 | Institutional Arrangements |
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How will the EPWP be implemented?
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Under the EPWP, all government departments, provinces, municipalities and parastatals involved in infrastructure provision are required to take steps to increase the employment creation resulting from their infrastructure programmes, where technically and economically feasible. Although government will take this approach with all of its infrastructure projects, there will be a particular focus on relatively simple infrastructure which is particularly amenable to labour-intensive methods, and where the most additional work opportunities can be created, i.e. rural roads, local municipal roads, water and sewer pipelines and stormwater drainage. There are huge backlogs in these types of infrastructure in historically-disadvantaged rural areas and municipalities, where unemployment is particularly high. Using prioritisation processes and the IDPs, provinces and municipalities should identify those projects that could absorb a lot of local labour and design their execution using labour-intensive methods. Framework Guidelines for the design of labour-intensive infrastructure have been distributed to municipalities and other industry stakeholders. The guidelines are also available from Department of Public Works (DPW), which will provide additional assistance when required.
During the first five years of the programme, government will increase its budgetary allocations to make substantial inroads into these backlogs, through larger Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) allocations to municipalities, and larger Provincial Infrastructure Grant (PIG) allocations to provinces. Additional conditions will be attached to these conditional infrastructure grants, requiring provinces and municipalities to carry out these projects labour-intensively.
Environmental and Cultural Sector and Social Sector projects will be implemented through current line departmental arrangements. The possibility of using other implementing models is being investigated.
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How will the programme be managed and monitored?
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Management at project level rests with the employer and owner of the asset, i.e. a municipality of province. The municipality and/or province will be responsible for the correct implementation of projects and accountable to the Auditor General for funds disbursed. Municipalities and provinces are required to report on EPWP key indicators to DPW via monitoring systems put in place by DPW and DPLG based on other requirements from Treasury. DPW will also put provincial project managers in place who will coordinate the EPWP at provincial level. All provinces will have a provincial structure that will manage and monitor the implementation of the EPWP in their respective provinces.
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Is there sufficient capacity to implement and manage labour-intensive construction projects properly?
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The DPW recognises that there might be insufficient labour-intensive expertise and that contractors will need to be trained in the use of labour-intensive construction methods. To this end, the Department of Public Works and the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) will select 750 emerging contractors countrywide to participate in learnerships that will qualify them to build and maintain these types of infrastructure using labour-intensive construction methods. Government’s increasing expenditure on labour-intensive infrastructure programmes will sustain these contractors in the long-term.
The Department of Public Works has implemented guidelines for appropriate designs and tender documentation for labour-intensive infrastructure programmes. These Guidelines cover contract documentation and design checklist activities suitable for labour-intensive methods. Municipalities are to select sections of the Guidelines and insert them in the tender documentation for labour-intensive projects.
In order to develop the capacity of the construction industry to manage labour-intensive projects, the additional conditionalities mentioned above will also include an eligibility requirement for the appointment of contractors and consulting engineers, i.e. that their key staff involved in the project must undergo special NQF-accredited training programmes in labour-intensive construction. Together with the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA), the Department of Public Works is also coordinating the process to build the capacity of the construction industry for labour-intensive construction. Work is underway to establish the required SAQA-approved unit standards, qualifications, assessment instruments and training materials, and to ensure that training providers have the necessary capacity to provide the required training programmes for the supervisory and managerial staff of contracting and engineering firms.
To develop the capacity of the construction industry to manage labour-intensive projects, the additional conditions mentioned above will also include an eligibility requirement for the appointment of contractors and consulting engineers, i.e. that their key staff involved in the project must undergo special NQF-accredited training programmes in labour-intensive construction.
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| Consulting Engineeers |
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What is the EPWP? |
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EPWP is a national government initiative aimed at drawing a significant number of employed people into productive work. Its conceptualization gained recognition after the programme started on the 1st April 2004, following the cabinet agreements in November 2003. It is also accompanied within by four sectors including environmental, economic, infrastructural and social sectors. EPWP ‘s strategy is to create work opportunities coupled with training to ensure that workers gains skills while they work, and increase their capacity to earn an income in the future. Target is being set to a minimum of one million people by the 2009, being trained and developed combining to work opportunities.
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Who funds the services of the consultant?
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The Public Body that implements the project. Municipals are also encouraged to use their own capital expenditure on EPWP projects where suitable.
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How are consultants appointed for EPWP projects?
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Consultants for EPWP projects are appointed through the normal procument processes of public bodies. Normally public bodies will require that consultants have completed the relevant NQF training on labor- intensive construction methods.
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Do consultanats need to be trained?
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Yes, but this depends on the nature of the project and the experience of the consultant itself. The training is of high importance and consultants need to be trained as in line with EPWP requirements. Consultants that want to be part of EPWP need to attend the NQF level 7 or NQF level 5 CETA accredited training on labor intensive construction.
