I (Trevor Watkins) developed this proposal in October 2011, after discussions with Glen Buchner and Dries van Heerden, on a way to assist the KM without costing a huge amount. The proposal was presented to the Acting Municipal Manager and the Mayor, on several occasions. No response was ever received.
Introduction
The Kouga Municipality (KM) is faced with formidable
challenges – a fact that has been honestly acknowledged by the mayor and
municipal manager. The KM is not alone in facing these challenges. Virtually
every municipality in the country is compromised. Towns, cities and states all
around the world are having to deal with reduced incomes, spiralling costs and
rampant corruption.
This document contains a proposal to address these challenges
using the existing skills and knowledge that already exist within our local
population, without compromising the integrity of the democratic structures
currently in place. These proposals will require sympathetic consideration,
compromise and cooperation from all sides of the great South African divide.
But South Africans have shown themselves capable of this cooperation in the
past, given the right leadership.
Perhaps we can begin another phase of our journey on the
great South African project right here in Kouga – perhaps we can bring about a
municipal Codesa of our own.
The Reality
- The
responsibility for the governance of Kouga rests with 29 elected
councillors. The ANC has 15 councillors and the DA has 14. Consequently,
the ANC councillors are the governing party, and appoint the Mayor,
mayoral committee and senior members of the municipality.
- Councillors
are elected because the voters believe they will best represent their
interests. Councillors do not necessarily have the specific management and
technical skills required to run a municipality.
- The
KM finances are in a bad way, with expenditure exceeding income, and many
creditors not being paid.
- The
KM is overstaffed, with staff expenditures well above the national norm.
- The
Kouga infrastructure is weak or failing in many areas, and requires urgent
attention.
- There
are numerous cases of corruption pending within the KM. Oversight
processes are weak.
- There
is a large reservoir of management, engineering, and legal skills within
the KM area, due to the large number of retirees living in the area. These
skills have not been effectively utilised in the past.
- The
KM area has distinct first world and third world components, whose
interests are often at odds with each other. The KM council must look
after the interests of ALL its residents.
- The
KM cannot currently afford to hire expensive management consultants to
address the many issues highlighted above.
The Challenge
The challenge, which this document attempts to address, is
how to effectively and cheaply deploy the existing skills in the area in order
to improve municipal services, without compromising the authority and
responsibility of the elected representatives.
Any proposed solution which appears as a takeover of KM
responsibilities, which disrespects the current officials, which is perceived
as political or racist in any way, will predictably be rejected. Any proposal which sidelines the roles and
responsibilities of the councillors will never be accepted by the councillors.
Conversely, the KM must commit to cooperate fully with residents
offering to share their time and skills, and must commit to seriously consider
any recommendations which may arise. If carefully considered ideas and plans
are simply dismissed or ignored, then this process will quickly fail.
The Proposal
In cooperation with the KM and Kouga businesses, a new
not-for-profit entity is established to provide consulting services to the KM.
For the sake of convenience let this entity be known as the KM Consulting Group
(KMCG) within this document (Any other name can be chosen at a later date).
- The
KMCG will be registered as a legal entity, such as a CC or company or NPO,
a board of directors will be appointed, and a voluntary staff recruited
from local businessmen and residents.
- The
objective of KMCG is to provide consulting services to the KM at little or
no cost, utilising the voluntary services of skilled retirees.
- The
KMCG will maintain a database of skills in the local population which may
be called upon.
- The
KMCG will require some startup funding and support from the local
community. Facilities such as meeting rooms, photocopy facilities,
printing and stationery will be sourced from local businesses.
- The
KM will present specific issues, questions or problems to the board of
KMCG, who will then setup project teams to investigate these issues and
propose a solution in the form of a written report.
- The
KM will ensure that all the information and access to staff required by
the project team is provided in good time. Where this access is not
forthcoming, the project will be suspended.
- The
KM will consider these reports, request modifications or explanations,
then present the finalised reports to the KM management or the council for
action.
- The
KMCG project team will remain available to advise the KM on implementation
of any accepted project.
- Each
project team will prepare a detailed plan and budget for the consulting
exercise, costing all work at market-related rates. Each project will
require approval from the KMCG board before commencing. The Rand value of
each consulting project will be carefully calculated and recorded.
- The
KM will not be charged for a consulting project. Thus no tender or
purchase procedures will be required before commencing the project.
However, the KM must show the cost of each consulting project as an asset
in its financial reports.
- The
KMCG board and staff and consultants will receive no remuneration for
their services, which are entirely voluntary. Out of pocket expenses will
be reimbursed on presentation of documentation, where possible.
Nevertheless, strict hourly recordkeeping will be maintained in order to
correctly evaluate the cost of the project and its performance against
budget.
- The
objective of each consulting project is to offer specific practical advice
on specific problems identified by the KM. The advice must avoid generalisation,
politics, personal references, and ambiguity. The project report will
contain a detailed breakdown of costs, staffing, materials, etc required
for successful execution of the recommendations.
Project Examples
An illustrative list of possible projects is given below:
- 2012
Budget development
- Sewage
plant engineering options
- Revenue
boosting alternatives
- Potential
cost savings in KM
- Staffing
reduction processes
- Improved
tender controls
- Financial
monitoring proposal
- Low
cost housing planning
- Employment
strategies for Kouga
- Alternative
health strategies for Kouga
- Infrastructure
maintenance strategies on a low budget
- Paradise
Beach Swamp drainage strategies
Conclusion
The purpose of this proposal is to suggest a strategy
whereby the many unused skills available in the Kouga region can be usefully
deployed to the benefit of the Kouga Municipality and the inhabitants of the
area. The proposal does not infringe on
the autonomy of the KM or the council, will not add any financial burden to the
already hard-pressed KM finances, but will provide them with a source of expert
advice on the many difficult problems they face. It will require a major
contribution of time and effort from some sectors of the population, who are
already quite heavily taxed. It will
require mutual respect and cooperation from all parties.
However, if it leads to an improvement in the conditions in
our small corner of paradise, it will be worth it.
Trevor Watkins
Sunday, 16 October 2011
