Challenges and Observations in the South African Air Force

1. PCD VISITS TO SELECTED BASES IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN AIR FORCE Presentation to the PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE 12 March 2014 Major General C.A Masters Chief Director Air Policy and Plans

2. AIM • The aim of this brief is to inform the Committee on issues and observations raised in the Committee Report 2

3. SCOPE • Introduction • Infrastructure and Facilities • Management of Movable Assets • Skills Development and Retention • Efficacy of Career Management Policies and Practices • SAAF Transformation Endeavours • SAAF Grievances • Skilled Demographic and Gender Represented SAAF 3

4. INTRODUCTION • The challenges identified by the Committee are the Base level manifestation of the SAAF’s central problem. • Being, sustained underfunding has led to the loss of capabilities, an increasing maintenance backlog and constraints on our development and transformation goals. • SAAF Facilities maintenance requirement is Rbn3,4 – Last 5 yrs allocation to all bases Rm36,68 – 1,08% • Lack of a viable exit mechanism hinders rectifying the HR/Cap/Ops budget ratio – 38/37/25 and HR/Ops 61/39 • Development of our people and the general maintenance of infrastructure comes from the Ops portion. • FY 14/15-HR deficit of Rm238, and Scarce Skills retention incentive increase is from Ops budget.

5. INFRASTRUCTURE AND FACILITIES • Facility upgrade and maintenance Prioritising process: • Annually SAAF Bases prioritise requirements & forward to DBSS • DBSS recommends SAAF priorities to ACC • SAAF registers AF priorities with C Log • C Log prioritises DOD requirements and registers it with the NDPW. – Rbn3,4 requirements with C Log • DOD Initiatives • Created internal facility management capability to reduce reliance on NDPW. • Number of legal and coordinating arrangements still need to be formalised. • Base OC hindered by low staffing level; ageing work force. • Utilisation of Military members limited because of regimental & force preparation tasks.

6. MANAGEMENT OF MOVABLE ASSETS • Availability of vehicles • Serviceability of vehicles at SAAF Bases range from 51 to 68%. • Limited operating budget – inability to sustain Vehicle Support Plan. • Inadequate accommodation as a result of the facility maintenance problems generate greater need for duty buses. • SAAF has prioritised and centralised duty buses procurement.

7. MANAGEMENT OF MOVABLE ASSETS • Disposal delays:- Current delays are with non-military Category 2 Vehicles and Equipment and are all related to good governance decisions. • Micro-dotting of Vehicles • DOD vehicles must be registered on e-Natis before they are sold. • DoT require micro-dotting before first registration on e-Natis. • Although a DOD tender has been awarded – micro-dotting of SAAF vehicles has not started yet. • Review of Disposal Process • Review ordered by MCC to preclude fraud or corruption. • Improved control measures of disposal process. • Independent Alienation Approval Committee • Auctioneers Contract • DCPB disapproved tender allocation and requested investigation. • BOI complete and Auctioneer will be in place by May

8. skills development and retention • skills development • Pilot Development dependent on steady and regular throughput of pilots from Basic Flying Training, through Squadron Operational Training to Operational Flying. • Pilot Instructors are sourced from Operationally Qualified Pilots. • Limited flying hours and a high force employment requirement leads to the reduced availability of Squadron Operational Training, therefor fewer available instructors. • Need for operational pilots to remain current. • Funding deficiencies lead to prioritising operational flying over training. • Funding deficiency and the Airworthiness/Flying hours ration.

9. Operational Flying Basic Flying Training Operational Squadron Training IDEAL THROUGHPUT REDUCED OUTFLOW 39 Already Qualified pilots at Mil Acad STAGNATION! 59 Student pilots under training at CFS & Mil Acad PRESENT THROUGHPUT CAN BE RESOLVED ONLY BY ENSURING ADEQUATE FLYING

10. skills development and retention • skills retention • Enough aviation artisans and technical officers for 80-90% of posts. • Only enough graduate engineers for 44% of posts. • Retention of artisans and technical officers is stable – average 10 years experience – due to TCIP. • Retention of engineers is problematic – recent per annum resignation rate is 22%. • Long-term employment contract for pilots has been the norm for many years. • The contract with relatively large financial liabilities and reasonable remuneration has resulted in adequate retention of aircrew. • Resignation rate since 2010 has been at or below 5%

