Peer Review of

South African Cities Network Peer Review of Buffalo City Local Municipality 4 – 8 November 2002 Draft Report (06/01/2003) Background 1) The peer review visit to Buffalo City Local Municipality (BCM) was the second such review carried out by the South Africa Cities Network. A peer review helps the authority assess its current achievements and its capacity to change. It is not an inspection. It offers a supportive approach, undertaken by friends, albeit „critical friends‟ and its intention is to help a municipality identify its current strengths as much as its weaknesses. It is the beginning of an ongoing change process. This can then be taken forward by the municipality with an improvement plan to address the areas where the review team recommends action. The Review Team comprised:  Cllr Simphiwe Nanise, Deputy Porfolio Head of Municipal Administration, City of Johannesburg;  JJ Matlole, City Manager, Mangaung Local Municipality;  Kgomotso Mohlala, General Manager: Local Economic Development, Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality  William Ramphele, Director, Capacity-building, Department of Provincial and Local Government  David Schmidt, Review Manager, ODA. The basis for the assessment was a specially constructed benchmark for an Ideal South African Municipality that has been developed through the Horizontal Learning Programme of SALGA, DPLG, LGTP and USAID. This benchmark focuses on the four themes of development, leading and learning, democracy and community engagement and performance. This has been based on the characteristics of developmental local government as set out in the White Paper on Local Government as well as the national legislative and policy frameworks on local government. The key points relating to each of these characteristics are set out in Appendix 1. The programme for the week was organised in advance and included a wide variety of activities designed to enable members of the team to meet and talk to a spectrum of internal and external stakeholders. The team was very appreciative of the warm welcome and excellent hospitality provided by the council during their stay, and would like to thank all involved for their valuable contributions throughout the week. The programme for the week was well organised and the team received wholehearted support and co-operation from everyone they met. The feedback given to the council on the last day of the review reported on the key messages and this report gives a more detailed written account structured around the characteristics of developmental local government and the core organisational competencies supporting each of them. 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 2 Context Buffalo City – the place 8) Buffalo City has been formed by the integration of the port city of East London and the growing industrial and commercial centres of King William‟s Town and Berlin. Buffalo City is represented as a grouping of urban areas within a metropolitan corridor. East London is acknowledged to be the primary regional node and the King William‟s Town area is seen as the secondary service node. Buffalo City has multiple rural areas, reflecting a variety of functions that the municipality provides. Buffalo City forms a pivotal point in the Eastern Cape with its strategic position and the important role it is capable of playing in the future development of the province and the country. The population of Buffalo City Municipality is currently around 880 000. More than 80% are African, about 10% are White, 6% are coloured and just under 2% are Asian. The growth scenario for Buffalo City is based on a declining national growth rate with a high HIV/Aids component. This means that natural population growth will decrease from approximately 69 000 persons in 2001 to 23 000 persons in 2011. There is a very high rate of unemployment with almost one third of the city‟s adult population being unemployed. Major disparities in terms of income, education levels, employment opportunities, housing and services exist. About 20% of the city‟s population live in informal housing areas and just over 20% of the population have access to housing through tribal tenure. Only 14% of households have a Government housing subsidy, while no people in informal settlement areas have housing subsidies. 9) 10) Buffalo City - the council 11) The municipality is led by an Executive Mayor – Councillor Sindisile Maclean. The mayor takes overall strategic and political responsibility for the city. There are 89 councillors with 45 being ward councillors and 44 being proportional representation councillors. The ANC has a strong majority with 73 councillors. The Democratic Alliance has 11 seats. Another 3 parties also have elected representatives on the Council. The City Manager, Mxolisi Tsika, heads Buffalo City‟s administration and provides the link between the political and administrative arms of city government. The administration has just over 4 000 employees divided into the Executive Mayoral Office, City Managers Office and 5 Directorates – Financial Services, Engineering Services, Corporate Services, Planning and Economic Development and Social Services. 12) 13) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 3 Development Understanding delivery challenges 14) BCM has produced some impressive work in understanding its delivery challenges. The "Quality of Life" survey for example provides impressive baseline data of community needs and is presented in an appealing manner. There is also extensive information on the development situation facing BCM in the IDP and other documents. There is a positive recognition that better strategic information is still needed to inform better strategy making over time. There remain important challenges. There is a need firstly to collect strategic information in a more systematic manner and to develop on-going systems for collecting, analysing and disseminating such information. This is ideally done in collaboration with partners as was the case in the Quality of Life survey. The move to develop a common approach to urban indicators for cities via the Cities Network also provides opportunities for collaboration. Such information gathering needs to support the development of a longer-term understanding of how the major economic, social, environmental and institutional trends might unfold and what this might mean for services and development. There is also a need to develop a clearer collective understanding and ownership of the delivery challenge across the different directorates of the municipality and in the city as a whole which does not seem to be fully the case at present. This is a necessary foundation to building a common commitment to city strategy as it emerges through the IDP and other processes. 15) 16) Vision, Strategy and IDP 17) BCM has established some important foundations in regard to vision and strategy. A clear, comprehensive and well-presented IDP has been produced using internal staff. As part of developing the strategy the council carried out extensive consultation with key stakeholders throughout the city which helps deepen analysis and builds broader ownership of the key issues. A bosberaad was further held subsequent to the completion of the IDP to clarify and fast-track key IDP priorities. The results of this are clear immediate direction and a short-term programme of action. There was evident commitment and passion to drive the process further at political and administrative level. However, there is a potential mismatch between the strategy and the council‟s capacity for implementation. To harness the commitment displayed in the strategic planning phase, a more focussed and urgent approach to implementation must be developed. A number of critical tasks identified at the bosberaad two months previously, for example, had not yet been attended to. A common criticism of BCM internally and from external stakeholders is that “problems never get resolved." The strategy process on the other hand is about identifying critical issues, working out how to address the issue and implementing so that the issue can move off the strategic agenda. If the same issues remain on the agenda indefinitely, then the strategic processes of the organisation are not functioning. 4 18) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 19) Part of the challenge of strategy implementation is to ensure that there is a meaningful link between the strategy and the operations of the municipality. Some effort has gone into this but there is work to be done. Future iterations of the IDP process should focus on creating a better link between the strategy of BCM, the business plans of the different services and ultimately the budget. There is also a need to express the strategy and associated priorities through clearly focussed programmes that are able to mobilise people internally and externally. Both the vision and the strategy needs to be popularised through a well-focussed communication strategy and careful branding of BCM. Strategy implementation also is not just about undertaking a plan. It requires an ability/capacity to respond proactively to immediate strategic opportunities as they present themselves. This capacity seems to be lacking and BCM might consider what capacity needs to be built with regard to this and where this should be located. Lastly, problems of implementation are often related to a failure to prioritise effectively. BCM might give attention to developing a framework for choosing between competing strategic priorities. 20) 21) 22) Extending basic services to all 23) BCM has made progress in extending basic services to all. The provision of a free basic amount of water is in place and BCM has nearly finalised the provision of free basic electricity. BCM also has its basic infrastructure frameworks in place and there is a spatial framework and a functioning land use management system. A number of innovative initiatives in city planning and social housing are underway. BCM also has a 5 year low cost housing plan. This complements the identification of Mdantsane as one of the national urban renewal nodes. This is a key integration project and could potentially have many benefits for the city as a whole. Significant backlogs remain and service extension will remain an important theme for many years to come. There are a number of key service extension challenges. In particular, the incorporation of a large rural area within the BCM poses particular challenges for a municipality that has resulted largely from the merger of urban municipalities. Attention needs to be given to developing a “wall to wall” approach that ensures an adequate focus on the rural areas and facilitates the provision of appropriate basic services to these areas. The is a shortage of the technical resources in the engineering type service areas which needs to be tackled in order to speed up the roll out of basic services where they do not exist and to ensure on-going maintenance. 