Relocation of functions in the free state department of police, roads and transport

Abstract

The relocation of functions in the public sector is being initiated as part of structural changes to configure the structures of public institutions. It is implemented as part of initiatives that are aimed at assisting public institutions to achieve their policy commitments, promote coherence, coordination, efficiency, and effectiveness. They are intended to redesign and realign institutional structures of public institutions to enable them to be initiative-taking in serving the society. The process of relocation of functions involves various stakeholders who at times have conflicting goals and decision-making roles. By instituting the relocation of functions, these stakeholders seek to create conducive institutional cultures, clarify roles and responsibilities (redesign), build capacity for effective performance (development) and to improve service delivery performance. For the purpose of this study, the research activities were undertaken at the Free State Department of Police, Roads and Transport (DPR&T), a provincial government department consisting of a staff compliment of two thousand, two hundred and seventy-one (2271) employees. From this target population, a probability sampling method was used to select a representative sample of eighty-six (86) respondents to whom a research questionnaire was administered. The findings of this study reveal that most respondents were professionally qualified and experienced African males aged between 50 and 59 years who had served DPR&T as Assistant Directors. Most of these respondents understood the reasons for the relocation of functions and were aware of changes it has had on the functioning, structure, and strategy of DPR&T. They however were not content about the degree to which they were consulted about the process of relocation of functions. As far as how conditions were during the relocation of functions, most respondents held the view that it was not associated with transfers, early retirement packages and retrenchments (job losses), and there were no threats that emanated from the proposed structure. These respondents thought that vacancies were filled as and when they became vacant and that there was job security. However, they reported that the process was stressful as their workload had increased, with lack of clarity about roles and responsibilities, limited support by supervisors and unrealistic performance expectations. As such, most of them felt they were underpaid for their job responsibilities and reported having contemplated resigning from DPR&T at some stage. ii Most respondents were concerned about uncertainties that existed during the relocation of functions in DPR&T and according to them, timeframes for implementation were not communicated, there was lack of clarity of roles and responsibilities, there were no opportunities for employees to give input and the working conditions were unfavourable with regard to their active and productive participation. In as far as the roles of leaders and managers are concerned, most respondents held the view that leaders and managers consulted employees, communicated clear and precise messages, were transparent, they implemented consolidated policies and procedures and that they had appointed an independent service provider (change agent) to manage the process of relocation of functions. In so far as the impact of relocation of functions on DPR&Ts and employees’ performance is concerned, most respondents agreed that it has impacted on turnover, employees’ workload, safety, degree of commitment to DPR&T and availability of skilled employees to enhance service delivery. Lastly, the majority of respondents held the view that the relocation of functions impacted on employees’ morale, their performance (productivity) and degrees of certainty about career prospects and roles and responsibilities in DPR&T. Respondents further reported that the relocation of functions has impacted on the ability of employees to learn new skills and to effectively perform their work, thereby increasing the levels of anxiety amongst them.

