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Government IT at a standstill

Nicola Mawson
By Nicola Mawson, Contributor.
Johannesburg, 06 Dec 2013
The Department of Public Service and Administration lacks direction.
The Department of Public Service and Administration lacks direction.

Government IT is stuck on the runway as the State IT Agency (SITA) is still seen as a disaster and its oversight department, Public Service and Administration (DPSA), has failed to do anything meaningful this year, including to appoint a government CIO.

Although the DPSA did achieve the publication of an ICT governance framework, it has yet to do something around a security framework. In addition, it is not clear whether it has achieved any noticeable goals this year.

Next year is not expected to bring a significant improvement, as the country winds down ahead of the May general elections. The auditor-general's (AG's) latest report on government entities found the DPSA marginally improved its latest audit outcome, but had made little progress in addressing risk.

It had taken "great strides" in addressing weaknesses in public administration by developing the Public Administration Bill, which replaces the outdated Public Service Act.

However, the AG says the DPSA has to fully capacitate its public ICT management branch, play an oversight role to make sure SITA fulfils its mandate effectively, and make sure there is one financial system for government.

No drive

IDC analyst Mark Walker feels government is on ice at the moment. Delivery is likely to fall further behind, as no one wants to commit to tenders in an election year, he adds.

ICT veteran Adrian Schofield says government IT is stuck on the runway. "The question is whether the fuel will last for them to take off."

Schofield says several issues have not been resolved by the department, including the completion of the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) and the creation of a security framework. He says there has not been any movement that he has seen from the department.

In November, proposals to expedite the development and implementation of government's much-delayed IFMS were presented to Cabinet for consideration, but no decision has yet been announced.

The multibillion-rand development of the IFMS was approved by Cabinet in 2005, but development has still not been finalised and government says implementation will only be completed by 2019. The system aims to replace the numerous disparate, inadequate or outdated systems employed by the public service with a single solution aligned to the legislation, policies and directives informing management of public sector organisations.

DA shadow public service and administration minister Kobus Marais says the department has taken a "haphazard" approach to state IT and there is a lack of specific benefits. Paper documents are one thing, but strategies need to be implemented, he adds.

However, the DPSA has been conducting an impact assessment on the implementation of its free and open source software (FOSS) policy. The policy, approved by Cabinet in February 2007, aims to directly and indirectly support and help deliver national development goals and strategies, effectively putting ICT more directly in the service of socio-economic development, without technical compromise.

This follows its May admission that implementation had taken place in some government departments, such as Arts and Culture, and Transport, among others, but the DPSA has not been able to establish the extent of implementation across the public service.

In addition, the department has yet to fill the vacant government CIO slot, an outcome Marais says will not happen unless someone takes responsibility for the process and drives it. He does not expect much to be accomplished before South Africans head to the polls next May.

The position, meant to be filled by April, has been vacant for more than two years. DPSA spokesperson Ndivhuwo Wa Ha Mabaya previously said the department advertised the post, but had to embark on an additional headhunting process as the minister was not happy with the quality of candidates.

Among issues that still have to be sorted out is the department's plan to use technology to facilitate distance learning, and to resolve how the state should operate SITA, says Marais. He says the DPSA would score no higher than a 'C' or high 'D', as it lacks proper direction.

No visible signs

The lack of progress from the department also seems to have permeated SITA. The agency entered its final year of a three-year turnaround strategy in 2013, but has been beset by top-level ructions and still needs to be stabilised.

Although it has claimed progress in clearing its tender backlog, industry was earlier this year not impressed with its achievements. The agency is also the subject of a probe into every single tender it has awarded over the past nine years.

In addition, SITA has now suspended five executives, all within a period of four months. The Sunday Independent quotes spokesperson Anthea Summers as saying four executives have been charged, and a disciplinary process is under way. No further details were provided.

These suspensions come after the agency yet again had to find a new CEO, following the departure of Blake Mosley-Lefatola, whose contract was suddenly terminated - eight months before it was due to expire. His exit was reportedly related to the restructuring process.

In June, new CEO Sithembiso Freeman Nomvalo told ITWeb it would be "premature and presumptuous" to label the strategy a failure, but he conceded the implementation of the strategy might have lacked direction. However, chairman Jerry Vilakazi has spoken about the need to stabilise the agency.

Walker says SITA seems to be settling down, but lacks focus. He adds that government departments have been moving away from using it for procurement, as it is sometimes more expensive than items sourced directly from the private sector.

Yet, Marais says SITA is "still a disaster" and is not ensuring that the state's IT systems are uniform and cost-efficient. He questions the agency's purpose, as it constantly runs at a loss and is not delivering benefits.

Schofield says it is very difficult to see what SITA has delivered this year and, despite much noise over the appointment of its newest CEO, the country has not seen much in the way of change. Its annual GovTech conference should have been the agency's opportunity to reveal its progress and plans, but it was a "meet and greet" instead, Marais adds.

Instead of going through SITA, departments are making their own purchasing decisions around technology and software, says Marais.

The DPSA did not respond to requests for comment, while SITA was not able to do so.

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