CHAPTER FIVE: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
5.1 Results
5.1.2 MIDP as a learning process
5.1.2.2 Learning in the MIDP Process
Learning is a process that should bring about change in how things are viewed. The process is based on interrelationships. Table 5-5 below shows stakeholders’ understanding of or insight into the MIDP process in terms of how the process is a learning process.
The question is to understand how different stakeholders involved in the MIDP are allowed to interact, engage, share, learn, and relearn while in a strategic planning dialogue. This is of interest because for municipalities to continue to be developmental and meet their developmental outcomes, they have to be relevant in their approaches to service delivery.
They have to ensure that there is learning during the planning process; furthermore, that there is an understanding of the stakeholders’ demands and how the Municipality, in partnership with stakeholders, will focus on meeting and satisfying the needs of the stakeholders. Understanding the development plan process as a learning process to guide the transformation makes it possible to refer back to the opinions and suggestions of the stakeholders for reviews or further comments.
Table 5-5: Perspectives of key stakeholders on the MIDP as a learning process Key
Stakeholders Perspectives
Political Leadership
Political leadership has different views on how the IDP is a learning process. Some say the IDP is a learning process because it allows for a feedback from the community, thus allowing the community to warn the municipality if it deviates in implementation of declared policy.
Through the IDP process, the municipality learns about different ways of doing things and about better approaches in managing the community. Others say that the IDP process should be a learning process, but that it is not, as it does not allow any learning. They say that for it to be a learning process it should involve people, and that there should be community engagement and direct communication with the community. Furthermore, issues raised by the community should be noted, documented, and sent back to the municipality.
Traditional Leadership
The IDP process is not yet a learning process at this stage, as it does not allow learning. It is a top-down approach, and a councillor only comes to relay progress over a project once implemented. Instead, councillors should take up issues from the community and present them to the Council. Once the Council has taken decisions, the councillor needs to give feedback to the community. The IDP meetings should share knowledge about the IDP, provide information regarding the service delivery needs of the people, and allow people to communicate these needs. The process should allow all stakeholders to take part in the process.
Table 5-5: Continued Key
Stakeholders Perspectives
Senior Management
Senior management has different views on how the IDP is a learning process. Some state that opportunities for learning are created through the IDP process and that learning comes through the public participation processes. It creates a platform where the citizens are able to interact more effectively with the Municipality. However, the IDP itself is not a learning process;
instead, it is a development and information process. Furthermore, it sheds light on the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, including community, government, NGOs and individuals.
It allows for the correct needs of the community to be known and understood. Moreover, through the IDP, there are conversations that help people to understand actual conditions better.
Others state that the IDP is about compliance. Communities are being consulted instead of driving the process. In hearings, a process is created to present or tell, but there is a need to learn. Communities have to participate directly, take their budgets, and allocate based on what affects their lives. Opportunities are not created for ordinary people to drive the process and turn it into a reality where they live.
Table 5-5: Perspectives of key stakeholders on the MIDP as a learning process Source: Siphiwe Ngubane
5.1.2.3 Platforms as a means of sharing, learning, and relearning
There should be a closer relationship and engagement between the different stakeholders - the communities, municipalities and other stakeholders - to avoid planning unpopular projects, programmes, or policies. Atkinson (1992:48) sees the participation of citizens as empowering to the citizens vis-á-vis public officials. Furthermore, Faludi (1973:249) is of the opinion that “more channels linking the planning department [IDP Team in this instance] to the outside world [different stakeholders] could create a network enabling a much more ‘divergent’ form of thinking to take place”.
Table 5-6 below presents the perspectives of key stakeholders on how the platforms are a means for stakeholders to share, learn, and relearn. Their understanding is crucial, as it is through such spaces that different stakeholders are able to share, engage, learn, and relearn from one another about service delivery challenges facing eThekwini Municipality while planning. The focus is on how the designs of the platforms influence the creation of an environment conducive for sharing and engaging.
Table 5-6: Perspectives of key stakeholders
on platforms as a means of sharing, learning, and relearning
Key
Stakeholders Perspectives
Political Leadership
Communities are consulted or engaged in the form of workshops or through outreach programmes where the draft IDP is presented so that they understand the programmes planned for their areas. Comments or contributions are invited from the communities, allowing communities to give feedback or to suggest how things might be done differently. Opposition parties comment on the municipality. There are ward committees, which are the vehicle through which people can express concerns, dissatisfaction, or satisfaction. People have no concerns regarding the IDP as long as their neighbourhood services are delivered and it does not affect them financially.
Traditional Leadership
There is no interaction or engagement during the IDP process. Traditional communities are not engaged or involved in the IDP process. Instead, people’s needs are decided upon and imposed on them without a meeting being held with them to ascertain their needs. This leads to implementation of something that the people have not identified as priority number one or two.
Further, Amakhosi are not involved or consulted, instead they receive information from the councillors who update them on projects being implemented in the areas.
Senior Management
Regarding going to the public for interaction, the long-term development plans are drafted and presented at the IDP workshops, meetings with Chamber of Commerce, and learning conferences to name a few, to allow for discussions. These are two-way processes, from the Municipality to the community (loosely referring to residents, business, sporting, and cultural groups) and from the community to the Municipality. Debates and discussions take place with sector departments. Traditional leaders are now engaged through a body set up by the Council instead of through public participation processes. Comments received are incorporated, and what is new in terms of national policies is also taken into consideration. The IDP process involves situational analysis, review of the previous IDP, and forward planning. The platforms for engagements need to be fine-tuned, and different methodologies need to be used to engage stakeholders during the IDP process.
Table 5-6: Perspectives of key stakeholders on platforms as a means of sharing, learning, and relearning
Source: Siphiwe Ngubane