WAVES OF CHANGE
financial and performance management of Parliament, ensuring greater transparency and ensuring more effective and efficient use and management of Parliament’s resources.
The main areas introduced with the adoption of the Act include the establishment of an oversight mechanism in Parliament, entrenchment of planning documents including the strategic plan, the annual performance plan, the annual budget and various reports, specific standards for financial and supply chain management and the establishment of an Audit Committee. As a result, several functions and processes have been established in the past few years to give effect to these new requirements. Accordingly, the Secretary-
In addition, Parliaments have to set long-term strategic objectives to meet these needs and devise annual performance objectives to achieve the strategic objectives within a set time frame.
It must also budget effectively to achieve the strategic objectives with limited resources and set standards in the form of outcome and output performance indicators that can be measured. Not least, there need to be regular reports, monitoring and reassessment of the implementation programme and changes made to it where necessary.
Effecting change, resisting chaos
Parliament’s ability to plan, budget, execute and monitor its long-term objectives remains one of the most
“It is clear that our Parliaments are facing many changes and challenges from outside and inside the institution. One way of managing these changes is to introduce an organization-wide strategic management process. ”
The National Assembly Building can accommodate joint sittings which can total 490 Members. It also has an upper floor public gallery with seating for 600.
General of Parliament is now the Accounting Officer and spends far more time in the governance and management of Parliament than before in the old role of Clerk of the House.
developments and practices in governance. In general we now recognize: the need for more effective and efficient institutions, an increased focus on Members as customers, the search for greater levels of service delivery and better results, increased financial and performance accountability and the development of multidisciplinary professionals. This
is all a world away from the previous specialist approach. In a real sense, the “Clerk at the Table” has become the “Clerk of Governance”. Many of these changes were introduced with the adoption of the Financial Management of Parliament Act in 2009.
This Act is aimed at providing greater accountability for both
It is clear that our Parliaments are facing many changes and challenges from outside and inside the institution. One way of managing these changes is to introduce an organization-wide strategic management process. This would allow political and management decision-makers to consider key decisions for Parliament, including better assessments of the current situation and the needs of the Parliamentary stakeholders, and the best way to prioritize these needs.
effective ways to reduce the various change needs into a comprehensive plan of response.
It allows the institution to set a common vision – establishing a high level of synergy and understanding regarding the direction in which the organization is moving, whilst also directing the operational components in their daily activities.
By establishing a strategic management process, Parliament can internalize a culture of continuous change, thereby creating the capacity to successfully deal with change and build resilience against turmoil.
In this way Parliament will be able to adapt to the changing needs of the people, whilst still being effective in representing people in government – and ensuring government by the people.
The Parliamentarian | 2013: Issue One - South Africa | 61
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