DIRCO Annual Report

1. INTRODUCTION The strategic objective of Corporate Management is to implement effective human resource management to make certain that adequate and sufficient skilled resources are in place and that performance is monitored as well as to provide an integrated information and communications technology (ICT) system that enables delivery of the department’s mandate. 2. OVERVIEW OF HUMAN RESOURCES During the reporting period, the department had a vacancy rate of 15,0%, which is above the national average vacancy rate of 10%. The vacancy rate increased from the previous financial year (12,3%), as all vacant posts are unfunded and could not be filled in order to reduce the shortfall on the Compensation of Employees’ (CoE) budget. Only one critical post, namely the post of Chief Information Officer (CIO), was filled during the reporting period. A number of Foreign Service codes, in line with the implementation of the new Foreign Service Act have been developed. A total of 86% of eligible Senior Management Service (SMS) members signed and submitted performance agreements within the prescribed time frame for the 2020/21 performance year. Non-compliance by the 14% of the SMS members was due to the National State of Disaster as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and some SMS members were being transferred internally (from missions to head office and vice versa). Transferring SMS members had three months’ grace period within which their performance agreements were concluded and submitted. The department further ensured that performance was effectively monitored through conducting performance assessments for all eligible employees, including SMS members. The department did not enrol any new interns during the 2020/21 financial year due to financial constraints. Fifty-eight out of a total of 79 interns’contract came to an end, and were terminated by November 2020. There are now only 21 interns’ contracts that are still valid, but will expire and be terminated during the 2021/22 financial year.

Twenty-three training programmes were implemented in line with the 2020/21 Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) of the Department. A target of 20 training programmes was set, however, due to critical skills requirements for employees identified for placement in positions in missions abroad, three additional training programmes were implemented.

To ensure that there is consistency in the management of discipline, guidelines were revised during the year under review. The revised guidelines on discipline management were placed on the intranet for easier access by all staff within the department. Due to the national lockdown and restricted face-to-face interaction, engagements with senior managers were held virtually on request, advising them on suitable processes pertaining to discipline management and the handling of grievances. There was a marked decrease of misconduct cases and grievances during the year under review. The lockdown across the globe and the international travel ban contributed to major delays in the finalisation of misconduct cases and investigation of grievances. Almost all cases commenced long after they were reported and could only be initiated virtually, ensuring adherence to lockdown protocols. The handling of disputes and litigation cases was equally affected by the national lockdown. As a result of the state of affairs, the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC)

Department of International Relations and Cooperation

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