First Quarter Performance Report (1 April 2012 – 30 June 2012)

Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training 29 August 2012 First Quarter Performance Report (1 April 2012 – 30 June 2012)

Presentation Outline • Background • Overview of Service Delivery • Notable Achievements per Programme • - Corporate Services • - Human Resource Development, Planning and Monitoring Coordination • - University Education • - Vocational and Continuing Education and Training • Skills Development • Budget Performance

Background For the quarter ending June 2012: • There were 22 predetermined targets • 10 (45% ) of the targets were achieved • 10 (45%) of the targets were still in the implementation phase • 2 (10%) of the targets could not be achieved

Overall Performance for First Quarter

Programme 1: Corporate Services 25 Posts were filled during the period under review (which was the remainder of the 143 posts identified as critical posts in 2011). Staff vacancy rate has been reduced from 36% to 20.5%. 87 Interns have been appointed for the 2012/13 financial year. A significant contribution towards youth development and job creation. The website is functional and a news letter has been published as planned. 2 Exhibitions were held during the quarter under review As part of ensuring anefficient andeffective system offinancial management, we have managed to process requests for transfers andpayments within five days of receipt.

Programme 1: Corporate Services Other notable achievements include: • Approval of 6 Supply Chain Management and Logistical Services policies: • Telephone Policy • Policy for the Acquisition and Management of Cellular Phones and 3G Cards, Loss and Disposal Policy • Policy on bookings of flights, car rentals and hotel accommodation with appointed travel agent • Supply Chain Management Policy • Transport Policy

Programme 1: Performance Against Targets

Programme 1: Challenges • Lack of funding, capacity constraints in human resource unit in terms of expertise and knowledge which have impacted negatively on the HR section. • Disciplinary cases could not be finalised within the prescribed time frame due to postponements. • Slow external connectivity at SITA due to the size of the broadband output.

Programme 2: HRD, Planning and Monitoring Coordination • Notable achievements: • As part of the management and maintenance of credible planning and budgeting processes for the Department: • Performance monitoring on the implementation of the DHET’s Annual performance Plan continued during the quarter under review and a progress report has been compiled for National Treasury and the Presidency.

Programme 2: HRD, Planning and Monitoring Coordination • In regard to our intensions of monitoring and supporting actions needed to implement the statutory functions assigned to the Minister, Director-General, SAQA, CHE, Umalusi and QCTO in terms of the National Qualifications Act: • The Branch continued to provide advice to all requests from the Minister

Programme 2: HRD, Planning and Monitoring Coordination • Other notable achievements include: • On the International Front: • - The Minister participated in the Fifth Ordinary Session of the Conference of Ministers of Education of the African Union (COMEDAF V) in Nigeria in April 2012. • - Hosted an Extra-Ordinary SADC Meeting of Ministers of Higher Education in June 2012 in which Ministers discussed access, funding and research issues. • The Technical Committee on Higher Education was launched and a Regional ODL Policy Framework adopted.

Programme 2: HRD, Planning and Monitoring Coordination • - A Joint Declaration formalising the establishment of the Education and Training Sectoral Policy Dialogue Forum was signed with the EU on 17 May 2012. • - The Minister led a delegation to the Third UNESCO International Conference on TVET in Shanghai in May 2012, where he also chaired a roundtable discussion on “The role of TVET in development for middle-income countries.”

Programme 2: HRD, Planning and Monitoring Coordination • In order to coordinate social cohesion in higher education and training system, an Advocacy Plan has been developed and approved with a calendar of events. • As part process of improving the Department’s oversight on the Quality Councils, we have developed a Monitoring Instrument and data collection will commence in due course.

Programme 2: Challenges • In the main, there were no significant challenges for the branch except that: • The MTEF bidding documentation for additional funding could not be finalised due to the delayed guidelines from National Treasury.

Programme 3: University Education • For the quarter under review, the programme did not have specific deliverables to report on, however there were a number of notable process matters that were achieved as follows: • A Project Steering Committee overseeing the development of the National Information and Application Service (NIAS) has established a Technical Task Team (TTT) to assist with the conceptualisation of the integrated IT systems that will be required. • Significant progress made on the establishment of the two new universities

Programme 3: University Education • Transfers to universities and certain public entities are up to date: • 49.5 % of the budget had been transferred to universities • 25% to CHE • 50% to NSFAS • New reporting regulations for public higher education institutions to enable better monitoring of universities are ready forpublication in the Government Gazette for public comment. • Funding Review Committee started with draft report for Minister.

Programme 3: University Education • The foundation provisioning policy was reviewed and a revised policy for the 2013/14 submissions was approved and communicated to all institutions. • The Policy on internationalisation of higher education is now underway. • All institutions submitted proposals for infrastructure projects in line with the Departmental criteria, proposals were assessed and meetings with individual universities to make preliminary determination of projects to be supported commenced end of June 2012. • New guidelines and criteria for proposals from institutions for Research Development and Teaching Development grants have been put in place.

