National Certificate: Ward Committee Governance

The purpose of the qualification is to enable qualifying learners to apply the relevant competences required for proactive participation as a Ward Committee member so that they achieve municipal objectives.

The learning outcomes contained in this qualification are based on the competencies required to contribute to the effectiveness of municipal processes from a Ward Committee perspective. These competences relate to:

• Conducting or participating in formal and informal meetings to achieve Ward Committee objectives.
• Involvement in and giving advice on municipal projects.
• Assisting in implementing municipal objectives and overall objectives of Local Government by displaying an understanding of core municipal functions as they relate to a Ward Committee context.
• Facilitating relations between Local Government and citizens to effectively support the implementation of its objectives.
• Facilitating service delivery in a Ward Committee context.The learners entering this qualification may come from various backgrounds and will be persons who have been nominated by their community onto a Ward Committee to represent the needs of the community, while archiving municipal objectives. It will create an opportunity for the learner to be exposed to various municipal processes and pursue a learning pathway in counselling for Local Government. The qualifying learner will be able to participate actively in overall democracy through proactive community involvement in local government processes.Rationale:The qualification is aimed at learners working in a Ward Committee context within Local Government. The newly created sub-municipal Ward Committees play a critical role in achieving the objectives of Local Government including giving practical meaning and substance to the basic political commitment that ‘the People Shall Govern’. Being a representative structure of the community and its citizens, the Ward Committees need to inform the municipality about the aspirations, potentials and problems of the people and form a bridge by facilitating proper communication between the Council and the citizens. On this basis, a need was identified to equip learners in the Ward Committee with the competencies they require to function as a Ward Committee representatives. The typical learner will be member of a Ward Committee participating in municipal processes at a local level. In addition persons seeking future employment in the Local Government sector may choose to complete the qualification.This qualification is the first in the learning pathway for people involved in Local Government. The pathway includes two legs: one for political representatives at various levels which ends with an FETC in Local Government, and one for administrators and financial managers which ends with a National Certificate at NQF Level 7.

• Communication at NQF Level 1.
• Mathematical Literacy at NQF Level 1.Recognition of Prior Learning:The structure of this Unit Standard based Qualification makes the Recognition of Prior Learning possible. Learner and Assessor will jointly decide on methods to determine prior learning and competence in the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes implicit in the Qualification and the associated Unit Standards. Recognition of Prior Learning will be done by means of an Integrated Assessment.This Recognition of Prior Learning may allow for:
• Accelerated access to further learning at this or higher levels on the NQF.
• Gaining of credits towards a Unit Standard in this Qualification.
• Obtaining this Qualification in whole or in part.All recognition of Prior Learning is subject to quality assurance by the relevant ETQA or an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the relevant ETQA.Access to the qualification:Access to this Qualification is open, bearing in mind the Learning Assumed to be in Place.

The Certificate is made up of a planned combination of learning outcomes that have a defined purpose and will provide qualifying learners with applied competencies and a basis for further training.

The qualification is made up of Unit Standards that are classified as Fundamental, Core and Elective. A minimum of 120 credits is required to complete the qualification.

In this qualification the credits are allocated as follows:

• Fundamental: 36 credits.
• Core: 62 credits.
• Electives: 22 credits.
• Total: 120 credits.Motivation for number of credits assigned to Fundamental, Core and Elective:
• Fundamental component:The Fundamental component consists of unit standards to the value of 36 credits. There are 20 credits in Communication and 16 credits in Mathematical Literacy.
  All these standards are compulsory.
• Core component:Sixty-two credits have been allocated to the Core component of this Qualification. The unit standards classified as Core describe the integral functions and activities required to be a Ward Committee member. They provide an opportunity to develop knowledge of municipal processes and structures as they impact on Ward Committee governance, basic legislation and policy applying to Ward Committee systems and functioning, communications and interpersonal skills required for the effective functioning of Ward Committees and basic project management skills to participate effectively in municipal projects.All these standards are compulsory.
• Elective componentThere are unit standards totalling forty-six credits in this component. These unit standards continue from the core component in focusing on learning areas pertinent to Ward Committee governance and will enable learners to gain specialist knowledge and skills relevant to their job or of personal interest to the learner. From the Elective component the learner must choose unit standards of a minimum 22 credits to complete the qualification.

