Los criterios para evaluar y revisar los procesos de enseñanza y la práctica docente

The SA government spearheaded two parliamentary hearings and plenary task team meetings that investigated allegations into racism, coordinated stakeholders’ obligations, addressed problems, sought solutions and monitored progress of the transformation of the advertising and marketing industry. Three government departments, namely the GCIS, DoC and DTI have managed these transformation endeavours. The DoL also plays a significant role in the transformation of SA’s workforce.

2.6.1 Government Communication Information System (GCIS)

The GCIS is primarily responsible for communication between the SA government and SA’s citizens. It is involved in drafting communication strategies and programmes for the SA government at a national level and amalgamating communication operations of all government departments (SA. GCIS, 2001a). GCIS addressed several major concerns in the 2001 parliamentary hearings, namely (SA. GCIS, 2001b):

• Transformation within the industry;

• Advertising expenditure in the private media sector;

• Patterns of government advertising expenditure by government; and

• Segmentation tools.

The GCIS’s proposals at the conclusion of the first parliamentary hearing included an industry indaba, strengthening of regulatory bodies and self-regulation by agencies to ensure diversity in society. The GCIS and DoC were commissioned to continue the transformation process at the end of the first parliamentary hearings. It was decided that task groups would be formed to address transformation challenges within the industry and would investigate and make recommendations on the following: content related-matters; Black representation, ownership and media issues, research and advertising spend, as well as development of a broad vision to sketch the overall transformation process of the industry (SA. GCIS, 2002). The GCIS has been relatively quiet since the parliamentary hearings in terms of taking the transformation process forward, other than being a witness to the signing of the Advertising and Marketing Value Statement on 23 April 2003, attending the transformation of Advertising and Marketing Industry Progress Report on 19 October 2004 and signing the MAC Transformation Charter on the 26 September 2007.

2.6.2 Department of Communications (DoC)

The DoC is the public service division of the Communications Ministry and is the policy making body for post, telecommunications and broadcasting services in SA. It administers organisations such as the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the Independent Communication Authority of SA (ICASA), Sentech, the South African Post Office (SAPO) and Telkom (SA. DoC, 2004). The DoC addressed a range of issues from policy focus, to problems of ownership and control from all genders, racial and cultural backgrounds within the broadcasting industry (PMG, 2001a). The DoC commissioned a survey to measure representation and ownership in the industry for the second parliamentary hearings in November 2002. The findings of the survey yielded the following results (Mjwara, 2002):

• Demographics: indicated an under-representation of Black employees and overrepresentation of White employees in the industry. The numbers also display high representation in favour of White females.

• Training and recruitment: there was no or little evidence concerning recruitment representation corrective measures, while training Black employees was not adequate.

It was concluded that although there was some progress made in terms of transformation, it was too slow. It is encouraging that these concerns are being addressed and are high on the agenda of most advertising agencies, although the targets, in terms of acceptable Black representation, are only now heading towards more acceptable levels.

2.6.3 Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)

The DTI's vision is to build a vibrant economy, which is characterised by growth, employment and equity and to build on the full potential of all SA citizens. The DTI is involved in the following fields: investing, starting and growing a business, exporting, big businesses, BEE, protecting consumers and providing detailed information about the SA economy (SA. DTI, 2007a). It is responsible for the BBBEE Codes of Good Practice, which entails development, evaluation and monitoring of BEE charters, initiatives and transactions (SA. DTI, 2007b).

The DTI is the central driving force behind BEE and, therefore, instigation and implementation of legislation, BEE processes and, ultimately, transformation of all industries in SA revolve around the competence of this single government department. Therefore, the slow establishment of BEE legislation and approval of industry charters, as well as unfounded accusations levelled at independent organisations, which attempt to speed up the process and generally slow pace of transformation in SA, rests squarely on the shoulders of the DTI. Examples from recent secondary sources of data illustrate the generally poor performance of the DTI in this respect.

• It has taken the DTI four years (since they tasked SANAS to develop a standard evaluation and measurement mechanism for BEE verification agencies) to gazette the BEE verification manual (on 18 July 2008), which provides BEE verification agencies with a much needed standardised platform from which to operate (Sapa, 2006). The findings of this BEE research study reveals that almost every BEE contribution certificate has used a different format and this could have been averted if the BEE verification manual had been completed in good time.

• The DTI took nearly a full year to gazette the MAC Industry Charter (on 29 August 2008), which was merely a thirty page document and similar to the generic BBBEE scorecard (Jones, 2008).

• On 5 September 2008, the DTI accused ABVA of giving the false impression that they were attempting to provide training on the BEE verification manual under the auspices of the DTI (that they would provide training in the “near future”). It was also alleged that ABVA had not consulted or obtained authorisation to use the DTI’s name. On 12 September 2008, ABVA responded by stating that they had submitted a proposal to the DTI requesting funding for the training and that they were yet to receive a response after numerous phone calls and e-mails (ABVA, 2008d). This typifies the frustration that numerous industry controlling bodies and companies endure when dealing with departments such as the DTI, especially when attempting to speed up the BEE process by fast tracking the pace of this government department.

