The modernisation of home affairs' systems remains a critical issue at the department, despite the process beginning in 2008.
Briefing the Parliamentary committee on its first quarter performance for 2012/13 last week, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) said one of its key challenges going forward is the dire need for the modernisation of its systems.
Technology company Gijima was, in June 2008, awarded the contract to overhaul the department's IT infrastructure under the project name 'Who Am I Online' (WAIO). The contract covered the design, development and implementation of an integrated core system.
The WAIO contract was set to replace the department's outdated and obsolete legacy systems, as well as improve security. However, in April 2010, the DHA declared the contract invalid, reportedly owing to Gijima's failure to deliver. However, Gijima's legal team held that the contract was valid and enforceable.
Home affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the matter was hampering the department's IT progress, since the delay in rolling out projects like the smart ID card project was due to the ongoing dispute with Gijima.
In March last year, Gijima and its funding partners reached an amicable settlement agreement with the department to map a way forward for the completion of the WAIO project.
Modernisation blame
The lack of a signed contract with Gijima resulted in low spending for transversal IT management in the first quarter. However, the contract has since been finalised and so the department expects spending to pick up in the second quarter.
It added that under-spending in goods and services was at 14.2% of the desired 25% “which is worrying” but analysis had shown that the modernisation scheme which has yet to take off is mainly to blame.
Other challenges the department expects to face going forward include the provision of bandwidth by the State Information Technology Agency.
The DHA gave a strategic overview of progress made during the 2011/12 financial year and this included that its transformation began from the perspective of improving security, service delivery, and critical information systems.
It added that governance and management systems were strengthened in coordination with the provinces. This resulted in its first unqualified audit in 15 years.
Online application
The DHA updated the committee on several technology projects. This included a track-and-trace system, which has been designed to track the progress of migrants in the system and looked at the challenges to separate migrant skills with added functionality in the process being programmed in.
The Trusted Traveller programme will expedite the movement of people in and out of the country and eventually there will be a system where travellers can just use their fingerprint to enter the country with no need to stand in a queue.
The smart card will be piloted by the end of the financial year. The department is consulting with various stakeholders, social services and banks, and working with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in the process of finalising the smart card pilot programme.
The DHA says within 18 months, there should be an announcement for citizens to apply to replace green ID books with new smart ID cards.
It adds that it is in the process of replacing old technology with new and designing a new system in cooperation with the SA Revenue Services, where people can apply for documents online and biometrics will eliminate queues as part of the overall modernisation project.
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