Good ideas developed to meet government challenges are rarely shared across departments. Due to lack of communication, tried and tested solutions remain unknown while money and effort are duplicated in tackling similar problems.
This was highlighted by the Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration, Ayanda Dlodlo, during the tenth annual Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI) awards ceremony last week. The awards recognise the achievements in the public service delivery.
In her keynote address, Dlodlo stressed the importance of the CPSI's work in looking for smarter, quicker or more cost-effective ways of meeting service delivery challenges.
She said it was reassuring that most of the projects that were nominated for the awards were developed at the 'coal face' of where services were delivered.
While some may question 'government' funding such a self-congratulatory event, Dlodlo reasoned that the public service deserved an awards ceremony to recognise the contributions of those who went the extra mile in the name of service delivery.
The deputy minister also applauded the fact that the work of the CPSI had been recognised by the African Union, and that the organisation had been invited to OECD in Paris to demonstrate its work.
Dlodlo, along with the CPSI's CEO, Thuli Radebe, handed out awards in four categories: Innovative partnerships in service delivery; Innovative use of ICTs for effective service delivery; Innovative service delivery institutions; and Innovative enhancements of internal systems of government.
The winner of the innovative service delivery institutions and overall winner of the evening was Ligbron Technology Academy's e-learning solution. This project uses interactive whiteboards, video technology and radio signals to disperse science and technology classes from the Ligbron academy to a network of six other local under-privileged schools.
Ligbron's headmaster, JJ du Plessis van Rensburg told ITWeb: "We've evolved the idea since inception in the 1990's of transmitting maths class, which we initially piloted via satellite connectivity. My colleague Frans Kalp came up with the idea of making interactive whiteboards work over radio technology as opposed to the Internet. We've done some research into this and we believe this is a world first."
The other winners were: the Electronic pharmacy management system, in Free State, which won the innovative use of ICTs for effective service delivery for its Rxsolution, which improves stock management and reduces medicine expiration; PERMIS, in Limpopo, an employee performance management solution, won the innovative enhancements of internal systems of government award; and the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, Mpumalanga, which scooped the innovative partnerships in service delivery award for its work as a skills development and local economic development project.
A special Minister's award was also made to KwaZulu-Natal's road traffic inspectorate, which has been finding new ways to deliver on its mandate, with smart roadblocks, and driver health initiatives.
Calling on the CPSI to continue to encourage those in public service to think of different ways to improve service delivery, Dlodlo revealed that President Jacob Zuma would be visiting the CPSI in early 2013 and he would become a champion for the cause of encouraging innovation in public service.
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