Joel Netshitenzhe

Briefing to Portfolio Committee on Communications

24 February 1999

Notes for presentation of Executive Summary of the Annual GCIS Report

I. Introduction

1. GCIS Secretariat welcomes the opportunity to report to the Portfolio Committee on Communications. Unlike last year, at the point of GCIS launch, we are now able to report on work carried out during the course of the previous financial year; and give broad indicators of future plans, which will be fine-tuned after the elections.
   
   
2. We also wish to express our appreciation of the improving relations with the Portfolio Committee, including regular contact with the Chairperson, the visit to our Offices and the comments made - which we will be following up.

II. Communication Environment

1. Our broad assessment is that the formation of GCIS has helped take government a step further in ensuring that it meets its mandate to ensure an informed public which takes part in changing its life for the better. On a variety of fronts, issues of communication are now being dealt with systematically by government. The Open Democracy Bill is now before the Portfolio Committee on Justice, and we hope that it will come into operation during the course of this year.
   
   
2. Over the past year GCIS Secretariat started to implement the recommendations of Comtask, starting off with the setting up and consolidation of the government communication system. A better service is now being provided to Cabinet and the executive as a whole. However, this is just the beginning of a protracted process that should see us ultimately confident that the right to information is being realised.
   
   
3. On the broader front of communication, two issues have arisen, which have generated debate on the matter of freedom of expression and of the media:
   
   
   1. The Criminal Procedures Act (S205) which has led to court cases about media providing information for prosecution. The broader principle of the rights and obligations of the media, and the independence of the courts cannot be challenged: but it is this government's position that where this Section is applied, it should be as a matter of last resort, for the many reasons that the media themselves have advanced. Thus the Memorandum of Understanding signed last week is to be welcomed.
      
      
   2. The issue of the investigation by the HRC into the existence or otherwise of racism in media content is one that has been widely debated even within the media fraternity itself. SANEF's initial statement after meeting the HRC was broadly in support; though after their recent meetings there are some qualifications. The HRC decision had nothing to do with government. Our own view is that the terms of reference and modus operandi should be finalised in consultation with the role-players, as seems to be the case; and that the investigation can benefit society as a whole.

III. Re-organisation of structures

1. The GCIS Secretariat, in its first year, has completed the conceptualisation of the structures of the establishment. This has included a decision to retain most of the staff of the former SACS. The fact that employees had continued producing many excellent examples of communication while the future of the organisation was being debated, served to indicate their commitment to the organisation, its future and to communication.
   
   
2. To cite but a few examples:
   
   
   1. a one-person Art Studio trying to meet the demands of a number of departments who continued making use of organisation's services
      
      
   2. a Communication Centre running a clipping service seven days a week despite the dramatic drop in number of personnel
      
      
   3. a tiny group of individuals working at setting the foundation for what is rapidly developing into an effective web site - South Africa: Government Online.
      
      
3. This commitment was not the only feature of the organisation which the recent appointments to the GCIS management found. Because of the length of the Comtask investigation, many employees suffered from despondency and uncertainty. There were several negatives which had to be dealt with urgently, including: the dramatic efflux of almost the entire senior management; and an IT system which had deteriorated to a situation best described as tragic. There did not exist a realistic benchmark around which the budget could be developed. Thus the MTEF prescripts were being mechanically adhered to.
   
   
4. The Secretariat thus set about urgently working through a broad strategic plan which helped define what the GCIS establishment should be, including the principle of a lean communication organisation. The establishment was thus reduced from the 501 of SACS to about 360. This is an area which requires continuous attention. From the base of 230 found at SACS, about 50 posts were advertised and filled in a matter of months. It is envisaged that the rest of the posts will be filled in the next financial year.
   
   
5. There was also emphasis on getting the ratio between the actual communicators to administrative function correct. In this regard, a new concept of the establishment has been completed and lodged with DPSA and Department of State Expenditure. At the same time, work is continuing to set up Project Teams dealing with specific government campaigns, and to ensure that the culture within the organisation is geared towards professional service.

IV. Consolidating the communication system

1. A national government communication strategy was drafted and it was adopted by Cabinet in October 1998. This forms the basis of the approach by various departments, outlines the central message and themes. For each of the transversal campaigns of government such as the AIDS Awareness Campaign, Jobs Summit, Anti-corruption Conference and Summit, GCIS has been central in developing communication strategies and programmes. It has also assisted departments around specific campaigns and events, as well as in setting up their own communication structures.
   
   
2. Given the challenges of perceptions internationally regarding SA, GCIS has worked with the CIU in the Deputy President's Office to bring together all role-players in government and its agencies to work out an integrated approach. Deriving from these consultations, and after approval of the broad approach by Cabinet, a research proposal has been put to tender, on the basis of which a comprehensive strategy will be developed.
   
