Human Relations Climate Survey of the Northern (Limpopo) Province Public Service (1996)

"Most of those whose complaints were solved, came and thanked our good5pirif and work and encouraged us to keep it up. " (Middle Management)

"Improvement of services and human relations of ethnic groups. " (Clerical)

"The good services I render to the public; and the challenges that face mydepartment qfier the local government elections. " (Clerical)

"Active involvement in the community projects. " (Administration Officer)

. Morale

"I am dedicated to do my work and thatpleases me. " (AdministrationOfficer)

"We had adequate staff and the work was well planned and balanced. "

(Administration Officer)

"Dedication. " (Administration Officer)

"Thefeeling of belongingto a teamthatoffersservicesto thepublic. "(Administration Officer)

. Remuneration and benefits

"I was awarded study leave to further my studies. " (Administration Officer)

"Promisesfor better salaries. " (Middle Management)

"No cash awards. " (Labour)

"We are not paidfor overtime. " (Labour)

"We were promised to be paid one level up by our MEC and thereafter hedenied it and cancelled his promises. " (Labour)

"Thedepartmentsubsidisedmy house." (Clerical)

. Unions

"The fact that they negotiated with ollr unions and they listened to theirrecommendations. " (Middle Management)

. Affirmative action

"The qffirmative action process (ispositive). " (Administration Officer)

"For not calling me for intenliew on advertised posts in my department,although 1 was better qualified and had more experience than those who werecalled." (Administration Officer)

142

. Nepotism and favouritism

"Nepotism in employment of staff. " (Administration Officer)

"I do not have peace of mind, because treatment is not fair, favouritism is stillruling. If you are not known, you don't get a post. " (Clerical)

"1 was velY happy because nepotism and corruption isfinishing. " (Clerical)

. Working conditions

"Working conditions improved" (Clerical)

"Security in the Public Service. " (Administration Officer)

"Working under this department helps me a lot because I have gainedknowledge. " (Middle Management)

. Government

"Changes brought about by the government. " (Labour)

"I am pleased with the new government where I find myself being respectedwithotherpeople." (Labour)

"The new government promises to attend to the problems of the workers. Wearegoing togetpromotionand thatwasnot happeningbefore." (Labour)

"The MEC visits usfrequently at the Road Shows." (Senior Management)

"Change from the white government to people government. " (MiddleManagement)

"After election rationalisation has illuminated some other problems. "

(Clerical)

. Management and supervisor

"Supervisor shows appreciation when I have done my work good. " (Labour)

"My supervisor told me that the way I work I deserve to get promotion.Becauseof thisI wasve/y happy." (Labour)

"We have got good communication and we have started to work freely. "

(Labour)

. Equipment

"I was happy at the arrival of my working equipment. " (Labour)

143

The respondents were asked: "What, in the past twelve months, has made you particularlyunhappy or frustrated with working in the Public Service?" Some responses are listedbelow:

. Rationalisation and transformation

"Disorganisation, mismanagement and lack of facilities. It is impossible to getanything done. .. (Middle Management)

"We are notfree because we are not sure whether we are going to beretrenched. .. (Labour)

"The structuring process was neither clear norfair. " (AdministrationOfficer)

"Transfers that are taking place. Families are broken. Children are suffering.Transfers without increment. I'm unhappy because I left my kids and husbandin the former homeland. Sharing aflat with other family. This is frustratingreally. " (Labour)

"Lack of direction about rationalisatioJl." (Administration Officer)

"Frustrated because not permanently employed. " (Labour, Clerical andAdministration Officer)

.,Uncertain about the future. " (Labour, Clerical and AdministrationOfficer)

"Because of the uncertainties I was not sure about the future in the Public.s'ector.But cifierI was sure of policies which were to be implemented, Ibecame certain that what is needed is to render services and to work hardforthe new government. " (Administration Officer)

"Fear of intimidation caused by rationalisation." (Clerical)

"We are not sellied because we don't know what is going to happen. "

(Clerical)

"We are not working belieI'because all the departments are at Pietersburg. "(Clerical)

"Retrenchment by the government which promisedjob opportunities. "(Administration Officer)

"Being overloaded with work .without a sign of being relieved. " (SeniorManagement)

"The division has 13 posts. Only two are filled" (Middle Management)

"Lack (1job. Sometimes we just come and stay in the offices without work. "

(Clerical)

"UnneceSSalY transfer. .. (Labour)

"The seemingly never-ending rationalisation process. " (Clerical)

144

. Ethnic

"D{fferent cultures create conflict in communication. " (Clerical)

. No housing and transport

"Being tran~ferredwithout being helped with accommodation. " (MiddleManagement)

"They promised us tran:.port but they never gave us any. " (Labour)

. Training

"Lackciftrainingfor newemployees." (Administration Officer)

. Morale

"Public servants are now not punctual to work. They are coming late towork. " (Labour)

"Lack qfwork discipline in the old and theyoung. " (Clerical)

"Juniors who are reluctant to work, sneaky, drunkenness, late coming to andearly going from work. " (Senior Management)

"The./i-ustration is slow movement and people who do not want to forget thepast. " (Senior Management)

"Fridays everyone knocks off. " (Clerical)

"Things are running very slow. " (Administration Officer)

"To have to tranifer without consent or be discharged. " (Clerical)


"Racism amongst Vendas, Sothos and Shangaans. " (Administration Officer)

"Promotions still show ethnic and genderfavourilism. " (MiddleManagement)

"Regionalising the regions. " (Labour)]


"There are no cash awards as before. " (Clerical)

"Working unpaid overtime for some time. " (Middle Management)

".','almydeductions whichare not explained." (Clericaland Labour)

"They promised us an increase but they have not fulfilled it. " (Labour andClerical)

145

. Promotions

"No promotions. " (Labour, Clerical and Administration Officer)

"Promotion o.l inexperienced people. " (Clerical)

. Government

"Decision makers - cabinet and top management not coming up with solutionfor integrating theformer administrations. " (Middle Management)

"We do not know what is going to happen with us in the new government. "

(Clerical)

. Management and supervision

"Lack ofdirectionji'om my top management within the department. Badattitude towards,/ormer Lebowa officials. Placement of officials from topmanagement to bottom is not tramparent andfair. " (Clerical)

"Top management does not do its duties. " (Clerical)

"Lack of management vision in our department. " (Administration Officer)

"The senior management is not prepared to resolve problems. " (Labour)

"Delay of decision making by management. " (Administration Officer)

"Lack (?f communication - no meetings to receive information from topmanagement. "(Middle Management)

"When / work under a situation where everything done in the department isalways hidden to such an extent that people from outside know better than meabout what is happening in the department. " (Clerical)

"The merit awards' that are approved by committee never get signed bymanagement. " (Administration Officer)

. Lack of equipment

"They say there are no funds. The department has nothing; even a pen theyhave not got. They don't have money for repairs or anything. "


"Lack o.lmaterial which makes us useless. " (Labour)

"Slow supply of service materials. " (Clerical)

"Ourmachinesare notproper." (Clerical)

"Materials which are used in work are no longer supplied, e.g. teacher's file,generalfiles quarterlyreturns." (Administration Officer)

"Lack of uniforms. " (Labour)

146

. Service (negative)

"There is too much bureaucracy to deliver. " (Middle Management)


"Withholding of my February and March salaries without any consultationand hearings, " (Labour)

Respondents were asked, "Do you think most of your colleagues feel proud to be part of thePublic Service?" As Figure 7.41 shows, 55 % of the respondents felt that their colleagues wereproud, 17 % said no and 28 % were uncertain. The positive responses increased substantiallywhen the respondents were asked whether they felt proud to be in the Public Service. Seventy-nine percent answered in the affirmative, 13 % said no and only eight percent were uncertain.

Figure 7.41: Pride in the Public Service

80

70

WYes

IINo

60

50

40

300 Uncertain

20

10

0Colleagues

proud

Self proud

Again there are major effects by age, education and current position. In terms of theeducational level of the respondents, the higher the education the greater the perception thattheir colleagues lack pride in the Public Service, and the less proud they themselves are to bepart of the Public Service (see Table 7.48).

Table 7.48: Pride in being part of the Public Service (by education)

147

Educational Colleagues Selflevel

Proud Uncertain Proud UncertainPre-Matric 76 % 16 % 85 % 6%

Matric 47 % 32% 77 % 9%

Tertiary 40 % 38 % 75 % 12 %University 21 % 46% 63 % 16%

The higher the level of education of the respondents, the less certain they feel about the prideof their colleagues. There is a similar trend in terms of their own feelings of pride. However,the extent of uncertainty is much smaller.

Again the age variable has an opposite effect. The older the respondents, the greater theperception of the pride of their colleagues and the greater their feelings of pride, although thislatter tendency is weaker. However, an overwhelming majority (80 %+) of the respondentsover 36 years of age indicate pride in being part of the Public Service (see Table 7.49).

Table 7.49: Pride in being part of the Public Service (by age)

An analysis by current position again shows that the Middle Managers show the least pride inbeing part of the Public Service and feel that their colleagues are less proud (see Table 7.50).This effect is strongest in relation to their perceptions of their colleagues' pride. In this casealmost half of the sample express uncertainty.

Table 7.50: Pride in being part of the Public Service (by current position)

CurrentPosition

Colleagues Self

Senior

ManagementMiddle

ManagementAdministration

OfficerClericalLabour

Pride55 %

Uncertain25 %

Pride77%

Uncertain13 %

28 % 43 % 69% 12 %

44% 37 % 79% 10 %

48%75 %

31 %17 %

75 %84%

9%6%

Again when this data is looked at in terms of region, Pietersburg shows the least pride of bothcolleagues and respondents themselves in being part of the Public Service, as well as showingthe greatest uncertainty on both these issues (see Table 7.51). However, Lebowakgomo alsoshows less pride and uncertainty with regard to their colleagues.

148

Age Colleagues SelfPride Uncertain Pride Uncertain

<25 33 % 29% 50% 17%26-35 46% 34% 75 % 8%36-45 56% 27% 82% 9%46-55 66% 23 % 82% 8%56+ 81 % 13 % 83 % 10%

Table 7.51: Pride in being part of the Public Service (by region)

The respondents provided the following explanations for being proud to be part of the PublicService:

. Proud

"I fee I proud because I am serving the people of my homeland South Africa. "(Administration Officer)

"I am very proud of U as I have for so long continued to serve underhardships conditions until the present time without running away from thePublic Service. " (Senior Management)

"All the public problems can be solved \Je/yquickly. " (Clerical)

"If eel proud because I enjoy being with the Public Service. 1 erljoymy work. "

(Clerical)

"1 love to serve the public. " (Middle Management)

"I am proud because I work very hard. " (Clerical)

. Security

"The public service ~ffers me protection against unfair dismissals. " (MiddleManagement and Labour)

"Because in government no one can be chased awayfrom hisjob. " (Clerical)

. Service

"Serving the rainbow nation 1 consider a privilege. " (Middle Management)

"I am contributing to the development of this country. " (MiddleManagement)

"Great men are not judged by their material accumulations, but by thenumber of people they made great. Thus it is a pleasure for me to serve thanbe served. " (Administration Officer)

"To serve my own community and help the community by developing others. "(Clerical)

"It gives me knowledge to render services to thepublic. " (AdministrationOfficer)

149

Re2ion Collea2ues SelfPride Uncertain Pride Uncertain

Pietersburg 42% 34 % 71 % 14%Lebowakgomo 46% 34% 77% 7%Givani 62% 24% 82% 6%Thohovandou 68 % 21 % 84% 8%

"/ like to deliver service to the needy public. " (Clerical)

""Because / am here not to work for myse(f, / am here to workfor thecommunity. " (Clerical)

"Because we are able to help the public and we also meet our needs. "

(Labour)

"/feel f(l'eat when / serve. " (Labour)

"/ el?}oyserving our nation. " (Clerical)

"Becallse / am serving 0111'public with re5pect. / help them where they don'tknow better. " (Administration Officer)

