1. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has developed a procedure to be followed when officials from the WCED are nominated to serve on bodies - such as task teams, advisory bodies, committees and reference groups - at national and provincial levels.
2. This procedure is aimed at ensuring that the WCED's core functions and responsibilities are not compromised when officials provide the necessary support to the national Department of Education, other provincial education departments and other provincial departments.
3. This procedure was developed as a result of concerns raised in various quarters about the manner in which officials from the WCED are nominated to serve on these bodies. It would seem that officials are frequently approached personally and often without departmental approval.
4. In view of the above, the following procedure must be followed when officials of the WCED are requested to serve on national or provincial bodies:
4.1 All requests for officials to be nominated to serve on national or provincial bodies must be addressed in writing to the Superintendent-General, for the consideration of the relevant deputy director-general on the recommendation of the director and/or chief director.
4.2 The written request must include the purpose of the body concerned, the duration for which it has been established, the frequency with which it will meet and details of who will carry the cost of the official participating in the activities of that body. The name of the person who will substitute for the official in his or her absence must also be included.
4.3 Details of the payment of subsistence and travelling allowances must be approved, via the relevant programme manager, prior to submission of the name of the official nominated to serve on the body concerned. It must be borne in mind that subsistence and travel allowances will be paid only if the relevant deputy director-general has granted approval for the official to serve on the body.
4.4 Officials may not receive nominations in their personal capacities or outside this protocol.
4.5 Where appropriate, the nominated official must seek a mandate from the relevant chief director and/or deputy director-general regarding issues to be discussed at meetings of the body concerned.
4.6 Written reports on the activities of the body must be submitted as requested by the relevant deputy director-general.
5. A register of WCED officials serving on bodies at national and provincial levels will be kept in the office of the Superintendent-General.
6. Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of all officials concerned and request them to sign and date an acknowledgement of receipt of the document.


SIGNED: J.H. HURTER
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2007:02:23