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Where can I receive further relevant information?
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For further information on this contact the Department of Pubic Works at (012) 337 3115 or (012) 337 2507, and the website designed for your convenience www.epwp.gov.za. Alternatively the physical address of EPWP unit is Cnr Church & Bosman Street, Poyntons Building, 14th floor, PRETORIA.
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| Potential Learner |
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What is the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP)? |
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EPWP is a national government initiative aimed at drawing a significant number of employed people into productive work. Its conceptualization gained recognition after the programme started on the 1st April 2004, following the cabinet agreements in November 2003. It is also accompanied within by four sectors i.e environmental, economic, infrastructural and social sectors. EPWP ‘s strategy is to create work opportunities coupled with training to ensure that workers gains skills while they work, and increase their capacity to earn an income in the future.
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What is the EPWP Learnership Programme?
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Department of Public Works (DPW) together with CETA, has established a labour intensive contractor learnership programme, and the aim of this learnership programme is to produce small contractors qualified to execute work in accordance to the guidelines. Within this learnership programme, learner contractors need to execute projects to gain practical experience. Of course like any other learnership, it is a route for learning and gaining qualifications within the NQF (National Qualification Framework) from level 1 to 8, whereby qualifications are based on unit standards. Learnerships include both structured work experience (practical component) and institutional (a theory learning component). The learnership programme targets those people whom fall within the HDI targets and that have best chances of succeeding as small contractors.
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Is this a registered learnership programme?
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Yes, it is registered with Construction SETA (Sectoral Educational Training Authority). Construction SETA, its primary objective is to strategically influence the course of training and skills development by ensuring that all training reflects current sectoral needs and requirements of the construction sector.
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Who recruits and selects learners?
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All learners are and must be selected through an open and transparent advertisement and selection processes. The advertisements must include closing date, a time and the regional person to be contacted, where the final advertisement is approved by the NDPW. The selection process will be overseen through by a selection committee which will then be appointed by management committee, containing representative from NDPW, Public body, CETA, accredited Training provider and Mentor. The target also is placed to those people whom fall within the historically disadvantaged groups.
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What do I need to qualify or become a learner?
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The following characteristics will be considered in the selection process:
| Experience in the construction or contracting sector; |
| Higher qualifications than the minimum specified; |
| Experience in owning/ running or managing a business (for contractors) and |
| Access or ownership of capital or assets that would be useful for contracting company |
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Is the programme following employment equity principles?
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Yes, the criteria being used apply most of the set rules within the recognized employment legislations as stipulated by the Department of Labour (DOL). It is also central to the structure of the EPWP, that the learnership to be provided to the previously unemployed beneficiaries.
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Does EPWP learnerships have a distinctive difference to any other learnership programmes available in the country?
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Yes, the distinction is that they are based and focusing on labor intensive construction methods. Their methods of operation are ideally regulated by the unique guidelines as stipulated within EPWP guidelines for implementing infrastructure projects.
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What is the duration of these learnerships?
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Once off the learners are selected and prior to the commencement of the classroom training, the Lead Employee (Public body), the learner and the selected accredited training provider will sign a Learnership Agreement which will specify the terms and conditions of the agreement of the following parties for the learnership period: construction contractor-NQF Level 2 is 24 months and the Construction Supervisor-NQF Level 4 is equivalent to 39 months. In general the programme can consume up to two –three years.
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How do EPWP calculate their allowances (stipends) and entitlements towards the learners? |
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Following the guidelines, CETA will pay each learner a stipend of R 120 per week, for a maximum of 30 weeks during the classroom sessions, where the Public body may pay allowances for sessions beyond 30 weeks. Travel allowances may also include return daily fare not exceeding R 35 per day.
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Are there any guidelines that one should follow in the learnership?
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Yes, there are couples of documents that stipulate one’s involvement within the learnership programme amongst others this included Management Plan for Labour Intensive Construction Learnerships Rev. 5 -October 2005 and the Learner Guide (March 2006). These documents generally provide a list of referencing where there is a need for disciplinary action after several misconducts by the learner, for example. Reference should also be invested within the Guidelines for the Implementation of Labour-Intensive Infrastructure Projects under the EPWP, where one will be able to know types of infrastructure which are suitable for construction using labour intensive methods.
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After two years of practical experience and training where do I go?
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At the end of these learnerships, the successful learners will obtain an NQF level 2 Construction Contractor (labour-intensive construction) qualification, and the contractor’s supervisors will obtain an NQF Level 4 Construction Supervisor (labour-intensive) qualification. The aim of this learnership remains to be a vehicle for learners to become independent contractors or supervisors.
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