"/ feel happy because I'm building our COUllfly'seconomy. " (Labour)

"/ am working to help the nation. " (Labour)

"/ am working to make the RDP a success. " (Administration Officer)

. Department

"/ am happy because the department always looks after myfuture. " (MiddleManagement)

"Presently the position I'm holding is challenging and got good prospectsforthejTttllre. " (Middle Management)

"Because I'm gaining knowledge through the guidance offered by mysupervisor. " (Administration Officer)

"/ playa very important part in my department. " (Middle Management)


"We got skills training, medical aid, car allowance and housing subsidies. "


"Mypensionfimd awaitsme at theend of my service." (Labour)

"S'o a.<;to feed myself and my family. " (Labour)

"Because / am the bread winner at home. " (Middle Management)

"/ thought the Public Service wasfor the poor and the rich. But in my opinion/ have seen that it is onlyfor the rich in order to become richer. "


. Satisfaction with employment

"/ am employed. " (Labour)

.. Weare working." (Labour)

150

,-~

Respondents provided the following explanations for not being proud to be part of the fieldservice:


"I don'tfeel proud because there is no salmy increase. " (Clerical)

"The remuneration of the Public Sector is not competitive compared to thePrivate Sector. " (Labour)

. Transformation

"Thepublic service seems to be confused and things are still mixed up. "(Administration Officer)

"The trall5formation process is taking too long -people are not alwayspositive. " (Middle Management)

. Management and supervisor

"Lack of quality leadership by the top management and the supervisors. "


"The conditionsfavour the higher authorities only. " (Clerical)

"My sole desire is to help thepublic. But often I am hampered by poormanagement." (Clerical)

"There is a shortage of manpower in my section; uncertainty ofprocedures;no clear demarcation between duties of Provincial office and Regional officeand Institulions." (Middle Management)

"Top management can't even read or write and they can't even understandwhen you talk to them about something. " (Administration Officer)

"Other seniors are so proud of their ranks that they evenforget that theirsubordinatesare worthytoo." (Middle Management)

. Not proud

"{f things were running smoothly I wouldfeel proud to be part of the PublicService. " (Clerical)

"Uncertain because of threats of retrenchment. " (Administration Officer)

"Public ,Servants are regarded as redundant and inefficient by the public. "(Clerical)

"I feel thaI I am nowhere because of lack of promotions and limited salary. "


151

. Government

"The gove1'llment of the Northern Province failed to provide administrativefunding, because of the lack of experience. " (Clerical)

"I don't know [[ the government is still alive or dead because it seems allgovernmentserviceshavecometo a standstill." (Clerical)

"The present government does not respect our service. " (Clerical)


"Ethnicfavouritism. " (Administration Officer)

"I am no longer interested because ofrationalisation. Itfavours other ethnicgroups except Pedis. " (Administration Officer)

. Equipment

"We lack the equipment to do ourjob. "(Administration Officer)

. Realism

"Half a loaf is better than no bread. " (Labour)

. Promises

"Promises are notjiilfilled so I can't beproud. " (Senior Management)

When the respondents were asked, "What do you hear other colleagues say about the PublicService?", 37 % indicated that their colleagues were mostly negative, 34 % that they weremostly positive and 30 % that they were neutral (see Figure 7.42).

152

~

Figure 7.42: Perceptions of colleagues' and the public'sopinion of the Public Service

15

10

5

0

50

45

40

35

30

25

20

m rvbstly positive

III rvbstly neutral

0 rvbstly negative

Colleagues Public

The higher the education of the respondents the greater the feeling that their colleagues arenegative towards the Public Service (see Table 7.52).

Table 7.52: What colleagues are saying about the Public Service (by educational level)

It must be noted that while uncertainty was high in all groups it was lowest among the pre-Matric group (23 %) and highest among the university graduates (37 %). Age shows the samepattern as reported previously (see Table 7.53). The older the respondent the more positivethey feel their colleagues are. A sizeable majority of the younger respondents feel theircolleagues are negative.

Table 7.53: What colleagues are saying about the Public Service (by age)

153

Level of education Positive NegativePre-Matric 53 % 24%

Matric 26% 41 %Tertiary 23 % 46%

University 7% 57%

A2e Positive Ne2ative<25 17% 63 %

26-35 27% 42%36-45 37% 34%46-55 39% 32%56+ 55 % 28%

In terms of the current position of the respondents, again the disillusionment among theMiddle Managers is clearly expressed. They are the only level where the majority report thattheir colleagues are negative (see Table 7.54). Only 13 % feel their colleagues are positive.However, negative views are also expressed by the Senior Managers, Administrative Officersand Clerical staff. Only the Labour group shows a majority reporting that their colleagues arepositive. In addition, Senior Managers are the least likely to say their colleagues are neutral.

Table 7.54: What colleagues are saying about the Public Service (by current position)

Once again Pietersburg (42 %) and Lebowakgomo (43 %) report the most negativity amongcolleagues in contrast to Thohoyandou (28 %) and Giyani (34 %).

Women (41 %) report the most positiveness among their colleagues while men (42 %) reportthe most negativity.

Respondents were asked, "How would you describe the attitude of your colleagues towardstheir work?" A substantial majority (68 %) answered that they were positive, 20 % describedthem as indifferent and 12 % said they were negative (see Figure 7.43).

Figure 7.43: Attitudes of colleaguestowards work

Indifferent20%

Positive68%

Negative12%

However, when analysed in terms of education, a clear pattern emerged. The higher theeducational level, the lower were the positive perceptions of their colleagues attitudes towardswork (see Table 7.55). A sizeable number (31 %) of both university and tertiary educationgraduates felt that their colleagues were indifferent towards their work.

154

Current position Positive Neative NeutralSenior Management 38 % 46% 15 %

Middle Management 13% 52% 35 %Administration Officer 26% 38 % 36%Clerical 27% 43 % 30%Labour 51 % 24% 25%

Table 7.55: Respondents' opinions of colleagues' attitudes towards their work (byeducation)

In regard to the current position of the respondents it was again .the Middle Managers who felttheir colleagues were the least positive towards their work. However, the Senior Managerswere the most negative (see Table 7.56). This must be seen in relation to the fact that the

Middle Managers and the Administration Officers perceived the most indifference among theircolleagues. Labour and Clerical staff felt that their colleagues were the most positive.

Table 7.56: Respondents' opinions of colleagues' attitudes towards their work (bycurrent position)

Current position Positive Ne1?;ative IndifferentSenior Management 63 % 23 % 15 %Middle Management 54 % 15 % 3 1 %Administration Officer 63 % 10 % 29 %Clerical 70 % 11 % 19 %Labour 75 % 13 % 12 %

Consistent with the earlier findings the respondents from Lebowakgomo (59 %) andPietersburg (58 %) were less likely to indicate a positive attitude on the part of theircolleagues than those at Giyani (76 %) and Thohoyandou (78 %).

The respondents were asked, "How well do you think the following people/ organisations/departments can be trusted to look after your interests at work?" The respondents couldindicate "good", "fair", "bad" or that they did not know. Figure 7.44 provides a picture of thefindings that indicates a hierarchy of trust among the various role-players.

155

Level of education Positive Ne1?;ative IndifferentPre-Matric 74% 13% 12 %

Matric 71 % 10 % 19%Tertiary 57 % 12 % 31 %

University 49% 20% 31 %

Figure 7.44: Who can be trusted tolook after respondents' interests ?

PSG

MEC

Union

HRD

SubordinatesD Don't Know

0 Bad

II Fair

m GoodColleagues

Snr I'v'gmt

Supervisor

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Table 7.57 indicates a hierarchy of "good" trust (28 %-52 %), with supervisors clearly themost trusted and the MEC receiving the most "bad" responses. On the one hand 20 %-27 %were considered as "fair" on trust, on the other hand very few felt any of the role-players were"bad" (6 %-11 %) as such. However from 20 %-40 % did not know. This seems to underlinethe high level of uncertainty expressed by the respondents in the findings in general.

Table 7.57: Who can be trusted to look after respondents' interests?

The following hierarchies of trust provide an overarching summary of the trust levels in thevarious groupings of the Public Service. They need to be examined holistically and inconjunction with all other data. However they do, perhaps, help to summarise the situation.Table 7.58 provides a hierarchy of trust by region:

156

Current position Good Fair Bad Don't knowSupervisor 52% 23 % 6% 19%

PSC 37% 23 % 7% 32%

Senior Management 36% 27% 9% 27%Colleagues 36% 26% 8% 30%

HRD 35 % 21 % 6% 39%Union 32 % 19% 7% 42%MEC 30% 20% 11% 38%

Subordinates 28% 27% 7% 37%

Table 7.58: Trust hierarchy (at the various regions)

The supervisors are the most trusted. Generally the level of trust is higher in Giyani andThohoyandou than at the other two regions. While the union is trusted by 50 % atThohoyandou and 51 % at Giyani the union is only trusted by 22 % at Lebowakgomo and 30% at Pietersburg, where it falls last in their hierarchy. This is further expanded if one looks atthe trust hierarchy in terms of educational levels (see Table 7.59).

Table 7.59: Trust hierarchy (by educational level)

157

Pietersbur2: Thohoyandou Giyani Lebowak2omoSupervisor Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor

53 % 60% 70% 55 %

Colleagues PSC HRD Colleagues40 % 52 % 58 % 41 %

Senior Management Union PSC Senior Management39% 50% 57% 32 %HRD Senior Management Colleagues Subordinates39% 47% 54% 30%PSC HRD Senior Management PSC37% 46% 53 % 28 %

Subordinates MEC Union Union36% 46% 51 % 22 %MEC Colleagues MEC HRD31 % 42% 46% 20%Union Subordinates Subordinates MEC30% 34% 41 % 19 %

Pre-Matric Matric Tertiary UniversitySupervisor Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor

69% 59% 54% 41 %

Senior Management PSC PSC Subordinates57 % 48 % 48 % 34%

Colleagues Colleagues HRD Colleagues51 % 45 % 40% 31 %Union HRD Colleagues Senior Management49% 44% 38 % 31 %MEC Subordinates Senior Management PSC45 % 39% 34% 30%HRD Senior Management MEC HRD44% 38 % 33 % 30%PSC Union Subordinates Union43 % 38 % 31 % 27%

Subordinates MEC Union MEC35 % 32 % 30% 25 %

Generally the higher the education of the respondents, the less they trust any of the role-players. The supervisor is trusted the most by all groups. The university-educated staff trustthe PSC less than even labour, although it is placed higher on their hierarchy. SeniorManagement is trusted significantly more by the pre-Matrics than any other groups. The MECis significantly less trusted by the educated than the less-educated staff. As would be expected,the union is trusted far more by the pre-Matrics than any of the other groups. However, boththe MEC and the union are trusted by less than 50% of all groups.

Analysing the trust hierarchy according to current position further illuminates the moralesituation in the Public Service (see Table 7.60).

Table 7.60: Trust hierarchy (by current position)

The respondents provided the following when asked: "Are there any other issues you thinkneed to be addressed?":

. Public Service vision

"1 think the public service must provide a vision as to where we are going andhow we will get there. " (Administration Officer)

"Code of conduct must befollowed. " (Clerical)

"Clear policy fi-amework - to give work boundaries. Need performanceappraisals for morale. Improve line of communication from top to bottom.

