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Welfare-to-Work Programme

A Conceptual Framework

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Glossary of abbreviations / 2
Project summary / 2
1 / Introduction / 3
2 / Purpose of the document / 3
3 / Purpose of the project / 4
4 / Project scope / 4
5 / Project goals / 5
6 / Project aim / 5
7 / Project objectives / 5
8 / Project outcomes / 5
9 / Duration / 6
10 / Beneficiary selection and placement / 6
11 / Eligible / 7
12 / Performance / 7
13 / Strategies and guidelines that influence the delivery approach / 8
14 / Some challenges facing DSD sector strategies goals / 10
15 / Some steps to overcome above mentioned challenges / 10
16 / A 5 year project model / 11
17 / Adopted W2P conceptual pathway / 13
18 / Programme structure / 14
19 / Competency and expertise requirement / 15
20 / Delivery management / 15
21 / Project activities / 19
22 / Project implementation plan / 20
23 / Project governance and oversight / 21
24 / Project risks and constraints analysis / 21
25 / Expected impact on beneficiaries / 23
26 / Multiplier effect / 24
27 / Monitoring and evaluation / 25
28 / Financial management and budget / 26
28 / Sustainability / 26
Appendix I Welfare to Work Action Plan / 27
Appendix 2 Welfare to Work proposed Programme Schedule / 28
Appendix 3 A 5 day workshop budget (phase I) / 30
Appendix 4 Welfare to Work Training budget, November 2013-March 201431
Appendix 5 Welfare to Work Training budget estimate, April 2014-March 201533

GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS

DSD: Department of Social Development

ETQA: Education and Training Quality Assurance

GDSD:Gauteng Department of Social Development

M&EMonitoring and Evaluation

NGO:Non-Governmental Organisation

NPONot for Profit Organisation

NQF:National Qualification Framework

QMSQuality Management Systems

RPL: Recognition of Prior Learning

SAQA:South African Qualification Framework

W2P:Work to Welfare Programme

WBLWork Based Learning

SECTION A: PROJECT SUMMARY

In South Africa latest statistics indicate that 70% of the unemployed are youth. Over the years government has initiated various policies and programmes to address the problem. The W2P programme aims to either transit youth who are on welfare into permanent lucrative employment or provide further education opportunities. The project involves taking welfare recipients to the work environment provided by host NGOs. This project includes the recruitment and selection, assessment, placement and on-job development, case management, training and developmental education, support services and job retention services. It will help participants to be ready for the world of work and provide them with work experience in order to help them to get and to keep a job. The project includesbeneficiary transformation concern and it has explicit measurable impact. The project will span over 3 years. The project budget includes two critical phases, phases II and IV.

The project Phase II budget covers a cost estimate of R179760. There will be a Boot-camp for 150 participants, which means that it will cost the sum of R239.68 /person/day excluding logistics. Thus the project starts with a boot-camp by the third week of October 2013.Phase IVstarts during year 1 and continues during the 2nd and 3rd year of the project. During the first year of placement and training, it will cost the sum of R881.08/person/month for a period of 6 months. Thereafter it is reduced to R647.22 per person per month for the subsequent period of 12months.Towards the end of the first full financial year, subsequent budgets will be submitted by February for approval.
SECTION B CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

  1. INTRODUCTION

After studying the various intervention applied elsewhere in the world, there is a need for a model that takes into account the heterogeneous characteristics of youth because of differences in their background, their socio-economic differences and variation in their level of education and natural abilities. For example, some youth have incomplete matric results while some of the youth with matric are unemployedor cannot access higher education opportunities. Another category of unemployed youth has dropped out from tertiary institutions because of their inability to cope with the demands of higher education. Somegraduatesare unemployed.These different categories suggest different needs, whichrequiredifferentinterventions in order to address the problem of unemployment.

This project is based on the ideathataccessing work opportunities is more than just having someone in a skilling programme. In other words there is a need to provide relevant innovative, tailor made training approaches that are needed to overcome youth unemployment. It is important that the person is channelled towards his/her career goals and given proper support to ensure employability and job retention.

