An assessment of the perceived effectiveness and efficiency of the school maintenance strategy in the Western Cape

Date
2021-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : In recent years the condition of social infrastructure has been reported on various media platforms. The condition of social infrastructure in some sectors has reached a point where it compromises the health and safety of those using it. More so, it compromises the government’s service delivery programmes. There is great concern in the Western Cape about the condition of school infrastructure. The demand for new schools as a result of the annual growth of learner numbers has forced the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to make invidious decisions that resulted in the neglect of the maintenance of school infrastructure in favour of providing new schools. The rate of submissions for emergency maintenance by schools is demonstrative of the fact that certain elements of school buildings have reached and surpassed their lifespan. Many of the older schools need replacement, but this cannot happen because of budget constraints. The purpose of this research is to assess the perceived effectiveness and efficiency of the WCED’s maintenance strategy. In doing so, a qualitative research approach was adopted. Various WCED documents containing information on infrastructure projects, viz. Annual Performance Plans (APP), Annual Reports (AR) and User-Asset Management Plans (U-AMPs) for the financial years 2013/14 till 2018/19 were analysed in an attempt to assess the WCED’s approach to ensuring the perceived effectiveness and efficiency of school maintenance. This research is qualitative in nature and a sample of five case studies have been assessed. The selected case studies represent the three categorises of maintenance, viz. scheduled, emergency and day-to-day maintenance. The critical role of School Governing Bodies (SGBs) in the maintenance of school facilities has also been identified as important factor. The assessment of maintenance projects at the five schools was done through well-planned structured interviews. Interviews were conducted with the management and members of the SGBs of the five schools. The structured interviews shed light on the implementation of scheduled maintenance projects at schools, where the following three variables were interrogated: cost, quality and time on each project. Structured interviews were also conducted with senior officials in the Departments of Education, Transport and Public Works (DTPW) and Provincial Treasury (PT). An assessment of the WCED’s U-AMPs, APPs, and ARs for the period 2014/15 till 2018/19 revealed that the department does not have a sufficient budget to properly manage all school Stellenbosch assets. The demand to accommodate learners outstrips the Department’s ability to maintain school buildings as required. The gap in maintaining school buildings has grown phenomenally over the last 5 to 7 years. The WCED’s desire to focus on lifecycle maintenance remains a dream because of its limited budget. The analysis of the formal documentation, coupled with the interpretation of the interviews indicated the need for more recent condition assessments of school buildings, consultation with the principals of schools regarding the scope of scheduled maintenance projects, empowerment to improve the capacity of SGBs to be better placed to contribute to the maintenance of schools, an assessment of the capacity of the implementing agent and contractors and for the WCED to find strategies for assisting SGBs with the maintenance of school buildings. In the attempt to make a significant dent in the maintenance backlog, the WCED must first attempt to obtain the most recent condition assessments of buildings. Having assessed all the relevant information, the Department needs to consider the following factors: improve condition assessments of all schools, analyse emergency maintenance cases to identify priority areas for scheduled maintenance and consider the appointment of an external evaluator to advise on the planning and delivery of school infrastructure.