Workstream Three

ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE

The central concern of this workstream is the elimination of absolute poverty and seeking ways of addressing the core challenges of unemployment and inequality. This entails the definition and creation of a social protection floor below which no South African should live. To further their objective, the workstream has focused on reducing the cost of living for poor households, youth labour market transitions, universal health coverage, and early childhood development.

Education

Focus:

Tracking the building blocks towards the achievement of the NHI through different mechanisms (i.e. experts round tables and dialogues; Interrogating issues surfacing from various monitoring reports); Investigating healthcare challenges including rollout of NHI and gaps in NDP

Activities:

Commission work that focuses on an identified gap in the NDP on pharmaceuticals; i.e. the role and place of pharmaceuticals in improving the health outcomes.

Convene stakeholder engagements.

Compile highlights from different monitoring reports.

Progress:

In partnership with World Health Organization and Department of Health held a roundtable on South Africa’s health system and the National Health Insurance (NHI). Discussions focused on the role of health insurance in the national health system and some of the priority issues that need to be addressed to achieve an affordable and accessible health system. These issues may include the funding of infrastructure, as well as looking into the cost of pharmaceuticals

Social Protection

Focus:

Youth labour market transitions; This entail mapping and understanding the available initiatives that address the challenge, their nature and scale of operation, possibilities and feasibility (operational and financial) in terms of scaling up, review policy gaps and investigate institutionalization of these interventions

Activities:

Empirical understanding of youth labour market transitions and pathways- research.

Mapping the youth labour market transition delivery sector - research;

Investigate institutional and financing models (country business case for accelerated inclusive youth employment) – research and engagements

Host multi-stakeholder leadership conference to mobilise, align and accelerate efforts to drive inclusive youth employment in support of the implementation of the NDP

Mobilise and align stakeholders so as to focus and co-ordinate efforts and investment in support of the NDP

Progress:

A report on Youth Labour Market Transitions has been finalised and circulated to Commissioners.

Draft report was presented at the Presidential Working Group on Youth in August 2017, comments received and incorporated into the final report

Knowledge sharing platforms created to share and generate knowledge to support evidence based planning and policy on matters related to youth transitions in particular; 2 conferences and knowledge sharing exchanges held

Health

The work stream identified the following as priority areas of focus:

1. Cost of living for the poor

Focus:

Examining the impact of the cost of living for the poor to get a better understanding of the drivers of poverty and exploring mitigation strategies at government’s disposal

Activities:

Commission work to consolidate various pieces of work on consumption patterns, pricing for essential goods and services, i.e. StatsSA work, etc.

Review of cost of basic services and their impact on cost of living. Are there levers that government can use to reduce the cost of living, i.e. revisiting RDP standards / Free Basic Services provision

Commission to undertake site visits to dialogue with communities to get a view from citizens on their experiences with respect to FBS, cost of living, etc.

Progress:

First area of focus is the impact of cost of basic services on cost of living, electricity and water, transport, education, health, food, etc. The work stream commissioned a study on “Analysing the Impact of State Services on the cost of living for the poor”.

The NPC hosted roundtable with different stakeholders on the Cost of Living draft report.

The report has been completed and circulated internally.

2. Review of the social welfare white paper

Focus:

Focus on critical aspects of the Social Welfare Review Report for follow up, alignment with NDP and implementation related to social welfare services to address vulnerability and those at risk.

Determine the aspects of social welfare that should be part of the social protection floor.

Activities:

The NPC, through Commissioner Taylor was involved in the process to review the White Paper on Social Welfare.

Engage with DSD on implementation of proposals arising from the Review of the White Paper for Social Welfare.

Progress:

The review of the White Paper process has been completed and submitted to the Minster of Social Development. The first draft is scheduled to go to Cabinet in February 2018.

3. Children NDP

Focus:

The Children’s National Development Plan (NDP) project is aimed at giving the children of South Africa an opportunity to express their views about the NDP. The project is qualitative rather than quantitative in that it engages with selected groups of children in each province.

Activities:

Workshops with children have been conducted by Commissioner Nomdo with other commissioners and supported by the NPC Secretariat.

Progress:

Five successful engagements with children in four provinces have been held to date (Western Cape, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Kwa-Zulu Natal)

Children, Youth and Persons With Disabilities

Focus:

From the outset, the NPC identified the issue of funding in higher education as an urgent priority.

Activities:

The Deputy Chair of the NPC made a submission to the Commission of Inquiry into funding of higher education and training and his presentation was circulated

Progress:

The report of the Heher Commission into the funding of higher education has been released, and government is in the process of elaborating the policy announced in December 2017.

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