  1. PURPOSE OF THE DOCUMENT

The experience from the Development Centre Model of the Department of Social Development highlighted the importance of demonstrating that beneficiaries have a plan for their future in order to achieve their objectives. Evidence abound about the achievement of a better success rate where people are trained whilst on suitable jobs or are already in qualifying stages of their own. Welfare to Work programme (W2P)model with unspecific opportunities may result in people being trained and then left unemployed or earn less than a living wage. This document conceptualises a provision that will clearly demonstrate the ability to work in partnership with other stakeholders in ensuring that the target beneficiaries are assisted to exit the welfare system permanently. This means that at the end of the programme beneficiaries will exit welfare after the withdrawal of the material aid from the stakeholders.

  1. PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT

W2P is the brain-child of the Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD).W2P seeks to reintegrate the welfare recipients into work opportunities for betterment rather than threatening them with consequences of failure. At a state institutional level, GDSD shall enter into an agreement with the managing NPO. GDSD will cover the programme cost, whilst the managing NPO will ensure that it recruits beneficiaries, identify training service providers for education and training finally link beneficiaries to economic opportunities. Thus the purpose of this project is to provide a structured and effective intervention through customisedtraining and skills development support to beneficiaries placed in a work environment. The intervention will enhance employability of beneficiaries and reduce the level of dependency on welfare. It will add to the number of youth in employment.

  1. PROJECTSCOPE

The project scope includes developing and implementing W2Pmodel through structured training using boosters and case management intervention. The target is within the borders of the Gauteng province and falls in the following categories:

4.1People or groups already volunteering in NGO’s located in Gauteng Province of South Africa

4.2 Welfare beneficiaries who are not working

4.3 The interventions include:

4.3.1An opening and closing diagnostic report for participants

4.3.2Provide relevant knowledge and skills for:

  1. Enhanced employability
  2. Enhanced ability to access mainstream further education and training opportunities
  3. Inculcating the value of lifelong learning and informed career choice
  4. Some participants to pursue self-employment as cooperatives
  5. Work closely with other stakeholders and partners to ensure programme effectiveness
  6. Develop relevant and quality learning materials for the programme
  7. Be responsible for the quality of training and development interventions
  8. Continually monitor, evaluate and improve the training and development programme to meet the needs of the participants
  9. Prepare and submit progress report regularly to GDSD
  10. Job retention support and reporting on progress of participants
  1. PROJECT GOAL

The goal is to achieve increased functional skills, mastery of workplace and development of competencies of the participants. Nevertheless some of the participants will be encouraged to start small businessesor cooperatives that lead them to earn a living wage and create employment for others.

  1. PROJECT AIM

The project is aimed at meeting the department’s W2P target. To achieve this aim, GDSD makes grants available to an NGO in line with the department’s Sustainable Livelihoods and Youth Development Standards for Effective Practice. The managing NPO will appoint a preferred provider to provide the required expertise.

  1. PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Following the above mentioned aim the objectives are follows

7.1To improve participants employability

7.2To develop service-leadership mind set amongst the participants ‘

7.3To set participants into their career paths

7.4To develop a self-help mind-set

7.5To link some participants to self-employment opportunities

  1. PROJECT OUTCOMES

From the programme some of the participants will be able to

8.1Demonstrate a sense of work readiness towards securing permanent employment

8.2Demonstrate a good work relationship with host NGO

8.3Demonstrate the ability to produce acceptable quality of work

8.4 Develop self-initiative by starting own-business

8.5Demonstrate new skills and attitude in order to access opportunities outside the work placement environment

  1. DURATION

The project duration is 3 years. This implies that participants will exit into the main-stream economy before or by the 3rd year

  1. BENEFICIARY SELECTION AND PLACEMENT
  2. Selection of beneficiaries according to socio-economic factors: The beneficiaries of the project will be identified according to the minimum criteria for selection that follows:
  1. The age cohort is between 18 through 24 years
  2. Social status factor to be considered is the poorest of the poor based on household profiling from GDSD
  3. Passed matric
  4. Participants are willing to, are ready to look and take a job
  5. Participants willing to, ready to look and take a post matric qualification/course

All these criteria must be met for a participant’s selection for the boot-camp and the programme.

