ICT has long been seen as the answer to many of government's service delivery problems. The potential that exists for e-government, however, is yet to achieve in the real world the heights hinted in theory.

There is no doubt that while national government clearly understands the bene ts that true e-government can bring; achieving this is not so easy. There are innumerable challenges facing the implementation of e-government at national level, including organisational change within the public sector, legislative and policy change, training and skills development, establishing mutually beneficial partnerships across sectors, and the maintenance and upkeep of deployed investments.

At the same time, rapid advances in technologies, platforms and solutions are opening new doors to government. These new o erings hold enormous potential to assist government in its drive to deliver a better life for all, providing that it is willing and able to harness these.


THE KEY DRIVER FOR 2011

SA ranks 61st on the 2011 World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology Report, with government readiness and the promotion of ICT coming in at a poor 92nd. Furthermore government is also not using ICT to improve the efficiency of its operations (ranked 80th) and is currently providing inadequate e-services to its citizens (ranked 62nd). Thus it should come as no surprise to learn that e-government is expected to be the main driver of IT spending in the government sector in SA during 2011.

An IDC Government Insights Report says spending in the sector totalled US$1.47 billion in 2010, largely on the back of e-government initiatives. The report suggests that IT spending in the government sector in SA is expected to show steady positive growth over the 2011-2015 periods.

Achieving operational e ciency, better service provisioning, and lower costs through automation are expected to be key priorities for the sector in 2011. However, the IDC says SA still has a long way to go in terms of creating a sophisticated e-government infrastructure, adding that the 2010 United Nations e-Government Development Index ranks the country 97th out of 190 states, with an index value of 0.4306, behind the world average of 0.4406.

The South African economy will continue to expand steadily over the coming years, registering an average of 4% growth per annum between 2011 and 2015, according to the research company. Virtualisation, security, and data management technologies are expected to be the key IT investment areas during that period, it says.

E-SKILLS INSTITUTE The DoC states that communications technology skills and the capacity to use new technologies remains a pre-requisite for effective participation of citizens in the information society and knowledge-based economy. This will create opportunities for employment and wealth creation by using new electronic communications services. Despite ongoing efforts, the department remains challenged by an alarming skills deficit across society. To address the e-skills deficit, the DoC is currently incubating the e-Skills Institute (e-SI), which will act as a clearing house for e-skills initiatives in the country, in partnership with other stakeholders including universities. The DOC’s medium-term plan is to establish a standalone e-SI. It says that up to now, it has established five Provincial e-Skills Knowledge Production Hubs at partnering universities, which will better coordinate and invigorate all e-skill related activities. It has also established a National e-Skills Research Network (ReSNES) to ensure that the e-skills interventions are based on sound evaluative principles. In addition, the DOC has also developed a National e-Skills Plan, adopted at the first e-Skills Summit held in July 2010. The department is thus confident that the e-SI shall, through the roll-out of its programmes, deliver e-skilled practitioners, users and information society knowledge workers in the very near future.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social networking has great potential to be used for e-government applications via mobile phones, according to the 2011 SIM Report. The report, entitled ‘Making broadband accessible for all’, is co-funded by Vodafone and the World Wide Web Foundation, as part of a series of studies on the socio-economic impact of mobile technology adption.

Vodafone says the report provides substantial evidence to suggest that extending data services to as many people as possible will deliver considerable economic and social bene ts. Given the ubiquity of mobile and the growing number of low-cost smart devices, it is likely that data services will be primarily accessed via mobile, particularly in emerging markets where there is no signi cant legacy  xed-line infrastructure.

The report also highlights the role that relevant and appealing content plays in building demand for data usage to a critical point where network effects and economies of scale accelerate. The use of global Web sites, especially social networking sites such as Facebook, is becoming widespread. This is a good sign as these sites can provide the platform for the development of local content, and can help to drive the prices down, according to Vodafone.

The company adds that the report recommends governments provide mobile-enabled services free of charge in order to increase broadband take up. CEO of the World Wide Web Foundation, Steve Bratt, stated that a ordability for low-income users will require innovation that does not place most of the burden of access costs on them.

“This report shows that social networking has huge potential to act as a platform for e-government applications accessible via mobile handset devices. We hope regulators allow innovations in this area to flourish and not inhibit them by pre-conceived notions of the right model or pricing,” Bratt added.


GOVERNMENT AND THE CLOUD

World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck says that cloud computing can play a major role in service delivery, especially as the Internet starts to become a mass market medium in SA. Goldstuck says that cloud computing – especially in the public sector – has not been drafted into specific strategies as of yet, and government IT professionals need to  find a way to integrate it into their respective places.

“They are aware of it but there is no indication that they have a strategy to integrate it into strategy,” he said.

According to a study by global giant HP, 18% of government’s IT delivery will be via the public cloud by 2015, a point Goldstuck labels “optimistic”.

“It is probably an optimistic forecast, given that there are no concrete plans for it at this stage. On the other hand, it will be inadequate in terms of its potential for leveraging the Internet as a delivery tool for citizen services.”

While cloud computing enables companies to o er far more services and options to a far greater range of clients without having to increase their own infrastructure, there are reasons it has taken longer to be fully implemented.

