Cabinet has approved the 2014-2019 Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) which will serve as the first five-year building block towards the 2030 vision in the National Development Plan (NDP).

The MTSF contains detailed five-year implementation plans for the NDP, with targets, indicators, roles and responsibilities and timeframes for the implementation of key actions to enable systematic and evidence-based monitoring of the implementation of the NDP.

The MTSF builds on government’s experience and learning during the 2009-2014 administration, when outcomes-based planning, monitoring and evaluation were introduced for the first time. During that period, delivery agreements were developed, monitored and evaluated for the 12 priority outcomes of government.

During the 2014-2019 administration the number of outcomes has been increased to 14 which cover all the chapters of the NDP.

 

This MTSF is different

“In order to address some of the problems with implementation that we have experienced in the past, this MTSF differs from those of previous administrations in a number of ways,” Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Jeff Radebe said during his budget vote speech.

Radeba said the MTSF differs in three ways. Firstly, for the first time, the MTSF serves as a five-year building block towards achieving the vision in the country’s long-term plan. Secondly, it is much more detailed than previous MTSFs and incorporates the outcomes-based planning methodology developed during the previous administration. Thirdly, measures have been put in place to ensure that the five-year strategic plans and annual plans of all national and provincial departments are aligned to the MTSF, and therefore to the NDP.

 

How will things change?

The Treasury Regulations have been amended so that all departments submit their draft plans to the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), enabling the DPME to review whether the plans incorporate the MTSF targets before the plans are submitted to Parliament.

The president will enter into performance agreements with all ministers based on the roles and responsibilities and targets in the MTSF. Ministers will also ensure that the relevant actions and targets in the MTSF are reflected in the performance agreements of their Directors General.

The president will also appoint coordinating ministers for each of the 14 outcomes in the MTSF, who will be required to coordinate the implementation of the MTSF outcomes, and present evidence-based progress reports to Cabinet at least three times a year. These progress reports will be made public through the Programme of Action website managed by the department.

The DPME is expected to hold a briefing on the MTSF shortly.