| Name | Expanded Public Works Support Programme (EPWSP) | |
| Strategic Partner | Department of Public Works (DPW) | |
| Period | March 2005 - Dec 2009 | |
| Budget | R100 million |
Introduction
The programme is designed to accelerate implementation and expand the impact of the National EPWP by providing targeted assistance to state agencies and private organisations engaged in the programme.
Objectives
The programme:
- Provides strategic support to the Department of Public Works
- Provides operational support to provinces, municipalities and state owned enterprises
- Mobilises and provides operational support to established private sector investors, contractors and SMMEs
- Links beneficiaries to training opportunities
The approach is:
- Support focussed (the primary purpose is to support the implementation of the national programme)
- Prioritised (priority is given to those sectors and actions with the greatest impact on the national targets)
- Phased (the programme is implemented in phases with the 1st phase concentrating on the infrastructure sector)
- Engaged (directly with public and private stakeholders)
- Incentivised (with incentives that encourage the achievement of targets)
Context
An effective partnership is required to implement the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). Parallel with the drive for increased growth and investment, direct support is required for the over 8 million working age people out of work. The public works programme provides an opportunity to do that in a manner that encourages self reliance and enhances future employment prospects.
The Business Trust supports the Expanded Public Works Programme by:
- Promoting private participation;
- Providing information to the participants in the programme;
- Providing technical support to the Department of Public Works;
- Encouraging innovative labour intensive programmes.
The programme is designed to accelerate implementation and expand the impact of the National EPWP by providing targeted assistance to state agencies and private organisations engaged in the programme.
The support programme will:
- Establish and manage a business/government partnership committee;
- Provide strategic support and technical assistance to the national Department of Public Works including innovations in labour intensive activities and learning from practice;
- Expedite the implementation of programmes by provincial and local government;
- Support the effective engagement of enterprises in Public Works Programmes;
- Pilot in 2 locations the provision of information to participants in Public Works Programmes about further training opportunities.
Activities
Key activities proposed in respect of the infrastructure sector are:
- Agreeing targets which involves analysis of expenditure patterns in provinces and municipalities; selecting authorities to work with based on agreed criteria (large numbers of jobs, etc), secure buy-in, identify projects within business units and agreeing targets.
- Expediting blockages which involves tracing implementation, analysis of blockages and expediting unblocking and incorporation of practices into systems.
- Achieving compliance which involves successfully planning, letting and implementing projects, meeting the requirements of the audit process.
- Securing additional targets involves identifying projects from other infrastructure programmes that lend themselves to labour intensive work, agreeing the targets and achieving targets.