158

Senior Middle Administration Clerical LabourMana2ement Mana2:ement Officer

Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor59% 49% 62% 56% 67%

Colleagues PSC PSC PSC Senior50% 36% 49% 47% Management

56%Union Colleagues Colleagues HRD Union48% 34% 44% 46% 50%MEC Senior HRD Colleagues Colleagues47% Management 42% 43 % 49%

33 %Subordinates HRD Senior Senior MEC

47% 33 % Management Management 45 %40% 37%

PSC MEC Subordinates Union HRD44% 32 % 39% 37% 43 %Senior Subordinates MEC Subordinates PSC

Management 31 % 34% 35 % 42%43 %HRD Union Union MEC Subordinates33 % 26% 34 % 30% 33 %

Make salmy compatible with work load Corruption must be seen to by thelaw. There is no delivety because appointment::./positionsare not in place. "(Middle Management)

. Management and supervisors

"Supervisors should be retrained, to involve their subordinates in decision-making. Employees should be motivated, not be threatened Employees shouldbe made to understand that they are there to achieve goals and simply to workbecause the supervisors are harsh. " (Clerical)

"Proper supervision of top officials, supervisors and middle management,including workers. " (Labour)

.'Management should blOW that their subordinates are human beings and noto~jects. " (Middle Management)

"The supervisor must be given power. Top management must consult theclerks." (Clerical)

"Management can not control thingsproperly. " (Middle Management)

. Training

"The whole public service people should be trained/ retrained particularly for::.pec!ficjobs. " (Clerical)

"A person must learn to like the job/enjoy the job. He/she also needs trainingfor thejob. .. (AdministrationOfficer)

"People need to be involved and trained, and employ betterpeople forrelevantposts." (Middle Management)

"The issue of career development in the public service. " (Labour)

"The government must bring us in-service training." (Clerical)

. Promotion

"Promotion and training. .. (Labour)

"Merit .system is not well addressed They need to be addressed first. "

(Clerical)

"1 think those who are skilled with their duties should be considered togetherwith those with experience with their duties ...when it comes to remuneration. "


. Evaluation

"People must be evaluated evety year for cash awards and promotion. "(Clerical)

159


"Improwment of salary scales. " (Administration Officer)

"Leaves concerning women after birth. " (Clerical)

"The uniformity on the payments parity. "(Clerical)

"Since the new government there is no adjustment of salary. " (Clerical)

"We need the cash award5for good service. " (Clerical)

"Since we have been in the public sector we are not having pension numbersbut we get deductionsfor pensions. " (Labour)

"Travelling cost is too high. They must provide transport. " (Labour)

"They must give our children bursaries in order tofurther their studies. "

(Labour)

. Commitment and work performance

"Commitment to work (needs to be improved). " (Middle Management)

"All people must have to arrive Inplace of work in time. " (Labour)

"The improvement of work pelformance while we are at work. "


"The department must make it a point that it moves to where we will be able torender services rather than staying around without working. " (Clerical)"The issue of people receiving payment without working. " (Clerical)

. Communication and grievance procedure

"There is a communication breakdown between people on the ground and topmanagement. " (Clerical)

"Address the complaints of employeespositively. " (Middle Management)

"That we get chance to communicate with our supenJisors if there should bedifficulties. " (Clerical)

"Lack of communication " (Clerical)

"Improvedhumanrelationsamongstpublic servants." (AdministrationOfficer)

"Co-operation" (Labour)

"Departments should have meeting every month. " (Labour)

"Fairness, that is all (that is needed). " (Administration Officer)

"Intimidation must be addressed so that we must workfreely. " (Clerical)

160

. Favouritism/ nepotism

"Nepotism is still on aspeople who do not deserve higher posts are still giventhose posts irre.spective of their poor education and this issue must be lookedinto immediately. " (Senior Management)

"Favouritism and nepotism leads to corruption and team work must be builtby the whole government. " (Clerical)

"They must appoint neutral people during interviews to avoid nepotism. Thesepeople must be placed in a certain department. They must be neutral in allre~pects (Administration Officer)


"Affirmative action and gender equality must be attended properly - it mustnot be abused" (Middle Management)

"Endingof affirmativeaction." (Labour)

"Posts must not be politicised Those who are old must go on pension. Thosewho are not qualifiedfor posts, but are offered posts because of colour, race,gender, nepotism or political affiliation must be stopped working. " (Clerical)

"The newly appointed members... Their salaries should be investigatedbecause they are getting salary with no skills and qualifications. " (MiddleManagement)

"Ina sensereverseracismundernew~ystem." (Middle Management)

"Put people injobs that know about that job and don't put people who don'tknowanythingaboutit in suchajob. " (Labour)

"Training must be continued with managers who have just been appointed asa result of affirmative action. " (Middle Management)

"There is still some outay from women that they are not adequatelyrepresented in the public service. " (Labour)

. Accommodation

"Public servants have a problem with accommodation (inPietersbllrg)...becausepeople comefrom far such asformer Gazankulu andVenda. " (Clerical)

"Housingfor public servants must he huilt. " (Labour)

. Process of absorption / rationalisation

"Rationalisation must be ~peeded lip. " (Middle Management)

"AbsOlption to be completed Becausepeople are now not working in the waythey use to work. " (Middle Management)

161

"The constant Shl!ffling of departments must stop!!" (Senior Management)

"Correct placement. " (Middle Management)

..The deployment of the workers must be done carefully because it will hindersome (?lthe civil servants. " (Labour)

"The trawler and replacements is.frustrating to all public servants. "(Administration Officer)

"1 think job description of all sections should be.readdressed towards onenessor unity to develop the whole SA includingpromotion. " (AdministrationOfficer)

"Trawfersandretrenchments(area wony). " (Clerical)

"The trawler letters must be addressed. People are promised to betransferred to Pieten'burg while those who are there are not transferred tocome to Venda." (Clerical)

"Too many things arefailing, i.e. lIl?lairtrawlers. " (Clerical)

"The advertising of posts must be done first internally before they could beadvertised in the macro environment. " (Clerical)

"The exchange of the workers to different offices in different ethnic groups (isa problem)." (Administration Officer)

"AbsOlption Appointment. Revisit the organisation structure with view toimprovement. " (Middle Management)

"Mainwony is uncertaintyin theregionsaboutpeople'spositions." (MiddleManagement)

"Thefact that we going to lose 0111'jobs is embarrassing us." (Labour)

"The servants must work in the right positions in order to deliver qualityservicesto thepublic." (Senior Management)

"They must not transfer us because we are going to live far from ourchildren" (Labour)

"A person cannot be appointed for the second time we were appointed by theformer government. " (Senior Management)

"They mllst stop harassing liS and promising to chase us away. They mustjit!/il their promise. And they must not promise to tramfer us to otherregions. " (Labour)

"Head (?flice complexes are in Pietersburg, which is predominantly a whitebusiness area. So by taking people there we still are serving the whites, i.e. thewholeeconomywillstill be in thehands~lwhites in the longrun."


162

.

.

. More jobs

"There must be the creation of more jobs so that more people will beemployed so that our province will be developed" (Labour)

"Our people are lookingfor ajob so 1 would like the government to openmore vacancies." (Labour)

"The government should increase public servants especially at ho.spitals. "(Labour)

. Quality service

"Let public service improve the city. " (Labour)

"The public should be checked if they do ef?joy anythingfrom the servicesrendered '.' (Middle Management)

. Equipment and facilities

"Working equipment to be provided" (Labour)

"There is no toilets that we can use during working hours. " (Labour)

"Supply of teaching material to schools. " (Administration Officer)

"Shortage qfworking materials. " (Clerical)

"(Lack qf) equipment, uniforms, vehicles. " (Administration Officer)

"Working facilities to be provided to ensure the good service to the public. "

(Middle Management)

"Provision ofstatiOf1e/Y. " (Clerical)

"If 1can get shoes andjersey to work in. " (Labour)

"The supply of computers should be addressed" (Clerical)

"They must buy cleaners proper cleaning material (I come to work with myownsoap)." (Clerical)

Security

"Our security during working hours. " (Administration Officer)

Budget

"Budget must be increased" (Middle Management)

"Budget must be revised so that the department will be able to deliveradequate .',.erviceto the public. " (Labour)

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. Government

"Poor communication benJleen civil servants and the government. This createsuncertainty. " (Administration Officer)

"Pay asyou earn should be reduced. " (Senior Management)

"Government is talkingpolitics. " (Middle Management)

"If the government keeps on being corrupt, disorganised, insensitive to theneeds of the public as it is now, they will never win the 1999 elections!!! Thelocal government appointees have done nothing to the commlmities. They are

forgetting about the rural people. What are they doing for rural people?

The reason this government is in power is because of rural people, and nowthey have forgotten (us). Stop developing urban Northern Province anddevelop rural Northern Province!!" (Labour)

"1 will he happy if government follows up on this study to sort out problems toimprove the Public Service. " (Middle Management)

"Commitment and motivationfrom politicians. " (Middle Management)

"To consider most highly experienced people to run the government. "

(Clerical)

"The government must create thejobs they promised. " (AdministrationOfficer)

. Community improvements

"Schools must be improved in rural areas. " (Administration Officer)

"Employ people, upgrading standard of living of the poor. " (Labour)

"The government should give us a light where we are going. " (Clerical)

"The government must treat (addres~~ our needs. " (Labour)

"Road construction. " (Labour)

"Health must be introduced into deep rural areas. " (Clerical)

"Communities to he developed according to need.~'identified. " (MiddleManagement)

"Communities in rural areas should be educated in handling their cows andgoats, etc. Our communities should he educated to re~pect governmentproperty, e.g. fences alongside main road, telephone booths and lines. "(Middle Management)

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Public Works

."'upervisor62%

.\'eniorManagement-12%

Colleagues-12%:\/EC41 %Union38%PSC36%HRD36%

Subordinates31 %

Premier's OfficeSupervisor

68%PSC58%HRD49 %

Senior Afanagement42 %Union41 %

Colleagues39%AlEC27%

Subordinates27%

Agriculture

Supervisor54%

Senior A/anagement44%PSC44 %

Colleagues44 %HRD43 %Union41 %AlEC36%

Subordinates36%

HealthSupervisor

59 %HRD46%

Colleagues43 %

Senior l\Ianagement42 %PSC42 %AlEC38%Union35%

Subordinates32 %

Education

Table 7.61: Trust hierarchy (by departments)

Public Transport

Supervisor59%Union49%

Senior i\-fanagement43 %

Colleagues39%PSC37%

Subordinates33 %HRD33 %AlEC28 %

Finance

Supervisor53 %

Colleagues53 %Union38%

Subordinates38 %AlEC35 %

Senior Management32 %PSC27%HRD26%

Land, Housing and LocalGovernmentSupervisor

65%

Colleagues52%

Subordinates47%PS'C47%

Senior Afanagement43 %HRD42%Union34%AlEC28 %

Supervisor55%PSC54 %

Colleagues50%

Senior Management47%AlEC46%HRD44%

Subordinates38%Union33 %

EconomicsPSC61 %

Supervisor59%HRD49 %

Senior Management45%

Subordinates44 %

Colleagues39%Union39%MEC38%

165

EnvironmentalAffairs andTourism

Supel1!isor66%HRD62%PSC60%

Senior Management59 %AlEC52%

Colleagues43%Union41 %

Subordinates27%

Provincial Sen'ices CommissionSupervisor

81 %Subordinates

73 %PSC68%HRD65 %

Colleagues63 %Union44%

Senior Nfanagement40%MEC27%

1---

7.4 Conclusions

"We thought it was going to be a honeymoon. But the new South Africa is full ofproblems." (Administrative Officer)

The findingsof this survey clearly indicate a cryingneed for a shared vision, leadership,communication, information, supervision, training, structures and guidance in the NorthernProvince Public Service. However, this is not easy, because each of these issues is critical indeterminingthe overall morale. South Africa's democratic mood and new constitutionchallengethe roots of establishedmanagement practice in terms of the issues suggested above.The Northern Province Public Service is faced with the challenge to both transform itself andmanagement practice at the same time, while simultaneouslydeliveringservices that enable thereconstruction and development of the province.

The morale of the Public Service is fraught with uncertainties and birth traumas in the midst ofa highlyexpectant public. This is illuminatedin the followingcomments on uncertainty in adiscussion among AdministrativeOfficers during a focus group:

"All problems to be highlighted or that have been highlighted can be attributed touncertainty and people do not know where they will end up. "

"I am surprisedthatmorepeoplearenot drinking(alcohol)."

