Page 34 - Department of Social Development Annual Report 2021

PART B: PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
5 OVERVIEW OF THE ORGANISATIONAL ENVIRONMENT FOR 2020/21

The Department did not experience any major disruptions The Department embarked on a process of reviewing its
such as strike actions by staff, system failures or organisational structure to align it to strategy to ensure
resignation of key personnel. However, a number of effective service delivery. Government Technical Advisory
challenges briefly discussed below impacted on the full Centre (GTAC) was enlisted to support the Department in
and regular implementation of some of its programmes. this re-alignment exercise. The re-alignment followed a
holistic approach, which is not to review the structure in
The outbreak of Covid-19 and the subsequent isolation from key dependencies in the value chain that
pronouncement of nationwide lockdown in March 2020 would support an effective organisation. The approach
meant that some of the Department’s services that would started with defining the Service Delivery Model, this has
ordinarily be delivered physically had to be suspended been concluded. This was followed by an Ethics and
until alternatives means were in place to ensure Culture Survey to address both the morale of staff and
compliance to Covid-19 regulations. The Department had more importantly to have an ethically driven Department.
to close its offices on several occasions for The structure will be implemented once the two
decontamination to comply with all the rules, outstanding processes are finalised which are the
regulations, directives and circulars in the management Business Process Mapping and Work Measurement.
of the pandemic and for the safety of its staff. A total of
89 Covid-19 positive cases were reported in the period
under review. Sadly, a total of seven officials succumbed
to the pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic imposed other unexpected
challenges which required creative and innovative ways
of working. A hybrid model of remote and office working
was adopted, which placed a demand of work tools and
required new ways of managing staff performance. This
came with its own challenges that impacted on the
effective operation of the Department’s services.

6 KEY POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND LEGISLATIVE CHANGES

The following are policies and legislation developed or approved during the reporting period, which may have
affected the Department’s operations or will affect future financial periods.
• Regulations on the Social Assistance Amendment Act
• White Paper for Social Development

• Social Services Practitioners Bill
• Older Persons Amendment Bill
• Regulations on the Children’s Amendment Bill
• National Plan of Action for Children in South Africa
• Non-Profit Organisations Amendment Bill
• Victim Support Services (VSS) Bill
• Policy on linking CSG beneficiaries to government services
• Policy on Mandatory Cover for Retirement, Disability and Survivor Benefits
• Policy on Maternal Support

• Policy Proposal on income support for 18-59 year olds
• Revised White Paper on Families
• Fund-Raising Amendment Bill
• Green Paper on Comprehensive Social Security
• National Community Development Policy

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2020/21 34