Even the online BBBEE portal and registry that the DTI initiated in 2008 are problematic, since a company’s BEE contribution certificates or credentials cannot be viewed by the public (such as DoL’s EE plans that are available on request). A listed company should specifically direct and give their reference number to interested parties in order to view their BEE credentials (SA. DTI, 2008).

The company may as well give their BEE credentials directly to interested parties and save themselves the cost and effort (especially in terms of dealing with the DTI) of being listed. The names of listed companies cannot even be seen on the BBBEE registry. Is this not the whole point behind a registry - for interested parties to freely view a company’s good BEE credentials and consequently do business with them, thereby advancing BEE? The findings of this BEE study correspond with the abovementioned literature and also reveals how the DTI has hindered the transformation process owing to sluggish decision-making and general ineffectiveness.

2.6.4 Department of Labour (DoL)

The DoL publishes legislation that regulates labour practices and activities in SA and plays a significant role in reducing unemployment, poverty and inequality via their policies and programmes that are aimed at enhancing economic efficiency and productivity; skills development and employment creation; sound labour relations; eliminating inequality and discrimination in the

workplace; and alleviating poverty in employment. In terms of this BEE study, key programmes that fall under the ambit of the DoL include (SA. DoL, 2007a):

• Basic conditions of employment apply to all employers and workers and regulate leave, working hours, employment contracts, deductions, pay slips and termination.

• The EE Act aims to promote and achieve equity in the workplace by encouraging equal opportunities amongst all workers.

• Skills development aims to promote development of skills amongst the workforce.

The advertising industry should comply with regulations of the DoL’s EE Act, which is aimed at promoting equal opportunities and fair treatment in employment. This is achieved by the removal of unfair discrimination and by applying AA measures to address disadvantages in employment experienced by designated groups, in order to ensure their equitable representation in all occupational categories and levels within the workplace (SA. DoL, 2007b). However, some top advertising agencies have not complied and the government appears to be doing nothing about non-compliance of the EE Act. This is likely owing to the same reasons discussed in the previous section, in other words, primarily as a result of the ineffectiveness of the DoL that is illustrated in the findings of this BEE study.

2.6.5 Government report

The government (GCIS, DoC and DTI) compiled a report at the conclusion of the second parliamentary hearings on the process towards transformation of the advertising and marketing industry entitled, “The Way Forward”. The report highlighted a need for the following (SA. GCIS, 2002a):

• Developing a framework for transformation that would include a definition of the desired outcomes, setting of targets, timeframes, mechanisms and processes.

• Maintaining the momentum by sustained research and monitoring trends in the industry, in order to achieve faster progress towards the targets.

• Ongoing research and monitoring of more equitable expenditure on advertising, marketing and communication as means to address imbalances.

• Assessing what impedes and promotes EE in order to speed up empowerment at all levels.

• Education must take measures to train more people to enter the industry in order to promote representation at all levels.

This BEE study provides value information in varying degrees on all of the abovementioned needs, since it reveals challenges and how these are addressed, as well as benefits of embarking upon transformation.

2.6.6 South African National Accreditation System (SANAS)

SANAS is a solitary national accreditation body that provides formal recognition to a range of accreditation certification bodies (SANAS, 2008a). It is located on the DTI’s premises and its

Board of Directors is appointed by the DTI (SANAS, 2008b). SANAS was commissioned in 2004 by the DTI to develop standardised rating criteria for BEE verification agencies. The process took them four years (eventually gazetted on 18 July 2008 by the DTI), which has resulted in and lead to a fair amount of confusion pertaining to the accreditation process for BEE verification agencies.

Several verification agencies have completed the pre-assessment stage and have submitted relevant documentation to SANAS in 2007, but there are still no accredited BEE verification agencies and no indication has been given as to when the first ones will be accredited (ABVA, 2008d). Several advertising agencies and other companies have been waiting for verification agencies to be accredited before commencing with verification process, thereby delaying the BEE process. Once again, these delays again reiterate inefficiency and detrimental effects that government departments have on the transformation process.

2.7 Summary

The SA advertising industry was previously dominated by a single race group, but much has changed since the first parliamentary hearings in 2001. This has been in spite of the slow promulgation of legislation, the MAC Transformation Charter, as well as confusion surrounding BEE verification agencies and accusations levelled at the advertising industry for slow transformation progress. A majority of SA advertising agencies have cooperated with advertising bodies, government departments and other organisations to fast track the BEE process, thereby displaying a strong impetus for transformation. The vision, mission and objectives of these organisations and even advertising agencies have changed to portray this commitment. The following chapter traces the transformation process in SA.