"It is true I think that there is more drinking. "

"It is very terrible to be made to feel that you have done something wrong and then itis not explained nicely what it is that one has done or not done. "

"AbsO/ption mllst end We cannot work with this thing hanging over us. People's needto be re-appointed "

"It is demoralising to work with all these rllmours of retrenchment. Everyone isllnemy. "

"People have nervous tensions and they are nervous as to their tensions. "

"We cannot deliver ollr best under these conditions. "

The information provided in this report can be read in many different ways, each contributing aunique perspective. That process should be encouraged, for each perspective provides someclues to the challenges being faced. Unpacking this information is ultimately a process themanagement and staff of the Public Service will have to address in their daily endeavours toprovide quality service to the diverse public in the Northern Province. This section provides adetailed analysis of the findings. In addition, Addendum 1 provides a profile of the publicservant in the Northern Province.

The findings of this survey show a remarkable consistency across questions. The consistencyexpresses some clear patterns and directions for action.

166

i

Although this report cannot hope to sort out all the nuances, it can assist in looking at thecomplexity of the issues and their clear interrelations. The wide selection of opinions providedby the respondents gives some clue to the challenges. The findings show clear evidence of asolid core of people in the Public Service dedicated to providing quality services. It is essentialthat policies and processes are provided to structure the organisational development of theNorthern Province Public Service. It seems clear that the Public Service needs to urgentlydevelop management processes that provide and facilitate leadership and vision so as tomobilise the Public Service to its challenge.

7.4.1 Entry into the Public ServiceA clear majority of the public servants appear to be committed to the Public Service as acareer and/or a service. This is obviouslyhigher in the careers than with Labour, where havingwork has greater priority. This commitment is a solid basis on which to build the NorthernProvince Public Service. The challenge is to mobilisethis commitment towards a joint effortand team work and can only happen if there is a shared vision with the structures and policiesand driven by a committed and unified leadership,unified around a common vision.

7.4.2 Placement

While most respondents felt they were correctly placed in terms of the department they werein, far less felt they were in the correct position. The lower the rank of the respondent and thehigher their age the more likelythey were to feel they were correctly placed.

In contrast, a minority (42 %) felt that their colleagues were correctly placed. This changefrom the self-appraisalof being correctly placed to assessing their colleagues as beingincorrectly placed shows a marked contrast between self-knowledge and knowledge of eachother. This contrast, perhaps, demonstrates that on average the public servant lacksknowledge about his/her colleagues' basic attitudes to the Public Service. The contrast alsohighlightsthe overall lack of communicationand feelingsof uncertainty and insecuritydiscussed in the focus groups. .

This indicates the urgency for assessing staff in terms of placing them appropriately. However,it also underlines the urgency of finalisingthe restructuring process.

7.4.3 Training in the Public Service

There is a clear need for training of all sorts but particularly training directed towards enablingand empowering staff in their work. The following examples of training needs were expressedby the respondents. Although this is not a complete list, it is a good starting point for thefurther development of training strategy.

167

Middle Management Administration Officers

Public sector managementLabour relationsPersonnel evaluationRevenue collectionPublic financeBookkeepingTraining the trainersWord processing

Public administration

Administration supervisionPersonnel evaluation practicalBookkeepingRegistryStores

FilingPhotocopyingTourismOrientation

Training the trainers

Clerical Labour

Public administrationPersonnel evaluationCommunicationPublic relationsPublic financeInductionRegistryAdvanced word processingSecretarialClericalProvisioningFilingTechnicalJournalismOrientation

Public administrationLabour relationsSecretarialTypingWord processingFiling.Sign writingBeing a messengerSewingLiteracySecurityWeldingCleaning (vacuum machining)CookingWatering lawnsFarming

Overall the public servants see the importance of training in terms of their work performance,job promotion and understanding the new structures of the Public Service. They believe thattheir current training helped them to do their job better.

The demand for training is two to three times higher than the training received. This is clearlywhat will have to be addressed, in addition to assessing the required extent of technical andmanagerial training programmes. Only half of the respondents expect to receive any training.

For the overwhelming majority (76 %) the initial induction programme into the Public Servicewas judged to be either good (61 %) or fair (15 %). Significantly, one-fifth of the respondents(21 %) had not gone through any induction process, and a clear majority (58%) had receivedno further training. Yet if training was compared with the current position of the respondentthen a clear majority of Senior Managers (61 %), Middle Managers (78 %) and Administration

168

Officers (68 %) had received further training. The data demonstrates a pattern that moresenior posts receive more training.

It is significant that the training is concentrated in Supervisory (16 %) and Managementtraining (14 %), in contrast to Computer training (12 %), Technical training (6 %) andCommercial, Sales and Marketing (5 %). Yet when asked what type of training they wouldlike to receive, Computer training headed the list (40 %), followed by Management (32 %),Supervisory (26 %), Technical (19 %) and Commercial, Sales and Marketing (11%).

A healthy majority (91 %) of those who had received training said that the training wasrelevant to doing their job better (50 %), getting promoted (14 %) and both doing their jobbetter and getting promoted (27 %).

A majority (52 %) expected that the Public Service would provide the necessary training.

Notwithstanding the difference in receiving further training by position, all positions in thegroup discussions and in-depth interviews spoke of the need for further training. Here thediscussion was not merely in terms of the above listed training nor in terms of the training'srelevance to doing the job or getting promotion, but training to improve the communicationand flow of information in the Public Service so that the respondents could understand theirplace and role in their section, department and the Public Service.

In other words, in addition to the expectation of being trained to do the job, there was theexpectation of being trained to understand a restructured Public Service and function

accordingly in the new South Africa. Respondents were looking towards training to help themfind their way during the transformation of the Public Service. However, significantly, only asmall majority believed that they would receive the appropriate training.

The uncertainty of the respondents with regard to this kind of training is a concretedemonstration of the overall uncertainty with which the respondents view the Public Service.The expression of this uncertainty arose spontaneously in the group discussions. It is thisuncertainty, the daily experience of transformation and restructuring by the respondents, thatdrives them to see training as an aide to finding their role in the Public Service, whilesimultaneously providing the necessary skills to do the job.

Training in these terms is no longer simply training for a specific task, as necessary andfundamental as this is for the functioning of the Public Service, but training to facilitate thebuilding of the Public Service itself by including the public servants, through training, in theflow of information and communications on restructuring.

Currently the trainers feel misplaced. The discussion in one focus group of AdministrativeOfficers highlighted this matter:

"The old training policy of the Public ,')'ervicehas been su.spended. As yet there is nonew one. There is neither a new vision/lOr allY objectives. .."The trainers are told that they are mi5placed. "

In another focus group with Senior Managers the following comprehensive solution to thetraining requirements was put forward:

169

"A new training policy needs to be shaped in accordance with the new di5pensation.Contact could be made with central government tofind out how to do the task.Though the principles of administration are universal. "

"Training could be used as a vehicle to bring the various groupings together into onePublic Service. For example training could help bridge the gap between the comradesand the old guard so that they both become new managers. In addition training canbe used to help manage the ethnic diversity in our region without needlessly raisingethnic tensions and su5picions by iI/-informed actions. "

"Once there is a training policy then the first priority should be rigorous managementtraining of aI/ managers including training in industrial relations to aid the managersin handling the running of their departments and sections. "

"Training can be used tofacilitate communication in the work place. Training can beused to improve the attitude of the staff towards the Public Service as well as skills.Managers can be trained to use circulars to communicate each decision to theoperational IewIs. Training wil/ el151Jrethat there is a constant flow of information.In addition managers can be trained to manage work place forums which will aI/owinformation toflow up from the different staff levels ensuring the commitment of allstaff to the department 'sgoals and objectives. "

"There must be on thejob training. "

"For all training there should be post-trainingfollow-ups to see whether the coursewas relevant. In this manner it will be possible to get the courses to yield the rightresults. "

"The training programme could involve a performance agreement: set out goals,targets and vision together with costs and time frame. The follow ups will enable thetrainee to discowr why he/she didn't achieve the desired goal or target. "

"The biggest obstacle to this training is that the old trainers are no longeracceptable. So the question is who should do the training? Who should train thetrainers? "

There is also a clear need to make training availableto all levels of staff and especially to makesure that gender disparities are not continued. The question of induction needs to be looked atclosely to ensure that all entering staff are appropriately inducted into the Public Service.

It would seem appropriate that staff be assessed in terms of their individualtraining needs andtheir career path development if the training effort is to achieve its goals.

7.4.4 Performance evaluation

Few of the staff had been evaluated in the previous two years and many had never beenevaluated. However, those who had been evaluated generally felt it was effective. Whenafforded the opportunity to express their views on the effectivenessof the evaluation, a largenumber of respondents provided criticismsthat should be taken seriously within the PublicService.

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-

The findingson work performance demonstrate that the public servants believe that it isimportant for their top managers to get to know their work performance. In addition, thequalitative findingsdemonstrate that the public servants already see the necessity forperformance evaluation. Evaluations can playa particularly important supportive role intransforming and restructuring the Public Serviceby providing feedback and motivation.

Over one-third (37 %) of the public servants have never had their work formally evaluated.Almost one'-third(32 %) of the public servants have had their work formallyevaluated in thelast two years. A majority of Labour have never had their work evaluated, whereas largemajorities (70 %+) of Senior Management, Middle Management and AdministrativeOfficershave been evaluated. Although those with universityeducation were evaluated in greaterproportions than their less-educated colleagues, almost 50 % of those with universityeducation felt that the evaluation had not been effective.In contrast, three-quarters of the pre-Matrics believed that the evaluation was effective. These findingsemphasise the need for aneffective evaluation system, especiallyfor the higher positions.

From the qualitative findings it is evident that respondents hope that these discrepancies willbe addressed through new evaluation techniques that allow for consultation, feedback,informationabout the process, the identificationof training needs and the perception andacceptance that it is fair. In addition, the respondents felt that the process needed to bemotivational, supportive and appreciative to ensure that the quality of service was improved.

In a Labour focus group discussion, they commented on present lack of work performance inthe following way:

"The productivity is down to nil in the new dispensation. People remain uncertainand it is so demodulating that there is no productivity. It seems the siluation is gettingworse. ..

"Seniors are brought to the department but only on a vety temporaty basis andbefore they implement their ideas they are shified In the Thohoyandou area there areno permanent leaders. ..

"Yes, we are abandoned, except for one or two of the old lions waiting for thepensions and they cannot help us. "

A majority of the respondents (58 %) felt that their top management got to know their overallwork performance, whereas an overwhelming majority (95 %) felt that it was important fortheir top managers to get to know their work performance.

Formal evaluation needs to be conducted of both promotions and remuneration decisions, butmore importantly perhaps, it needs to be conducted so as to inform staff of their progress aswell as their weaknesses, which in turn will inform training decisions as well as career pathguidance. It is often suggested that these two forms of evaluation be kept separate so as not toconfuse the issues. A disturbing trend shows that the higher the respondent is in the PublicService, the less likely that respondent is to feel that their supervisor is interested in theirprogress. This same trend is evident with regard to top management getting to know of theirperformance. All levels of staff feel it is important for top management to know of theirperformance.

171

7.4.5 Career development

It is significant that almost half of the respondents had not received any form of careerguidance from anyone in the Public Service. The majority of the 43 % who said they hadexperienced career guidance had received it from their supervisor. Only 17 % had received anyguidance from the Personnel Department. There is clearly a need to formalise career guidance,as discussed previously, in connection with performance evaluation towards careerdevelopment.

Despite the fact that 51 % of the sample were satisfied with their advancement in the PublicService, a significant minority (33 %) felt dissatisfied and a further 16 % were uncertain aboutthis. It is also a little disturbing that the middle levels were the most dissatisfied becausemiddle management and administrative personnel are key to the implementation of policydown the line. The fact that respondents trust their supervisors underlines this.

