Working together to serve communities

Written by Albert Pule

Two years ago, the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) introduced an integrated service delivery model aimed at changing and improving communication between government and communities.

The model called Ntirhisano was also aimed at responding to the needs of the community quicker. Ntirhisano is a Xitsonga word meaning working together. The model is a collaborative service delivery model that aims to improve government’s service delivery and build an activist public service that is responsive to the needs of the people.

It also aims to empower communities to drive their own development. Ntirhisano is based on three pillars that respond to community issues, resolve service delivery challenges and grow Gauteng communities. These pillars are:

Respond: Government must timeously respond to service delivery queries, using interactive and innovative response systems. All spheres of government are working together to respond to each community’s problems. Government is on the ground solving problems directly with communities.

Resolve: The GPG service delivery approach has been modernised and changed to meet the needs of the people. Ongoing monitoring ensures that all service delivery projects are completed in time and handed over to the rightful communities.

Interventions are made where there are service delivery blockages in clinics, hospitals and housing projects. As an active government, the capacity for rapid response is enhanced to unblock service delivery problems and resolve community complaints, through Ntirhisano.

Grow: Government works with communities to find innovative sustainable solutions, leading to improved and more equitable socioeconomic development.

The programme also ensures that community members actively participate in community development in a constructive and proactive way to meet socio-economic needs.

Involving communities

Residents have a say in how they are run by participating in the Ntirhisano war room monthly meetings. The meetings include civil society and department representatives from all spheres of government. Communities also use the Ntirhisano war room as a one-stop shop for government information about planned government projects and programmes for their area from any sphere of government. The war room also offers the following:

• Residents can register new service requests with the Ntirhisano war room i.e. any service that an individual, household and community needs from any sphere of government.
• Residents can use the Ntirhisano war room to register service delivery complaints as a result of service failures from any sphere of government.
• Residents will have access to government through Community Workers who will visit their household once a month.
• Residents must insist on a case number for all service requests and service delivery complaints that are registered with Ntirhisano war room.