SERVICE DELIVERY

SECTION I 7.21.1.14 Policy

3.10 SERVICE DELIVERY

It is then upon to the administrators and the Durban official or DMC to deliver services that would make sure that projects like the ICC become a reality.

The remedy to address socio-economic conditions may be, among other things, service delivery. According to the National RDP Office (1995), areas which were previously disadvantaged should be given a first priority. This was an initiative from the ANC government in to attempt addressing problems facing the society, like, for example, poor living conditions, healthy working environment, clean water and so on.

Such an idea does not exclude other cities in South Africa. Both the national government and local government should playa vital role in service delivery. At the same time both the community stakeholders and the community itself should also playa pivotal role in addressing problems which are affecting the community. There is no doubt that if such a process (of service delivery) is well executed; there will be progress equity and growth or development in a community.

The questions then, which needs to be taken into consideration, are as follows:

What is the mode of delivery

How can such services be addressed;

How can service needs be met;

How can people be served, and the critical views about service delivery

All these questions will be addressed in the forthcoming sub headings.

3.10.1 The mode of delivery

Metropolitan councils with extensive power and functions may operate as 'policy heads', retaining policy control but limiting the size of their administrative component. Delivery should take place via special purpose utilities, partnerships (PPP), community contracting

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and agency agreements. Alternatively, the metropolitan level could retain an administration for in house delivery, the size of which would depend on the allocation of powers, and functions. Various combinations, which fall between the 'policy heads' and 'in-house administration' mode of delivery, are possible. (Local Government- Research input for the Local Government, Green Paper; Political! Institutional Systems Cluster, Paper Two 19 August 1997) Dominique Wooldridge.

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3.10.2. Addressing Service Needs

Territorial development should primarily be a strategy geared towards the satisfaction of the basic needs, using purpose community action based on decentralised participatory decision making, small and medium-sized projects, labour- intensive mode of production, appropriate technology and self management, and the development of local small-scale enterprise aimed at providing basic or social needs. Wilson (1995:650) citing Evangelinides & Arachovitou (1990:64).

It is important to note the fact that local development policies are characterised by a shift

in emphasis away from the provision of social services and public goods towards accelerated growth in order to create jobs and tax base in cities. (Gottidiener 1987;

Harvey 1989; Lietner 1990). Widespread concern has been raised about the gab between LED promises and outcomes (Fainstein 1990; Giloth 1992). The assumption of the 'trickle down' of benefits to the poor is questionable, and urban inequalities have often been exacerbated. These problems can be reduced if the public-and private democratic planning, linkage policies and economic development scheme which hold the promise of directing the private sector to redevelop the city and simultaneously bring social benefits from such policies, and has been shifted towards greater community participation in the planning process. (Maharaj citing Barlow 1995-;-Savitch & Kantor 1995). This would result in cities getting better deals from developers, asserting greater control over the LED process, and targeting resources better to meet the needs of the disadvantaged (Levine 1989).

3.10.2. (1) Meeting the Needs for Service Delivery

The caring society must address successfully the challenges of meeting the material needs of the people.

Our first democratic government to achieve socio-economic transformation and macro-economic stability implemented the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) and the Growth Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) strategy.

The structural changes entailed within these processes were also to take place within the context of our economy becoming more competitive as it integrated itself within the global economy.

The RDP and GEAR will remain the basic policy objectives of new government to achieve sustainable growth, development by public authorities and public corporations reported in the GDP.

The further transformation of state machinery will result in changes to the public expenditure patters, against personnel cost.

These processes will also involve the provincial sphere of government ^III local government financial management.

It also requires concerted action to promote public-private partnership's which must be constructed on a fiscally sound and sustainable basis.

It is also important to note the fact that the government will continue to give priority to the issue of job creation, however this is debatable. If perception or realities influence the process negatively, these must be addressed. To improve the quality of all people, especially the most disadvantaged, the government will remain steadfast in its approach

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to reprioritise public spending to maintain and improve the safety net available to the most disadvantaged in our society.

The quality of improving spending and delivery of services is important to the people.

This will be done by managing downwards the amounts spent on personnel, rooting out corruption and theft, improving management skills throughout the social sector and ensuring an integrated, interdepartmental approach to the delivery of services.

Special programmes will also be introduced to speed up the improvement of the quality of life of various sections of our populations. Also the government will tighten its tracking of the poverty policies and programmes that are actually succeeding to reduce the level of poverty in our country. (Sowetan, 2 July 1999).

3.10.2. (2) Serving the People

The government is also determined to ensure that the machinery of state is geared towards serving the people in keeping with the vision of 'Batho pele'. The government will speed up the completion of the Skills and Service Audits currently being carried out which is aimed at management and to release more resources for the provision of services to the people (Sowetan, 2 July 1999). The services that ICC is rendering to different communities are part of the broader focus oflocal government service delivery.