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THE 2025 HR VISION: TOWARDS A 20 YEAR HUMAN RESOURCE PLAN FOR CAPACITY BUILDING IN THE WATER

SECTOR

Contact: Ramunenyiwap@dwaf.gov.za (012) 336 6585

Brisleym@dwaf.gov.za (012) 336 6563

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PROBLEM STATEMENTThe current skills shortage within the water sector poses a threat to the achievement of the water and sanitation delivery targets as well as the implementation of sustainable

water resources management.

There is growing concern that current approaches to skills development are not producing the numbers of skilled people

that are needed to improve the performance of water institutions.

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WHAT IS THE 2025 VISION?

• DWAF coordinated multi-stakeholder initiative aimed at the development and implementation of a funded, co-ordinated, resourced 20 year skills development and training programme for the Water Sector.

• Aligned with (i) ASGI-SA and its associated skills development drive, the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA); (ii) the DPLG & SALGA National Capacity Building Framework for Local Government; and (iii) National and Sectoral Skills Planning.

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In pursuit of the 2025 HR Vision objectives, all available

resources should be aligned to address the shortage of skills across the whole spectrum of

education and training, now and for the future.

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Institutional Focus: 2025 Vision

WATER WATER SERVICES SERVICES INSTITUTIONSINSTITUTIONS (water and sanitation)

WATER WATER MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTIONSINSTITUTIONS (water resources management)

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IMPERATIVE 2ENSURING STRONG, WELL

GOVERNED & CAPACITATED INSTITUTIONS AND

INDIVIDUALS AT ALL SPHERES OF GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS WITHIN CIVIL

SOCIETY

IMPERATIVE 1PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT,

SOCIAL & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND

SERVICES DELIVERY TO THE UNEMPLOYED AND

UNDERSERVED

VISION 2025MEETING TWIN IMPERATIVES

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CHALLENGES AS A COUNTRY

Within South Africa we have:•A low literacy base•A low skills base•High unemployment•High levels of poverty •High levels of under-served•Poorly managed and under-performing institutions

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CHALLENGES AS A COUNTRY

Within South Africa we have:•A low literacy base•A low skills base•High unemployment•High levels of poverty •High levels of under-served•Poorly managed and under-performing institutions

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CONTEXTUAL CHALLENGES FACING THE SECTOR

•Complex, rapidly changing environment

•Development of new institutions (e.g. CMAs and the NWRIA

•Limited existing skills base

•Rapid outflow of skills

•Ageing skills base (majority of skilled personnel will retire in 5 to 10 yrs)

•MDGs emphasize quantitative delivery (toilets & taps) whereas sustainable service is required

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INADEQUACIES FACING THE SECTOR

•Inadequate institutional resources (Personnel, skilled resource base, finances, infrastructure, etc.) and poor utilisation of existing resource base.

•Unacceptable levels of poor planning & management coupled with inadequate understanding of how to practically translate required functions into service delivery (e.g. ensuring that constituents can “climb the water ladder”).

•Inadequate political support and understanding at local level.

•Inadequate ability to perform functions

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POOR PERFORMANCE WITHIN THE SECTOR

Poor performance identified in respect of:

•Planning;

•Financial management;

•Regulating and meeting regulatory obligations;

•Ensuring access and sustainable services delivery;

•Grassroots involvement;

•O & M;

•M & E.

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KEY FOCUS AREAS FOR KEY FOCUS AREAS FOR ADDRESSING CHALLENGESADDRESSING CHALLENGES

Co-operative governance enhanced & inter-institutional capacity to provide macro strategic direction & support strengthened.

Existing intra-institutional capacity significantly enhanced & optimised.

An extended, sufficient skills base developed.

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SUPPORTING INSTITUTIONS

DWAF

DPLG

LGSETA & ESETA

SALGA

Department of Labour

Department of Education

District and Local Municipalities

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ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF DWAF• With SETAs, provide leadership and coordination for SD&T

in water sector

• With National Treasury, DPLG & SALGA, provide guidelines & tools for WSAs

• Strategic support initiatives to WSAs and WSPs

• Custodian and manager of national water resources (including national information system)

• Ensure that SD&T programmes are aligned with critical priorities defined by policy

• Together with DPLG and provincial government, co-ordinate support to local municipalities

• Ensure that support is demand-led

• With Department of Health, implement and promote health and hygiene education programmes

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ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF SETA’s• Increase levels of investment in LG and water sector SD&T