Tšhutišo ya mešomo go lekala la setšhaba e tlhamilwe bjalo ka karolo ya kagoleswa go beakanya dikarolo tša diinstitšhušeni tša setšhaba. E tsenywa tirišong bjalo ka boitlhamedi bjo maikemišetšo a wona e lego go thuša diinstitšhušeni tša setšhaba go fihlelela merero ya dipholisi, go šoma ka mokgwa wo tee, ka tšhomišano, botsebi le bokgoni. Maikemišetšo ke kagoleswa ya makala a diinstitšhušeni tša setšhaba gore di kgone go šomela setšhaba gabotse. Tšhutišo ya mešomo e akaretša batšeakarolo ba go fapana bao ka nako e nngwe ba ka se kgone go tšea diphetho ka lebaka la maemo, mešomo ya bona le maikarabelo a mangwe. Ka tšhutišo ya mešomo, batšeakarolo ba go nyaka go thlamaleswa maitshwaro a institšhušeni, go agaleswa dikarolo le maikarabelo a bašomi ka maikemišetšo a go godiša bokgoni go kaonafatša mošomo wa go aba ditirelo. Dinyakišišo tša thuto ye di dirilwe Freistata go Kgoro ya Maphodisa, Ditsela le Dinamelwa (DPR &T), kgoro ya mmušo wa profense ya goba le maloko a 2271 a bašomi. Go šomišitšwe mokgwa wa dinyakišišo wa lenaneopotšišo go sampola baemedi ba bašomi ba go lekana 86. Diphihlelelo tša dinyakišišo di bontšhitše gore bontšhi bja batšeakarolo bao ba nago le maswanedi a dithuto ke banna ba Afrika bao ba nago le mengwaga ye 50 le 59 bao ba šomilego DPR&T bjalo ka batlatša balaodi. Bontšhi ba batšeakarolo ba be ba kwešiša mabaka a tšhutišo ya mešomo le ka mokgwa wo se se tlilego go fetola tsela ya go šoma, sebopego le leano la DPR&T. Le ge go le jwalo, a se ba kgotsofalela mokgwa wa ditherišano le mokgwa wa tšhutišo ya mešomo. Go ya ka maemo a nako ya tšhutišo ya mešomo, bontšhi ba batšeakarolo e be ba gopola go re se se ka se ba ame ka go šutišwa lefelong la mošomo, go lokollwa mošomong pele ga nako (tahlegelo ya mešomo) le gore a gona matšhošetši ao a lego gona go sebopego se se šišintšwego. Batšeakarolo ba be ba gopola gore dikgoba tša mošomo di tlatšwa ge di e ba gona gomme mešomo ya bona e bolokegile. Le ge go le jwalo ba begile gore tshepedišo ye be e na le kgatelelo ya mogopolo, mešomo e okeditšwe ntle le hlalošo ya dikarolo le maikarabelo go bona, a go na thekgo ya mošomo gotšwa go balekodi le go letelwa go dira iv mešomo ye e sa kgonagalego. Bontšhi ba be ba re ba lefelwa ka fase ga maikarabelo a maswa a mešomo ye ba e dirago gomme ba gopola go tlogela mošomo. Bontšhi bja batšeakarolo ba amilwe ke tshepedišo ya go tsenywatirišong ga diphetogo tše, gomme ba re a se ba tsebišwa nako ya tšhutišo, a se ba hlalosetšwa dikarolo le maikarabelo a maswa, a se ba fiwa sebaka sa go tšeakarolo, gomme dibaka tša go šoma a se tša maleba. Mo go karolo ya baetapele le balaodi bao ba amegago, batšeakarolo ka bontšhi ba arabile gore baetapele le balaodi ba boledišane le bašomi, ba ba file melaetša ye e nepagetšego, ba šomile ka go hloka sephiri, ba tsentšetirišong dipholisi le maano a tshepedišo, gomme ba thwala moabatirelo yo a ikemego (molaola diphetogo) go laola tshepedišo ya tšhutišo ya mešomo. Batšeakarolo ba dumela gore tšhutišo ya mošomo ya DPR&T e bile le ditlamorago tše di amilego tšweletšo ya mošomo, mošomo, polokego, potego ya bašomi go DPR&T le tahlegelo ya bašomi bao ba nago le bokgoni bja go kaonafatša kabo ya ditirelo. Mafelelong, bontšhi bja batšeakarolo ba re tšhutišo ye e amile boitshepo, tšweletšo ya mešomo, e tlišitše dipelaelo ka kgolo ya bona mošomong, dikarolo le maikarabelo go DPR&T. Ba begile gape gore se se amile bokgoni bja go ithuta dithuto tše di mpsa go ba kgontšha go šoma gabotse, gomme se se ba šiile le matshwenyego a mantšhi.