24) 25) Maximising social development and poverty alleviation 26) BCM has recognised the importance of social development issues and has been exploring how to intervene in this area. There is a strong focus on cross-cutting issues such as gender, youth, disability and HIV/Aids in municipal plans. Primary health and HIV/Aids have been given key priority status in the IDP. Local Agenda 21 issues with specific reference to sustainability and the environment also enjoy a high 5 Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City profile in BCM plans. Innovative pilot projects on social housing are currently underway. BCM has an indigent policy in place. 27) However, BCM has some way to go before it has a coherent approach to poverty alleviation and social development. Current social development programmes tend to be of a pilot nature and do not address the scale of need. There is also limited internal capacity at stage although this is being developed. Some partnerships have been developed in this area but will become an increasingly important component and partnership working skills will be need to be built in the organisation. There are also a number of social development issues that have been affected by uncertainties regarding powers and functions. In this regard, there is an urgent need to clarify BCM‟s future role in regard to health in order to facilitate planning and delivery. In addition, issues of safety and security need some attention and thought. There is a need to develop a comprehensive disaster management plan and a strategy for safety and security including policing needs to be thought through. 28) 29) Stimulating economic development 30) Buffalo City has important growth and development opportunities. A number of major projects are in the pipeline including a major IDC development and a proposed Industrial Development Zone. Tourism has considerable potential for growth. The building of an motor car export terminal in the harbour also creates opportunities for growing port throughput. BCM has recognised its important economic development role. An LED framework has been developed and institutional capacity is being built. This is reflected in the establishment of a local economic development unit within the municipality and a Section 21 company for tourism promotion. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor have also played a strong role in promoting BCM and seeking potential investment. A strong focus on securing foreign investment has also been maintained. However, these economic development initiatives need to be consolidated. Firstly, successful city development requires a stronger partnership with business, other spheres of government and other key stakeholders to both develop and drive a city development strategy or plan. Part of this exercise will need to involve a tighter focus on what is really required than currently where the approach is possibly too ad hoc. Some suggestions that emerged through the review included:  the need for a very active focus on the small, medium-sized and larger businesses currently operating in BCM in order to understand their needs better, to address those needs more effectively and thus to ensure they are retained for the city;  the need to work on improving BCM‟s image nationally and to build a stronger profile as an economic player in the region with investment potential;  the need to improve key infrastructure required to facilitate new investment including CBD renewal, the provision of transport and service infrastructure for the West Bank and the development of the Beachfront. 31) 32) 33) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 6 34) One suggestion that emerged through the review was that BCM should find ways of mobilising the support of its successful “alumni” – people from the area now working elsewhere - to invest back home and to promote the area. It was pointed out for example that many leading national black business people were from the region. Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 7 Leading and Learning Leadership 35) The political leadership of the BCM is well-regarded in the organisation and amongst external stakeholders. There was a consistent message from the range of stakeholders that the Mayor and his Mayoral Executive displayed political maturity, had a good balance of capability, adopted a pragmatic practical approach and were co-operative and pleasant in their dealings with staff and outside stakeholders. The top management team was also felt to have good capabilities. However, there was a strong message that decisive action on key issues needed to be demonstrated if the confidence of staff and the stakeholders in the political and administrative leadership was to be retained. One leadership challenge is clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the Mayco and top management. The political/administrative interface needs to be carefully managed in any municipality. There does appear to be some problems related to political interference in administrative matters. One consequence is that accountability can be fudged. A statement from one middle manager summed this up in saying “I am not sure who I need to please? My director or the political head.” However, it must be recognised that neat attempts to define roles or old formulations like “politicians set policy, officials implement” are too simplistic. Management must recognise and appreciate the important role and responsibility of politicians in thinking through strategic implementation jointly with them. There will also be occasions when political intervention is necessary and appropriate. In the end, it is the quality of the relationship and common understanding between politicians and managers that determines how successfully they will work together. There are a number of steps which could taken to build this relationship and understanding. These include:  building portfolio teams comprising the relevant Mayco member and Director with regular meetings and joint planning of portfolio committee meetings so that “surprises” are avoided;  regular meetings between the Mayco and top management to deepen common strategic thinking. There is a need to build appropriate high-level capacity in both the offices of the Mayor and the City Manager to monitor delivery and performance and to ensure that the support needs of the Mayor and City Manager are efficiently carried out. The top management team needs to create a stronger team ethos where members achieve a balance between their role as heads of services and their role as members of the City Manager‟s core strategic team. 36) 37) 38) 39) 40) Change Management 41) There is widespread appreciation on the need for change across the organisation. There is also a willingness to change and much goodwill that can be built on. BCM is also fortunate in having a good rapport between politicians and management. 8 Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 42) A number of initiatives to help manage change in the organisation have been undertaken. These range from a change management training programme for staff to the rotation of the Mayco meetings between East London and King Williams Town which helps to bridge the historical divide. These should be maintained. There are a number of important change management challenges. Firstly, it is important that the political and managerial leadership be more visible in the organisation. A structured programme which ensures that the leadership regularly visits different parts of the administration would improve morale and motivation and build the credibility of leadership as caring for staff and being interested in what is going on in the organisation. In a big restructuring process that BCM is undertaking, the “soft” issues are very important. There are many simple inexpensive changes that symbolise new values and ethos that can be easily achieved such as changing signs to reflect new titles or ensuring that all offices are painted and clean. Managing the change appropriately in organisational culture can be very beneficial to the restructuring process. This should be linked to an increase in developmental activity which could include service improvement circles, red tape busting initiatives, multi-skilling and so on. In order to build positive internal rapport and relationships, a culture of appreciating staff needs to be created. High performing staff, in particular, need to be acknowledged and affirmed in creative ways. The current “Employee of the month” award could be built upon made a more exciting and meaningful. Good, firm relationships with the citizenry also need to be developed and maintained as part of the transformation process. Change is not simply an internal matter but must be complemented by a change in the mindset of the people in the community. A stronger sense of civic pride needs to be built in communities. This is particularly important at the grassroots level where a positive BCM identity still needs to be entrenched. 43) 44) 45) 46) 47) Innovation and creativity 48) There is an openness to learning in BCM reflected in a recognition at all levels that considerable improvement is required and in a capacity to receive constructive feedback and new information in an undefensive way. BCM has also actively sought international partnerships and twinning relationships and is an active participant in the SA Cities Network as vehicles for getting new ideas and learning from others. The establishment of the main Rhodes-Fort Hare campus in BCM is a major plus and can contribute to the growth of the area as a unique national site for local innovation, knowledge generation and creativity. However, BCM needs to work on creating a culture which encourages more experimentation, creativity and preparedness to take considered risks. There seems to be a rather reactive and static approach to problems at an operational level. “We do not have enough resources to do the job properly,” was a common complaint the review team encountered. There is always some truth in this but it is probably true 9 49) 50) 51) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City of most public sector bodies across the world and reflects a passive reactive approach to problems. 