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : toestand van sosiale infrastruktuur is onlangs wyd in die media gerapporteer. Die toestand van sosiale infrastruktuur in sekere sektore het sodanig verswak dat dit die gesondheid en veiligheid van gebruikers kompromiteer. Uiteindelik word die regering se dienslewerings programme ook negatief gekompromiteer. Daar is groot kommer in die Wes-Kaap oor die toestand van sosiale infrastruktuur. Die aanvraag na nuwe skool infrastruktuur as gevolg van die jaarlikse leerdergroei het die Wes-Kaapse Onderwysdepartement (WKOD) gedwing om besluite te neem wat die instandhouding van skole negatief geaffekteer het. Voorkeur is gebied aan die bou van nuwe skole. Die jaarlikse geregistreerde gevalle van noodherstelwerk is aanduidend dat sekere elemente van skoolgeboue teen ‘n vinnige tempo onklaar raak en vervang moet word. Daar is ook ou skoolgeboue wat vervang moet word. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om die waargenome effektiwiteit en doeltreffendheid van die WKOD se benadering tot die onderhoud van skoolgeboue te assesseer. ‘n Kwalitatiewe navorsings metodologie is gevolg. Verskeie amptelike WKOD dokumentasie is gebruik vir analise, bv, Jaarlikse Vorderingsplan, Jaarlikse Verslag en Gebruiker Batebestuursplan (Infrastruktuurplan) vir die finansiële jare 2013/14 tot 2018/19. Die analise van hiedie dokumentatsie was gedoen om die waargenome effektiwiteit en doeltreffendheid van die WKOD se benadering tot die onderhoud van skool infrastruktuur te bepaal. Hierdie navorsing is kwalitatief van aard en ‘n monster van vyf gevallestudies (wat vyf skole ingesluit het) is geassesseer. Die gekose gevalle studies verteenwoordig die drie onderhouds-kategorië in die department, naamlik dag-tot-dag, geskeduleerde en noodherstelwerk. Die beduidende rol wat skoolbeheerliggame (SBLe) in die instandhouding van skole kan speel word ook uitgelig. Die assessering van die onderhoudsprojekte by die vyf skole is gedoen deur goedbeplande gestruktureerde onderhoude met die skoolbestuur en lede van die SBLe. Die gestruktureerde onderhoude het meer lig gewerp op die implementering van geskeduleerde instandhouding by skole en die fokus was op drie belangrike veranderlikes, naamlik tyd, koste en kwaliteit van elke projek. Onderhoude is ook met lede van die senior bestuur in die departemente van Onderwys, Provinsiale Tessourie en Vervoer en Openbare Werke gevoer. Die analise van die WKOD se amptelike dokumentasie het aan die lig gebring dat die department oor onvoldoende befondsing of begroting beskik om behoorlik na sy infrastruktuur bates om te sien. Die behoefte aan voldoende sitplekke vir leerders oorskry die department se vermoë om skoolgeboue instand te hou. Die agterstand om skoolgeboue te onderhou het in die laaste 5 tot 7 jaar beduidend gegroei. Die WKOD se begeerte om lewens-siklus onderhoud te implementeer bly ‘n pypdroom as gevolg van die gebrek aan voldoende befondsing. Die analise van amptelike dokumentasie, tesame met die interpretasie van die onderhoude, het die volgende behoeftes uitgelig: die noodsaaklikheid om die mees onlangse assesering van die toestand van geboue beskikbaar te hê, onvoldoende beraadslaging met prinsipale oor die omvang en spesifikasies van geskeduleerde onderhoudsprojekte, die behoefte aan bemagtiging en kapasiteitsbou van skoolbeheerliggame, en die noodsaaklikheid van die WKOD om ‘n strategie te vind oor hoe om die SBL by ‘n skool se instandhouding te betrek. Indien die WKOD ‘n beduidende impak op die onderhoud van skole wil maak, moet dit die mees onlangse verslae rakende die fisiese toestand van skole bekom. Gegewe al die tersaaklike inligting en bevindinge, moet die WKOD fokus op verslae wat die toestand van skoolgeboue belig, die analise van noodherstelprojekte ten einde die prioriteite te bepaal vir geskeduleerde herstel projekte en die oorweging van die aanstelling van ‘n eksterne evalueerder om die department te help verseker dat waarde vir geld ontsluit word in die beplanning, lewering en instandhouding van skole.
Description
Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Keywords
Schools -- Maintenance and repair -- Effectiveness -- Western Cape (South Africa), Schools -- Maintenance and repair -- Strategic aspects -- Western Cape (South Africa), Infrastructure (Economics) -- Effectiveness -- Western Cape (South Africa), UCTD
Citation