   
3. A critical element of consolidation of the system is the Government Communicators' Forum which meets fortnightly to plan for Cabinet meetings, and to share ideas and experiences on major communication challenges. The various departments and agencies have been grouped into Clusters and regular meetings of these have started to take place. At major turning points in GCIS work, a National Communicators' Conference is organised bringing together national and provincial communicators twice a year. The new BUA magazine for government communicators also contributes to the consolidation of the system.
   
   
4. A number of special meetings have been held with Heads of Communication in the Provincial Governments; and the aim is to have these on a regular basis, at least once in two months. Arising from these consultations, the GCIS Secretariat is to brief Premiers and Provincial DGs so as to formalise relations with this sphere. A generic draft Memorandum of Understanding on the relationship between GCIS structures and Provincial Government has been drafted for adoption, taking into account Provincial specifics. Once sufficient progress has been made in this regard, work will start with local government structures.

V. Media relations and policy

1. Much attention was paid to improving relations with the media. A number of innovative forms were utilised including the institution of monthly press breakfasts where Ministers would provide in-depth background briefings, and consultation with journalists on the format of the Parliamentary Briefing Week. Community media were also placed on an electronic network for government and development news. The considerable increase in the size of the Media Liaison Section (in March last year it had only two communicators) has meant that the GCIS can better service the needs of departments and the media. What is critical is that the improvements being introduced are worked out in consultation with the main client, the media.
   
   
2. With the introduction of the new system, including the fact that the CEO attends Cabinet meetings, it has become much easier to service the media on corporate governmental matters. Regular briefings and/or statements, and clarification where required, ensure that decisions of Cabinet meetings are communicated on a systematic basis, in line with the broad approach emerging from the Government Communicators' Forum.
   
   
3. During the course of the year, consultations have been held with a number of media houses around the issue of media diversity and the broad approach of government in this regard. Our assessment is that there is a broad consensus on the principles underpinning government's approach. This matter is to be tackled more systematically and deliberately when the new personnel for this directorate start working in the coming month.

VI. Development communication

1. Development communication continued to occupy the GCIS agenda, and we view it as the primary mandate of the establishment. If the organisation erred this year on the side of trying to define this strategy more than acting around it, we hope that the next financial year will see great strides being made in this area. A radio communications unit has been established to meet the needs of community radio as an early contribution to development communication.
   
   
2. A major research project is under way to define the information needs of the various communities which make up the South African population. We hope that the results will help us service the public better and use the media preferred most. The regional offices have been transformed into Government Iformation Centres (GICs) committed to grassroots communications.
   
   
3. Ensuring that material which has been the product of many creative minds and that has been subjected to all manner of research, eventually gets into the hands of those for whom it was designed, requires a good distribution system. The GCIS regional offices have been vital in this communication chain, resulting in 1,8 million copies of the Government Report to the Nation '98 being distributed through this channel alone. A major breakthrough was the distribution of the Report through post offices. Though there have been delays and many weaknesses with this process, the infrastructure now acquired holds the promise for easier access to printed government information by the public.
   
   
4. Progress in this area also depends on the training of communicators especially at regional level. The visit to India by the Deputy Minister and the CEO during the course of last year not only exposed GCIS to the impressive experience in this country with regard to development communication; but it also laid the basis for training of our communicators, a programme around which will be launched soon.

VII. Technology and training

1. A revamped government web site, Government Online has been launched, as a single entry-point to Internet sites of departments and agencies. This launch is surely one of the most important events in the period under review. Carrying with it the potential of bringing government ever close to the people, the launch was marked by enthusiastic reception amongst users of government information. However, much work needs to be done to improve the facility. The responsibility of having a comprehensive electronic government information service rests not only on the shoulders of the small group at the GCIS, but all users who can provide feedback about their needs and requirements.
   
   
2. The GCIS has taken the first tentative steps toward developing a training strategy for government communicators. An audit was conducted of the areas of competency displayed by the various communication components. There has been collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat in providing training. A six-month contract appointment has been made with the brief to set up a training curriculum which is within the NQF and which serves to professionalise government communicators, and work has already started.

VIII. Budget

1. We wish to thank the Portfolio Committee for its support regarding the additional resources GCIS needed last year to carry out its mandate. Our request for additional funds was honoured.
   
   
2. With regard to the MTEF allocations for the Years 0+1, 0+2 and 0+3, the same trend manifests itself: The lag in acquiring and upgrading equipment during the years when SACS was instructed to freeze major operations and acquisitions means that the main requirements for our MTEF entail upgrading or purchase of new equipment. It should be noted that about R10-million in these years is simply a restoration of the funds for personnel which were suspended in 1998/99, and which will be required as we reach the full complement of the establishment. As a result, the amount of additional funds required actually declines quite sharply.
   
   
3. Discussion on this issue is continuing with the Department of State Expenditure. Our sense currently is that there is an understanding of the needs of GCIS.

Joel Netshitenzhe, CEO: GCIS
Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)
govcom@gcis.gov.za

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