Committee Business Plan: briefing by Strategic Planning Unit of Parliament
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Meeting report
IMPROVEMENT OF QUALTIY OF LIFE AND STATUS OF
CHILDREN, YOUTH AND DISABLED PERSONS JOINT COMMITTEE
3 November 2006
COMMITTEE BUSINESS PLAN: PARLIAMENT STRATEGIC PLANNING UNIT BRIEFING
Chairperson: Ms W Newhoudt-Drunchen (ANC)
Documents handed out:
Committtee
Business Plan 2007/2008
SUMMARY
The Strategic Planning Unit of Parliament took Members through their
Business Plan for 2007/2008, and plans for Member training in the coming year.
Members expressed concerns about budgeting procedures, and that events outside
of Parliament had be paid by the Committee, such as the Day for Persons with
Disabilities that was occurring in the Free State. They also felt there was
inadequate co-ordination between Committees. Problems also arose because
certain Committee expenses, such as researcher salaries, were the
responsibility of other Parliament divisions.
The Chairperson reported that the upcoming provincial Committee visits had been
cancelled, and Members would find out the reasons the following week from the
Committee of Chairpersons.
MINUTES
Provincial visits
The Chairperson told the Committee that the scheduled provincial visits
would be postponed as Mr Doidge had not approved the visits. The reason for the
postponement would be given the following week.
Committee Business Plan
Mr Burger from the Parliament Strategic Planning Unit told Members that theirs
was the first Committee to have a business plan for 2007/2008. Such a Plan
would encourage the Committee to work to a schedule. Project Managers would be
available to assist the Committee in planning.
Mr Moegamat Frizler, Planning Officer for Strategy, Parliament Business
Planning Unit, then took the Committee through the Business Plan. He reported
that the Committee would have to interact with at least 18 other Committees and
departments, and all of their strategic plans would have to be scrutinised.
Interactions should take place regularly. The annual reports of relevant
departments would also have to be scrutinised. The Committee should also
interact with the public at least once a year.
The Chairperson commented that National Days, such as Children’s Day and
National Day for the Disabled, had not been prioritised adequately. Parliament
would not pay for any event outside of Parliament. This policy at times
prevented Members from attending functions.
Mr Frizler replied that all local trips should be organised within the
Committee’s budget. International trips were paid for from a budget pool.
Should any other activity be arranged, the Committee would have to ask
Parliament for the money.
The Chairperson commented that the Day for People with Disabilities was taking
place in the Free State. It was important for Members be present as this was
one of their key areas of focus. Mr Frizler replied that the Committee would
then had to budget for such events.
Mr A Madella (ANC) explained that approval for any event would be subject to
inclusion in the Business Plan. Child Protection Week should also be included
in the Business Plan.
The Chairperson said international trips were budgeted for at the start of the
year. Earlier in 2006, the Committee had received an invitation to visit
Bulgaria. However, the invitation had gone to the Office of the Speaker and the
Committee was told there were no funds left. The Committee had not attended one
United Nations Convention on disability.
Mr Madella complained that the training mentioned in the Business Plan was not
very specific. Mr Frizler expanded that a current project was bringing together
a conglomerate of tertiary educators to formulate a training curriculum for
Members of Parliament for 2007.
The Chairperson commented that the training often did not cover what Members
needed to know. Mr Madella added that at times the Committee might need a
specialist expert to brief them, and this needed to budgeted for. The
Chairperson gave the examples that no allowance had been made for the
Presidential Office of the Rights of the Child (ORC), the National Youth
Commission (NYC) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD).
Mr Gamede (ANC) commented that one of the problems with the Parliamentary
Committee system was that it was so fragmented. Support staff did not fall
under the Committee budget, and this created problems.
Mr Frizler agreed on this issue, and said that in January there would be
training for Members on planning and budgeting. They were trying to get the
Parliament Budget Department to consolidate Committee budgets.
The Chairperson felt that the Ubsombuvu Youth Fund needed to fall under the
oversight of the Committee. The Business Plan needed to be adopted by the
Committee before being submitted to Mr Doidge.
The meeting was adjourned.
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