Overall respondents had a number of significant mentors who offered them career guidance -supervisors (43 %) and colleagues (30 %) were the most mentioned mentors. In addition, therespondents (55 %) felt that their supervisors were interested in their career development. Thisview reflects a foundation of trust and confidence in the supervisor. Such a foundation of trustis a prerequisite for improving the effectiveness of the Public Service.

Notwithstanding the overriding discontent and frustration expressed by the respondents in thefocus groups over the uncertainty of their current positions, the majority (51 %) ofrespondents still felt that their career advancement so far in the Public Service wassatisfactory. For the Public Service to realise its full potential, this small majority will have togrow significantly. This figure is, of course, another measure of the morale of the PublicService. It is therefore the morale (see section below) of the public servant that must improveif the Public Service is to be able to deliver and meet the expectations of the public.

From the qualitative findings it is clear that satisfaction with one's career not only involvespromotion and remuneration but a number of very important circumstances, situations andstates that need to be duplicated to ensure that productivity is increased. The qualitativefindings provide clear pointers as to what a career guidance programme should focus on andthese issues include that of the public servant's satisfaction at work. Satisfaction is critical inorder to motivate the public servants. Key issues that govern job satisfaction for publicservices include:

. Uncertainty concerning the restructuring

Lack of mentoring, counsellingand guidanceLack of communication

Lack of appreciation

No or insufficienttraining

Lack of equipment and funds to do workLack of advancement

.

.

.

.

.

.

. Favouritism

Lack of promotion

Inappropriate grading

.

.

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7.4.6 Supervision and managementAs is evident from the findings, respondents tend to trust their supervisors to look after theirinterests. Similarlythey tend to feel that their supervisors show appreciation when work issatisfactorilydone. A small minorityof 16% said this never happens. It is of some concernthat the middle levels (Middle Management, AdministrativeOfficers and Clerical) are lesslikelyto experience such appreciation. These responses, as well as the experiences of the staffthat they can make suggestions to their supervisor and that the supervisor tends to listen tothem, all indicate a reasonably healthy relationshipbetween staff and their immediatesupervisors. This is a situation that can be successfullybuilt upon. However, it appears thatlower level staff need to be empowered to assert themselves to make suggestions to theirsupervisors. It is clear that the women among the staff are also less assertive and this alsoneeds assistance.

The basicallyhealthy relationshipbetween subordinates and supervisors is exemplifiedby thefact that 86 % of the respondents reported that their supervisors always or sometimes listenedto their suggestions and 83 % reported that they were allowed to implement their suggestions.In terms of these latter points there was no gender difference.

These are very positive and significantfindingsand can be used to build and strengthenmanagement systems, training programmes and morale. In addition, the trust implied in thesefindingscan be used to help sections, through a process of consultation and informationworkshops, to reformulate and carry out the objectives of the particular Public Servicedepartments. In other words, one of the critical ingredients in management exists in the PublicService-a responsive supervisor. The supervisors are a key link that top management can useto implementtheir vision and objectives.

The focus groups highlighted the fact that the management and supervisory systems have beenundermined during the past two years. The opinion was often expressed that "managementhad gone backwards recently". In addition, some Senior Managers expressed the opinion, inin-depth discussions, that "Directors are always in meetings. There is no new policy so theywait in meetings". Other focus groups pointed out that with restructuring, "Our supervisorsare no longer active because they have not been appointed". And further, "Most seem to havebeen taken to Pietersburg. Locally most sections are without supervisors". This indicates thatthe management and supervisory systems are being seriously eroded by indecision, inertia,centralisation and time-consuming restructuring. This filters down to the lower levels, creatingincreasing frustration, confusion and decreasing morale.

This situation can be changed by providing the managers and supervisors with a vision andpolicy framework to operate within, in contrast to the current ad hoc situation where themanagers are unsure of what to do.

173

. Incorrect placement

. Lack of pay

. Understaffing (work overload)

. Work not challenging

. False promises

. Frustration

Such a vision must reposition the Public Service as a delivery organisation committed to theupliftment of the people of the Northern Province, And the vision must reposition the PublicService as an organisation that cares, nurtures and believes in the public servants,

7.4.7 Favouritism

The public servant; within the South African context, is refreshinglytolerant as regards thegender, race or ethnic group of his or her supervisor. A significanttrend is that levels oftolerance increase the higher the position of the respondent

Whilemost staff did not mindwhich gender, race or ethnicgroup their supervisor was amember of, a significantminorityexpressed a preference for an African or male supervisor.However, this expressed tolerance was far lower for Labour than the other ranks, especiallywhen race is considered, Surprisinglyit was also lower among females than males,

A significant minority (38 %) expressed the view that they had perceived favouritism in thePublic Service, with men a little more likely to feel this way, The types offavouritism thatwere experienced were based on comradeship, ethnicity, gender and race, in the order ofmost-mentioned to least Experience of favouritism decreased with age and the lower the rank.Males tended to experience it more than their female counterparts, Gender favouritism wasexperienced more by those with shorter service, However, there was no gender difference inthe perception of gender favouritism,

However, from the qualitative findings a different picture than one of tolerance emerges, Therespondents see the Public Service as having a significant amount of favouritism of varioussorts, This can be summed up as follows:

"Lots oflavouritism is going in thisplace. Nepotism is the name of the game. "

(Clerical)

"We are not treated the same. " (Clerical)

In the focus groups there was a pervasive sense of favouritism which, prima facie, cuts intothis sense of toleration, The logical interpretation that reconciles the conflicting quantitativeand qualitative findings is that, because the respondents are so aware offavouritism(qualitative findings), they do not want gender, race or ethnic group to be used as a criterionof employment or promotion, Thus, from the experience offavouritism (real or imagined), I therespondents overwhelmingly embrace a very progressive attitude towards diversity.

This tolerance is the foundation for a dynamic and forward-looking, merit-based managementsystem. This need for a system of merit was precisely what the focus group discussions timeand again concluded, One focus group concluded that the problem with affirmative action wasthat it opened the door yet again to the principles of non-merit hiring and promoting, In otherwords, the possibility of a new favouritism because of the lack of control over the criteria usedto select recipients of affirmative action,

I Note that this report deals with perceptions,174

One respondent poignantly suggested that

"...affirmative action is infact a 5ystem offavouritism viewed from the point of thosefavoured Whereasfavouritism is calledfavouritism because it is the point of view ofthose excluded Of course we all think we need affirmative action against the whites,but if we look more closely we see afew favoured individuals advancing at theexpense of other blacks who qualified on merit". (Administration Officer)

Significantly,the favouritism most experienced by the respondents was comradeship, followedby ethnic favouritism. One-third of the respondents had some knowledge of comradeship. Inreality, few new appointments have been made in terms of the total number of public servants.However, a negative impression has been created in the minds of the public servants as to thenature of the transformation. Indeed, from the findingsone can conclude that the darkness ofapartheid race discriminationis lighter on the minds of the respondents than the current trendof comradeship.

The focus groups showed appreciation for what the comrades had done for the nation, withsome suggesting that "they need to be givenjobs in the defence department" rather than jobsin the Public Service, "because they will not know what to do". The majority in the focusgroup discussions felt that the comrades and others in management positions neededmanagement training to assist them with their work.

One Senior Manager called for the end to the "cold war" between the comrades and the oldguard:

"The old guard are seen as rule-bound.. the newly appointed comrades are seen to befull of theory... The wayforward isfor someone to unite these two groups. Each mustlearn to see each other as indispensable elements in the running of the Public Servicemachinery... Weneed to mow beyond the politics of the struggle to the politics ofdevelopment and building... we will be slllprised tofind out that we all need eachother."

In the focus groups in all the regions the ethnic suspicionwas clearly evident. In each ofthethree regions the particular region would mention the other two major ethnic groups by nameas the prime beneficiariesof the change. The mutual hostilityand the fear of each group forthe others needs to be addressed directly and honestly by the Public Service. The problem isthat anything that happens can be interpreted within ethnic categories.

Significantly,one-third of the respondents said that they knew of the existence of genderdiscriminationin the Public Service. The perception of gender discriminationwas moremarked among the younger respondents.

It appears that this issue needs to be dealt with urgently as it has the potential to undercutwhatever interventions may be instituted.

175

7.4.8 Towards the delivery of quality service to the public

Despite the fact that 38 % of the respondents felt the services provided by the Public Servicewere "good", slightly more (39 %) felt they were either "poor" or "inadequate". Despite the23,5 % that felt the services were adequate, it is important to look at the reasons provided asto why they were not good, in order to understand the issues involved with improving thequality of service. Respondents provided the following prioritisation of issues that they felthindered the provision of quality service to the public:

. Lack ofleadership, managementand supervision

Lack of transport

Lack of motivation,commitmentand morale

Lack of trainingLack of facilities

Lack of equipmentLack of communication

.

.

.

.

.

.

. Finance problems

Staff shortages

Lack of pay

Too much centralisation and bureaucracy

Uncertainty

Lack of expertise and skills

Lack of promotions

No hindrances

Lack of planning

Favouritism

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

. AWOLLack ofunifonns.

. Lack of team work and discipline

Lack of consultation with community

False promises

Incorrect placement of staff

.

.

.

To get there it is necessary to deal systematicallywith the issues highlighted in the followinglist of priority actions in order to ensure that quality services are provided.

. Provide better leadership, management, and supervision

Provide training (including in-service)

Improve remuneration and benefits (including merit bonuses)

.

.

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. Implement perfonllance appraisals

Provide equipment necessary for work

Improve communication

Do away with favouritism of all kinds

Ensure correct placement of staff

Improve human relations (commitment and morale)

Employ skills and experience

Oecentralise and delegate

Give deserved promotions

Train management

Hire more staff

Complete the restructuring process

Better planning, policies and structures

Greater team work and self-discipline

Away without leave

Increase budgets

Provide facilities and resources to enable work

Improve consultation with the community

Improve productivity

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The Public Service during the restructuring is experienced and perceived by the respondents tobe in a state of crisis. Respondents, each from his/her vantage point, see various aspects of thePublic Service to be malfunctioning.When all of these aspects are placed together in acomprehensivepicture by the investigation,what emerges is that the Public Service and notsimplyone section or one department is malfunctioning.It is both the perception andexperience of this crisis that must be handled by top management.

From the findingsone is left with the strong impressionthat very little delivery is currentlytaking place.

The following dialogue between two Senior Managers underscores the above by criticallycontrasting the current non-deliverytoday with the so-called deliveryof yesteryear:

"I think we did help 0111'people before. "

"It is true. At least we could deliver taps to our people!"

"[Researcher: what do you mean?1"

"In the past, before independence, in order to get a tapyou had to go to Pietersburgand visit the Department of Bantu Affairs (or whatever) whereyou wouldfill out aform. Twoyears later after more meetings and moreforms you would get your tap.Then came independence - we served the people right here. All that happened is thatyou would come andjill out aform, pay the amount, and two days later you would

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have your tap. Today you must go to Pietersburg. Is that progress? But today it isworse! Where does one go when one gets to Pietersburg? The departments are hiddenall over town - maybe some are in the hotels. And even if you are lucky andfind thedepartment there are no forms. Without the form you will not get the tap. "

"So it means that today the people are worse off than under the dark days ofapartheid? "

"Well I'm not so sure about that, but I see what you mean as regards the non-delivery."

"Yes, non-delive/y. Look at the RDP. That animal did nothing. "

"How can you sit in Pietersbllrg and say that you are close to the people? We are

close to the people - I can see them through my window. I am with my people. "(Senior Management)

It is also evident that most staff are awaiting leadership from the top in dealing with thecomplex of issues related to the provision of quality services to the public. The followingtable expresses clearly the views of the different levels of staff on whom they see asresponsible for improvement:

Table 7.34: Hierarchies of responsibility by level

From the above hierarchy a number of trends are worth noting:

. While most levels of staffingsee the bulk of responsibilityfor implementingthenecessary actions to ensure quality service as resting with a mixture of. team work andtop management, only 48 % of Senior Managers feel they are responsible.

