Watchdog slams DOC

Johannesburg, 10 Jul 2009

Ambitious government projects could fail, if the impact on citizens is not made clear, says a Public Service Commission (PSC) report.

The “State of Readiness of the Public Service for 2010 and Beyond” report, by the independent body, says complicated processes have so far ignored their impact on poorer citizens. The result could be costly, as key projects could face strong resistance, the document states.

The report provides an assessment of the performance of various projects, including key IT initiatives, within the public service. It focuses on government's readiness to carry out its work effectively during and beyond the 2010 World Cup, while pointing out areas which require further attention.

The PSC says the Department of Communications' (DOC's) digital migration process is “fairly sophisticated” and ignores its direct impact on the poor. The report says dangerous perceptions exist that the migration will be rolled out just before the World Cup, so that those without digital terrestrial television (DTT) may be denied the opportunity to watch World Cup matches on TV.

“Although government anticipates spending about R2.45 billion subsidising up to 70% of the set-top box costs for about five million poor households, the fact remains that poor communities are going to be affected substantially by the migration that they will still be expected to fork out money if they are to receive any television transmission after 2011.”

In terms of this process, as from November 2008, there has been DTT coverage in certain areas, and, by 2011, the country will have migrated fully to digital broadcasting. It is expected that digital broadcasting will free up radio frequency space, allowing the country to have more channels that can focus on education, youth, business development, and others.

According to the report, any failures would be a direct result of the DOC's inability to provide the public with key information.

“Such resistance could be obviated if government fully utilised existing provision for sharing information with the public. There is an important provision, which requires departments to develop and make these public so that citizens know what to expect from each department in terms of service delivery. More than 11 years since this provision was introduced, the department [DOC] is still not complying.”

On the right track

The report says progress in the way the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is delivering services is encouraging. The PSC says reports by DHA that the processing of IDs has improved significantly and measures put in place for the 2010 World Cup, such as the improved processing of travel documents and improved movement control systems, should be commended.

It adds that the turnaround strategy implemented by the department and its increasing use of technology is a positive trend.

“While the above progress is noteworthy, the department would need to ensure it does not only focus on turnaround times for issuing travel documents, but also on the quality and credibility of the documents issued. There is reason to be concerned about the quality and credibility of our travel documents and measures to address this are an urgent priority.”

The study also praised detailed plans to address recurring capacity constraints in the areas of technology and processes to improve services to prospective visitors during the 2010 World Cup. Careful monitoring by the department will be crucial to ensure the plans do address these challenges, the PSC states.

There are encouraging signs that suggest the department is giving attention to the gaps that undermine the ability of the public service. Moving forward, it is going to be necessary to concentrate on the refinement of applicable systems and procedures to ensure readiness for 2010 and beyond, it says.

“Despite the many accountability mechanisms in place, implementation is not optimal. Of course, plans on their own are not an achievement. However, it should also be acknowledged that all is not lost.”

Neither the DOC nor the DHA had commented by the time of publication.