52) Good public sector organisations when confronted by resource constraints find smarter ways of doing things to maintain the service at the same or better levels. Or they prioritise and recognise that the service mix has to change. This is not happening sufficiently in BCM and a certain paralysis has set in in regard to what are seen as insurmountable problems. Senior management has a critical role to play in this in inspiring staff to re-think priorities, work processes and so on. It is very important to involve front-line staff in this exercise of operational innovation because they often have more information and ideas than those further from the customer or citizen. They currently have a strong sense that they are not listened to. A major process of re-thinking and improving work processes across the organisation needs to be considered and could bring big improvements in performance and morale. A number of external stakeholders were of the view that Buffalo City needed to initiate a major exercise of “re-imagining” itself. This should help mobilise the creative professionals in the arts, marketing, architecture and so on but could also be a vehicle for engaging with young people and communities. It would be a way of involving all city stakeholders in the creative process of re-definition and would help build civic pride and confidence in BCM and its future. 53) 54) Partnership and alliance building 55) Buffalo City has developed a range of meaningful long-term international partnerships with real resource benefits. These include relationships with SIDA, the Dutch and the use of other international experts. These must be seen as major assets with considerable potential for further growth if these relationships are well managed. There are few if any South African cities with such solid partnerships. BCM also has sought to actively engage with other South African cities to identify and further common interests and needs. Its involvement in the Coastal Mayor‟s Forum involving Nelson Mandela Metropole and the Cacadu and Amatole district municipalities is a further important linkage with potential to play a useful coordinating and strategic role for the Eastern Cape more broadly. BCM has also sought to actively build its relationships with the business community and the major economic role-players. The establishment of a Business Forum provides a useful platform for engaging the private sector and building a strategic city development partnership. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor have also ensured regular meetings and other interactions with key stakeholders such as Daimler Chrysler. There are some major challenges regarding partnerships and alliances which BCM needs to explore. Firstly, partner organisations indicated that they needed to work quite hard to maintain these partnership relationships with BCM. It is suggested that BCM give attention to how it can better resource these relationships in order that they are both maintained and developed. In particular there is also a need to build capacity to manage donor relations and funds. A possible way of enhancing this is to include it as a key indicator in the performance contracts of relevant managers. 10 56) 57) 58) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 59) Secondly, BCM needs to become more proactive in establishing new partnerships to support its development strategies. Building coherent links with other spheres of government to develop a common approach to the development of Buffalo City needs concerted attention. This includes finding ways of engaging provincial and relevant national government departments more effectively. The district municipality is important here, notwithstanding possible tension regarding powers and functions and the possible future metropolitan status for BCM. An effective link with Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality beyond the Coastal Mayor‟s Forum is also crucial to manage regional dynamics and initiatives. The team heard evidence of competition between the two cities for scarce investment. There is potential for a more concerted common approach to promoting the two key cities in the Eastern Cape in relation to tourism, the automotive cluster and the ports. Buffalo City has the potential to take the lead in developing such relationships and promote greater understanding of regional dynamics on other complex issues as crime and the environment and exploit opportunities for joint working and knowledge sharing. BCM is also fortunate in having a number of institutions within its boundaries who could make a major role in BCM‟s development agenda. These include its tertiary institutions and development NGOs. There is much unexploited opportunity for constructive engagement and partnership development with these sectors. 60) 61) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 11 Democracy and community engagement Democratic Representation 62) The Council as a political body is well administered and efficient with a functioning Mayoral Executive Committee and portfolio committees. Administratively, reports are user-friendly and well-written. There also appear to be good friendly relationships between councillors. However, the decision-making process tends to be somewhat bureaucratic and councillors have to manage very extensive agendas. This can be streamlined in a number of ways:  Agendas for all committees can be reduced in size and made more focused;  The strengths of the Executive Mayor system can be used to fast-track decisions where necessary which was not possible under an executive committee system;  The section 80 committees could be focused on more policy, strategic and monitoring roles rather than operational decisions. At the same time that decision-making is streamlined and the benefits of more rapid decision-making are realised, BCM also needs to consider how it can enhance oversight and accountability. There are a number of possibilities to explore including establishing s 79 committees with oversight roles in areas not currently in the terms of reference of the Audit Committee. There is also a need to develop the role of nonexecutive councillors and to provide relevant training and avenues for meaningful involvement. This will include an enhanced oversight and monitoring role and providing councillors with more support in both articulating council views to their constituents and representing the views and needs of those constituents in the Council. This could also be assisted by ensuring that the decision-making processes of the Executive are transparent and that Mayoral Executive Committee meetings are open to the public wherever possible. It is noted that gender representation in the structures of BCM could be improved and that BCM needed to be proactive in enhancing gender representation at all levels. 63) 64) 65) Consultation and Participation 66) BCM has put considerable effort into improving consultation and participation. It has established ward committees representing different community interests as a key vehicle for this. The strong voluntary commitment shown by ward committee members in some areas represents a real asset for BCM which can be build upon. BCM also facilitated extensive participation in the IDP process through community workshops. Community liaison officers have also been appointed to support the ward committee process and assist grassroots liaison with communities. BCM has also made a major investment in the training of the ward committee members. However, the role and purpose of ward committees needs to be developed if they are to be sustained. Many ward committees are currently not functional and a bigger 12 67) 68) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City more compelling vision for them needs to be build. In particular, practical mechanisms that enable the ward committee to mobilise the community around its needs such as community based planning which is being piloted in a number of municipalities need exploration. The community liaison positions which currently largely provide administrative support possibly need to be re-conceptualised more as community development facilitation posts. Training itself needs to be appropriate to the more developmental role suggested for ward committees. More positive ways of incentivising involvement must be found to encourage the active and sustained participation of volunteer members, many of whom are unemployed. 69) Council should not only rely on ward committees as mechanisms to enhance public participation and community development. Other community development vehicles such as development development forums possibly covering a number of wards with stronger involvement of important role-players in the area such as business should also be explored in order to create a larger critical mass in key areas to better drive development. In addition, BCM should continue to explore other forms of public participation in addition to ward committees in order to access all relevant groups and individuals in the community in an manner that is relevant to them. Citizen and customer focus 70) There is a recognition that there is much to be done to improve the citizen and service user focus of the municipality. Some good ideas are being developed including customer service centres and mini-call centres but these seem to be some way off implementation. There is evidence of committed and dedicated front-line staff who interface effectively with the public. However, there is a great need for more attention and focus on service to the customer and service user. This is currently far from adequate. Doing the service delivery basics better is the necessary foundation for many of the other more developmental tasks of the municipality such as promoting economic development or encouraging citizen participation. If it takes five months to get your building plan approved or if you receive rude and unsympathetic treatment when you try to renegotiate your electricity arrears, much other work is undermined. There is a need as a starting point to upgrade and maintain facilities and operations which involve an interface with the citizen or customer in order to improve their experience of the service. Does the facility look clean and well-maintained? Are all staff friendly and polite? There are definite challenges here. Better queue management particularly in the cash halls will be one immediate priority. Frontline staff also require specific regular high care programmes to help maintain and improve service. Significant improvements can potentially be made without any major financial investment that will have an immediate impact on public perceptions of the municipality as well as improving the confidence of staff and their pride in their work. The political and managerial leadership might regularly visit points of citizen access such as the cash halls, the clinics and so on to monitor the speed and quality of service and to hold the relevant supervisors and managers accountable when there is unsatisfactory service. If there is a perception that poor service is acceptable, poor service will be delivered. Citizens also need to be empowered to expect good friendly service and to complain more. This requires better citizen education and a 13 71) 72) 73) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City complaints system which is easy to access and where your complaint is taken seriously. 