Committee Business Plan: briefing by Strategic Planning Unit of Parliament

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IMPROVEMNET OF THE QUALTIY OF LIFE AND STATUS OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND DISABLED PERSONS

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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