The e-government initiative has been talked about for years as a vision for enabling every citizen to apply for services without filling in reams of paperwork, waiting in queues or being shunted from office to office. But the more that government explores the initiative, the more work it uncovers. Last week, the e-government project was discussed at three separate events, each attracting a high level of interest from information technology companies eager to win some work. But each event shared a common concern that government and the private sector do not see eye to eye.
"Government and the private sector aren't really talking to each other," says Jane Mosebi of research house Forge Ahead.
"The private sector wants business from the government but that's not the right attitude. Government wants the private sector to understand it intimately. They need to work together so the private sector doesn't just deliver goods and go away, but understands what government is all about and shares the risks."
Government needs to communicate better to tell the industry exactly what is happening and precisely what it requires, agrees Mike Wright, the organiser of an industry think-tank, First Tuesday.
A government official says the problem was that IT suppliers simply wanted to sell a product, and were not interested in holistic solutions. The perfect technology partner would analyse the problems within government operations, design a solution, then provide the services for a fixed fee, such as producing passports within a week or running the payroll system, he says.
IT spending in SA is expected to hit R35bn this year, of which government alone would account for R14bn, says Mojalefa Moseki, chief information officer of the State IT Agency (Sita).
Much of that will be generated by the e-government's most visible project, the Gateway, an internet portal serving as the front door to all government services. Eventually people will be able to access the Gateway through the internet at home, at work, or from internet cafes, or at 8000 internet kiosks to be installed in post offices, banks and at other points.
Walk-in centres will be established where computer illiterate citizens can ask an assistant to help them. People in remote areas will access the services by telephone, by calling an agent to act as their internet intermediary.
The Gateway is a six-phase project. The first will see information put online, but with no ability to interact. Users may be able to see what social benefits they are entitled to and the address of the local office they must visit, for example. Phase two will introduce e-mail for asking questions and receiving replies. Each phase will offer more interactivity, until information automatically flows between different departments without intervention. That will let details recorded at various times during a person's life be made available for the next event, from birth to death.
The size of the task is enormous. Home affairs alone has 14 different systems which are not linked to each other, let alone to other government departments.
"Information is the single most important resource within government," says Moseki.
"This will be one of the most modern service delivery systems in the world. But e-government will not happen overnight, it will take a massive change. There is so much to be done and so many stakeholders to be consulted."
Government has not yet reached phase one, although TSystems has been contracted to set up the internet portal, while Siemens Business Services and Cornastone are setting up a call centre. That should soon be completed so phase one can be launched next month.
"For the second stage, we will go out to tender to find companies able to offer services as we go forward," says Moseki. Every province will appoint its own service providers to carry out the work using standards and technologies approved by Sita.
One source said no calculations had been made to extrapolate the likely cost of the entire Gateway project.
"There will be cost savings and it will serve customers better, but it is never going to be a breakeven project," he said. The costs will be shared by the public service and administration department and various other government departments.
"This is a 10-year process in its entirety," said Vusi Magagula, the chief information officer for the public enterprises department. "Government has done a reality check and recognises that it has to improve its services."
Quelle: AllAfrica