74) An overarching “customer care” strategy is needed to support better customer service and needs to be developed over time. One dimension will be a much more integrated IT-based complaints and information system linked to paypoints, call centres and so on. We heard complaints from front-line staff about how difficult it was to access information required by citizens. The electricity cut-offs was one example mentioned where poor information systems between the cash office and the cut-off section caused problems. It will be important to maintain and develop a citizen needs and citizen satisfaction database as initiated by the “Quality of Life” survey in order that BCM can regularly assess whether it is addressing needs and delivering a better service. This must be built into the annual core work of the municipality and should not be an ad hoc activity. 75) Communication with the Public 76) BCM recognizes the critical importance of effective communication and there was evidence of efforts to communicate effectively with stakeholders and the public. The Mayor, for example has led an innovative „Mayor‟s Listening Campaign.‟ There is also an acceptance that communication needs improvement. A municipal newsletter and web-site are being developed and will be accessible shortly. BCM has good media relations and there is a positive local press that is generally both friendly and critical. There is a need to develop a clearer external communication strategy for the municipality. In addition, it will be important to ensure that the Mayor‟s communication and that of BCM as a whole is harmonised to ensure maximum impact. It was also suggested by various stakeholders that there is also a need for an integrated marketing strategy for BCM to improve its image and reputation locally and nationally, possibly to be driven by a marketing forum comprising the municipality, the private sector and other relevant bodies. The team noted that BCM made very little use of signage and branding. Important municipal projects had very limited municipal signage. Good attractive signage with a clear BCM logo on all projects involving the municipality even where it is not the major partner can help promote the Council as a key driver of development in the area. Communication with citizens needs to become more proactive at the point where municipality and citizen interface with each other. The team noted that municipal facilities such as paypoints and clinics are accessed by a large number of residents in the course of a year and represent an extensive potential audience. BCM might find ways to convey a clear positive message at such access points through video, posters and other media. 77) 78) 79) 80) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 14 Performance People Management: Restructuring 81) A central challenge of most municipality‟s created in December 2003 has been to complete the restructuring process flowing from merging a number of formerly separate municipalities. BCM has made some progress. The macro structure is in place and the first 3 levels have been appointed. In addition, a draft micro organogram has been prepared and proposals regarding placement policy and implementation has been developed. However, these have not been finalized and agreed through the relevant labour forums and Council processes and there is not a concerted organization-wide understanding and commitment to driving the process through. Thus the vast majority of BCM staff remain unplaced and uncertain about their future in the organization almost 2 years after BCM was established. This is having a profound impact on morale and in employee confidence in the BCM leadership. It is thus imperative that finalizing the structure and placing all staff occurs as a matter of urgency. The team is of the view that this challenge should be the most important short-term priority for the organization. Many other important service and development challenges will not be effectively confronted until the organization has been stabilized. It is recognized that there are a number of external factors impeding implementation including deadlocks in the South African Local Government Bargaining Chamber. However, creative ways need to be found to overcome these obstacles. Many municipalities have managed to make substantial progress despite them. A robust and fast-track approach to finalise uniform conditions of service and to achieve remuneration parity will be important in this regard in parallel with placement. It is suggested that a dedicated integrated project team be established to drive the placement process to a speedy conclusion. This project team should comprise top current staff members from different parts of the organization with an ability to make things happen and should be supplemented with external members as required. A key element of the creation of a new municipality through merging a number of former municipalities lies in building a unified organization with a common sense of purpose and some shared values. It was found that BCM had a long way to go in this regard. In particular, relations between the staff of the former East London and King William‟s Town administrations are poor. King Williams Town staff feel marginalized and discriminated against and there is distrust and a sense of disempowerment. It will be important to develop a targeted programme to ensure that all staff feel positive about the new dispensation and that a spirit of teamwork, common values and so on is established across old organizational lines. The review team found that council-trade union relationships appeared to have deteriorated over time and that the relationship was characterised by much tension and mutual blaming. The local labour forum also appears to be ineffective. It is suggested that BCM take a very proactive approach to building better relationships 15 82) 83) 84) 85) 86) 87) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City with union leaders and shop stewards as a basis for a more co-operative and productive council-union relationship. People Management : Human Resources 88) The team was impressed by the openness, honesty and concern for the organization of staff at different levels. In particular, staff have shown considerable resilience and commitment through the restructuring process. There also generally appear to be positive inter-staff relationships and limited evidence of racial and other tension. BCM has a clear commitment to staff and staff development. This is demonstrated by the real increases in the budget for staff training. BCM has also complied with its labour legislative requirements and has the required Employment Equity and Skills Development plans. However, human resource issues require some urgent organization-wide attention. Staff morale is currently very low. The completion of the restructuring as speedily as possible will make a significant difference as a starting point. This should be supplemented by a programme equipping staff at all levels to cope with issues of diversity, equity, workplace justice and change in order to support restructuring and to ensure better management of tension and difference. Coupled to this process, it is suggested that BCM explore establishing an employee care programme. The job of frontline staff can be stressful and traumatic – traffic officers and ambulance staff have to deal with fatal accidents, clinic staff deal with dying patients, cashiers and other service staff have to deal with customers who are often angry and aggressive. Very little exists to support such staff currently and relatively small investments in providing counseling and other support measures could make an important difference. There is a strong view amongst staff that internal communication is currently very poor. A concerted programme to improve this would bring very positive results. Suggestions for such a programme would include regular top management walkabouts to ensure that they are visible and are seen to know what is going on. Managers and supervisors across the organization also need to be trained to facilitate a process of two-way communication between leadership and staff to facilitate mutual feedback. This direct person-to-person communication should be supported by regular circulars on pertinent issues. Such circulars should be issued on time. Staff gave a number of examples of municipal communications to staff which were only delivered after the due date for responses. The potential of e-mail as a means for immediate and direct communication can also be much more effectively used. However, it will be important to ensure that communication media is appropriate to different staff and the communication strategy should take into account the language needs and literacy levels of staff. The emerging strategies of BCM as its seeks to become a more developmental organization will require different skills sets and capabilities to those of the past. A key on-going challenge will be to develop a clearer competency profile for BCM both at corporate and service level and to ensure that skills plans are aligned with this. 89) 90) 91) 92) 93) 94) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 16 Systems and Processes 95) BCM has basic procedures and work processes in place. This has ensured that the Municipality has continued to function, that basic accountability is in place and that it complies with the requirements of legislation applicable to local government. Major effort has put into ensuring that internal audit related policies and procedures are in place. In addition, there have been efforts to modernize some systems. A GIS system has been introduced which has the potential to improve planning and management across all services. A performance management framework has been developed which will contribute to the streamlining of performance at all levels in the organization but requires alignment with the IDP and phased implementation. There is a need to recognise the importance of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) and eGovernment as enablers of the decision-making process and tools for improving service delivery. BCM seems to have underinvested in ICT relative to most equivalent municipalities. Existing ICT systems for example are not well integrated. We encountered professional staff do not have access to adequate computer equipment. This results in a de-skilling of staff, inefficiency and results in a decline in performance over time. A further challenge is ensuring that old rules, procedures and work processes are amended and aligned with new requirements flowing from new strategies and the need for more efficiency. Institutionally, levels of delegation need to be addressed to improve efficiency. Currently, overcentralised delegations swamp top management and leave middle managers and frontline staff feeling frustrated and disempowered. This is partly about having clear roles and responsibilities but also about levels of delegation. Clear levels of delegation need to be developed alongside the performance management system so that clear expectations of having to deliver specified outcomes are balanced by individual managers and other staff having the necessary authority to deliver quality service. 