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Senior Middle Administration Clerical LabourManagement Management OfficerTeam effort Top Team effort Top Top Management

86% Management 77% Management 87%76 % 74%

Top Team effort Top Team effort My DepartmentManagement 73 % Management 63 % 66%

68 % 73 %

My Department Middle My Department Myself Team effort62% Management 63 % 51 % 58%

64%

Colleagues My Department Myself My Department Myself58% 59% 62 % 50% 54 %

Middle Myself Middle Middle MiddleManagement 55 % Management Management Management

54% 55 % 39% 47%

Myself Colleagues Colleagues Colleagues Colleagues48 % 42% 50% 34% 45%

. While Middle Management think they are somewhat responsible (third in theirhierarchy) all of the other groups give them less importance. Their direct subordinatesconsistently rank themselves above Middle Management.

Less Senior Managers felt top management were responsible than any other level... While team effort is seen as important by all groups, colleagues are only seen as

responsible by Senior Management (58 %). In all other groups colleagues are the leastresponsible.

. Increasing position indicatesthat the ranking of "myself' seems to decrease. More ofthe lower levels of staff appear to take responsibilityto themselves.

It is worrying that less than half the respondents felt that the public servants showed the publicthe respect they deserve, with older respondents being more favourable than their youngercounterparts, and Labour and Middle Management and the more educated being the leastfavourable. Those who did not feel the public received the respect they deserved provided thefollowing reasons for saying so:

. Poor supervision

Lack of training in public relationsBad attitude

. Unwillingness to work

. Breaks more important

. Lack of respect for the public

. Do not care

.

.

The signs of feelings of class superiority among public servants are extremely worrying ifpeople are to be the servants of the public. The above lists provide a sense of the scale of thetask required to reposition the Public Service for quality service delivery.

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. Laziness

. Unfaithfulness

. Indifference

. Too slow/long queues

. Self-interested

. Harassment of the public

. Irresponsible

. Lack of compassion

. Favouritism

. Class superiority

When considering public servants' responses to the issues that need improving, it becomesapparent that once again, by treating each of the separate and diverse answers of therespondents together, one is talking about the comprehensiverevision and overhauling of thePublic Service. Yet one must not get lost in the diversityand throw one's hands up in despair.For the underlyingissue is simplythat people in a state of anxiety experience their daily livesas anxiety-producing and therefore they are apt to see whatever they are doing as the sourceof their anxiety. However, the situation is more complex because the longer the Public Serviceis left in its state of suspended anxietythe more likelyis it that all the systems and checks andbalances within the system will sooner or later match the anxiety of the public servants. Inother words the system itself will become paralysed.

Notwithstanding the current dangers of the present situation a series of opportunities presentthemselves to the management, in that the public servants expect change and they are waitingfor it. What is needed is a decisivevision pullingthe Public Service together, simultaneouslycoupled with clarification on the positions. The focus on deliverygives the transformationprocess a degree of objectivitywhich can become both the goal of the departments (PublicService) and the means of measuringand assessing the success of the department (PublicService).

7.4.9 Remuneration and benefits

Three-quarters of the respondents felt that they were inappropriately remunerated and two-thirds of the respondents said that their salary did not meet their basic needs.

The whole issue of remuneration needs very careful consideration as it forms the heart oflabour relations and has to do with what the market will bear. It is therefore consequent uponnegotiations between the interested parties.

In one focus group one AdministrationOfficerpointed out that "People will never be satisfiedwith what they are paid. Thus it is very importantfor the public servant to learn to live onwhat he/she earned and not to live on one's dreams". After much initialheated disagreementthe entire group agreed that the suggestion was true. Another focus group raised the issue ofbenefits in terms of a lack of information in the followingdialogue:

"There is no communication concerning benefits such as car and housing subsidies. "

"It would appear as {(some people are more il!(ormed than others. "

"There need~' to be more b!(ormation concerning what officials are or are not entitledto. "

(Clerical)

Yet another focus group wondered whether or not the Public Service could get involved witha housingprogrammefor publicservants.Theysummed up the discussion as follows:

"The Public Service could launch an affordable housing programme for its members.Wehave the skills and know-how to run such a programme. " (Middle Management)

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Both the remuneration package and the benefits package need to be reconsidered and openedfor realistic negotiations.

7.4.10 Affirmative action

Ninety percent of those who feel threatened by affirmative action are Mrican. This is 12 % ofthe total Mrican sample.

The range of answers both in the quantitative and qualitative findings demonstrates that thepublic servants are not informed about what affirmative action is. Sixty-five percent said eitherthat affirmative action was not applicable to them or that they were not affirmative actionappointments. On the other hand, 18 % said that their appointment was affirmative action and17 % did not know. It would be surprising if the Public Service had appointed 18 % of its staffaccording to the criterion of affirmative action.

If the argument on favouritism and affirmative action discussed above is accepted, does thisfigure of 18 % in fact reflect those respondents who acknowledge that they were appointedby favouritism?

Thirteen percent said that affirmative action threatened them. The majority of theserespondents are Mrican, showing that the implementation of affirmative action has not beenexperienced as one of even-handedness. Although a two-thirds majority did not feel threatenedby affirmative action, in the focus groups concern was expressed about affirmative actionbecause it was felt that blacks were competing among themselves for jobs according to othercriteria than merit. One respondent expressed the dilemma as follows:

"It is difficult for ajunior to teach his senior. And yet this is what is required by theaffirmative action programme because the only training which the affirmative actioncandidategets isfrom hisjunior. " (Middle Management)

The following dialogue from a focus group summed up the complexity and confusion aroundthe issue of affirmative action as follows:

"It is a good policy -now we have qualifications considered and not skin colour. "

"Affirmative action must be coupled with training. "

"The top posts are crucial to the Public ,)'ervice so affirmative action must be appliedwith vigilance and caution. "

"Affirmati\ll! action should be based on experience and not just the fact of beingdisadvantaged. We have all been disadvantaged so does that mean we all getcdfirmative action - do we all become top managers! No, of course not, so we shouldnot just affirmative action any hard luck story. We needquality appointments or weall will suffer. " (Administration Officers)

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The themes of the volunteered comments of the respondents indicate the range of issues andperceptions which are intermingled with affirmative action:

. Affirmative action is positive

. Respondents are positive because they believe affirmative action will help them

Positive but qualify the manner in which affirmative action is to be implemented.. Affirmativeaction is finebecause they felt it did not apply to them

Lack of direction in Public Serviceas a result of affirmativeaction.. Respondents from all levels were threatened, not only management positions

Affirmative action would not be implemented.. Some respondents equated the process of rationalisationwith affirmativeaction

7.4.11 Tradition, custom and the demands of work

Three-quarters of the respondents said they did not experience any tension between thedemands of work and the demands of custom and tradition. Yet, from the qualitative findings,both individualand the focus groups, it is apparent that there is much underlying tension. Thepublic servant is pulled between two worlds and two world views. For example, onerespondent complained of the work demands that "They expect us to practise Western cultureat the expense of our Southern culture". Another respondent said, "There are some traditionsthat force one to observe them".

It is interesting to note that the tension between work demands and custom and traditionincreases both with the increasingeducation of the respondent and with the seniority of theposition of the respondent. However, this acknowledgementof tension refers to those whosee it. There are other public servants who experience tension, as can be seen from the viewsexpressed in a focus group below, and yet when this group answered the questionnaire none ofthem said that they experienced any tension. The following dialogue illustrates this:

"We must re~pect elders and people in authority. We must co-operate and do the workproperly. At all time we must show humility and be humble. "

"There is conflict between work and tradition. In our tradition at home we must sitdown on the ground and not on the chairs. Here at work we learn to sit on thechairs. .,

"Also at home we must kneel before the men - it is a sign of respect. But at work welearn not to kneel before men. "

"Yes, and then what we learn here is resisted by our husbands!" (Labour)

These issues will have to be dealt with in a sensitive manner by Senior Management: theycannot be ignored. A starting point would be the facilitation of an open dialogue to flush outthe details and to come up with procedures for handling these tensions and contradictory

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demands. Management in the South Mrican diversity has to come to terms with thesetensions. It cannot merely resort to Western management practice and close a blind eye to itsinadequate understanding of the cultural dimension. There is clearly a need to discover amanagerial modus operandi appropriate to our context.

7.4.12 Morale

There is a crisis of morale in the Public Service. One focus group summed up thedemoralisation in their section in the followingdialogue:

"At the moment there is no normal work. "

"The placement of the staff is the issue. "

"EvelY thing is getting destroyed or stolen. "

"There is 110security. At the gate you can just come and go, and go and come.

Many things are/lying out the gate. "

"I'm afraid even the buildings could collapse. "

"Thefloor tiles are coming up off thefloors. And nothing is done - theyjust getkicked and broken" (Clerical)

What is required, was perhaps, illuminatedby a focus group of AdministrativeOfficers, whoarticulated the feelingthat the public servants need to be informed of what the new frameworkof operations is to be:

"We need to be told what is the goal of the Public Service, the department and thesection and how management will implement these goals with our help. "


-. The overwhelmingmajority (81 %) of the respondents intend to remain in the Public Service.

Some significanttrends emerge when intention to stay in the Public Service is analysed interms of education, age and length of service. Those with the least education are far morelikelyto intend to stay than those with higher education. This trend is confirmed by the findingthat the level of uncertainty about remainingincreases with increasing education. Clearly, theeducated public servant questions his/her role in the Public Service. This is particularly criticalas this is the leadership of the Public Service.

The older respondents are more likelyto intend to remain than the younger respondents. Andthe younger respondents are more uncertain about whether they will remain than olderrespondents. Indeed only 50 % of the respondents younger than 25 years old intend to remain.Unsurprisingly,given the above, the longer the service the greater the intention to stay.

In terms of the potential for recruiting young educated persons into the Public Service thesefindings indicate that there are many underlyingissues which need to be handled if these

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recruits are to be retained, There will be a long-term negative impact on the Public Service ifyouthful skills are permitted to drain out of the organisation The danger remains that thiscould spiral out of control as the loss of skills and experience further depletes the morale,thereby worsening the situation,

The qualitative findings revealed a range of issues that had pleased and frustrated the

respondents in the last twelve months about working in the Public Service, The positivethemes of issues were as follows2:

. Transformation and rationalisation

. Ethnic reconciliation

. Support from colleagues

Correct placement.. Successful promotion

Serving others.. Morale. Remuneration and benefits

. Changes in government

Management and supervisory appreciation.

The negative themes of issues were as follows:

. Transformation and rationalisation

. Ethnic conflict

. Favouritism and nepotism

. Uncertainty

Lack of training.. Lack of promotion

Lack of equipment.. Lack of funds

. Lack of serving others

. Low morale

2 Note that these lists are not ranked by priority,184

. Poor remuneration and benefits

. Government not making decisions

. Lack of management and supervision direction

Morale, as with delivery, stands in the centre of the complexity of both the perceptions of thepublic servants and the wellbeing of the Public Service itself, hence the breadth of the issuesraised here. Each issue once again forms a check list of important themes that top managementwill have to handle by formulating policies and structures to support the middle managers andsupervisors in their day-to-day motivation of staff, so as to build morale and effectiveness inthe public servants.

In the focus groups the overriding issue was that of uncertainty, which many of therespondents saw as contributing to a serious morale problem. This is illuminated quite aptly bythe quotation at the beginning of the conclusions.

The frustration of the respondents predominantly revolved around the issue of uncertainty. Itis a matter of urgency that the rationalisation and restructuring processes be finalised.