Prior to placement, participants will attend a 5 day boot-camp before signing placement contracts. They must demonstrate commitment towards living welfare for work or further study opportunities.

10.2Future employment is another criterion for the selection of beneficiaries as some formal employment and development opportunities will be open in

  1. Public sector
  2. Private sector
  3. Self-employment (enterprise, and artisan training)
  4. Career led study and further studies
  5. Developmental NGO’s are the primary host organisations for placement. NGOs selected must provide a good stable work environment.The placement will be restricted to the following NGO departments

i.Finance

ii.Administration

iii.Core programmes/projects

  1. ELIGIBLE

The provider’s eligibility is adjudged using the Sustainable Livelihoods and Youth Development Standards for Effective Practices ofGDSDthat includes the:

11.1Mission being consistent with the project objectives

11.2Innovative approach that allows the project build on the experience of the project team

11.3Ability to provide quantitative evidence of the investment outcomes

11.4Ability to assure the maximization of the project impact

11.5Ability to expose the beneficiaries to occupational choices based on activities that introduce them to different occupations

11.6Appropriate implementation and training experience and capacity

11.7Appropriate and relevant quality management system

11.8Strong board and staff leadership

11.9Flexibility in partnering with other organisations to meet the project goals at reasonable cost

11.10Project finance management expertise

  1. PERFORMACE

In addition to the performance indicators, the other things to consider include:

12.1Establishing the Indicators for impact evaluation

12.2Ensuring effective monitoring and evaluation

12.3Following a standard reporting template agreed upon by the stakeholders

12.4The use a monitoring template for support visits to the host NGOs.

  1. STRATEGIES AND GUIDELINES THAT INFLUENCE THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND DELIVERY APPROACH
  2. Implementation of the project is viable taking into account the recommendations of the Development Centre Operational Manual from the Department of Social Development (DSD). The Sustainable Livelihoods Service Standards for Effective Practices consultations and recommendations from GDSD provided the required information for the strategic positioning of the project.
  3. The National Education and Training guidelines will inform theinterventionframeworkamongst other documented research study consulted during the project concept development. The structure of the curriculum, the training intervention and assessment strategy were developed according to South African Qualification Authority National Qualification Framework. A brief summary of DSD sector strategic goals influence on the approach to W2P approach is explained below:

Sector Strategic Goals
Strategic Goals / Goal Statement / Justification / Our approach
Tackling poverty / To improve income, asset and capabilities of poor families and communities / To eradicate poverty by creating economic opportunities for the most vulnerable and socially excluded sectors of our society in the Province /
  1. Boot camp to kick start the readiness and willingness to take up employment
  2. Career development and management
  3. Curriculum targets self-employment and further study
  4. Development of the right attitude for job retention
  5. GDHSD special need support to at risk participants

To reduce income poverty amongst poor and vulnerable South Africans / To eradicate poverty by creating economic opportunities for the most vulnerable and socially excluded sectors of our society in the Province /
  1. Beneficiaries are young people
  2. After this intervention participants will have gainful employment

Youth development / To implement youth programmes that assist youth to access decent work and participate in the mainstream economy / Considering the youth population and levels of unemployment in SA, the development of youth skills becomes vital in building a sustainable growth and development path /
  1. Use of experts in youth training and development
  2. Based on demand and customised training and targeted intervention in relation to funds availability
  3. The GDHSD facilitates placement with partner NGOs
  4. Improving access to quality formal education