11. skills development and retention • Loss of outsourced technical skills • To be a smart buyer, operator and maintainer of advanced aviation systems, the SAAF needs its own sustained and independent technical/engineering capability. • SAAF developed “Own Capability Plan” in accordance with MCC directive. • Own Capability Objectives are to improve: • Recruitment, education, training, development, utilisation, motivation and retention of technical personnel. • Most of objectives are on track – even with the challenges of recent HR budget cuts. • Skills transfer from remaining Denel Aviation personnel is improving the utilisation of SAAF technical personnel. • Certain specialised skills provided by the AMG/SSA contract remain very scarce.

12. efficacy of career management policies and practices • SANDF Career Management is governed by the Defence Act, the Military Disciplinary Code, the Military Disciplinary Supplementary Measures Act and Regulations derived from those Acts. • The SANDF Promotion Policy, Interim Instructions on Placements and the Transformation Policy guide the processes and procedures for Career Management in the SANDF. • CSANDF sets military criteria for course attendance and promotion. • AF CM policy ensure compliance to SANDF regulatory framework. • Functional Directors determine functional criteria for course and promotion. • SANDF promotion and career management decisions are based on discretionary and non-discretionary criteria. • Air Force Command Council in the interest of greater transparency now require all discretionary decisions to be conducted in open forums.

13. CAREER MANAGEMENT TRIANGLE • DHRS • Advice • -Regulatory Framework • Strategic Intent of Org • Management of Info • Control- HR Plans • Facilitate/Administer • SMCS • PERSOL Actions • Staffing Common Posts • FUNCTIONAL DIRECTOR • HR Plan of Mustering • Succession Plan • Career Plans • Seniority List • Placement/Contract Boards • Submissions • Analyse Career Questionnaires DHRS LINE MANAGER/STUCTURE MANAGER (Director/OC/Supervisor) -Manage SMCS -Service Delivery -Continuity -Operational Objectives -Career Interviews -Provide FD with Info -Post Person Profile of Posts • MEMBER • -Commitment • Aspirations • Career Questionnaire

14. Efficacy of the grievance procedures • SANDF members demonstrated little confidence in the previous grievances procedures and often appealed directly to the President or the Minister • With the implementation of the Individual Grievances Regulations 2010 non-compliance to military ethos has ceased. • Responsibilities are no longer abdicated at unit level. Officers Commanding are compelled to address grievances. • Members are more confident that their grievances will be addressed. • Due to Command and Control uncertainties there was a delay in grievances dealt with by the DOD Grievance Board. The process was suspended for an extensive period and this caused a huge backlog of grievances. • This has now been resolved, the backlog has been addressed and the process is administrated efficiently.

15. saaf’s transformation endeavours • SAAF unable to accelerate transformation to the extent equals SAAF Command’s commitment. • SAAF established directorate to drive transformation management. • The SAAF’s Transformation Action Plan focuses on Gender Mainstreaming, Flying Hours for Black and Female Junior Pilots, Eradicating Sexual Misconduct, Mentoring and Coaching, Reasonable Access for People with Disabilities, Youth Development, Fast Tracking and Alternate Exit Mechanisms. • DTM consultation with Base Command Councils to ensure proper mechanisms, processes and procedures to institutionalise TM and ensure BCC ownership. • While the interventions will help the pace of transformation, funding and lack of viable exit mechanism remain constraints.

16. SKILLED DEMOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF SAAF

17. SKILLED GENDER REPRESENTATION SAAF

18. SKILLED DEMOGRAPHIC AND GENDER REPRESENTED AIR FORCE

19. SUMMARY • AF Command Council correctly identified the SAAF’s central problem as “sustained underfunding which has led to the loss of capabilities, an increasing maintenance backlog and constraints on our development and transformation goals.” • The underfunding is exacerbated by the lack of a viable exit mechanism which prevents CAF from correcting the disproportionate HR/Capital/Operations budget allocation. • Solving the funding and exiting problems will have the greatest positive effect on SAAF development and transformation goals, • Transferring responsibility for facility maintenance from the NDPW to the DOD will improve the conditions of service of our members. • Any support that the Committee can provide in solving the funding and exiting challenges and the devolution of facility responsibility would be highly welcome.

20. Questions