• Collect & evaluate Workplace Skills Plans

• Prepare a Sector Skills Plan

• Collect Skills Development Levies and disburse

• Allocate grants to employers, education and training providers and workers

• Establish and promote Learnerships, and registering Learnership agreements

• Regulate access to Learnerships or SD&T programmes

• Regulate and monitor SD&T in water sector

• Co-ordinate training provision

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INITIATIVES IN PLACE (1) DWAF is implementing a support strategy that

comprises four key components:1. Programmatic support to Water Services

Authorities. 2. Direct operational support to Water Services

Providers. 3. Skills development4. Sector collaboration and cross-cutting initiatives

– Project consolidate– Donor funded projects– DBSA programme of support– SAICE programme– etc

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INITIATIVES IN PLACE (2)• WSSLG Training and Skills Development Sub-

Committee commissioned the Project “ Strategic Options to address Constraints and Challenges to Skills Development in the Water Services Sector”

• Project focus was to – assess skills gaps and shortcomings w.r.t Water Services

Authority and Water Service Provider functioning, and – formulate a strategy to address these gaps and

shortcomings.

• business plan to address constraints to skills development in the water services sector in the early stages of implementation.

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INITIATIVES IN PLACE (3)WRC Project on assessment of Training Programmes

and Capacity needs for the Water Sector Phase 1 completed and focused on:

• Comprehensive inventory of Further Education and Higher Education training courses in support of water services and water resources

• Assessment of capacity needs and skills gaps of Water Services Authorities and Water Services Providers.

Phase 2 has started and will focus on Water Boards, Catchment Management Agencies, NWRIA, DWAF and the South African Water Research CommunitySignificant Recommendations being incorporated into Business Planning on the road ahead.

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INITIATIVES IN PLACE (4)• Process of developing an appropriate

leadership programme initiated within DWAF;• Water sector ‘marketing’ is being undertaken in

schools, including in the early education sector.• Process of enhancing competence within

schools in Mathematics and Science (Dinaledi Schools Initiative)– also making it part of scholars’ lives by demystifying it. DoE (the Department of Education) is lead agent with support from DST (the Department of Science and Technology).

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INITIATIVES IN PLACE (5)

• Promoting the integration of water messages into curriculum;

• Developing of appropriate resource materials.

• Addressing the issue of infrastructure at schools (for example, sanitation facilities) with other government departments

• Implementing a Sanitation Job Creation Programme (with associated SMME skills development)

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INITIATIVES IN PLACE (6)

• Engaging with Universities and Universities of Technology on the content and relevancy of their curriculum to the needs of the sector.

• Expanding mentorship and internship programmes (e.g. the SAICE initiative) to ensure engineering as well as a wider range of skills (e.g. management, finance, etc.) being mentored.

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INITIATIVES IN PLACE (7)• Implementation of an intervention programme

for ESETA to ensure effective roll-out of services

• Engagement with universities and universities of technology on the content of their curriculum and how relevant it is to the needs of the sector.

• Expanding mentorship and internship programmes (e.g. the SAICE programme), both in terms of more engineers being mentored and in terms of a wider range of skills being mentored.

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IN CONCLUSION (2)• Enabling policies exist but implementation

problematic and previous recommendations largely ignored;

• Municipalities with the lowest income base and highest backlogs are most affected;

• A mismatch exists between courses offered at tertiary level and actual skills requirements

• Water Learnership implementation severely compromised.

• Need to plan collaboratively with sector stakeholders

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PROPOSED 2025 VISION STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP

National 2025 Vision Stakeholder Workshop (January/February 2008) being proposed in order to:

• Develop systematic Strategies and Plans of Action that address High, Intermediate and Low Skills Requirements within the Sector

• Build on Lessons Learned & harnessing the considerable work that has been done already.

• ‘Marrying’ EPWP infrastructure delivery with the achievement of water & sanitation targets and promoting entrepreneurial development.

• Creating employment esp. for women, youth & disabled at community level and ensuring associated skills development

• Ensuring coordination of training and skills development programmes

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KEY OBJECTIVES FOR THIS SESSIONObtain stakeholder input in respect of the following:• The identification of challenges and specific issues of concern• The identification of best practices regarding past and current skills

development initiatives• The identification of any specific lessons that have been learnt in the

field• The identification of specific focus areas, activities and tasks that are

deemed necessary to ensure a sufficient skills base for the water sector• The formulation of recommendations for implementation based on

stakeholder feedback• Agreement between role-players on the development of an

implementation plan (business plan) for all role-players and the proposed stakeholder workshop

• Identifying, as part of the planning process, initiatives that must be fast-tracked in order to ensure that a more coherent approach to skills development will take place

• Identifying tactical objectives that can be successfully fast tracked to promote commitment and buy-in.