"The draft has been prepared and will be released for public comment after approval by Cabinet. The Internal consultation on the draft Bill is underway," said Department of Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi.
She was addressing the media during the regular Governance and Administration cluster briefing on government's progress in this regard.
The single public service is a massive undertaking designed to improve service delivery by integrating the front, back offices and the institutions delivering services to the people.
"Critical preparatory work is being undertaken to develop common norms and standards [remuneration and conditions of service dispensation] in relation to the human resource practices," the minister outlined.
The integration of government's services will allow citizens to receive government's services as a whole in a convenient location without having to travel far and wide.
For example, Home Affairs has developed a Track and Trace system which allows citizens to ascertain progress regarding their ID or passport applications via sms.
Another initiative from the cluster is the Citizens Relations Portal in which people would be able to make enquiries about service delivery.
These projects, the minister said, seek to promote the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by citizens and the public service to deliver services more effectively and efficiently.
E-government is seen as an important factor in realising government's vision to deliver the services in the most convenient manner and e-Government promotes the use of ICT.
Through the Single Public Service, the conditions of service in national and provincial government will no longer vary significantly with those at local government.
Currently, employees of national and provincial government fall within a single policy framework from which local government is excluded.
The single public service initiative will bring local government into a framework under which national and provincial governments operate.
The envisaged framework on a single public service would see a common wage policy for the entire public service, harmonised conditions of service (medical aid and pension funds) and norms and standards for human resource management.
Minister Fraser-Moleketi said the Thusong Centres, also known as the Multi-Purpose Community Centres, were already meeting the demand of integrating services.
"The critical focus is internet connectivity at these centres, especially to make the Batho Pele Gateway Portal available," she said.
In local government, the National Spatial Development Perspective is assisting districts to develop local economic strategies which support areas of need and potential.
The cluster is further promoting the work of Community Development Workers as the integrators of government services who provide information about services and assess the communities' needs.
Autor(en)/Author(s): Themba Gadebe
Quelle/Source: AllAfrica, 03.07.2007
