EPWP to improve efficiency after council approves policy amendments

After several rounds of stakeholder and public consultation, amendments to two policies governing the implementation of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) were passed in Council last week.

The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) seeks to alleviate poverty while at the same time improve and expand public services in a cost-effective way.

The implementation of EPWP and the recruitment of jobseekers are guided by the following City policies:

Implementation of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Policy
Management of the Jobseekers Database Policy
Since the programme was initiated, the City has been grappling with some challenges around its implementation, mainly a lack of clarity around roles and responsibilities, and standard operating procedures.

Between May 2021 and October 2021 over 16 000 comments were received from the public and consolidated during a public awareness campaign, and intensive engagements and workshops were undertaken with both internal stakeholders and community leaders around proposed changes to governing policies.

Apart from clarifying standard operating procedures, some of the effected changes include increased accountability of those assigned to lead the implementation of the EPWP in the City and increased responsibility on jobseekers when it comes to updating their details on the database.

‘With the benefit of experience over many years implementing this programme the City is now in a good position to refine standard operating procedures where this was required, to maximise the value this programme offers to both job seekers and the ratepayer.

‘The City sees a lot of potential in the EPWP to uplift residents and this is reflected by our position at the forefront of policy development in this space.

‘All of the key policy principles around coordination, quality of the work opportunity, resource mobilisation (mainstreaming) are issues which the City has been working on for at least the last IDP cycle – and so we are aligned to National’s policy principles’ document,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.

Source: City Of Cape Town

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