2. Demonstrate an understanding and apply the role of Ward Committee member in the context of core municipal processes.

3. Display an understanding of core municipal functions and Ward Committee in these functions.

4. Facilitate service delivery in ward committee context.

• Preparations are undertaken for Ward Committee meeting.
• Meetings are conducted according to relevant meeting protocols.
• Any conflict areas that may arise in meeting are handled in a professional manner and in accordance with overall meeting protocols.
• Meeting follow up procedures are undertaken in order to ensure that action plans are implemented effectively.
• Meetings are chaired where required.2:
• An understanding of core municipal functions is demonstrated in order to effectively fulfill Ward committee functions.
• The roles and responsibilities of ward committees are described and applied according to ward committee policies and legal framework.
• The responsibilities of ward committee members are defined in the context of municipal projects that the ward committee seeks to support.
• The policy and legal framework guiding the ward committee systems and its function is described and explained in the context of existing ward committee objectives.3:
• A knowledge of Integrated Development Planning is demonstrated and opportunities for Ward Committee and community participation is described in relation to own Ward Committee context.
• A knowledge and application of Community-based Planning is demonstrated in relation to the opportunities for Ward Committee participation.
• The municipal budgeting process is understood in terms of the functions of the Ward Committees.
• A knowledge of the municipal Service Delivery Process and Performance Management is demonstrated in relation to the Ward Committee participation.
• Basic project management techniques are applied to Ward Committee participation in municipal projects.4:
• Service excellence is defined and applied in Local Government context.
• Service delivery plans are defined as they relate to Ward Committee participation in achieving municipal objectives.
• Interpersonal, communication and conflict management skills are applied to service delivery objectives.
• Sensitivity to community issues and diversity management is applied in ensuring effective service delivery in Ward Committee context.
• Batho Pele principles are applied to service delivery.Integrated assessment:Because assessment practices must be open, transparent, fair, valid, and reliable and ensure that no learner is disadvantaged in any way whatsoever, an integrated assessment approach is incorporated into the Qualification.Learning, teaching and assessment are inextricably lined. Whenever possible, the assessment of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values shown in the unit standards should be integrated.Assessment of the communication, language, literacy and strategic analysis and planning competencies should be conducted in conjunction with other aspects and should use authentic municipal development contexts wherever possible.

  A variety of methods must be used in assessment and tools and activities must be appropriate to the context in which the learner is working. Where it is not possible to assess the learner in the workplace or on-the-job, simulations, case studies, role-plays and other similar techniques should be used to provide a context appropriate to the assessment.

  The term ‘Integrated Assessment’ implies that theoretical and practical components should be assessed together. During integrated assessments the assessor should make use of formative and summative assessment methods and assess combinations of practical, applied, foundational and reflective competencies.

  Assessors and moderators should make use of a range of formative and summative assessment methods. Assessors should assess and give credit for the evidence of learning that has already been acquired through formal, informal and non-formal learning and work experience.

  Assessment should ensure that all specific outcomes, embedded knowledge and critical cross-field outcomes are evaluated. The assessment of the critical cross-field outcomes should be integrated with the assessment of specific outcomes and embedded knowledge.

• Introduction:In researching international comparability, great difficulty was encountered in finding other countries that had organisations similar to the Ward Committee’s contemplated by the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, 2000.Ward Committees are a unique creation of statute in South African and do not exist elsewhere. At the same time local organisation participation in Local Government level, is common around the world. These local organisations have different names: Neighbourhood Committees, Neighbourhood Forums, Ratepayers Associations, Community Forums, Village Development Committees, Ward Development Committees, Area Development Committees etc.Many of these bodies are based on voluntary participation and are not constituted or regulated by legislative act. Their functions are largely consultative and lobbying. The members of these organisations are informed by self-interest and by Local Government structures that provide information on their functions to the general population.
• The United Kingdom:The city of Birmingham is divided into several wards with elected councillors.http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=1291&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=122The city has established Ward Committee’s made up of the 3 elected local councillors in the Ward and meetings are open to all local residents. The idea, like their South African counter parts is that Ward Committees act as a bridge, linking local people with the main City Council departments. They bring issues of local concern to the attention of service departments, invite officers to present reports and to give an account of the action that has been, or will be taken, in response to issues raised locally.Unlike the South African model, members of the public are not elected onto the Ward Committee’s and merely attend meetings to gather information or bring matters of concern to the attention of the Ward councillors.