Ukuthuthwa kwemisebenzi emkhakheni kahulumeni kuyaqalwa njengengxenye yezinguquko zesakhiwo ukuze kumiswe izinhlaka zezikhungo zikahulumeni. Kuqaliswa njengengxenye yezinhlelo okuhloswe ngazo ukusiza izikhungo zikahulumeni ukuthi zifeze izibopho zazo zenqubomgomo, zikhuthaze ukuhambisana, ukudidiyela, ukusebenza kahle kanye nempumelelo. Kuhloswe ngazo ukwakha kabusha kanye nokuhlela kabusha izinhlaka zezikhungo zezikhungo zikahulumeni ukuze zikwazi ukuthatha izinyathelo zokusebenzela umphakathi. Inqubo yokuthuthwa kwemisebenzi ibandakanya ababambiqhaza abehlukene okuthi, ngezinye izikhathi, babe nezinhloso ezingqubuzanayo kanye nezindima zokuthatha izinqumo. Ngokusungula ukuthuthwa kwemisebenzi, laba babambiqhaza bafuna ukwakha amasiko esikhungo afanelekile, ukucacisa izindima zemisebenzi kanye nezibophezelo (ukwakha kabusha), ukwakha amandla okusebenza ngempumelelo (ukuthuthukiswa) kanye nokwenza ngcono ukusebenza kokulethwa kwezinsizakalo. Ngenhloso yalolu cwaningo, imisebenzi yocwaningo yenziwe eMnyangweni wAmaphoyisa, Imigwaqo nezokuThutha eFree State (DPR&T), umnyango kahulumeni wesifundazwe onabasebenzi abayizi-2 271. Kusukela kulesi sibalo sabantu esihlosiwe, indlela yokusampula yamathuba yasetshenziswa ukuze kukhethwe isampula elimele abaphendulile abangama-86 abanikezwa uhla lwemibuzo locwaningo. Okutholwe kulolu cwaningo kuveza ukuthi iningi labaphendulile kwakungabesilisa base-Afrika abaqeqeshiwe nabanolwazi abaneminyaka ephakathi kuka-50 no-59 abake basebenza kwa-DPR&T njengabasizi babaqondisi. Iningi lalaba abaphendulile laziqonda izizathu zokuthuthwa kwemisebenzi futhi belazi izinguquko ezibe nazo ekusebenzeni, ukwakheka namasu e-DPR&. Nokho, abazange baneliswe ngezinga abathintwa ngalo mayelana nenqubo yokuthuthwa kwemisebenzi. Mayelana nokuthi izimo zazinjani ngesikhathi kuthuthwa imisebenzi, iningi labaphendulile libe nombono wokuthi kwakungahlobene nokudluliswa kwezimali, izikhwama zokuthatha umhlalaphansi ngaphambi kwesikhathi kanye nokudilizwa (ukulahlekelwa yimisebenzi), nokuthi azikho izinsongo ezavela esakhiweni esihlongozwayo. Laba vi abaphendulile bebecabanga ukuthi izikhala zomsebenzi zavalwa ngesikhathi zivuleka nokuthi kwakukhona ukuvikeleka komsebenzi. Kodwa-ke, libike ukuthi le nqubo yayicindezela njengoba umsebenzi wabo unyukile, ngaphandle kokucaciswa kwendima zemisebenzi nezibophezelo, ukusekelwa okulinganiselwe kwabaphathi kanye nokulindela ukusebenza okungenangqondo. Ngakho-ke, iningi labo laba nomuzwa wokuthi lalikhokhelwa kancane ngezibophezelo zomsebenzi wabo futhi labika ukuthi lalike licabange ukushiya i-DPR&T ngesikhathi esithile. Iningi labaphendulile lalikhathazekile ngokungaqiniseki okwakukhona ngesikhathi kuthuthwa imisebenzi ku-DPR&T futhi ngokusho kwabo, izikhathi ezimisiwe zokuqaliswa azizange zidluliselwe, kube nokuntuleka kokucaciswa kwezindima zemisebenzi nezibophezelo, awekho amathuba okuthi abasebenzi banikeze imibono, futhi izimo zokusebenza bezingezinhle. Mayelana neqhaza labaholi nabaphathi, iningi labaphendulile linombono wokuthi abaholi nabaphathi baxoxisane nabasebenzi, badlulisele imiyalezo ecacile nenembayo, babeka izinto obala, basebenzise izinqubomgomo nezinqubo ezididiyelwe, futhi baqoke umhlinzeki wensizakalo ozimele (bashintsha umenzeli) ukuphatha inqubo yokuthuthwa kwemisebenzi. Mayelana nomthelela wokususwa kwemisebenzi ku-DPR&T kanye nokusebenza kwabasebenzi, iningi labaphendulile livumile ukuthi ukuthutha kube nomthelela embuthweni, emsebenzini wabasebenzi, ukuphepha, izinga lokuzibophezela ku-DPR&T, kanye nokuba khona kwabasebenzi abanamakhono. ukuthuthukisa ukulethwa kwezinsizakalo. Okokugcina, iningi labaphendulile libe nombono wokuthi ukuthuthwa kwemisebenzi kube nomthelela esimilweni sabasebenzi, ukusebenza kwabo (ukukhiqiza) kanye nezinga lokuqiniseka mayelana namathemba emisebenzi nezindima zemisebenzi kanye nezibophezelo ku-DPR&T. Abaphendulile baphinde babika ukuthi ukuthuthwa kwemisebenzi kube nomthelela ekhonweni labasebenzi lokufunda amakhono amasha nokwenza umsebenzi wabo ngempumelelo, ngaleyo ndlela kwandise amazinga okukhathazeka phakathi kwabo.