Programme 3: University Education • The Draft Policy on Professional Qualifications for Vocational Education Lecturers has been finalised for public comment. • 20 out of 21 universities offering initial teacher education are now involved in Foundation Phase teacher education. Enrolments have increased substantially, and specifically the number of African language Foundation Phase teacher education students is increasing. • A process has been initiated with DPSA and SAQA to develop a comprehensive plan to verify qualifications for employment in the public service.

Programme 3: Challenges • Staff constraints in the Branch remain the biggest challenge, especially at the senior level of the nine Director posts in the Branch, only 4 are filled. • The challenge within the higher education system relates to weak corporate governance at some universities which manifest itself in financial management weaknesses and other forms of maladministration or mismanagement. • HEMIS reporting by some universities is problematic due to the fact that they do not adhere to the submission dates, particularly in relation to the reporting on building space data. This delays the finalisation and dissemination of statistics for the sector.

Programme 4: Vocational and Continuing Education and Training • Notable achievements: • A report detailing intervention initiatives in regard to BusinessManagementStandards,Qualificationsreview, NC(V)selected subjectsreview and StudentSupport Servicesto selected FET Colleges has been compiled. • As part of the Department’s monitoring of the vocational education and training sub system an annual survey was conducted on 2 990 AET centres and 50 FET Colleges.

Programme 4: Vocational and Continuing Education and Training • Other notable achievements include the following: • Successfully administered the NC(V) supplementary and the Engineering 1st trimester examination cycles. • Monitoring visits were undertaken to examination centres during the conduct of the examination writing and marking processes for the Engineering 1st Trimester and ABET-GETC Level 4 examination cycles. • Examination administration workshop was conducted in the Eastern Cape to improve the conduct of national examinations in the FET Colleges situated in this province.

Programme 4: Vocational and Continuing Education and Training • A Generic Performance Agreement for FET College principals was developed through intensive consultations. • 42 of the 50 principals (and Acting principals) of FET colleges have submitted their Performance Agreements (PAs) to date.

Programme 4: Challenges • Funding for curriculum development and system preparation for the implementation of the National Senior Certificate for Adults (NASCA). • Lack of human capacity to undertake the depth and width of its responsibilities within the extensive ambit of curriculum development, review, delivery and support work that it undertakes. • The budget of the Branch is negatively disproportionate to the interventions that it must make and the services that it must render.

Programme 5: Skills Development • Notable Achievements: • The numberof artisancandidates foundcompetentnationally is 2 315. An achievement that is below target by 685 but is on track for the achievement of the annual target. • 7 audits were conducted atSETA accreditedtrade test centres. • 76% (16 out of 21 SETAs) implemented NSDS III with approved Service Level Agreements. • Of the 224 targeted projects, 80 were supported through the NationalSkills Fund. • 4 453 Learners are in training.

Programme 5: Skills Development • Other notable achievements during quarter under review include the following: • A major programme to support the expansion of the FET system through a dedicated funding facility has been initiated. • The NSA successfully hosted the NSA/QCTO International Social Dialogue on the Technical Vocational Education and Training. Provided insight into good governance and quality assurance practices. • The NSA approved the draft framework on provincial consultation workshops with a purpose of ensuring implementation of the NSDS III, the NSF projects and the conference recommendations.

Programme 5: Challenges • Ongoing vacancies that exist at INDLELA. • Assisting SETAs to improve their Sector Skills Plans by involving Research Partners like Universities has posed a challenge. • Assisting SETAs to change the implementation and management of their roles and responsibilities in terms of relevant legislation, policies and processes in order to improve governance also not without challenges • Appointment of the NSA secretariat Executive Officer and the other supportive staff.

Budget Performance

Budget Performance • The Department’s overall expenditure as at 30 June 2012 amounted to R 14,4 billion which is 45.5% (the greater portion of that expenditure went to subsidies to Higher Education Institutions). • Excluding subsidies, total spending for the period was 38.7%. • Transfers to Public entities such as NSFAS, CHE, SAQA and QCTO accounted for 49.8% of the total transfers for the year whilst 42.5% was transferred to Higher Education Institutions during this quarter.

Budget Performance • The overall spending trends for all programmes (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) are normal. • Departmental spending for the 1st Quarter was successfully kept within acceptable limits. • Senior management with the Department is aware of the constraints and stringent control measures have been put in place to ensure that the Department still manages to curb its expenditure and survive within the means at its disposal without compromising service delivery even in the next Quarter.

Thank You

First Quarter Performance Report (1 April 2012 – 30 June 2012)