PROPOSAL FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME IN THE 15 PRIORITY AREAS

Executive Summary

1.INTRODUCTION

Communities in the Western Cape Province remain under-developed and having to deal with the challenges of moral decay, uncoordinated service delivery programmes, a range of socio-economic challenges such as crime, drugs, violence, joblessness, poverty, slow economic development, and unemployment.

The Social Transformation Programme is an attempt to address those challenges in a holistic and integrated manner. The design of the programme has been informed by national strategic imperatives.

  • The national Moral Regeneration Programme
  • ASGISA
  • The Provincial Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS) of the Western Cape Province(iKapa Elihlumayo)and its vision of a ‘ ‘ A home for all’
  • State of the Province address 2007
  • Budget speech 2007-07-09

Those strategic imperatives have been further informed by the remark of the Premier in the State of the Province Address that the provincial government identified 15 geographical areas within the Western Cape, which will become the priority areas for interventions for 2007/2008 for the PGWC. The identification of the 15 areas is based on statistics showing that those areas have the highest incidents of crime, gang warfare and drug trafficking. In addition, those communities are marked by poverty, high unemployment and deep social problems as evidenced through overlaying the poverty index prepared by the Department of Social Development. These communities are the most vulnerable communities within the Western Cape Province. Those areas are Mitchell’s Plain, Khayelitsha, Manenburg, Hanover Park, Nyanga, Elsies River, Bishop Lavis, Delft, Kleinvlei, Gugulethu, Phillipi, Muizenberg, and in the rural areas Vredenberg, Paarl, and Oudtshoorn.

2.THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE

Social Transformation recognizes that the individual must be supported and integrated within support structures, and empowers the community to actively engage. It addresses accessibility of knowledge and networks that will provide them with the knowledge and resources they need. The term social transformation acknowledges that change takes time. It has to be understood that for the transformation process to be successful, a long-term approach is required that recognises communities as being dynamic, always adjusting and changing. It can be seen as a process of engagement leading to transformation involving new relationships between the capacities, linkages and processes of communities. Social transformation is inherently an attempt to address social and economic exclusion. It is not merely about the implementation of small-scale poverty reduction initiatives, but a longer terms sustainable intervention that put people at the centre of development.

The Community development approach speaks to development that addresses the needs of communities through a bottom-up approach. Communities themselves need to be able to express their own needs. Government and other societal stakeholders will need to create an environment that enables the development identified by and in collaboration with societal actors. A community development approach to social transformation assumes that development itself is a long and continuous process and, in terms of a social capital lens, needs to be allowed to develop organically. It cannot be imposed.

Linking and bridging of Social capitalplays a strong role in the Social Transformation programme because it addresses the need of partnerships and networks on a horizontal and vertical level. One of the most important roles for government within the programme is to link communities to its own networks in society. The programme will promote targeted and focused partnerships among business, government, communities and civil society. Building of trust will be one of the key elements of relationship and partnership building.

3.HIGH LEVEL ROLL OUT PROPOSAL

What has hitherto been lacking in all of the 15 communities is a recognised mechanism that can act as a VOICE for the community and that can link communities up with government. An umbrella organization such as Proudly Manenberg and Khayelitsha Development Forum provides an opportunity to target communities more purposefully, eases the coordination of service delivery through a targeted approach by all organs of society, and facilitates a comprehensive integrated response to the needs and aspirations of communities. It also closes the gap between communities and government enabling linking social capital to realize.

In order to achieve Social Transformation with a community development approach a structure needs to be established in each of the communities to drive the process bottom-up. These networks will promote public participation in policy, programme and project decisions that are focused on the real needs of communities and foster the formation of trust in government structures. Through the establishment of an intermediary mechanism it becomes possible to pull non-governmental organizations, the religious sector, the business sector, community-based organizations, formal and more informal fora into a network that strives towards the achievement of a common purpose in a collective manner, ie social transformation.

Participation in an intermediary network provides poor communities access to information, resources and decision-making vested in government without the additional burden of having to negotiate the bureaucratic maze. Government will face as well the challenge to coordinate and collaborate within government to engage with communities as one government and work in an integrated and holistic fashion.

The absence of such a structure in the prioritised communities in the Western Cape thwarts efforts in a costly and time-consuming way to achieve real community development. The array of organizations and networks in civil society undoubtedly all attempt to serve the common good of society. However, in the absence of a mechanism to ensure that these efforts are well-targeted, coordinated, and focused in an integrated manner the impact of the efforts is minimized and remains ad hoc in nature. This does not serve the purpose of facilitating social transformation in a sustainable manner.

3.1THE APPROACH

In rolling-out the/this model of an intermediary community-based structure as a means of facilitating social transformation in the 15 most vulnerable communities of the Western Cape Province, a social development approach is proposed.

Such an approach put people/beneficiaries at the centre of the initiative and presupposes that community participation in the development of the programme will be crucial.

