The improvement of performance in local government can further be enhanced by identifying skills development areas. Grant Thornton Learning Institute has embarked on a research to determine what factors impact the local government environment negatively and most common to local municipalities in various provinces in South Africa. The conclusion arrived at was that there is lack of consistency and maintenance of continuous improvement because of the high atrition rate causes by political influences. Secondly the failure to retain adequately trained staff has a negative impact to the economic growth and development.

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Learning and Development for
Finance Knowledge Improvement in
Local Government

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BACK TO BASICS

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PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT
It is recognized however, that despite our delivery
achievements, much still needs to be done to
improve the performance of local government.

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MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE DOING WELL
 Strong political and administrative leadership
 Characterised by political stability
 Councils meeting as legislated
 Functional council and oversight structures
 Regular report back to communities
 Low vacancy rates
 Collection rates above 80% on average
 Spending on capital budgets above 80%
 Continuity in the administration
 Consistent spending of capital budgets
 Consistent unqualified audit outcomes
 Responsive to service delivery needs
 Evidence of good administrative and financial management
 Performance driven by Integrated Development Plans, Budgets
Compliance and Innovation.

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MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE A POTENTIAL
TO DO WELL
 Fair amount of financial and records management
 Some level of political and administrative stability
 Reasonable feedback through community meetings
 Reasonable access to basic services
 Councils sitting fairly regularly
 Reasonable adherence to the IDP and Budgets, compliance and little
innovation
 Most of administrative positions filled by incompetent staff
 Some critical positions not filled
 Poor expenditure of capital budgets
 Poor records keeping
 Low collection rates (less than 50%)
 Mainly qualified audit outcomes
 Significant mismatch between Plans and Budgets.

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SOUND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
 Proper record keeping and production of annual
financial statements
 Credit control, internal controls and increase the
revenue base
 Cut wasteful expenditure including monitoring
overtime
 Functional Supply Chain Management structures
with appropriate oversight

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VISION 2024
(AGSA’S ASPIRATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE)
The AGSA aspire to see a public service that is characterised by:
 Robust financial and performance management systems
 Oversight and accountability
 Commitment and ethical behaviour by all
 A competent and value adding Auditor General

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Talent Management
Talent Management is the implementation of integrated strategies or
systems designed to increase workplace productivity by developing
improved processes for Attracting, Developing, Retaining and Utilizing
your Human Capital with the required skills and aptitude to meet current
and future business needs.

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Grant Thornton Learning, Development and Finance
Knowledge Improvement Approach
Grouping
Munic’s
Develop
relevant
training
program
Identifying common
AGSA issues/findings
Coach/
Mentor
on Job
Certification
& Retention
Performance
Feedback Leading the
Best Talent
Succession
Planning
Reward,
Motivate &
Promote
Attitude
Surveys
Keeping the Best
Talent
Improved
Finance
Knowledge
Provide honest
opinion and
redeploy
Continuos monitoring &
assessment
Taylormade to
Improve
performance

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Prepare & Train the Workforce
Prepare & Train activities include
development of a training strategy, plan,
and curriculum
Depending on the need, Grant Thornton
can partner with clients to:
• Transfer knowledge for supporting a client
providing training “in-house”
• Jointly deliver classroom training and/or
eLearning
• Manage an out-sourced training provider
Objectives for managing “end-to-end” training:
• Project Team Training – Equip the team with
functionality knowledge, process improvement tools, and
effective project management.
• Knowledge Transfer – Reinforce knowledge transfer &
comprehension across sites by employing a “Train-the-
Trainer” approach, involving key local users.
• Business-Focused Delivery – Use the business
processes as the driver for teaching new system
concepts and transactions to end-users.
• Role-Based Training – Train employees on what they
need to know and do to carry out their jobs in the new
environment by matching learning to job roles.
• User Interaction – Implement instructor-led, self-paced,
and technology-based training vehicles to promote
effective, timely, and cost-efficient learning.
• Competency Evaluation – Confirm that employees
display competency in their areas of responsibility by
meeting performance and learning objectives.
• Continuous Improvement – Establish ongoing skills
development through post Go-Live Education and
Training plans.