96) 97) 98) 99) Financial Management and Control 100) The council has managed to achieve significant financial turnaround. The overdraft has been reduced and the trend of increasing arrears has been arrested. Fiscal discipline has also been evident and the council has budgeted within its means. BCM also has strong financial management planning in place and its approach to linking planning to the budget was impressive and innovative. An indigent policy is in place. A strong emphasis has also been placed on training councillors in financial management. A functioning audit committee and sound financial management controls are in place. In addition, BCM has applied a zero tolerance approach to fraud and corruption and internal and external stakeholders were satisfied that BCM generally functioned in a clean honest fashion. At the same time, there is not room for complacency regarding financial management. BCM finances will for the immediate future will remain very tight and 17 101) 102) 103) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City strong control will have to be maintained in order to improve liquidity and to enhance revenue. 104) A significant weakness in the current financial management system is its ability to provide cost centre managers with up to date relevant financial information. There is a need to enhance the system so that it gives managers up-to-date information on their votes and facilitates access to other management information. There is also a need to develop a monitoring and evaluation system for the procurement policy. In regard to corporate governance, BCM has much good practice but there is some way to go before its meets the standards contained within the King Reports. 105) Operations and Project Management 106) The basic service delivery operations and work processes of BCM are functioning and service delivery has not suffered major disruptions through the transitional period. BCM has a core of managerial and frontline staff able to maintain service delivery despite shortages of technically qualified staff. However, BCM has a general problem of slow and haphazard implementation. There is consequently a need to strengthen the project management system and the project management capability. There is also a major need for investment in municipal operations to improve efficiency and effectiveness. The Restructuring Grant can play an important role in resourcing this once it is secured. These measures need to be supported by an effective performance management system as both a monitoring tool and mechanism to encourage learning and on-going improvement. In addition, BCM needs to develop clear well communicated and monitorable standards that enable staff and public to understand what is expected of them and empower them to monitor service delivery performance. These are not in place at the moment. This setting of standards can be reinforced by benchmarking where BCM compares its performance to those of similar institutions in order to identify where improvements can be made. 107) 108) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 18 Recommendations There are many ideas for improvement in this report that the review team hopes the council will pursue. However, the following recommendations are felt to be the most important ones for the council to address to build on its strengths and address the issues identified in this report: Development 109) That a comprehensive and holistic process for identifying the strategic and management information needs of BCM be initiated in conjunction with appropriate partners as soon as possible. The process should produce clear recommendations regarding the types of information required and how, when and by whom such information will be collected, analysed, disseminated and incorporated into the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation processes of the organisation. That a process for reviewing the strategic support needs of the Executive Mayor and the City Manager be initiated with a view to making recommendations about the required capacity and how this might best be structured. This strategic support capacity must be able to support the Executive Mayor and City Manager to drive, delegate and monitor the strategic agenda and must ensure the speedy and timely execution of their administrative functions. That the vision and strategies of BCM as contained in the IDP and other documents be translated into a few focused initiatives that can motivate and mobilise people and that link to the reality of service delivery on the ground. These must then be communicated to all staff and stakeholders via clear and simple messages by the political and managerial leadership. That BCM constitute a multi-disciplinary, cross sectoral team to develop a coherent long-term approach to poverty alleviation and social development in BCM and to coordinate and monitor implementation of the approach. This exercise should include the development of a framework that helps integrate and prioritise the roll-out of basic service delivery, housing, community development, community facilities and safety and security and so on. It will also need to develop an appropriate approach to partnerships and community involvement in poverty alleviation and give guidance on how BCM can best be structured to support poverty alleviation and social development. That the BCM initiate the establishment of a formal city development partnership under the leadership of the Mayor which comprises the leadership of provincial government, organised business, major companies, parastatals, tertiary institutions and other relevant stakeholders to drive the economic development of the city. The initiative will require appropriate institutional support and should be able to develop a coherent strategy, mobilise key stakeholders, target and secure new strategic investments, unblock obstacles to development and business growth, develop an aligned approach with Nelson Mandela Metro, the District Municipality, DTI, provincial government and other relevant government agencies and ensure that the fundamentals for sustained growth are in place. 110) 111) 112) 113) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 19 Leading and learning 114) That a programme be initiated to build the cohesion and sense of common purpose of political and managerial leadership through regular informal meetings, regular one on one sessions between political portfolio holders and the relevant Directors and through a structured programme of training and development for members of the Mayoral Committee and top management. This programme should also facilitate a clearer understanding of roles and relationships. That the political and managerial leadership engage in a structured programme of visits to all sections of the administration and to key points where citizens interface with the municipality in order to ensure greater visibility and effective on-going communication with the municipal organisation. That BCM develop a change management strategy to promote a more people focussed approach to change. It should be driven by a multi-disciplinary cross functional change management team with some dedicated capacity and its activities should include:  assessing staff motivation and morale through a regular survey;  overseeing internal communication;  programmes to involve staff in service improvement such as service improvement circles;  ensuring opportunities for learning and sharing good practice;  establishing an employee care programme;  equipping staff at all levels to cope with issues of diversity, equity, workplace justice and change. That BCM initiate a campaign to build a positive civic pride and confidence amongst the citizens of BCM. This should possibly include a process of involving all city stakeholders in a creative process of defining a vision for the future. 115) 116) 117) Democracy and community engagement 118) That BCM initiate a review of its delegations, processes and procedures with a view to streamlining Council decision-making and ensuring that its political arms have a stronger focus on policy, strategy and monitoring. Such a review should also explore how the monitoring, representative, advocacy and other roles of non-executive councillors can be supported as way of improving governance. That BCM initiate to process to build and develop the role of the ward committees and enhance their effectiveness. Possible actions could include:  the allocation of limited discretionary funding to ward committees for use in their wards in building community cohesion and involvement;  improved training and information for ward committees, including information related to service performance in their area;  the development of ward based action plans possibly through the community based planning approach;  non-cash incentives for ward committee members to encourage participation; 20 119) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City  provision of stronger support from the administration by upgrading the current administrative back-up function to encompass community facilitation and development support. 