Metro reviews staff organogram in bid to speed up delivery

IN an attempt to cut costs and speed up service delivery, the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality is reviewing its staff organogram with the hope of introducing a deputy city manager position.

The proposed staff structure, if approved by the council, could see the number of departments decrease from 13 to nine.

This, the metro hopes, would accelerate service delivery and curb wasteful expenditure in the municipality.

Presenting a report on the proposed structure to the human resources and corporate administration portfolio committee, executive director Vuyo Zitumane said the overlapping of departments meant that money was wasted.

“There are a number of functions that are all over the show, and because of duplication there is a lot of overlapping, which is costly to the municipality.

“We want to make sure that we have a structure that speaks to the strategy of the municipality; we will improve operational efficiency,” Zitumane said.

She said the proposed strategy followed an extensive consultative process between departments.

Zitumane hopes to have her proposal approved by the council at its meeting next month.

Should it get the thumbs up, the introduction of a deputy city manager’s office will see the municipality doing away with the chief operating officer (COO).

The duties of the COO will be split between the city manager and his deputy, while the proposed organogram makes provision for a city ombudsman, which will fall under the deputy city manager’s office.

Zitumane said the communications department would also fall under the deputy city manager’s office but would be overseen by the mayor.

“One of the biggest problems which led to irregular spending in the last financial year is contract management, which is associated with document management.

“Human settlements manages their own contracts and infrastructure management manages their own contracts. “Supply chain is supposed to have a strong management contract division, irrespective of the nature of the contract.”

Zitumane said the repetitions did not make strategic and financial sense.

“If there are duties that can be shared, we are saying they can be shared, we are trying to streamline how we work.

She said her department would have to sit down with politicians to discuss anomalies and take decisions in line with the municipality’s service delivery mandate.

Other proposed changes are for the water and sanitation department to be made a separate department and the introduction of a new roads and transport department.

Human resources and corporate services committee political head Dean Biddulph said no jobs would be lost.

“There will not be any job losses. Instead, people might need to be reskilled or trained so they can function in new positions.”

Because of duplication there is a lot of overlapping, which is costly