One focus group set about the task of identifYing the major problems and painstakinglyattempting to come up with workable solutions. Whatever else this exercise demonstrated, itshowed the commitment of these public servants towards the Public Service and their firm

belief that the bulk of the present issues and frustrations could be resolved in terms acceptableto all those concerned. It is by harnessing the energy and enthusiasm of public servants such asthese that the morale of the Public Service can be improved and developed. The followingcomments from the dialogue highlight these issues and frustrations:

"The aims of the new government are good, but the process is slow. "

"Public servants are not certain about thefuture of their jobs. This leads to a lack ofmorale and a delay in doing the work and service. "

"Advertisement of the posts and all other placements must be finalised. Let us get onwith building the province. "

"The new guidelines and procedures and objectives (d' the Northern Province's PublicService are unclear. "

"Both management and workers need to be retrainedfor the new government's goalsof the Public Service. Training must upgrade our knowledge for the new nation. Wemust be included in the process because we can help our province deliver the goods tothe people and make a Public Service which we can all be proud of"

"There is a communication breakdown between Pietersburg and the regions whichleads to afurther delay in the process of working. The top management is unable tocome down to see what is happening at the grassroots of department. "

"Regions and subregions must be empowered to solve some of the problems that arisewithin the region without contacting Pietersburg. "

"People are unhappy with their remuneration and benefits during the rationalisationprocess. "

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"Promisesfor increased pay by the government must either be kept or not made.These promises have made eve/lone feel unde/paid and forgotten. [At this pointsomeone interjected: "We are already fe eling forgotten with the placementprocedures "I Payment by level and grade must be clear to those involvedInformation must be made available to all the servants at their level so that they canunderstand benefits like subsidies and car allowance as well as how to qualify. Tax,pension, medical aid deductions also need to be explained nicely. "

"Nepotism, favouritism and corruption are demoralising. "

"During rationalising the bush telegraph is humming with stories of favouritism andspecial deals. There must be clear guidelines on all the appointments. There needs tobe some control on the operations of the Public Service e.g. the use and abuse ofvehicles, office hours, contracts to the private sector etc. Possibly, we suggest thereneeds' to be a visible body - a department or person - with guidelines whose sole jobis to look '!fier the wellbeing of the public servants and the public image of the PublicService. "

"You can't just talk about apartheid all the time - blaming evetything on apartheidMost of us got our skills and learning under apartheid. "

"We are in the new South Africa. We must draw our inspiration from our successes -there was some development success before - andfrom the desire of our people toimprove themselves and the conditions of their lives. We must go fOlward or else wewill never arrive in the new nation. If there are mistakes let us learn from them andmove on and stop blaming the ghost of apartheid." (Administration Officers)

Notwithstanding this criticism of the Public Service, 79 % of the respondents said that theywere proud and 55 % felt that their colleagues were proud to be part of the Public Service.The respondents appeared to look beyond their present difficulties and affirmed their pride inthe Public Service. This attitude is very positive and can be harnessed towards rebuildingmorale, productivity and the delivery of a quality service. Some of the qualitative findingsdemonstrate the depth of this affirmation:

"I feel proud because I am serving the people of my homeland South Africa. "(Administration Officer)

"Ifeel proud because I enjoy being with the Public Service. " (Clerical)

"1 love to serve the public. " (Middle Management)

"Serving the rainbow nation, 1 consider a privilege. " (Middle Management)

A third of the respondents had heard their colleagues say mostly positive things about thePublic Service. More than a third (37 %) had heard mostly negative things, and a little lessthan a third were neutral in terms of whether they heard positive or negative things. The moreeducated and younger respondents reported that they heard more negative opinions expressed.

In contrast, colleagues' attitudes towards their work were described as positive (they likedtheir work) by a majority (68 %) of the respondents. It is interesting that the respondentsindicate that their colleagues like their jobs even though they hear positive comments from

]86

rI

only a minority. The explanation of this could be that it is difficult to continually be positiveabout one's job, in the company of one's colleagues, in a situation where one is waiting monthafter month for confirmation that one still has the job which indeed one likes. A trend in thedata shows that the higher the education of the respondent the less likely they are to hold apositive perception of their colleagues' attitudes towards work.

From respondents' replies to a question on how well they thought the certain people,organisations and departments could be trusted to look after their interests at work,hierarchies of trust were drawn up. These hierarchies indicate the critical role of the supervisor- the most trusted category in 10 out of the 11 departments. Another way of interpreting thetrust for the supervisor is that that is as far as you can trust, i.e. you cannot trust further afieldthan your direct supervisor. The second most trusted category is the PSC, followed by SeniorManagement and Colleagues. The trust hierarchies show trends and comparisons betweenvarious groups within different situations (by site and by department). These trust hierarchiesneed to be carefully examined for the overview they provide.

Table 7.62: Trust Hierarchy (by current position)

Overall the level of trust needs to be raised if the Public Service is to become a learningorganisation. The morale of the public servants needs to be addressed so that on the basis oftheir commitment to the Public Service it will be possible for management to ensure that thePublic Service is both a service which delivers for the public and for the public servant.

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Senior Middle Administration Clerical LabourMana2ement Manaement Officer

Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor59% 49% 62% 56% 67%

Colleagues PSC PSC PSC Senior50% 36% 49% 47% Management

56%Union Colleagues Colleagues HRD Union48% 34% 44% 46% 50%MEC Senior HRD Colleagues Colleagues47% Management 42% 43 % 49%

33 %Subordinates HRD Senior Senior MEC

47% 33 % Management Management 45 %40% 37%

PSC MEC Subordinates Union HRD44% 32 % 39% 37% 43 %Senior Subordinates MEC Subordinates PSC

Management 31 % 34% 35 % 42%43 %HRD Union Union MEC Subordinates33 % 26% 34% 30% 33 %

7.5 Recommendations

The initiation of this survey is a bold step. This is the first time in South Mrican history that aProvincial Government has opened itself to such careful and detailed scrutiny. It has raisedexpectations among the staff and management that need to be followed up with actions thatcan engender confidence, trust and a renewed effort to provide quality services to the public ofthe Northern Province. The survey has also provided the opportunity for an informed andthorough re-evaluation of the Public Service.

The findings clearly show a need to define the Public Service both in terms of its internalmorale, management systems and training needs as well as the public's expectations of thePublic Service. The point of interaction and transmission between the internal dynamics of thePublic Service and the external dynamics of the public is an important starting point forrebuilding the Public Service in terms of morale and service delivery.

The recommendations cannot be read as instant solutions or as a blueprint that can be appliedto a variety of different situations. Rather, the recommendations must be seen as suggestionsfor possible actions and interventions, which can be taken to deal with the issues identified bythe respondents to this survey. Much of what is suggested revolves around the fundamentaltheme of providing leadership, thereby managing transformation, structuring and restructuring,productivity and training. Leadership, management and supervision are processes, a series ofongoing steps required to guide, administer, govern, regulate and influence the morale,productivity and objectives of the Public Service. There can be no simple blueprint forhandling this dynamic process, other than the pertinent observation that the management needsto initiate processes and structures that facilitate the management and implementation of theobjectives of the Public Service within a new vision.

These recommendations provide suggested points of departure and guidelines for such action-oriented initiatives.

. This report as a catalyst

Top management needs to look at this report as a means for reflecting seriously on thenitty-gritty problems that hinder the delivery of services to the expectant public in theNorthern Province, as well as those strengths that can be complemented so as to builda more effective Public Service.

This report should be used as a catalyst for workshops that involve public servants inthe process of seeking long, medium and short-term solutions to the issues raised in thereport. This process would allow the information to cascade down the ranks in anordered fashion, enabling the energies to be harnessed towards the task of findingappropriate management policies, structures and processes, while building morale. It isa means for management to lead a reconstruction and development campaign withinthe Public Service. In this regard the following processes are suggested:

. Hold a workshop around a presentation of the complete findings by theresearch team with appropriate members of Cabinet and the Director-Generals,to develop an action plan for disseminating and utilising the findings towardstheir strategic vision. This process would enable top management to unify itsvision and functioning.

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. Workshops with the Senior Management including the Director-Generals(perhaps the union leadership should be involved in this workshop).

Departmental workshops with all supervisory and management staff and shopstewards.

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. Workshops for the different levels of staff concentrating more on the issues thataffect them directly.

Feedback mechanisms so that suggestions from the workshops are co-ordinatedwith the various departments and functions that would have to implement themand to see that appropriate action plans are drawn up and communicated to therelevant persons, functions and departments.

.

. Follow-up and evaluation of the implementation of the action and interventions.

General dissemination of the findings, including the collated suggestions andaction plans for dealing with the issues highlighted by the public servantsthemselves.

.

Vision, policies, guidelines, structures and processes

The vision of top management,bolstered by the consultation process mentioned above,needs to be implementedthrough clear and explicitpolicies, guidelines, structures andprocesses backed up by the requisite management systems. Above all, the strategicvision needs to be communicated and motivated to the public servants. The moreunified this vision, the greater will be its effectivenessin motivating morale andproductive endeavour, leadingthe way to quality service delivery to the NorthernProvince public.

Monitoring

The Public Service needs to monitor both the functioning of staff at all levels in anobjective manner and the public's perceptions of the Public Service. To this end thePublic Service needs to establish a centralised monitoring function that can providefeedback through the Director-Generals and Department Heads on the perceptions ofservice both internally, within the Public Service, and externally, by the expectantpublic. It would also be advisable to set up a complaints desk so that the public andother departments and functions within the Public Service can direct their complaintsdirectly to the relevant line management. This also creates confidence in the recipientsof service that the Public Service is responsive to their concerns, and will help publicservants to focus on quality service delivery (see the recommendation concerningperformance evaluation below). In this way line management can be held responsiblefor the service delivery, whether it be internal or external service.

Finalise restructuring

The Public Service clearly needs to finalise the restructuring process as soon aspossible so as to lift the pervasive uncertainty that appears to be paralysing itsfunctioning.

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. Delegation vis-a-vis centralisation

Some functions need to be centralised while others need desperately to be delegated.For instance, decision-making powers need to be delegated downwards to theappropriate levels with the appropriate lines of accountability, while at the same timethe monitoring and evaluation processes need to be centralised so that those withdelegated powers are firmly held accountable through their line management. Whennecessary the function responsible for performance monitoring and evaluation shouldhave the power to intervene with line management so as to ensure fairness and equity.This can be assisted by some form of Ombudsman role as discussed below. This

underlines the importance of updating all procedures and policies appropriately.

. Induction

Induction programmes must orient the public servants both to the objectives of theparticular department and section and to the overall vision of the Public Service. Itshould also make the new entrant both welcome and comfortable in the Public Service.

In addition, the induction programme should be linked to an on-the-job trainingprogramme with clear responsibilitiesfor mentoring to ensure that the individualknows preciselywhat is expected of him/her.

. Performance evaluation

There is a strong need to implement an appropriate form of performance appraisaltowards career development (including training and mentoring), placement andremuneration. Evaluation is a key management tool for improving the effectiveness ofthe Public Service. The evaluation techniques need to take the concerns of the publicservants into account. These include: consultation, feedback, information about theprocess, the identification of training needs and the perception and acceptance that theevaluation is fair. In addition, the evaluation process needs to be motivational,supportive and appreciative.

It may be essential that this function be centralised in the Human Resources

Department to keep it free of favouritism. However, in the initial stages it may provenecessary to use outside evaluators so as to lift the evaluation process above the intra-organisational politics within the Public Service at this point in time.

. Training

Training should include both the particular skills required by the departments andsections (identified through a process which includes representatives from differentlevels of the Public Service) as well as the required framework to understand and

function within the restructured Public Service. There is an essential role for on-the-jobtraining and mentoring. All management and supervisory staff need to believe that thedevelopment, mentoring and general nurturing of their staff are integral parts of theirrole. This is not something to be simply left up to the relevant functions, such asHuman Resource Development and Training.

There is a clear need and expectation on the part of the public servants to receivetraining both for the particular skillsrequired for their work and for an understandingof their function within the restructured Public Service.

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.

Training and education are very necessary, from Adult Basic Education and Training(ABET), skills, electronic media, through to management and supervisory training, andhigher and technical education in a variety of skills. Training programmes can be usedto strengthen the Public Service in the following identified areas:

. Citizenship: What is democracy - responsibilitiesand rights

Leadership, management and supervision

Planning and implementation

Public relations and customer service

Career guidance, counsellingand mentoring

Consultation and negotiation skills

Computers: word processing

Public administration

.

