IT-related projects were recognised at the third annual Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI) Public Sector Innovation Awards in Midrand on Friday.
The awards honoured government departments that demonstrated sustainable innovative service delivery.
The awards are in line with the commitment the CPSI has made to unlock innovation and provide an enabling environment for innovative service delivery.
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development`s (DOJ`s) Justice Deposit Accounting System won the "Innovative use of IT for effective service delivery" category.
The system caters for the dynamic nature of interactions and business processes within the DOJ, and provides a centralised view of the department, according to a CPSI report on the winning projects. The system employs the latest technology and architecture in the .NET environment to ensure future stability and maintainability, as well as continued returns for the department, the report said.
Joint runners-up in this category were the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) and the Top Up for Arts project.
The DWAF was recognised for utilising aerial satellite imagery for verifying illegal water use for irrigation. The system was developed to aid the National Water Policy establish a feasible and economically viable process to determine unlawful irrigation use.
Historic and current water use, with available data sets, is determined from the satellite images, which enables the DWAF to model water use patterns more accurately, assisting with the determination of future demands, the report said.
The Top Up for Arts innovation was honoured for its role in electrifying 20 000 homes in SA. Arts is an integrated computer system that manages the dispensing of prepaid electricity.
In the category "Innovative partnerships in service delivery", the winning innovation was the electronic health record solution EPRweb. Developed by the Northern Cape Department of Health and the Kimberley Hospital Complex, the system allows the department to securely access patient medical information and share this clinical information between healthcare providers, said the report.
As a result, patients receive treatment based on more accurate information, especially for cases such as allergies and chronic conditions, the report said. Previously, doctors had to rely on information provided by the patient.
The Cape Gateway and the DOJ`s Criminal Appeal System for High Courts were named joint runners-up in the "Innovation enhancement on internal systems within government" category.
The Cape Gateway system provides easy access to local, provincial and national government information and services through a contact centre, Web portal and walk-in centre. The contact centre responds to enquiries by telephone, e-mail and SMS, and the portal provides a platform for government officials to deal with enquires from the public, the report said.
The Criminal Appeal System for High Courts is a computerised appeal system and that facilitates the arrangement of timetables for criminal appeal hearings. This has accelerated the appeal process considerably, said the report, with convicted persons now having to wait only two months to have their appeals processed.
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