Social cohesion and protection / To support and strengthen family and community interventions that foster social cohesion / To mitigate the high growth rate of families at risk, strengthen communities and foster social relations /
  1. Beneficiaries involved in community outreach activities
  2. The spirit of Ubuntu aligned with practical experience in the field
  3. Community outreach included in the curriculum

To significantly reduce social crime / To mitigate against the high growth rate of youth in conflict with the law / The potential skills activated through
  1. A good and stable working environment provision.
  2. Volunteerism
  3. Job retention
  4. Introduce participant to other sources of support after they completed their training and their submission of Portfolio of Evidence(POE)s
  5. ensure job retention and formal closure

  1. SOME CHALLENGES FACING DSD SECTOR STRATEGIC GOALS

The challenges include:

14.1Skills shortage and unemployment amongst youth

14.2Lack of workplace experience, right attitude and case management

14.3Wide gap between soft skills and hard skills

14.4The SETA Learnership modelisinsufficient for job retention

14.5Budgetary constraints

  1. SOME STEPS TO OVERCOME ABOVE MENTIONED CHALLEHNGES
  2. Provide participants with critical and scarce skills for self-employment and attachment to lucrative employment if resourced accordingly
  3. Assist participants with additional training towards following a career path whilst using their current knowledge in a workplace
  4. Fill the gap between soft skills and hard skills
  5. Provision of community outreach opportunity to enable participant develop leadership through service
  6. To provide succession plan that translates the training programme into employment retention
  7. Access to bursary driven accredited programmes, formal qualifications and self-employment boosters. Some of the bursary sources include Social Work Bursary, National Skills Fund; other funding sources such as the Rural Education Access Programme are invaluable.
  1. A 3 YEAR PROJECT MODEL

The three year project model is depicted below.

Year 1 / Year 2 / Year 3

The model includes capacity building through education and training to enhance employability rather than a simple Work Readiness Programme to encourage direct employment

The project consists of five phases. These phases are as follows:

  1. Phase I: Conceptual framework and planning
  2. Phase II: The Boot-camp
  3. Phase III: Placement
  4. Phase IV: Skills training, development, networking and exit welfare
  5. Phase V Closure

The detail of the above phases follows:

16.1Phase I:

The Conceptual Framework aims to update and refine the existing concepts to reflect the changes in assumptions, changing training requirements and the changes in economic environment that have occurred after the project charter was first developed. The overall objective of this phase is to create a sound foundation for future implementation of the W2P based on locally consistent and international experience.

16.2 Phase II

The boot camp is a five day intensive workshop, which introduces the participants and prepares them for the world of work. The objectives include:

  1. To enable the participants to appreciate that they can succeed in life on their own.
  2. To enable the participants to understand themselves
  3. To let them understand the world of work

The main outcomes are that they will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate the knowledge of the workplace
  2. Explain theirplacementcontractual responsibilities and obligation
  3. Phases III:

Placement of the participants will be undertaken after their completion of the boot-camp. The participant will be placed in NGOs for a period of three years. A placement allowance will be paid to the participant monthly in arrears as long as they are in the programme. Some of the objectives include:

  1. Participants will work closely with someone in the workplace
  2. Identification of participants ‘interests, strengths and areas of work life for development
  3. Participants will experience and have knowledge of the workplace
  4. Participants will be given productive task to do in the workplace
  5. Participants will understand the sector, industry, line or field they aim to work in.

The main outcome is that participants will demonstrate sensitivity to the culture and way of doing things in the workplace where they find themselves

16.4Phase IV

While placed in a work environment, skills training and development and career support will be provided to the participants. Exposure in the workplace will contribute to networking of the participants; it will help participants to take up better employment opportunities during and after the project life cycle.

The objectives of phase IV include:

  1. To provide participants with appropriate skills level
  2. The development of the right attitude needed in the workplace
  3. To enable participants narrow their career choice down
  4. To enable participants develop self-efficacy and positive attitude towards work

Amongst other outcomes the participants will be able to demonstrate their ability to access information about the kind of work available in different economic sectors of South Africa.