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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

 

 

E-government in South Africa still finds itself perched between performance and promise, as we still have to experience its full potential in the country.
E-government does have the potential, however, to transform the way in which public services are delivered and fundamentally alter the relationship between government, communities and citizens.

 

The face and character of the ICT landscape in the country has radically altered over the past 10 years. Given this evolution and the nature of the ICT sector, SITA too has evolved and developed, often with hard lessons learnt.

 

The organisation, however, remains grounded in ensuring that it supports the public sector agenda and that it remains true to its mandate to provide relevant, effective and efficient ICT products and services in support of government’s vision for the country.

 

As governments globally embrace technology to improve public service delivery, SITA too has positioned itself to support and provide thought leadership on how to best use ICTs to create a service-oriented face for South Africa’s public sector – the essence of e-government.

 

For example, the theme of SITA’s GovTech (Government Information Technology Conference) this year is government’s transformation to a citizen-centric future, in which processes are transformed and integrated from the “outside in”, placing the needs, perspectives, priorities and satisfaction of South Africa’s citizens at the apex of service delivery.

 

While the promise of e-government in South Africa lingers on the horizon, it is being positioned to become an integral part of the way in which government operates. But e-government is also not the panacea or shortcut to world-class efficiency and service delivery. Some of the challenges facing the implementation of e-government within the country include: organisational change within the public sector, legislative and policy change, training and skills development, establishing mutually beneficial partnerships cross-sectorally, and the maintenance and upkeep of deployed investments.

 

Furthermore, the promise of e-government in South Africa must extend beyond the technology and broaden towards making an impact on the citizens and the economy. It is crucial that e-government translates into both social and economic return on investment.

 

Within this context, understanding the needs of citizens in the areas where they live with all its diversity is key to tailor services to these unique environments and customers using multiple channels. South Africa must realise the full potential of e-government, aligned with circumstances and priorities within the country, thereby improving the operations of the public sector, feeding innovation, and accelerating programmes of economic and social transformation.

 

E-government change management and communication models that will interpret how change should be implemented, managed and promoted across government are crucial. Furthermore, citizen awareness and readiness to engage and consume the services is fundamental. Communication, transformation, skills development and marketing initiatives are integral to creating a climate for successful change through e-government.

 

SITA is committed to implementing e-government in support of government’s agenda. The lessons learnt, challenges addressed and our implementation experience over the past 10 years, within this environment, are crucial as we steam ahead to realise the potential of e-government.

 

Some of the emerging key issues are that e-government must focus on citizen needs and the public sector agenda becoming the organising principle around which services and service delivery are planned, structured and logically bundled. While a multichannel approach is required, what is fundamental is ensuring the availability of a right channel for each type of service, and that service delivery is integrated and consistent across channels. Finally, the standardisation and norms around enterprise architecture is critical.

 

SITA stands on the cusp of a new era in support of government modernisation and enhanced service delivery. And the organisation is more than ready, given its 10 years of experience to drive e-government to a higher level.