(a)(i)(ii)(b)(i)(ii)(aa)(bb)(aaa)(bbb) The Department of Public Service and Administration and the National School of Government do not have a standard definition for red tape besides the standard dictionary meaning which generally refers to excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that are considered redundant or bureaucratic and hinder or prevent action or decision-making.
There are continuous performance monitoring reviews with specific reference to reducing lead time and improve turn-around time against the Annual Operational Plans (AOPs) and/or the Annual Performance Plans (APPs).
In keeping with the prescripts that govern effective and efficient service delivery, the following have been put in place; service delivery charter and standards, complaints handling management policy, service delivery improvement plans, amongst others, which are in addition to the processes of monitoring individual programmes and institutional performance management.
To optimise the use of ICT in order to gain some efficiency in the operations and service culture, the National School of Government is currently reviewing its service systems architecture and ICT infrastructure towards ensuring seamless delivery of education and learning programmes and courses.
CENTRE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE INNOVATION (CPSI)
(a)(ii)(b)(i)(ii)(aa)(bb)(bbb) According to the CPSI, red tape emerges when formal rules, regulations and procedures related to the administration of service delivery are no longer effective in achieving the goal for which they were instituted and/or the cost of compliance is not justified by the benefit that citizens receives.
The CPSI Awards Programme annually unearths a number of innovations to improve turn-around time for effective and efficient public service delivery. Recent projects include the “Vota Quota” web-based procurement system of the IEC, the CFO Helpdesk at DTI, pharmacy automation in Gauteng that significantly reduces paperwork and queues, KZN’s Digital Pen for m-Health, and the Road Accident Fund’s “RAF on the Road” initiative that simplified RAF applications and pay outs.
For a more comprehensive analysis of red tape and examples of red tape reduction, please refer to the CPSI’s Future Watch publication “From Red Tape to Smart Tape: Easing the Administrative Burden of Public Service Delivery”, available from http://www.cpsi.co.za/archived-publications/ and attached herewith).
Given the size of the CPSI and its mandate, very little red tape exists within the organisation. New internal policies and processes prioritise simplified processes and the use of electronic forms and systems rather than paper-based solutions.
An example of an internal system where red tape was reduced within the CPSI is the new online system being used for travel bookings. Using the Travel Agent’s web-based system, designated staff members are doing bookings for the organisation. The system eliminates the need to use a travel consultant to make a booking on behalf of the CPSI, provides for electronic authorisation and offers access to more and cheaper options. The CPSI is already saving significant amounts using the system.