120) That an overarching “customer care” strategy be developed as a basis for better citizen and service user service. It should include:  the upgrading of points where the public access the municipality where required;  holding a regular survey of citizen needs and citizen satisfaction as part of taking forward the “Quality of Life” indicators;  establishing clear and monitorable standards that the public can expect from all services;  improved training and development for staff in all aspects of customer care;  improved and integrated information systems and processes for handling complaints and queries. That BCM develop its external and internal communication strategy to support the strategic agenda and help build local pride and that it ensure adequate resources to undertake this effectively. 121) Performance 122) That a dedicated integrated project team be established to drive the placement process to a speedy conclusion. This project team should comprise top current staff members from different parts of the organization with an ability to make things happen and should be supplemented with external members as required. That BCM take a very proactive approach to building better relationships with union leaders and shop stewards as a basis for a more co-operative and productive councilunion relationship. That BCM initiate a concerted programme to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of municipal operations. This effort should include using IT and technology to simplify some key business processes and break old-fashioned and bureaucratic ways of working. Clear levels of delegation need to be developed alongside the performance management system so that clear expectations of having to deliver specified outcomes are balanced by individual managers and other staff having the necessary authority to deliver quality service. It should also include a process of strengthening project management capability across the organisation. 123) 124) Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 21 Appendix 1 An ideal municipality benchmark for South Africa The draft benchmark of an “ideal” South African municipality is comprised of four areas, each with a number of subheadings. The suggested areas are: 1. Development 2. Leading and learning 3. Democracy and community engagement 4. Performance Positive indicators and contra-indicators are provided for each sub-area, as well as a set of questions in order to help assess the municipality under review. 1. Development Understanding the delivery challenges This refers to the ability of municipalities to develop an accurate global picture of the delivery challenges in their area, taking into account also the movement of people from rural to urban areas. Positive indicators should include:  Dedicated capacity within municipalities to analyse demographic trends and track service provision  Understanding among all councillors of the delivery challenges, particularly with regard to water, electricity, solid waste and refuse  Consistent understanding across departments of service delivery challenges, with departments planning on the basis of common statistics  Broad public understanding of delivery challenges  Access to information about delivery challenges and the number of residents that live without access to basic services  An accurate picture of the different service levels that still exist across the municipality  Detailed information about employment, unemployment and skills levels in the municipal area Contra-indicators include:  No accurate statistics about residents and households without access to services  Departments and branches drafting policy and making policy decisions based on outdated statistics, or using different ones  Disagreement within the municipality about the size of delivery challenges  No accurate picture of the extent to which service levels are equitable, particularly between wealthy and poor areas  No understanding or anaylsis of the impact of HIV/AIDS on the communities served by council as well as the council workforce Key questions Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 22      Do most councillors know off-hand what the key socio-economic challenges in the area are, eg how many people don‟t have access to water and sanitation, how many people live in shacks? Is there a broad understanding among members of the public and media of the balancing act council must perform to meet the needs of those without services and to service established areas? Is census data and other demographic data used by the municipality? Is data about the municipal area broadly available, including on the municipal website? Is the IDP based on an accurate analysis of delivery challenges? Vision, strategy and the IDP This refers to the municipality‟s ability to develop a vision and strategy, concretised in the IDP, which reflects the interests of all sections of the community and is endorsed by the community as a whole. It should be translatable into achievable priorities and a programme of action. Positive indicators should include:  Widespread, early consultation with communities around the development of the vision and its priorities  Responsiveness to national issues  Connections between policy areas (as opposed to the entrenchment of silos)  Integrated approach to economic, social and environmental issues  Strong corporate leadership and joint working around the main strategic priorities  Strategic focus towards disadvantaged communities and areas of community concern such as crime and safety  Strategy addressing the well being of future generations  Pro-active anticipation of and preparation for new trends and developments (such as rapid urbanisation)  Engagement with partner organisations  High standard of ethics and concern for equality  Participation by all elected councillors in the development of the vision and IDP and its review  Senior officials demonstrate a good understanding of the vision, priorities and their political purpose. Contra-indicators include:  Absence of vision, IDP or strategy unclear or non-existent  Vision/IDP is vague and does not translate into practical priorities  The vision is short-term and only extends as far as the next election  Evidence that particular groups feel excluded from the vision  There is little awareness among staff of council‟s overall purpose and priorities  The council is characterised by departmentalism, silos, competitive culture and conflict, instead of being unified around the vision/IDP Some important questions that can be asked in order to clarify how well a municipality is doing against the benchmark are:   Is there clarity about the main strategic issues facing the local community and the municipality? Is there consensus about priorities among stakeholders 23 Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City     What specific arrangements have been made to consult around and communicate the vision for the city/town/district externally and internally? And how successful have these been? How do leaders set and communicate values and standards of behaviour to the rest of the organisation and partners? Does the public believe that the council sets and maintains high levels of honesty? Is there a clear understanding of the respective roles of councillors and officials in the development and implementation of the IDP? Extending basic services to all Local government is responsible for the provision of household infrastructure and services. Apart from being a constitutional right, the extension of services is vital for social and economic development and improving the lives of the poorest residents. Positive indicators should include:  Increased service levels on an ongoing basis  Backlog in service provision is being steadily eroded  Service provision exceeds the formation of new households  The provision of appropriate and affordable services  A pro-poor service delivery strategy  A sustainable service delivery strategy Contra-indicators include  Growing basic service backlog  Areas in which services are newly installed but not maintained  Health problems such as cholera, TB and high infant mortality in particular areas Questions  Do plans exist to deal with service backlogs in the areas of water, sanitation, refuse removal and electricity?  Do members of the community have faith in the council‟s ability to provide basic services  Does the council have a plan to deal with informal settlements?  Is the municipality reaching and servicing the poorest of the poor? Maximising social development This is about the role the municipality plays in the social development of communities, in particular providing amenities and services that support the development of healthy communities, especially in poor areas. Positive indicators should include:  Policies and programmes aimed at alleviating poverty  Land is proactively identified and released for development  Municipal projects contribute to job creation  Recreational and community facilities are seen as important municipal services and recognised in the budget  The council has a well-publicised indigent policy  Grants-in-Aid support social and economic development  Council amenities make provision of access for disabled people  Gender issues are taken into account at all levels of planning Contra-indicators include: Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 24         No affirmative procurement policy Housing development hampered by inability to release land, poor relationships with other spheres of government and lack of policy Increasing levels of unemployment No policy around child care facilities An indigent policy that many poor residents are unaware of Indigent and grants-in-aid policy not easy to understand or access No or little attention to safety and security issues Little attention is paid to sustaining the natural environment Key questions  55% of South Africa‟s population presently live in cities, but by 2030 this will have increased to 70%. This will impact on both rural and urban areas. What plans does the council have to deal with this?  Do members of the public know how to access rebates and grants-in-aid?  Is there a plan and policy to provide community facilities in areas where these do not exist?  