Baloyi takes SITA in hand

By Martin Czernowalow for SITA
Johannesburg, 23 Jan 2009

Recently-appointed public service and administration minister Richard Baloyi is aggressively working to reposition the State IT Agency (SITA) as government's “IT agent of choice”.

The move could see sweeping changes implemented across the organisation.

Baloyi has confirmed the establishment of a ministerial task team and expects to see the first steps of an agency-wide overhaul to get under way at the end of February.

The embattled organisation has a record of shedding high-level executives, including CEOs, resulting in a skills dearth, as well as a board that is not fully constituted - as many positions are filled on an acting basis, including that of the CEO.

The latest high-level resignation was that of CEO Llewellyn Jones, who left SITA under a cloud in July last year, resulting from a reported rift between him and government CIO Michelle Williams.

In recent years, SITA has also faced criticism relating to its tender processes and business practices, as well as for what industry perceives as government interference in the day-to-day running of the agency.

Baloyi says there is an urgent need to reposition the agency to be fully compliant with the SITA Act, in terms of its board constitution, governance, business model and procurement practices.

“We need a board that is not dominated by government officials, but is made up of independent non-executives. SITA needs a conducive environment to deliver on its mandate and a fully-functioning executive that is not in competition with the board,” Baloyi explains.

Diverse expertise

The ministerial task team essentially consists of two groups - one that will focus on the agency's mandate and corporate governance policies, and the second which will focus on its business model and management. Each group is made of four members and the combined group is overseen by a general convenor.

The task team was established in mid-December and Baloyi expects to receive the team's report by the end of this month.

“By February, there will be consultations regarding the issues that need to be addressed and by the end of February I expect that we will be able to move forward.”

Baloyi admits the timeframe for the process is “tough”, but says the task team was expected to hit the ground running. He also warns against giving advisory committees too long a lifespan, saying there is a danger of losing focus.

At this stage, Baloyi is reluctant to reveal who is on the task team, saying he would like to avoid public attention on individuals, which could divert the group's attention. However, he did confirm that Jones, as well as Williams, form part of the team. It has also been previously reported that Black IT Forum chairman Mthunzi Mdwaba is part of the team.

“We have a combination of people with diverse expertise, including business, procurement and legal strategists, people with experience in industry engagement and corporate governance, as well as experts in people leadership.”

Regarding the inclusion of Jones and Williams, Baloyi downplayed the rift between them, saying that if an issue exists, it is personal. “The reasons for Jones's resignation, as reported by the media, may not be the same as what we [inside government] know,” he states.

In terms of the appointment of a permanent CEO, Baloyi says that will only happen after the task team has submitted its report and consultations about the way forward have been concluded. “I don't want to contribute to the statistically high rate of CEO turnover at SITA. It needs to be the right person for the job.”

Baloyi would not be drawn on whether a high-level purge can be expected at executive and board level, saying decisions will be made at the time of repositioning the board and management structures.