Ministers will have to sign performance contracts with President Jacob Zuma, Minister in the Presidency for Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation Collins Chabane said on Wednesday.

Speaking in the National Assembly during debate on Zuma's budget vote, he said the contracts would outline the required performance of ministers and would indicate "the measurements of success".

"On a quarterly basis all ministers will report back on the basis of a straightforward one-page report card," Chabane said.

"The President will provide feedback and guidance with a view to assist in removing the identified obstacles to ensure improved performance and delivery."

Chabane said officials in government departments would also be made to sign delivery contracts with their respective ministers.

"We are confident that this endeavour will help government reward good performance and detect bad performance as early as possible to ensure that corrective measures are implemented."

He said his department's initial focus in monitoring and evaluation would be to develop a performance management system for the seven priorities of basic education, health, safety, rural development, housing, job creation, and public sector capacity.

The presidency was in the process of establishing a service delivery unit, whose task would be to ensure that incidents of non-delivery and blockages were turned around.

"This will help government continuously improve its service delivery capacity while promoting accountability on the part of those charged with the responsibility to deliver."

He said a draft green paper on the enhanced monitoring and evaluation and performance management system would be ready by September.

Chabane's fellow minister in the presidency, Trevor Manuel — responsible for the National Planning Commission — said he would release a green paper on planning and co-ordination by the end of July.

Manuel allays fears

In the most detailed explanation yet of his brief as planning minister, Manuel sought to allay concerns that he would erode the powers of ministries and provinces to centralise all project planning.

"Nothing can be further from the truth," the former Treasury boss told MPs.

"Micro-planning and sectoral planning will not be undertaken from the centre. Rather the planning ministry will seek to encourage, support and harness sectoral and sub-national strategic plan-making and initiatives and mainstream these within the national planning process."

He also tried to debunk "a misconception that the presidency will play the role of gatekeeper for plans" and insist on clearing all projects.

"This would be foolish and undesirable, let alone totally impractical, leading to massive delays in implementation."

Instead, Manuel said, his task was to steer the development of a medium-term strategic framework and to help ministers, parastatals, and local governments bring their planning in line with policy and up to standard.

It would also encourage a more systematic approach to planning in State-owned enterprises to ensure they helped develop the economy.

This would help the private sector too, Manuel said, because business would benefit from greater policy security and stability in the supply of services like electricity.

Sapa

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