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Purposive Learning & Development
Analysis
• Conduct Initial
Data Collection:
 Gather general
client
information
 Gather general
project
information
 Understand
your constraints
 Audiences
analysis
• Understand
Processes, Sub-
processes, Tasks
• Complete Needs
Assessment &
Job Impact
Template
• Define Training
and Support
Strategy
Design
• Define Learning
Objectives
• Create Course
Curriculum and
Lesson Plans:
 Identify
audience
 List objectives
and activities
 Choose
instruction
methods
 List timing
 List materials
• Begin developing
the
Implementation
Approach
Develop
• Identify Training
Development
Team
 Grant Thornton
 Grant Thornton
coaching client
 3rd party
• Develop & Test
Materials
• Develop
Evaluation
Approach
• Train-the-Trainers
• Finalize
Implementation
Approach:
Material
Reproduction,
Delivery Logistics,
etc.
Implementation
• Deliver Training
Program
• Implement
Evaluation
Approach
• Identify Post
Implementation
Support Needs
Evaluation
• Revise Training
Materials based
on Evaluation
• Roll-out post
implementation
support activities
(help-desk, job
aids, targeted
communications)
• Integrate Final
Training Program
into Client Course
Curriculum
Project Management

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Retention Rate

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January 16, 2016
Combined Training Method
• Lecture Method- Our facilitators presents a segment of training,
questions the student frequently, and provides periodic summaries or logical
point of development.
• Demonstration Method- DM is one in which the student observes
the portrayal of procedure, technique, or operation
• Apprentice Training - content associated to knowledge
requirements-re performance improvement
• Practical Exercise (Practice Method) PE is a method of
training in which the participants actively participates, either individually or as a team
member. He does this by applying previously learned knowledge or skills

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Identified Training Objectives
 Address performance Improvement through Finance Knowledge &
Human Capital Management
 Attain Specific Improvement on Audit Opinion e.g. Asset
Management, Revenue Management, Debtors, Creditors etc.
 Measurable Individual and divisional performance improvement
 Hand holding staff through continuous learning and development
stages
 Certify staff by offering accredited courses by various SETA’s e.g.
Leg SETA , Treasury & Dept. of higher education.
 Sequenced for optimal learning ( Service delivery target)
 Consistent with the Departmental needs, goals, and capabilities
(e.g., resources) or directed towards clean audit and back to
basics.

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Training Programme
Day 1
• Introduction of the Learning and Development for Finance Knowledge
Improvement in Local Government and GTLI
• The Monash South Africa Knowledge base
• Demonstrating how AGSA audit opinion can be improved by applying the GTLI
learning programme and the approach
• Half day training of councillors and Local Government senior staff on:"
Municipal Oversight" including CHANGE MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES within
a local government environment.
• Day 2
Classroom facilitation (Face to Face)
Focus on key findings of the Auditor –General
• Day 3
Practical Exercise & Group discussions
Team practice, role play, case study, brain storming and discussions.
Apply previously learned knowledge or skills.

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Day 4
 Apprentice Training (On the Job, Hands on)
 Participants are shown how to address the challenges and also given
an opportunity to address the challenges themselves
Day 5
Assessment and Reporting
 Online Survey ( Participant Feedback )
 Group and individual assessments
 Formal and informal assessments

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Training Evaluation Criteria
 Criteria – Specific evaluation forms –on line
I. Assessment of how participants felt about the training program (e.g.,
adequacy of content coverage, usefulness of material, how material was
delivered)
II. Assessment of what was learning immediately following training
III. Did learning that occurred during training transfer back to the job
IV. Did the training lead to positive organizational outcomes e.g., increased
understanding, better output, less accidents and audit findings