Hammarsdale Cato Ridge
Development Programme (HCRDP)
Not for Profit Company 2020/674596/08
VISION
To advance Hammarsdale and Cato Ridge as a desirable place to work and live,
thereby supporting growth, employment, and transformation
What is the HCRDP?
A coordinated cooperative approach to area development by firms to address shared challenges
Many challenges in Hammarsdale and Cato Ridge are significant and shared by firms including community relations, infrastructure, safety and environmental issues.
Alone the challenges are often overwhelming. Collaboration is essential if meaningful change is to be delivered. A Development Programme has been devised to address these challenges. It requires firms’ support to be realised.
What are the objectives?
A number of firms from Hammarsdale and Cato Ridge came together in 2019 and developed four broad objectives, outlined below.
Support improved educational outcomes to achieve an increase in human potential realisation
Address infrastructure and safety deficits to make the area a better and safer place to work and live
Support access to work opportunities, self-employment and reduce poverty
Environmental conservation/rehabilitation
Firm-led Workstream groups will review the draft objectives, strategies and activities and oversee delivery by bridge.
Additional/alternative objectives may emerge as more relevant and activities will evolve over time.
Short-medium term activities can be added to address emerging challenges i.e. COVID-19 response, fire, logistics.
Why is it needed now?
The area has a long history of unrest and some of the poorest wards in eThekwini are located here.
Positively there have been notable recent public and private sector investments which are set to accelerate, specifically multi-billion Rand upgrades to the N3 in the short-medium term.
While broadly beneficial, united, proactive private sector engagement, particularly over this period of significant development is needed. Alignment of public sector, private sector and community strategies is required for the full benefit of these investments to be realised.
What are the benefits?
Significance
Ongoing proactive engagement, delivery and communication by dedicated delivery partner allows pre-emptive, coordinated action
Common platform gives a stronger voice when engaging stakeholders
Effective
Implement best practices based on collective knowledge and experience
New inter-firm linkages, supply opportunities, collective buying and other direct commercial benefits
Efficient
Reduce duplication of efforts and overhead type costs
Shared learnings ensure optimal strategy, activities and reduction of waste
Maximise impact through scale and pooled resources
Cost effective and most expenditure allocable from mandated B-BBEE ESD and SED* spend
Sustainable
Multi-firm ownership ensures long term view, continuous improvement and programme longevity
More significant interventions delivered allow communication of demonstrable progress and associated recognition
How are the objectives achieved?
A detailed business plan has been drafted outlining specific strategies, activities and deliverables. Delivery is overseen closely by firm members -
An Executive Committee is appointed by member firms which oversees the overall HCRDP
Each objective is overseen by a Workstream group of member firms which reviews progress and guides activity
Implementation is led by bridge, a specialist 3rd party facilitator.
Structure
1. Firm-led Executive Committee oversight. Service Level Agreement with bridge
2. Rigour and accountability of a Not for Profit Company (NPC)
3. Convert to a Special Rating Area if beneficial
Executive Committee role
4. Provision of insights to guide effective strategy development
5. Oversight of Programmatic delivery and evaluate activity impact
6. Promote the initiative to key stakeholders, members and prospective members
Firm member role
7. Co-operate with bridge; share practical challenges, solutions, information (non-competitive)
8. Active participation in Workstream oversight
bridge facilitator role
9. Overall Programme management including finance, compliance, communication, recruitment, reporting
10. Strategy: Executive Committee membership, strategic and administrative support, stakeholder engagement
11. Programme activity delivery: project management, delivery, project management of specialist 3rd parties
Next steps
(1) August 2020
bridge begins programme delivery, as outlined, at risk, securing membership and member inputs
(3) November 2020
Workstream Leads nominated
First Executive Committee meeting
(4) December 2020
Minimum 25 firms commit participation
Official HCRDP launch
Contact bridge for the draft business plan, the Governance documentation (ultimately for Executive Committee approval) and a membership form.
Commit to membership. All member fees held in Attorney’s Trust account until 25 firms commit participation and HCRDP viability assured.
