TRC Final Report

Volume 1

Chapter 9

Subsection 3

Developing an integrated plan of action

23 In order to meet the statutory goals and objectives of the Commission within limited time and financial resources, controls were necessary. In order to identify its critical strategic activities, therefore, the Commission prepared an integrated action plan. Its purpose was to ensure that the Commission anticipated rather than reacted to the demands of its mandate.

24 This careful planning manifested itself in streamlined processes, programmes and activities, strategies, agendas and schedules of formal meetings and hearings, as well as in the Commission’s ultimate staff roll out and close down plans.

25 The action plan also included methods whereby the Commission could communicate its ideas and strategies to portfolio heads and, through them, to staff members and stakeholders. However, when these strategies proved inadequate, a system of decision advisories was introduced.

26 The structure of the Commission was unique in that it incorporated and integrated the features of centralised, decentralised and organic types of organisations of differing sizes and complexities. In this context, the Commission, its standing committees and management system represented the structure of a learning organisation that allowed for the continuous devolution of power to middle management. Individual managers were empowered to make decisions and account for their respective portfolios, and they were able to evaluate, rationalise, streamline, classify and promote smooth functional relationships and reporting lines within a climate of mutual trust and respect.

27 The structure also aimed to ensure broad consultation and co-ordination across the spectrum of the Commission. This served to facilitate the team approach and helped in the resolution of issues and problems facing management. Such a structure was, by definition, task-orientated and highly interactive. It respected consultation as a means to accommodating creative and constructive tensions. According to this system, the team (and not the individual) was the source of power. Hence effective systems, learning organisations, national projects and policy planning processes could be redesigned by individuals according to their different functions.

28 Beyond the field of direct control there are, of course, other relationships that need to be taken into account – characterised by influence, power and the transactional environment. These matters required the constant attention of the chief executive officer.

Helping prepare agendas of Commission meetings

29 In order to keep and maintain proper records of the various processes, policies, decisions, programme activities and strategies of the Commission, it became necessary to request items, appropriate reports and documentation (on a monthly basis) in order to put together formal agendas for the Commission’s business meetings.

Developing and streamlining the Commission’s operational policies and procedures

30 Operational policies and procedures (such as financial controls, human resources policies and procedures) were developed and adopted in order to enhance the Commission’s decision-making process and to ensure that such processes and activities were rationalised, anchored and undertaken within reasonable and clear guidelines. This allowed for better co-ordination of efforts to achieve the Commission’s statutory objectives.

Ensuring that the Commission enjoyed maximum publicity

31 To achieve this objective effectively, the Commission developed and adopted a media and communications strategy whereby it:

a developed strategic working partnerships with human rights and other community-based organisations;

b developed and distributed information booklets on the work and activities of the Commission’s committees;

c developed an advertising campaign aimed at informing the public on the location of the Commission’s national and regional offices. The campaign ran in various national and community-based newspapers with a view to reaching out to and communicating with a wider range of South African communities, readers and supporters.

d used the professional services of the media and communications departments to take advantage of the South African print, broadcast and electronic media and communicate its message through newspaper, television and radio.

32 The Commission also made use of its outreach activities (such as statement-taking workshops, think-tanks, planned and scheduled public hearings) to profile itself and its activities. The hearings became the public face of the Commission.

Safety and security

33 The goal was to ensure that the Commission’s processes, activities and assets (human, intellectual and physical) were safe and secured.

34 This was achieved through the assistance and guidance of the Commission’s national safety and security co-ordinators and the Safety and Security Functional Committee who together developed and implemented a safety and security plan on a national scale.

35 An assets register was created and periodically updated in preparation for the handover of the Commission’s assets. As the Commission’s programme ended, it created and adopted a second assets register to record its intellectual assets – also required to be handed over in terms of the guidelines and regulations and the amendment of the founding Act.