Has the council been able to redress unequal access to municipal facilities? Stimulating local economic development In terms of the new legislative framework for local government, local economic development is an area that councils must address in their planning and policies. Positive indicators include:  A clear vision for the local economy  Partnerships with local business to maximise job creation and investment  Affirmative procurement policies that aim to empower small, emerging and blackowned business, and broaden the pool of service providers  Support services in place to assist small businesses  There is a clear local economic development strategy in place with resources allocated to this  Municipal support for tourism aims to ensure that historically disadvantaged communities are empowered to derive considerable benefit from this growing market Contra-indicators include:  No resources allocated to economic development and tourism promotion  Poor or non-existent relations between the council and local business  No resources to interact with potential investors in the area  A lack of understanding and analysis of the local economy, and its potential growth areas  No understanding among councillors of the municipality‟s LED responsibilities Key questions:  Does business see the municipality as an ally?  Do small business and emerging business receive support from the municipality?  Do all officials understand and implement the council‟s affirmative procurement policy? Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 25 2. Leading And Learning Change Management This refers to council leadership‟s ability to facilitate and manage change for continuous improvement and customer and citizen focussed outcomes. It also refers to the leadership required in this period of transition following the final demarcation of municipalities. Positive indicators should include:  Communication about change and the need for it throughout the municipality  Proactive management of the different impact of change on staff at different levels  Change being viewed as an opportunity  Change processes are planned, supported and resourced  Change processes are continuously evaluated  The council feels comfortable with challenge  People are empowered to contribute their views about the future  Leaders demonstrate personal flexibility, willingness to listen and to change  Council learns from successful as well as unsuccessful change Contra-indicators include:  Little or no acceptance of the need for change  Negativity about, and fear of, change Key questions:  How are staff and councillors equipped to deal with change both personally and organisationally  How much scope do staff have to initiate change?  How do officials and councillors shape change and play a part in implementation? Motivation This refers to the ability of council leadership to generate commitment and enthusiasm for the future of the authority internally and externally and encouraging and empowering all to contribute to its success. Positive indicators should include:  Strong team work and a culture of team work across the organisation  Leadership that engenders confidence  Strong partnership and joint leadership between councillors and officials  Induction programmes and communication reinforces the values and standards of behaviour set by the council  Individuals are encouraged to advance themselves regardless of race, gender or disability  Clarity and transparency around delegation arrangements to ensure that people are empowered to take decisions  A culture that celebrates achievement and rewards excellence both internally with staff and externally with community and stakeholders Contra-indicators include:  Imbalance between political leadership and top management  Departmentalism and silos  Rigid hierarchical management  Culture of blame Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 26   Directive and autocratic style of leadership Unhealthy competitive and divisive culture Some important questions that can be asked in order to clarify how well a municipality is doing against the benchmark are:  How visible and accessible are senior managers and leading politicians?  Are the executive committee members and executive staff clear about the boundaries between each set of roles and responsibilities?  How well do councillors and officials communicate and interact with one another?  How are crosscutting issues addressed?  What team structures are there at all levels of council?  Are individuals encouraged and supported to take responsibility and risks?  Is there a management development strategy? Is it inclusive and open to all staff with potential?  Is there a desire to be the best?  Is a spirit of enthusiasm to achieve communicated through the organisation and is there a widespread „can do‟ attitude?  Is leadership seeking to encourage the community to be proud of their council? Innovation and creativity This refers to the ability of councillors and senior officials to think and operate outside “the box”, challenging the status quo and repositioning the council to create or take advantage of opportunities and anticipate problems. It also refers to the ability of leaders to make an assessment of risks. Positive indicators include:  Welcoming the discussion of new ideas and allowing them to be freely communicated  Actively encouraging new approaches and experimentation  A stated commitment to encouraging learning and a council that is actively learning from other local authorities  Structures exist to ensure that good practice developed in one section of the organisation is transferred to others  Encouraging risk-taking  Examples of innovation identifiable throughout the organisation  Arrangements for transferring good practice across the council are effective  All new approaches are fully evaluated and lessons are being learnt  Being recognised by other municipalities as a centre of good practice and innovation  New approaches to service delivery are being developed  Public-private partnerships help deliver services  Innovation is rewarded Contra-indicators include:  No or few examples of new and different approaches  Creativity is discouraged  Inappropriate risk-taking Questions to help clarify how well a municipality is doing against the benchmark:  How is learning shared and transferred across the municipality?  How are councillors and staff encouraged to think laterally?  Does the council seek to learn by comparing its performance with that of others?  Does the council think that it is being innovative when it is not? Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 27 Partnership and alliance-building This refers to the ability of a council to bring organisations together to develop a collective and collaborative capacity in order to initiate and implement policies and practice that benefit the whole community. This includes meeting the constitutional imperative of “co-operative governance” with other spheres of government. Positive indicators include:  A commitment to working with partners  Local strategic partnership with well-balanced representation from different sectors  Cross representation on boards and committees of partner agencies  Time spent building an understanding of other organisations  A strategic approach to partnership is producing positive and practical outcomes  Strategic service delivery partnerships are being developed  Community participation is a key part of IDP and other processes Contra-indicators include:  Few attempts to communicate or engage with other sectors  No obvious signs of partnerships working in practice  Partners are only brought together to support bids for external funding  Some groups obviously excluded from partnerships  Council domination of local partnerships  Partnerships seen as “talk shops” and ineffective  Poor relationship between spheres of government Questions to help clarify how well a municipality is doing against the benchmark:  What are the characteristics of the council‟s approach to partnerships?  Have partnerships been built with the private secotr, cimmunity organisations and trade unions?  Is community planning based on a shared analysis of needs and resources?  How is the relationship between district and local councils in non-metro municipalities?  How have arrangements for joint working been structured?  How has the local authority engaged with the business sector and what is the level of investment in local partnerships  Are there any major public/private partnerships?  Does the council actively seek partnerships with other public sector bodies and the local voluntary and community sectors?  Are there any notable successes and problem areas? 3. Democracy And Community Engagement Democratic representation This refers to an understanding of the relationships that need to be built with the public and all sections of the community in order to ensure that their interests are paramount. Positive indicators include:  Close and regular contact between the municipality and sections of the community  Practical efforts to bring council decision-making closer to the public  Councillors act as advocates for the communities that they represent, but balance the needs of the local area against wider community needs Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 28           The processes of the council support the right of opposition councillors to be oppositional Dynamic political structures which support the executive, overview and representational roles of councillors are in place All councillors feel involved in decision-making processes Opposition parties are given full access to information and facilities There is regular dialogue and constructive relationships across political parties There is a strategy in place to increase electoral turnout Active public attendance of council meetings Training programmes for councillors Councillor involvement in the development of their training and development programmes Council meetings sometimes take place outside the council chamber in different community areas Contra-indicators:  Councillors spend most of their time in council offices  Training for councillors is seen as a luxury, not a necessity  Councillors get too involved in operational detail, instead of the establishment of broad principles  Councillors not on EXCO or MAYCO feel excluded from power and decision-making  There is little support provided for non-EXCO or MAYCO members  Opposition views are given scant attention in council meetings Questions:  How clear are councillors about their community representational roles?  Does the council regularly review political arrangements including public consultation?  Do opposition groups feel that they and their members‟ rights are respected?  How representative is the council? Do women hold key positions? How representative is the council in terms of race?  How open are meetings of EXCO/MAYCO? Are decisions taken in party caucuses before the meetings or after open debate?  Is decision making efficient? Are there so many meetings that these take up the majority of councillor‟s time?  How are decisions of the EXCO/MAYCO recorded and communicated?  How effectively is the EXCO/MAYCO communicating with other councillors?  What is the average electoral turnout for local elections? What strategies have been introduced to increase this or is this seen as the exclusive role of the IEC?  