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An agile NDP?


Johannesburg, 23 May 2016

With the economy taking strain and growth dropping, there's been a lot of commentary and analysis around government's National Development Plan (NDP), particularly on whether this 'good-on-paper' plan is actually being implemented.

At last week's declaration of the fourth National General Council of the ANC, the clarion call was repeated to unite "...all South Africans around the NDP to promote inclusive growth and development, and eradicate the triple scourge of unemployment, poverty and inequality".

Seemingly, the government does want the NDP to produce results. To that end, it has introduced Operation Phakisa as an accelerator to the NDP. This Malaysian concept, dubbed: "Big Fast Results", piqued President Jacob Zuma's interest during an official visit to the country.

Conceptualised in 2009, Malaysia applied "Big Fast Results" to address its key socioeconomic challenges like unemployment, crime and poverty. Fast delivery, close collaboration between multiple stakeholders, and clear goals and their measurement were the results. Within three years, the country improved access to clear water by 10%, increasing it to the total 98.6% of the rural population of peninsular Malaysia. Access to 24-hour electricity supply increased to 99.8%.

Phakisa may very well be producing important results. The nascent oil and gas sector's fundamental problems with the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act seem to have been resolved with a helping hand from Phakisa. But one swallow does not a summer make. The crisp question is why aren't there more visible, incremental results or progress from the NDP after five years of 'execution'?

If government was run like a business, the management would, by now, have called in the project team and, at the very least, demanded answers, explanations and solutions, or more likely, fired the programme leadership.

While I'm keenly aware of why government isn't like a business for very important reasons, it can surely take one vital leaf out of business' book. When there's a newer, better, more effective way of doing things - grab it with both hands. And there is a newer, better, more effective way of delivering that government should be considering.

Project management - the business world's delivery mechanism - has undergone some radical changes in recent times. Many are now moving away from traditional, sequential or structured processes in favour of iterative approaches. The agile method is, essentially, a series of relatively small tasks conceived and executed to conclusion, as the situation demands an adaptive manner, rather than a completely pre-planned process. The results with this new approach - right here in South Africa - have been nothing short of astounding.

The agile approach focuses on achieving implementation by getting the right people involved. At the helm of any project you need people who are invested in its cause and who understand its objectives. An NDP - run on agile - needs 'champions' from across different fields who are resolute about driving it forward. And they don't necessarily need to be from a particular sector, as long as they are passionate about spearheading transformation in SA.

Then, priorities need to be set and adhered to. The recent addition by government of areas of priority to Operation Phakisa - like education - while understandable from a desirability perspective, is in fact fatal to the cause of the existing project. Ad hoc additions and knee-jerk amendments will only lead to loss of focus and control, compounding the hopelessness of the nation, and further compromising government's credibility.

Finally, sub-division of any project of this magnitude is prudent. The remaining 15-year course of the NDP lends itself to the risk of becoming irrelevant along the way. The political and economic landscapes are bound to have changed by 2030. Agile approach's splitting of major socioeconomic goals into smaller 'portions' makes for rapid delivery. And the resultant sense of achievement from completion of sub-sections brings hope all round. Also, the agile approach allows for implementation of improvements in a short time. At the same time, feedback and learnings that are critical to progress can be explored iteratively. This way, ineffectual ideas can be identified and eliminated, while we produce the country's transformation in small but rapid increments.

The business world uses the very best and latest methodologies - like agile - because they deliver objective results. They work.

Government has become so steeped in process, regulation and bureaucracy that it is virtually impossible for new ideas and methods to be considered - let alone implemented. There are so many ways government could deliver better, if only someone was brave enough or lateral enough to consider another way. I sincerely hope there is.

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