Policy and Policy-Making

Module 1 - Policy and Policy-Making

• The SA Constitution mandates government authorities and officials to provide equal access to basic services for all citizens, especially vulnerable groups
• Public Policy plays a key role in determining community service requirements and needed developments.
• Over time, common rules and guidelines have created standards facilitating the provision of basic services and conflict resolution among diverse groups.
• Planning involves imagination, logic, and vision
• Objectives define and state the purpose of an institution
• Policy-making involves actions and interactions from all government spheres and levels, for all citizens

Factors Influencing Policy-Making

• Internal factors include establishment conditions, political assignment, legality, financial means, personnel abilities, and physical facilities
• External factors include circumstances, population needs/expectations, policies of political parties, interest group activities, views of political executive office-bearers, and research/expert opinions of public officials

Policy-Making Procedure

• The policy-making process is divided into three groups
• The policy-making processes cover the core act of creating policies
• The policy-implementation processes deals with the practical application of policies
• Policy analysis and evaluation processes deals with testing and improving policies

Institutions Involved in Policy-Making

• Legislative institutions
• Executive councils and committees
• Commissions and committees of enquiry
• Select, standing and joint committee of parliament
• Cabinet committees; and
• Internal auxiliary services and staff units

Policy Levels

• Policy-making occurs at four levels
• Political-party policy
• Government policy
• Departmental policy
• Administrative policy

Characteristics of Public Policy

• Authoritative
• Enforceable
• Flexible and adaptable
• Feasible
• Clear
• Public

Public Policy-Making Role Players

• The population
• Individuals
• Interest or pressure groups
• Legislative institutions
• Political executive institutions

Conclusion of Policy-Making

• Policy-makers should have the ability to continuously adapt public policy to the changing circumstances

Module 2 - Organising

• Public sector organizations require cooperation between people to achieve political objectives.
• Organizing is the process of grouping tasks, responsibilities, and functions to achieve organizational goals.
• Positions must be arranged to ensure personnel cooperation towards those goals.

Political Facilitation

• The country is managed by political parties
• Legislative functions
• Executive
• Judicial functions

Organizational Theories

• Classical classification theory is the main purpose of an organisation unit is to carry out duties directed by political office-bearers (public sector approach)
• Modern/contemporary classification theory states that the main purpose is to make a profit (private sector approach)

Internal Organizational Arrangements

• Vertical assignment of authority is arranged by hierarchy between chief of staff, chief of production and chief of finance
• Horizontal division of work is arranged by workflow such as planning, production and marketing

Aids in Organising

• Organising is a written process
• Organizational charts, manuals, and procedure codes are a written process
• All the functions performed by public officials must be accounted for

Organizational Systems

• Line System
• The Functional System
• The Line and Staff Organisation

Conclusion of Organising

• Organizations require a structure to remain efficient
• Hierarchical structures are viable if the structure is suited to the workload
• Delegation is one of the core concepts of management and leadership

Module 3 - Financing

• A government's financial status works like a budget
• The government can only spend what was received during the previous financial year
• The budget outlines new policies to improve the general welfare

Nature of State Finances

• The state budget starts at R0,00 each financial year
• The state budget is estimated over 12 months
• The money belongs to the public

General Financial Theories

• Government funds, these are public funds
• State departments
• State budget
• The financial year as a fixed period

Phases of State Finances

• The preparation phase
• The approval phase
• The execution/implementation phase
• The control phase

Characteristics of The State Budget

• It is a policy document
• It is a working programme
• It stands as a source of information
• It is an instrument of control

Institutions Concerned with State Finances

• Parliament
• Joint committee on public accounts
• Department of State Expenditure
• The South African Reserve Bank
• The Minister of Finance
• Accounting officers
• Departmental accountants
• The Auditor-General
• Legislators
• Financial and Fiscal Commission

Types of Budgets

• Type: Includes Income budgets, expense budgets, and capital budgets
• Period: Includes Main budget, supplementary budget, and additional budget

Sources of Income of The State

• Revenue from state enterprises/profitable institutions
• Interest on dividends
• Levies
• License fees
• Fines and bail forfeitures
• Taxes
• Loans
• Special funds and accounts

Financial Control

• Managing government finances is important for the provision of quality services

Conclusion of Finances

• Government finances are connected to all the activities of the government
• Proper service delivery includes funding, budgeting and planning
• Political executive institutions have a responsibility to manage their budgets effectively

Module 4 - Personnel Administration

• Staffing public institutions involves functions of official personnel

These functions include

• Personnel policy and procedures
• Personnel financing
• Personnel organisation
• Personnel control
• Personnel management

Personnel Human Resource Systems

• Aristocratic system
• Democratic system
• Spoils system
• Merit system

Personnel/HR Administration

• Refers to the total involvement of human resources in a Public institution
• Functionally specialised activities
• Administrative activities

Generic Personnel-Administrative Functions

• Determining policy
• Organising
• Staffing
• Financing
• Work procedures
• Control

Functional Personnel Administrative Functions

• Establishment of posts
• Recruitment
• Placement of candidates
• Trial appointments
• Evaluation of work performance
• Promotion
• Transfer and reassignment
• Termination of service and retirement
• Affirmative action

Support Functions

• Additional benefits are referred to as fringe benefits
• Service benefits should be done with insight to prevent unnecessary conflict/disagreement

Conclusion of Personnel Administration

• A personnel policy can be beneficial to both an organisation and the employees
• Service benefits should be provided to employees, creating loyalty and wellbeing