This holds consequences for the manner in which all stakeholders need to approach the roll-out programme. It requires an approach of collaboration rather than telling, of facilitating rather than instructing, and of assisting rather than producing.

It is further suggested that we approach this task from a programmatic point of view. It will enable the management of an array of projects in a systematic and coordinated manner.

3.2OUTCOMES

3.2.1.The facilitation of community regeneration in poor and marginalized communities.

3.2.2.The facilitation of social cohesion in poor and marginalized communities.

3.2.3.The fostering of trust between communities and government.

3.2.4.The facilitation of synergy in messages aimed at restoring a minimum set of values in these communities – moral regeneration.

3.2.5.The restoration of human dignity through instilling pride in communities.

3.3PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES

3.3.1To facilitate the establishment of 15 intermediary organizations in the communities of Mitchell’s Plain, Khayelitsha, Hanover Park, Nyanga, Elsies River, Bishop Lavis, Delft, Kleinvlei, Gugulethu, Phillipi, Muizenberg, Vredenburg, Paarl, and Oudtshoorn by 31 March 2007.

3.3.2To ensure a needs-based and integrated delivery of public sector services in the prioritized 15 areas.

3.3.3To facilitate an integrated response from the business sector in the prioritized 15 areas.

3.3.4To document the programme roll-out in the 15 areas.

3.3.5To build internal social capital within the PGWC in order to facilitate integrated service delivery through the roll-out of the social transformation programme.

3.3.6To institutionalize structures and processes within PGWC in order to facilitate the implementation of the social transformation programme.

3.4WORK BREAKDOWN

Phases in approaching this programme:

PHASE 1 - Analysis and Programme Initiation which include the following steps:

  • Develop a Status Quo report based on Imbizo results and departmental inputs on current activities in each of the 15 areas. The reports on each of the 15 areas will comprise of population figures and analysis, analysis of existing socio-economic profile of each of the 15 communities, and community needs identification in each of the 15 areas.
  • Conduct a stakeholder analysis and define their roles and responsibilities. Ensure stakeholder mobilization.
  • Community mobilization in each of the 15 areas.
  • Building partnerships with civil society
  • Building partnerships with business sector
  • Design of a comprehensive communication and marketing strategy
  • Foster collaboration and cooperation within PGWC
  • Designing of a programme plan for the service delivery Jamborees

PHASE 2 - Programme Design with the following key actions:

  • Based on the results of phase 1, write a business case for the establishment of 14 intermediary structures.
  • Roll-out of the jamborees to the 15 areas
  • Staff- imbizos
  • Develop a project team for inter-departmental teams in each of the 15 areas
  • The Design and implementation of a M& E plan
  • Needs assessment of the communities through intermediary structure

PHASE 3 – Coordination and Implementation

  • Draft programme roll-out plans per area including all the project plans listed under phase 1 and 2 ( Information management, M&E, Inter-departmental teams etc.)
  • Training and capacity building of the intermediary structure
  • Information and engagement workshops on strategic issues per department
  • PGDS workshops
  • Ensure alignment of current public service delivery in the 15 areas.
  • Ensure alignment of other sectoral service delivery in the 15 areas

PHASE 4 –Progress and Maintanance

  • Results-based monitoring and evaluation
  • Report on results to governance structures on a quarterly basis
  • Continous training and support ot structures
  • Showcase of approach on international conference

4.RISKS

  • Lack of cohesion in internal communication within participating departments.
  • Lack of provincial coordination of strategic planning and service implementation in the 15 areas.
  • Lack of budgetary reprioritization within participating departments towards the successful implementation of the social transformation programme.
  • Lack of buy-in from the City of Cape Town will be key to the success of the programme.
  • Lack of Provincial information management system

However, the Task Team is committed to ensure the successful implementation of the programme and has adopted an action-learning approach to the implementation of a new working style in the Provincial Government of the Western Cape.

5.PROGRESS TO DATE

  • Provincial Imbizo’s during April 07
  • Core team and Inter-departmental Steering Committee established and functioning (April 07)
  • First engagements to introduce the concept of an intermediary structure (May-July 07) – in all 15 communities
  • Discussions with Joints: SAPS, Justice, Correctional Services, Home Affairs (May 07)
  • First engagements with social sector partners (May 07)
  • Database on current investment in the 15 areas per PGWC departments (May 07)
  • National Social Cluster (June 07)
  • Provincial Cabinet and Provincial Top Management endorsed the strategic framework (June 07)
  • Meetings with DotP Communication and M&E (July 07)
  • Presidential stakeholder meeting (July 07)
  • First review session concluded (July 07)
  • Proudly Mannenberg submitted business plan (July 07)
  • First discussions with religious leaders (July 07)
  • First discussions with business sector (July 07)
  • Service Delivery Jamboree’s-instit structures set up on provincial and local level (July 07)
  • Service Delivery Jamborees started and will run until October 2007
  • 2nd round of engagement started and interim structures have been established in most of the communities

Post Cabinet ProgressReport for the Identified 15 Areas

1

Department of the Premier, July 2007