Government 'not an ICT cash cow`

Johannesburg, 30 Aug 2005

The ICT industry should not treat government as a cash cow, but as an entity with which they form partnerships. This is one of the key recommendations of the ForgeAhead ICT in government report, which will be released in the middle of September.

The report focuses on ICT in national and provincial government departments.

ForgeAhead conducts research on an annual basis to shed light on the current status of ICT, what strategies have been implemented and the likely future use of ICT in government.

In addition to interviews, information is gathered through presentations at an annual summit event and through networking.

The need for appropriate technologies

The report also suggests industry players make an effort to understand how government works before putting themselves forward as potential service providers.

This includes understanding the structure of government, the cluster to which the targeted department belongs as well as the people who make ICT decisions.

According to Adrian Schofield, head of research at ForgeAhead, service providers must have a clear understanding of the unique ICT challenges that the department faces, as well as being able to provide more appropriate technologies.

He says although there are similarities between government and companies, there are also differences between them. It would be worthwhile for ICT vendors to understand this, as government is the largest single ICT spender, he says.

Improved communication

The report also recommends improved communication between companies and government.

Government should also communicate the status of ICT implementation at national, provincial and local level. This will help companies develop appropriate solutions, the report says.

Government should also develop an integrated approach in terms of connectivity, security and database management. Integration assists in removing duplication of systems and documents, the report says.

The report also suggests the sharing of information on best practice at global level. There are greater benefits for countries to share experiences, rather than reinventing the wheel, Schofield says.