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Opening the way through information - Vulindlela and HR information. Portfolio Committee on Public Administration (National Parliament) 15 March 2001. Issues to address. History and description of Vulindlela Vulindlela and HR information Supporting projects
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Opening the way through information - Vulindlela and HR information Portfolio Committee on Public Administration (National Parliament) 15 March 2001
Issues to address • History and description of Vulindlela • Vulindlela and HR information • Supporting projects • National Minimum Information Requirements • Prescribed formats for annual reports • Evaluation of the HR information available
Vulindlela - a short history • Initiative of the National Treasury • April 1997 - need for management statistics on personnel costs • Production of monthly expenditure trends - evolution of the Early Warning System • November 1997 - Minister of Finance requests the establishment of a central repository of financial and other information
History (continued) • February 1998 - need for a public expenditure database to compile and analyse government finance statistics • Vulindlela designed as the preferred central database that would meet the needs of the Treasury and other stakeholders • combine with the establishment of an Information Strategy Working Group (ISWG)
Description • Data warehouse enveloping internal and external operational data systems • Primary purpose is to provide management, policy and planning information • Data extracted into the warehouse and transformed into meaningful information for decision-making
Description (continued) • Extremely complex process • require high degree of specialist technical and business expertise • Need to address differences in operational systems, lack of standardisation and technology issues
Vulindlela Data Warehouse (currently on SAS software) Integration of data-sets (extraction and scrubbing) PERSAL FMS BAS Other systems
Vulindlela supports:- • Total re-classification of government expenditure to GFS standards • In-year monitoring of expenditure against budgets • Historical trend analysis (up to 5 years in some instances) • Improved HR and personnel expenditure information
Vulindlela and HR Information • Large volume of data (actual and potential) in PERSAL and financial systems • Problems with operational systems:- • GIGO effect • Information is generated for operational reasons (e.g. temporary teachers) • People not using fields where there is no salary implication • Dramatic changes in HR policy from 1994
Other problems • Limited value added to information • percentages, ratio’s and indices • Lack of consolidation of information in multiple ways • development of the sector concept a key innovation • Limited assessment of the story behind the number • limited benchmarking information
Other problems (2) • Presentation of information not in a user-friendly format • No consistency in presentation and methods of cleaning the data • Finally, limited customisation of information products to different stakeholder or target groups • level of detail • look and feel
Products and target groups • PERSAL system - HR practitioners • Vulindlela HR report - Ministers and Heads of Department • Vulindlela HR Bulletin - central policy departments • Vulindlela system - power users • Prescribed formats in annual reports - legislatures, media, and the public
Managerial Review & Oversight • Public Service Regulations, 1999 • Unclear what was required • Difficulties in designing appropriate formats • Onerous requirements • Not aligned to other processes • not aligned to NMIR • legislative provisions did not facilitate easy modification based on changing needs
Towards prescribed formats • Public Service Regulations, 2001 • Minister will issue prescribed formats at the start of the reporting period • Vulindlela system enables the generation of significant amounts of the information in the required format • Certainty, standardisation and greater transparency • better alignment with the budget documentation
Status Quo • 2000/ 02 annual report • in terms of PSR, 1999 • 2001/ 02 annual report • prescribed formats as a stand-alone chapter to annual report • linked to Estimates of Expenditures • requesting feedback from producers and users of information
NMIR • Public Service Regulations, 1999 • Part VII, H defines minimum information to be kept on each employee • Need identified to:- • Refine, clarify and extend employee information required • Define minimum information for posts • Align Part Vii (H) with reporting requirements • Introduce a time-table for compliance
NMIR (2) • Public Service Regulations, 2001 • Replaced list with a provision that the Minister will issue national Minimum Information Requirements • Include employees and posts • Circular 4 of 2001 • specific and includes data standards • corrective step for the future • time-table for compliance (30 June 2001)
Empowerment through information See draft prescribed formats for details of the information to be covered in the oversight report
Reference documents • DPSA circular - restoring the integrity of the appointments process • Circular 4 of 2001 - National Minimum Information Requirements • Prescribed formats for annual reports