PEEPA workshop on the rudiments of outsourcing

Martin Nyirenda
Correspondent | Tuesday June 17, 2008 00:00

PEEPA has also developed a standard set of four Service Level Agreements (SLAs) covering priority outsourcing, namely catering, security, cleaning and landscaping.

Speaking at a two-day SLA training workshop on Outsourcing of Public Services last week at Mmokolodi Nature Reserve just south of Gaborone, PEEPA Chief Executive Officer Joshua Galeforolwe said public sector managers are increasingly turning to outsourcing at a time when improving efficiency is seen as cardinal.

The workshop focused on the promotion of SLAs as a public sector tool for managing the relationship between private sector service providers and outsourcing client ministries or departments with a view to improving efficiency in service delivery by public sector institutions in the provision of outsourced services.

Galeforolwe said public sector organisations which engage in outsourcing face various challenges, including rushing too quickly into a transaction without the benefit of a thorough business case planning and analysis designed to provide a deeper insight into value drivers associated with the proposed outsourcing activity, badly structured outsourcing contracts and SLAs.

Other problems include the selection of incompatible or incompetent service providers (often in pursuit of the lowest price) and the institutionalisation of poor contract management practices for outsourced services.

'As a response to the challenges, towards the end of 2006, PEEPA developed a structured approach to outsourcing, involving the introduction of a tools set, the Guide to Contracting Out of Public Services, together with a Contract Manager's Guide,' Galeforolwe said.

'I strongly advocate the use of the PEEPA structured approach, which is benchmarked on best practice internationally, in order that Government gets value for money while ensuring that the quality of service is improved and Government's interests are safeguarded.' 

He pointed out that since 2006, PEEPA has successfully facilitated a number of workshops and courses on public sector outsourcing targeting implementing officers from government departments and as parastatals, which was a positive development well received by stakeholders.

Organisations represented at the Mmokolodi Nature Reserve workshop use outsourcing to transform their business processes to change the way they carry out their missions and to achieve notable results in performance within an accelerated time frame.

Participants at the workshop, who were drawn from across the spectrum of the national economy, described the workshop as relevant, resourceful and timely in implementing their respective outsourcing initiatives.

Modiredi Khumo, a participant from the Botswana Police College in Mogobane said the workshop is so informative and timely that it should be extended to more people. 'It is relevant to us because we have already started to outsource some of the facilities at the Botswana Police College.

'The workshop helps participants to identify what they need to consider in SLAs', Khumo said. 'PEEPA should be commended for initiating such an informative workshop designed to benefit the stakeholders in the diversification process of the national economy.'

PEEPA Head of Public Services Contracting, Don Ruhukwa, said in an interview that the workshop is crafted to capacitate organisations to manage outsourcing public sector services in a structured way that covers the whole process.

'This workshop seeks to help the process of diversifying the national economy by availing opportunities for the private sector, including SMMEs, to increase its participation in the economy.'

The workshop was facilitated by Braam Kruger of McPherson  Kruger  Attorneys.