“Many companies steer clear of it for two reasons. Firstly, they are o ered complex solutions without a clear security hierarchy; and secondly, they  find the cloud metaphor a little disturbing. It sounds like something that can evaporate if it is too heavily used or if something goes wrong,” Goldstuck said.

In reality, Goldstuck suggests that it should be called Vault Computing or Bunker Computing, because the applications and files all reside in a data centre with fortress-like facilities, massive generators for backup and strong access control. If that message were sent more aggressively, a lot of companies would overcome their fears.

“Cloud computing should certainly not be viewed in a negative light by IT people as it has its advantages despite its vagueness. It enables them to offer far more services and options to a far greater range of clients without having to increase their own infrastructure,” said Goldstuck.


GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS

Since 2007, the ICT market has grown by over R131 billion to R179 billion in 2010. It is estimated that the sector will grow to R187 billion in 2011, with an estimated  gure of R250 billion by 2020. This growth will be driven by the rapid uptake and usage of data and applications-driven mobile communications.


THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS

To achieve this growth target, the Department of Communications (DOC) says it will implement several interventions to address the cost to communicate; access to electronic communications infrastructure and reduce barriers to entry in order to promote competition within the sector. It will further introduce amendments to the Electronic Communications Act.

Communications Minister Roy Padayachie says that communications technology infrastructure is a basic foundation for economic competitiveness. Government has, during the last few years, increased investment in infrastructure to create jobs and stimulate the economy. Government will accelerate broadband infrastructure spending.

In this regard, an initial R450 million has been allocated for the provision of broadband services. An integrated broadband implementation plan, which will harmonise various broadband related initiatives, will be finalised in the current financial year.

Further, Padayachie says that Sentech and eThekwini Municipality are in discussions to create an intelligent city as part of a focus on providing broadband services in urban areas. This will allow for Internet-based government services that enable ubiquitous connectivity to transform key government processes internally to improve e ciencies, and externally to improve service delivery to the people.

Recently, the DOC has been focused on launching a number of cyber labs and community centres aimed at taking access to the people. In May 2011, the department launched cyber labs at Maphophoma School in Nongoma, in Msinga at Msinga High School and at Mzingezwi Secondary School in Ndwedwe. In addition, an Information and Communications Technology Centre located in the government multi-purpose community communications centre in Mpendle was opened.

The Deputy Minister, together with Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA), also unveiled the Ulwazi ICT Community Centre in New Crossroads, Cape Town. Padayachie says that these projects are about connecting rural SA. By implementing the department’s strategy and commitment to bring access to ICTs and digital skills to rural communities, it can facilitate better access to information, better opportunities
and indeed a better life for all the learners. The DOC is thus justly proud that its work is bene ting schools and  learners who are living in rural areas as well as the communities where they serve.

Finally, the minister also suggested that a review of USAASA’s strategic direction in the provision of universal access and service is to be undertaken. This strategic repositioning seeks to transform USAASA into a Digital Opportunity Foundation, and to remove the bottlenecks that have made it difficult for us to exploit the Universal Service and Access Fund.

SITA’S CHALLENGES • Poor service delivery • The absence of an integrated Customer Relationship Management approach • Procurement processes fraught with weaknesses, culminating in irregular expenditure and non-compliance with regulatory frameworks • The perceived high cost and pricing models • The high turnover of leadership at executive level and lack of core skills • Poor governance leadership

THE DEPARTMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS

Having reached a settlement with Gijima and other suppliers – subject to the ful lment of various conditions – resolving the dispute concerning the implementation of the Who Am I Online (WAIO), the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is claiming levels of ICT success that did not appear possible a year ago.

The WAIO project seeks to re-engineer and digitise most of the key processes of the department together with a significantly-enhanced national population register, including birth and death certificates, processing of identity document and passport applications, Visa and other permit applications, as well as enhanced movement control for South Africans and foreigners at the country’s borders.

According to the DHA, despite the numerous problems with the WAIO system, working in collaboration with South African Revenue Service (SARS), it was able to meet government’s guarantees to FIFA for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The DHA says that the enhanced Movement Control System rolled out at 34 priority air, land and sea ports of entry enabled the country to facilitate the smooth entry and exit of over two million visitors to the country, coinciding with the period of the World Cup.

 In addition, the department says that since the system is integrated and linked to law enforcement agencies, customs and SARS, it will remain in place to assist in ensuring smooth immigration processes whilst simultaneously enabling the country to push back the frontiers of crime, fraud and corruption.

 According to Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the success of the system was highlighted during the recent investigation, which proved that a suspected Al-Qaeda terrorist killed in Mogadishu recently was not in possession of a lawfully issued South African passport – the document he held was a fake. The system proved without a doubt that no movement into or out of the country by the deceased was recorded on the local system. The 2010 FIFA World Cup further witnessed the introduction of the Advance Passenger Processing (APP) System, the deployment of eight Airline Liaison O cers (ALO) at airline hubs around the world, and the development of the historic Event Visa which was extended to countries whose nationals would, under normal circumstances, require Visas to visit SA.


THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION

The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) o cially went live with a pilot run of government’s Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) solution early in 2011. At the time, Public Service Minister Richard Baloyi said he was delighted that his department was the first to go live on the human resource module of the system.

“DPSA is the  rst user of the IFMS module and we believe we will  nd ourselves in a position to realise the IT value,” Baloyi said. “We are aware of the challenges in the past and hope we have the capacity to ensure IFMS doesn’t remain a dream.”

IFMS is a joint venture between the DPSA, National Treasury and SITA. The system will integrate and modernise it systems to support human resource management and supply chain processes, among others. The system will replace legacy systems such as Persal, Vulindlela and Logis, among other dated systems.

SITA was equally thrilled that IFMS  nally went live and stated that it was a sign of many positives to come, with the agency saying that it now intended to focus on project delivery rather than on papers. This is the first rollout but many more rollouts are expected, said SITA.

However, Baloyi also warned that the project can only be called a success when government fully implements it, adding that the implementation of the human resource module was a milestone for service delivery. “The success of the IFMS will be reached when all government departments participate,” he said.


SITA’S CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES

In his 2011 budget speech, Baloyi pointed out that SITA’s turnaround strategy was put in motion to overcome a number of serious challenges, which required immediate attention. Furthermore, he said that the turnaround strategy identified seven strategic outcomes for the period 2011 to 2014, namely:
• Quality service delivery to the public sector
• Profi cient lead agency in public sector Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
• Effective and integrated public sector ICT supply chain management.
• Competitive pricing and fi nancial sustainability
• Effective ICT regulator
• Effective governance and monitoring; and
• Employer of choice.

According to Baloyi, SITA has already achieved several deliverables as set out in the Turnaround Strategy. These included the fact that a fully-constituted Board of Directors was appointed during April 2010, the Chief Operations Officer was appointed during November 2010, and the Chief Executive O cer was appointed during January 2011. He said that all remaining outstanding executive appointments will be finalised during the fourth quarter of 2011.

Furthermore, said Baloyi, SITA has a record of service delivery that has a number of highlights. The first is that a Telemedicine Project is currently underway at the Department of Health and the the Department of Social Development in Limpopo. This project entails the upgrading of infrastructure to ensure suitability for the utilisation of telemedicine equipment and facilities, thus ensuring that citizens in the rural communities receive adequate health consultations for effective health care. Of the 14 sites identi ed, ten have been successfully upgraded.

SITA also made progress with the national network upgrade programme for the South African Police Services, and the ICT teams deployed have ensured high service delivery levels. The high level of service excellence on the Active Directory support at the Mpumalanga Department of Education has also raised the potential of the integration of IT support functions.

He also pointed out that SITA successfully hosted the Independent Electoral Commission’s call centre during the local government elections of 2011, while the development of a Master Systems Plan (MSP) for the Mpumalanga Department of Social Development is well underway, and Phase One of the project is nearing completion.

The Poverty Index System that was implemented as a pilot for the City of Johannesburg in collaboration with the Departments of Housing, Social Development and Health, is yet another success story, providing a composite view of indigent citizens, which enables the city to track human development in its constituencies and support government objectives on the war against poverty.

Five out of the nine IFMS modules have been built or acquired, while the SITA Library Information Management System (SLIMS) has been implemented to replace legacy systems at provincial and public libraries nationally. So far, six provincial libraries, one Metro (City of Cape Town) and 85 public libraries have been migrated. SITA is on track to meet the deadline of December 2011 for full migration.


NEW ACCESS METHODS

For citizens who live in areas that are remote and lack basic infrastructure, services and utilities, access to government services remains severely limited. Citizens are required to incur the costs of travelling long distances to reach service points in the nearest local towns. Understanding this, government has stated that it plans to respond to these challenges by repackaging service o erings and developing new models and ways of providing services and information –  rstly, to maximise the e ectiveness of face-to-face service interaction and secondly, to maximise the take-up of self-service for citizens through the use of technology.

While there have been many groundbreaking initiatives aimed at bringing government closer to the people, much work still needs to be done. However, progress is being noted through the development of numerous integrated service delivery and access mechanisms and channels. These include the Community Development Workers, the Expanded Public Works Programme, General Mobile Units, the e-government gateway (otherwise known as the Batho Pele gateway portal), Izimbizo, intermediaries, call centres, the Thusong Service Centre Programme, and the recently opened pilot urban mall project in Soweto.

Government is also attempting to  nd alternative methods of providing citizens with convenient access to services. For example, the DPSA and partner institutions will investigate a collaborative partnership with the Passenger Rail Agency of SA to develop government ‘one-stop shops’ via Thusong centres at train stations.

Government will also investigate how trains can be used as another vehicle to bring services to the people of SA, especially in the remote rural areas which are difficult to reach through conventional roads infrastructure.

As Padayachie has pointed out in the past, there is no silver bullet to the challenges that SA faces, but the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. He says that with mature and responsible leadership, which makes the right decisions for the right reasons, we should be able to achieve an efficient and effective public administration that contributes to making SA a safe and nurturing place in which to live, and an attractive investment destination.