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Memorandum from the Parliamentary Office
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 123
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 16/03/2012
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 7OF 2012)
Mr M J R de Villiers (DA-WC) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and
Training:
1. Whether the Quality Council for Traders and Occupations (QCTO) has
resolved its (a) organogram, (b) appointment of staff and (c) capacity
constraints; if not, why not; if so, (i) what is its organogram and
(ii) what are the further relevant details;
2. whether all vacancies at the QCTO have been filled; if not, why not;
if so, what are the relevant details;
3. whether the budget allocation towards the QCTO has been fully (a)
spent and (b) accounted for; if not, why not; if so, what are the
relevant details;
4. whether his department has put any measures in place to ensure that
the QCTO (a) spends its entire budget allocation and (b) curbs
irregular and wasteful expenditure; if not, why not; if so, what are
the relevant details?
CW170E
REPLY:
1. (a) Yes, the organogram has been resolved. The Quality Council for
Trades and Occupationsâ (QCTO) organogram was approved on 18 October
2011.
(b) The CEO post was advertised in 2011 and 9 other posts were advertised
in January 2012. The QCTO agreed not to fill the Chief Director and
Director posts until the CEO had been appointed. The QCTO is in the
process of appointing staff
⢠The CEO was appointed with effect from 1 April 2012.
⢠Two positions of Chief Director and a Director were advertised in
January 2012 and must still be filled.
⢠Six Deputy Directors were appointed as from April 2012.
⢠The QCTO is also in the process of negotiating the transfer of 12
Department of Higher Education and Trainingâs (DHET) staff members who
have been assigned to the QCTO since 2010.
(c) The QCTO is still facing capacity constraints
i. The QCTOâs first organogram, known as the Start-up organogram which
consists of 46 posts was approved.
ii. Due to the availability of funds over the 2012 MTEF period, the
Council decided to fill the Start-up organogram based on a phased-in
approach over a period of three years (Phase 1: Selected priority
posts, Phase 2: Priority Posts, Phase 3: All Start-up posts)
2. Not all vacancies have been filled. As mentioned above, Council has
decided to apply a phased-in approach for the filling of posts. The
Phase 1 organogram within the Start-up organogram consists of 27 posts
to be filled in 2012/13 financial year as follows:
|Level of |Number of |Number of |Number of |Number of |
|posts |posts |posts filled |posts |posts vacant |
| | | |advertised or | |
| | | |transfers | |
| | | |being | |
| | | |negotiated on | |
|Senior |7 |1 |3 |3 |
|management | | | | |
|Middle |12 |6 |4 |2 |
|management | | | | |
|Administrat|8 |0 |8 |0 |
|ive support| | | | |
| | | | | |
|Total |27 |7 |15 |5 |
3. (a) The budget allocation for the QCTO for 2011/12 has not been fully
spent. The under-expenditure is mainly due to vacant positions that
are in the process to be filled. With the process in place to fill all
vacancies, the QCTO should have an improved expenditure rate in the
2012/13 financial year.
(b) The budget allocation and expenditure can be accounted for. Records
of all expenditure are available. The Council has been informed of the
status of financial management through its Financial Committee. The QCTO
has been overseen by the Audit Committee of DHET. The QCTO is in the
process of preparing its Annual Financial Statement to be submitted by 31
May 2012.
4. (a) The Department has put measures in place to ensure that the QCTO
can spend its budget. The Department entered into a Memorandum of
Agreement (MOA) for 2011/12 and 2012/13 to provide the necessary
support to the QCTO in terms of policy and systems. The internal
policy and systems of the DHET has been applied for the QCTO. The
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of DHET has been appointed as the QCTOâs
Acting CFO in terms of the MOA. An Acting CEO was in position up to 31
March 2012 and a new CEO has been appointed as the QCTOâs Accounting
Officer with effect from 1 April 2012.
(b) The QCTO is using the DHETâs supply chain and financial management
systems and policy. Measures were put in place to curb irregular and
wasteful expenditure.