  No formal training is provided to members of the public who attend such meetings.

  Birmingham is typical of Ward Committees found in the United Kingdom.

• Africa:> Tanzania:Tanzania is a country which has Ward and other local structures, but there is no formal training is provided for the members of these organizations.> Malawi:Malawi instituted a Local Governance and Development Management Programme in 1997 to contribute towards the eradication of poverty in Malawi by improving governance through improved broader citizen participation in decision-making and the enhanced performance of Central and Local Government in district development.

  The United Nations Development Program participated in capacity building for effective decentralized participatory development at district and community levels aimed at enhancing government and civil society capability to design, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate anti-poverty programmes. The specific capacity building strategies included undertaking civic education for local governance, human rights and sustainable livelihoods issues. Unfortunately, details of the training programmes are not available.

• United Nations:The whole issue of Local Government decentralisation in development is a major focus of the UN and has been since the 1990’s. The main problem is that there is a singular lack of success stories around the world due mainly to a lack of any real decentralisation, and therefore a lack of incentive for true participation. No examples of any training materials in support of these initiatives could be found.
• ODA Research – International Comparisons:In October 2002 Organisation Development Africa (ODA) contracted Afesis-corplan to undertake Research Project 7 – Municipal Governance – Working of Ward Committee Executive System. The research topic entailed an evaluation of the implementation of the Ward Committee system in the period since December 2000. The research was to be geared towards lessons and good practises that would assist in managing the interface between municipalities, civil society and Ward Committees.In line with this research, an intensive international comparability was undertaken and an extract of the findings outlined below. It should be noted that since this research, and in doing further international comparability since this time, the conclusions in both in 2002 and in 2006, i.e. that very few such qualifications and Ward Committee processes exist around the world and that South Africa is essentially pioneering a process in development for Ward Committee structures.
• Background to ODA research:There are indications that models for citizens participation in Local Government and/or state driven development programs do exist internationally both in developing and developed countries. It is also apparent that not all of these models are directly relevant to the basic principles and rationale for Ward Committees in South Africa. In the developing world the imperative is often for decentralized administration and the creation of co-responsibility with civil society for development in the context of very scarce resources. In developed countries like Britain and New Zealand Ward Committees exist as quite complex civil structures charged with high order customer-care responsibilities, often in a context of homogenous populations with very adequate infrastructure and services. However no formal training is provided.
• Conclusion:The South African Ward Committee systems training initiative is ‘unique’, because no existing benchmarks could be traced. It is not possible to compare it to similar processes in the world since this training seems to not exist.

• 57804: National Certificate: Public Administration, NQF Level 3.

• Anyone assessing a learner or moderating the assessment of a learner against this Qualification must be registered as an assessor with the relevant Education, Training, Quality, Assurance (ETQA) Body, or with an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the relevant ETQA.
• Any institution offering learning that will enable the achievement of this Qualification must be accredited as a provider with the relevant Education, Training, Quality, Assurance (ETQA) Body, or with an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the primary ETQA.
• Assessment and moderation of assessment will be overseen by the relevant Education, Training, Quality, Assurance (ETQA) Body, or by an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the ETQA, according to the ETQA’s policies and guidelines for assessment and moderation.
• Moderation must include both internal and external moderation of assessments at exit points of the Qualification, unless ETQA policies specify otherwise. Moderation should also encompass achievement of the competence described both in individual Unit Standards as well as the integrated competence described in the Qualification.
• Anyone wishing to be assessed against this Qualification may apply to be assessed by any assessment agency, assessor or provider institution that is accredited by the relevant ETQA.

• Registration as an assessor with the relevant ETQA.
• Possession of a qualification in Administration at NQF Level 3 or higher.