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. Personnel and evaluation

Team buildingand motivation

Public finance

.

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. Commercial, sales and marketing

Training of trainers.. Communication and information

. Secretarial

Clerical.. Technical

Lower-level workers identified training in basic skills such as watering a lawn,photocopying, filing, answering the telephone, office skills, etc.

Career guidance, counselling and mentoring

Career guidance, whether through counselling and/or mentoring is necessary. Careerguidance should discuss the shortcomings and achievements of the staff member andopportunities for development, as well as include issues of job satisfaction anddissatisfaction. It must be co-ordinated with the performance evaluation processesmentioned above. Ultimately career guidance involves the development of an enablingand supportive environment in which learning is encouraged, hence the importance ofregular and sustained counselling and mentoring.

Favouritism

All forms offavouritism need to be dealt with unambiguously. For this to happen it isabsolutely necessary that all processes of appointment, promotion and development(training, counselling, mentoring and advancement possibilities) be handled in atransparent manner with clear accountabilities, responsibilities and appeal processes.

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This will involve a determination on the part of top management to forge a unity withinthe Public Service, building bridges across the various divides that presently hamperfair processes.

However, because of the cultural diversity within the province this issue has to be dealtwith sensitively but firmly, taking into account the regional differences and thenecessity t6 manage this diversity in a practical manner. In this regard there aredefinitely no simple solutions. This is made even more difficult because of the apartheidhistory and its emphasis on differences, which make it difficult to come to terms withthe real differences that exist, and discover an appropriate modus operandi formanaging them.

. Delivery of quality service

The improvement in the quality of service delivery in the Public Service will require theimprovement of all internal systems. .

Serious thought should be given to definingand streamliningthe Public Service intoone all-embracingdelivery system. This system must be geared to meeting people'sbasic needs and wants, as well as developing the infrastructure for the growth of theseneeds and wants in a consumer market.

It cannot be overemphasised that the issue of quality of delivery must be handled interms of the values, needs and wants of the people as they express their aspirations inthe new democratic South Mrica. Hence the question of quality of delivery isconnected to the decision makingof top management with regard to theimplementationof clearlystated goals geared to meeting the expectations of the public.All the issues raised in the survey need specificattention.


The entire issue of remuneration needs very careful consideration as it forms the heartof labour relations and has to do with what the market will bear. It is therefore

consequent upon negotiations between the interested parties.


The affirmativeaction policy needs to be revisited to see whether it is, in fact,facilitatingblack advancement to the benefit of the larger community or merelyassisting those favoured by it.

The fact that a large group of Mricans are confused about the purpose of affirmativeaction and others feel that all Mricans havebeendisadvantagedandare thereforeworthy of affirmative action, means that the affirmative action policy must be weighedup in terms of its practical impact rather than its theoretical claims to soundness.

In addition, the process of affirmative action must be bolstered by sound developmentpolicies and procedures (performance evaluation, training, career guidance, counsellingand mentoring, etc.) and careful selection untainted by favouritism or discrimination ofwhatever sort.

. Tension between work demands and custom and tradition

Policies and procedures need to be established to harmonise the tensions that may existbetween the demands of work and the demands of custom and tradition so that the

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functioning of the Public Service is not hampered if these competing demands clash.This is not an easy to resolve, as it deals with some of the basic conflicts of our fast-

changing society. In addition, it is also an issue that people have difficulty facing in arealistic and open manner. It will have to be dealt with sensitively by top management,and cannot be ignored.

. Communication and information

The implementation of whatever policies, structures and processes are decided uponwill rest on a sound flow of communication and information upwards, downwards andsideways. A learning organisation requires open and fluid communication processesand networks so that

. management can inform all staff of their decisions, initiatives, actions andintentions, and maintain dialogue with the different levels of staffing aroundtheir concerns, perceptions, expertise and interests;

staff can make their perceptions, frustrations, opinions, etc. known tomanagement and be involved in a consultation process towards sound decisionmaking informed by all levels of functioning within the organisation;

.

colleagues dealing with the same or similar issues, problems, functions orconcerns can support and assist each other with the difficult decisions they face,thereby strengthening the implementationand modification of policies.

Communication and informationare essential complementaryprocesses to motivateand nurture positive morale in any organisation and build trust between levels andamong colleagues. The real danger is the potential influenceof informal channels ofcommunication in hinderingthe open flow of communication and the exchange ofinformation- misinformationand rumour can undermine the whole process of moralebuilding.

.

These processes also need to be constantly monitored and evaluated, to avoidblockages, misunderstanding, undermining and uncertainty. This should also be doneby the central evaluation and monitoring function referred to above. It may beadvantageous to use an Ombudsman so as to ensure communication and informationflows.

. Morale

Morale is probably the most abstract of concepts in human resources debates. That isbecause it is the overarching human relations climate in an organisation. Morale restsconclusively on the bedrock of policies, procedures and management systems led by anengaging, nurturing, inspiring, directing, controlling and consultative management.That is, all the processes and structures referred to above.

It is a difficult task to build trust. By not trusting others and excluding some staff fromthe processes of restructuring and transformation, the number of problems that haveto be faced are merely multiplied. The anxiety produced by this process of change willsap the morale of an institution until the most simple task is perceived to require

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tremendous effort. The institution in an atmosphere of distrust loses its way, and oncethe senior positions stumble and no longer lead and motivate, it is not very long beforethe junior positions are reading newspapers or using government vehicles for privatejobs.

Public servants need to be trusted sufficiently to be brought into the process oftransformation, restructuring and rationalisation. They need to become part of theprocess through improved communication and the flow of information. The keyelement is to build an ethic and spirit of productivity and service delivery in the PublicService.

It would be essential to conduct team-building exercises in the functional units andamong the different levels of management and supervision. The workshops referred toabove, using the findings of these surveys as the catalyst, could well be the foundationfor team building in the Public Service. Basic to team building is the creation of aclimate of trust within the organisation between the different levels, the different ethnicgroupings, the different races, the different political interests and cadres and thegenders, and among colleagues.

. Leadership, management and supervision

Responsibility for leading all the abovementioned interventions and initiatives rests, asalways, directly with management, even though all staff are responsible for contributingto the goals of the Public Service and need to be held accountable for theirperformance. Management and leadership are essential elements of a transformation ofthe Public Service. The faith in direct supervisors must be harnessed for thedevelopment of the Public Service.

Responsive, nurturing, flexible and decisive managers are needed at all levels. The keyis confidence. However, due to the transformation, a lot of experience has been lost oris underutilised, inexperienced people have been placed in responsible positions,favouritism has wreaked havoc with the perceptions of staff at least, political andadministrative agendas are sometimes confused and policies and procedures havebecome blurred. Consequently, confidence is low and uncertainty very high.

Ways and means are needed to inform and facilitate decision making, planning, co-ordination, implementation and human resources skills among the management levelsof the Northern Province Public Service. This can be achieved through an array oftraining initiatives guided by performance evaluations, systematic in-service and on-the-job training, counselling, workshops and problem-oriented group discussions,mentoring, apprenticeships, secondments, team-building exercises, group decisionmaking, accountability, etc. However, the policy issues need clarity and structure ifthere is to be any chance of success.

The development of team work among and between management levels, in harmonywith the workforce, is a critical step towards developing managerial skills andexperience in decision making. The workshops referred to earlier can provide a catalystfor management development of this sort. The "gripe-session" syndrome can beavoided by focusing on finding solutions to the issues raised by the survey. It

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depersonalises discussion and avoids blaming. Such interventions need to be expertlyfacilitated and their objectives clearly delineated.

It is strongly suggested that all management staff be assessed for their level offunctioning compared to their present job descriptions, as a starting point for careercounselling, development and their appropriate placement. This kind of assessmentshould begin with the top levels of management and cascade down, while at the sametime an assessment programme among the staff is also conducted. It is stronglysuggested that such an assessment be conducted with the direct assistance of outside

and neutral experts in this field. However, it is advisable whenever considering the useof consultants that top management is clear about what it is they want before enteringinto negotiations.

Fundamentally, the crisis in management and supervision arises not only from the inabilityof individuals to perform, although there are shortcomings in ability and training, but fromthe lack of an overall Public Service vision and the appropriate policies, implementationstrategies and structures. This tends to neutralise the day-to-day activities of the managersand supervisors. A climate of trust and positive morale can only begin to develop if theuncertainties, favouritism and other unfair practices are seen to be effectively managed.This will require decisive and committed leadership of a shared vision dedicated to fair andmerit-based practices.

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8. ADDENDUM 1

A profile of the public servant in the Northern Province

The fundamental and pervasive problem for the public servant is the uncertainty facing him orher during this period of restructuring. This uncertainty has undermined the public servant'smorale and work performance. In addition, the public servant sees the uncertainty as havingundermined the management and supervisory systems. It is within this context that thefollowing sketch must be seen and understood.

. The public servant is committed to and interested in the Public Service. The publicservant feels that he/she is correctly placed in terms of the department he/she is in, butnot in terms of his/her position. The public servant is not as certain about theplacement of his/her colleagues.

. The public servant underwent an initial induction process and received little or nofurther training. The training that was received was concentrated in supervision,management and computers. The demand for training is between two to three timeshigher than the training received, with a strong desire to learn computer skills. Thepublic servant feels that the training received was relevant both to doing his/her jobbetter and getting promoted. The public servant expects that the Public Service willprovide the necessary training.

The public servant has had his/her work evaluated, although not in the last two years.Those public servants who have been evaluated feel that it has been an effective way ofevaluating their work. The public servant believes both that his/her top manager did getto know his/her work performance and that it is important for his/her top manager toget to know it.

.

. Supervisors and colleagues are the most mentioned mentors of career guidance for thepublic servant. The public servant feels that his/her direct supervisor is interested inhis/her career development. The public servant feels that his/her career advancement inthe Public Service has been satisfactory so far.

The public servant feels that his/her supervisor appreciates his/her work andunderstood his/her problems. In addition, the public servant expressed the view thatwhen he/she made suggestions to his/her supervisor, the supervisor tended to listen andfurther that he/she was allowed to implement it.

.

. The public servant is refreshingly tolerant as regards the gender, race or ethnic groupof his/her supervisor. Only small minorities of public servants prefer Mrican or malesupervisors. However, these minorities are significant enough to undermineintegration efforts.

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. The public servant has experienced the following favouritism (in order of frequency):comradeship, ethnic favouritism, gender favouritism and racial favouritism. However,more public servants know of gender favouritism than those who have experienced it.

. The quality of service is seen to be good and adequate by the public servant. Yet, theyfeel there are hindrances to delivery. Public servants feel that a range of issuestouching every facet of Public Service life, from communication to managementsystems and from remuneration and benefits to productivity, needs improvement.Public servants feel that responsibility for improving the quality of service lies with topmanagement and team effort. The public servants do not feel that the public are treatedwith the respect that they deserve. Yet they do think that the public benefits from theservices provided.

The public servant feels inappropriately remunerated and does not think that his/herincome meets his/her basic needs.

.

. The majority of the public servants do not feel that their appointment has been basedon affirmative action and they assume that affirmative action is applicable in only aminority of cases. Most public servants do not feel threatened by affirmative action,although a significant minority of mainly black staff do feel threatened.

The public servant says that he/she does not experience any tension between workdemands and custom and tradition but many give pertinent examples of such tension.

.

The public servant intends to remain in the Public Service. Public servants are moreproud of the Public Service than they think their colleagues are.

The public servant hears his or her colleagues say both negative and positive thingsabout the Public Service. In contrast, the public servant describes his or her colleagues'attitudes towards their work as positive (they like their work).

The public servant trusts his/her direct supervisor to look after his/her interests at work.However, trust does not extend much further.

.

.

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Human Relations Climate Survey of the Northern (Limpopo) Province Public Service (1996)

Documents

Transcript of Human Relations Climate Survey of the Northern (Limpopo) Province Public Service (1996)