Premier
With regard to the creation of the two new departments of Mobility and Infrastructure as promised in SOPA 2022:
- What progress has been made with regard to the creation of these departments, (b) what tasks that have been undertaken and completed to date and (c) what will be the (i) organisational structure, (ii) directorates, (iii) staff complement and (iv) budget for each of these departments?
- Progress
The design work to create departmental structures for Infrastructure and Mobility with the necessary capacity, excluding all Programme 1 functions, have been concluded. A submission to this effect is on route for approval and for further routing to the DPSA.
The design work to create Programme 1 functions is currently being finalized and should be placed on route for approval, shortly.
The consultation of these structures (excluding Programme 1) with Organised Labour in the Province is scheduled for 21 November 2022. Programme 1 will be consulted with Labour after approval and it is envisaged that this could still happen before the end of 2022.
- Other tasks completed
Creation of Budget Programme Structures
The Provincial Treasury led the consultation with and request to the National Treasury for the creation of the necessary Budget Programme Structures for the new departments.
The National Treasury subsequently granted approval for the Budget Programme Structures (UBPS) and acknowledged that this process is subjected to the continued development of the Infrastructure and Mobility Vision and Strategy process, and that the structure of these new departments will be policy led.
Governance Arrangements
An Authorisers Committee is chaired by the Premier and together with Ministers Simmers and Mitchell provide strategy and policy guidance to the process as well making final decisions and approvals.
The HOD’s committee is chaired by the DG and together with the Head Official of the Provincial Treasury, HODs of Transport and Public Works and Human Settlements lead the administrative processes to design and create the two departments.
Implementation Plan
A detailed Refresh Implementation Plan guides and directs the work of the various streams and its leads and will ensure that all other administrative and governance arrangements are in place for the departments to be operational on 01 April 2023. A variety of tasks and sub-tasks of these streams have already been completed while others are substantively underway for completion.
(c)(i),(ii)(iii) Detail regarding structure, directorates and staff complement can be availed
after final approval of the organisational design for these departments. Budget allocations will be finalized as part of the WCG 2023/2024 MTEF Budget Planning process.
