should reflect an alignment with the one, some or all of the following strategic criteria: a) Items related to alignment of planning and budgeting cycles

• Alignment with Provincial Strategic Plan and 5yr Local Government Strategic

Agenda

• Alignment with the 5yr IDP and Provincial Annual Performance Plans


1) That the PCF discuss and provide direction to the outstanding road maintenance item.

2)That it be noted that municipalities in the West Coast were not aware of this burden and that the Department did not consult Municipalities.

3) That the financial impact and how to address and implement this

“unfunded” mandate be discussed.

4) The Department be requested, once again, to send the guidelines to municipalities regarding maintenance and to invite municipalities to participate in sessions on the implementation of tariffs prior to the implementation of 1 January 2010.

18. ANNEXURES

Annexure C


Name


E-mail address


Earl Williams



D ATE


HF Prins




D ATE

EM HC K ITSHOFF M RS

M AYORAL C OMMITTEE M EMBER



Comment:

Comment:


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