Is there a comprehensive training and development programme to equip members with the necessary skills to work efficiently?  Does the council have regular contact with local tertiary institutions to exploit existing training possibilities or develop new ones within these institutions?  Are subcouncils and ward committees seen by the public as meaningful structures that make the council more accessible? Customer and resident focus This refers to the council‟s outward focus on customer and citizen needs and their access to services. It also refers to the necessary political and management structures, resource allocation and systems and processes that exist to service customers and residents. Positive indicators include:  Services are designed to reflect public interests and expectations Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 29        Regular monitoring, review and evaluation of services takes place involving users and citizens There is an excellent customer interface and access to services A “customer-first” ethos exists within the council One-stop shops and shared call centres make it easy for customers to interact with the council and its constituent parts Having a reputation for active and enthusiastic development of services to improve responsiveness to customer needs Mechanisms to seek the views of and learn from service users and residents Council is responsive to the specific needs of disabled users and citizens Contra-indicators include:  Poor customer care  Fragmented responses to queries from the public  Residents don‟t know how to contact the council or their local councillor  Frontline staff don‟t speak all the right languages Key questions  How is the council improving its focus on customer needs?  Are service users ever asked about their needs?  Are surveys carried out to measure public opinion?  Can the website be used for complaints or queries?  Is e-mail and correspondence to the council effectively dealt with?  Is there a user-friendly complaints procedure?  Are complaints actively monitored?  Are service opening hours planned around user requirements or council convenience?  Are there examples of joined up service delivery or shared premises by different spheres of government to provide one-stop access?  Are customer and resident charters in place? Communication Good and accessible communication with residents and customers, and encouraging feedback is a vital function of a successful municipality. Positive indicators include:  The council has a clear external communications strategy which identifies key messages, target groups, and a range of media to get messages across  Communication takes place in the relevant official languages  Communication with the public is based on a sound analysis of literacy levels in the area  Regular media training is provided to councillors and officials  Officials and councillors have developed positive and informal relationships with members of the media  The reach of municipal communication is regularly evaluated  Communication is in plain language and is easy to understand  It is easy to access information through shared call centres and one-stop shops  Verbal queries are answered in one of the official languages Contra-indicators include:  The council, staff and councillors are afraid of the local media  Senior officials and EXCO/MAYCO councillors are poor communicators  Many residents do not understand their municipal bills Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 30    A range of different council telephone numbers make it difficult for customers to have queries answered efficiently The main purpose of communication is seen as public relations to attract praise and minimise criticism Communication is telling not listening Some important questions that can be asked in order to clarify how well a municipality is doing:  What is the quality of relationships with the media?  Is there a good municipal newsletter that regularly communicates with residents and informs them of council policies and performance  Are councillors and officials aware of the importance of good communication? Do they receive training in this?  Are the contact details of councillors regularly published to ensure that members of the public can access their local representatives?  Are frontline staff members seen as important channels of communication and are they equipped with the necessary skills information and support to fulfil this role?  Does the municipality have an up-to-date website? Consultation and Participation Creating specific and meaningful opportunities to listen to the views of communities, stakeholders and partners is a vital aspect of developmental local government. Consultation and participation provide an opportunity for the council to improve its performance by responding to the needs and interests of communities and where appropriate involving them more actively in decision-making, service improvement and budget planning. Positive indicators include:  Where consultation is required by law the municipality does more than the minimum required  The council is seen as a “listening council” that acts on responses to consultation  Councillors and staff are trained to manage effective consultation processes  Consultation is widespread and well co-ordinated  Consultation processes are strategic, have clear goals and are aimed at stimulating public participation  Feedback is given to communities following consultation processes  Ward committees or sub-councils are used to facilitate consultation Contra-indicators include:  The council listens but does not take account of what it hears  There is a concern that consultation raises unrealistic expectations and should therefore be avoided  There is no follow-through from consultation processes  Consultation is not accompanied by civic education which contextualises and explains the consultation process. Key questions  Does the council co-ordinate consultation effectively?  Do residents feel that their views are taken seriously?  Does the council have a broad range of contacts to avoid consultation overload of a few?  What arrangements exist to consult with specific constituencies, such as women and youth? Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 31  How is consultation evaluated? 4. PERFORMANCE People management This refers to the municipality‟s ability to effectively manage the people it employs in order to meet its objectives, vision, policies and programmes. Positive indicators:  Staff feel that they are valued members of the organisation  There is good internal communication with staff, including two-way communication  The profile of the workforce is reflective of the local community and the country  Women are well represented across all levels  There is a comprehensive human resource management strategy with buy-in from staff and trade unions  Staff have access to high quality training and development opportunities  Future staff requirements are being planned for through recruitment, retention and exit strategies  Team work is championed at all levels Contra-indicators include:  The grapevine, shop stewards and the local media are seen as the main sources of up-to-date information  Councillors are involved inappropriately in staff recruitment  There are high levels of absenteeism and staff turnover  There are many disciplinary tribunals and a culture of lodging grievances  The council has no plan to ensure that all staff and councillors are educated about HIV/AIDS Key questions  How representative is the composition of the workforce and is this constantly monitored?  How is the council addressing retention issues?  Are there effective procedures to deal with harassment?  Are whistleblowers protected by the organisation? Systems and processes This refers to the manner and extent to which a municipality continually reviews, redesigns and simplifies systems to support the achievements of the overall vision and improve performance. Positive indicators:  Systems are effectively redesigned  Procedures are clear and up to date  Systems exist to ensure that when the public call with queries these are attended to  There is a system of internal staff communication  Risk management strategies, policies and procedures are in place  Quality assurance systems exist such as ISO 9000 and EMAS  There is a performance management system in place Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 32 Contra-indicators include:  No attention is being paid to this area  Out of date procedures are in use  Frontline staff are not well supported Key questions:  Has a review of information systems been undertaken to ensure service and financial information is adequately collected and maintained?  Does the council have a human resource management information system that enables it to collect data such as workforce composition by race and gender, staff sickness and staff turnover?  Are there effective systems for collecting and recording user feedback and using this for continuous improvement?  Is billing information including new users and property valuation data up to date? Financial management and control Actively managing all financial resources, investment and assets to ensure maximum benefit and minimum risk to the authority. Good financial management also involves the successful implementation of policies and programmes to meet the needs of service users and citizens. Positive indicators  Integrated strategic, financial and performance planning  Financial and budget information is produced in plain language and clear numerical detail  The budget strategy is widely understood by councillors and staff  Rates policy that is clearly understood by council and property owners  Measures in place to prevent corruption Contra-indicators  Panic about resource levels  Regular overspending or under spending  No medium or long-term financial strategy  Poor billing systems, including sectors of the community who do not receive bills Key questions  Does the council have a reputation for sound financial management, particularly with the Auditor General?  Is there a clear strategy for budget making?  Is there a long-term financial plan?  How does council involve the business and community sectors in budget and financial matters?  Are there partnership arrangements with the private/voluntary sector that are designed to maximise available resources?  Does the council have a clear, well understood policy to deal with residents who default on their municipal bills?  Does the council manage communication around defaulters well. Draft Peer Review Report: Buffalo City 33