Thusong centres can't tackle ICT

The Thusong service centres (TSCs) have adequately addressed issues of access and coordinated information, but still struggle with integrated ICT, says the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS).

The Thusong centres are multi-purpose community centres aimed at improving service delivery and increasing access to government services for the poor and previously disadvantaged.

The GCIS presented its strategic plan for the medium-term 2011-2014 to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications, and said new platforms had to be investigated to reach larger sections of the population. The GCIS will lead the government-wide communication drive. More effective partnerships between public and private sectors had to be harnessed for better delivery, according to the system.

The GCIS said it wants to contribute to rural development by ensuring people in rural areas had more access to information.

The committee's concerns focused on, among other things, whether the TSCs were effective. GCIS CEO Jimmy Manyi said TSCs must take government programmes to the public.

The GCIS said it was in the process of investigating a government-wide monitoring and reporting platform for communication. There would be increased access to e-services in rural areas as an inter-departmental team was working on the repositioning of the TSC programme. This would provide people with cheap broadband access and opportunities for training.

Nebo Legoabe, GCIS deputy CEO of government stakeholder engagements, said over the 10 years of the programme's existence there had been some evaluation.

“The last study was conducted by the Public Service Commission (PSC). The study stated that the issues of access, co-ordinated information, disabilities and marketing had been well addressed.”

However, one of the challenges was that of having issues “with integrated ICT”. Legoabe said this was regrettable, because the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) has implemented the ICT “blueprint” in most of the TSCs over the last two years.

However, the DPSA was not going into the centres to ensure they had appropriate infrastructure and properly trained people.

The GCIS says it will spend R5.1 million on branding the Thusong centres and R10 million on IT within the entire system.

The PSC conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of the TSCs last year and found there are challenges in coordinating the programme.

Overall, the PSC says an assessment of the TSC programme during the 2009/10 financial year showed it has made significant achievements in meeting its aim.

However, the commission adds there have been challenges in coordinating the programme and ensuring services at the TSCs are rendered in an integrated manner.

“A concern in this regard is that there is no single department that ensures standardisation and uniformity of operations at the TSCs and provides operational framework in this regard.”

The PSC also highlights a lack of ICT connectivity as a major impediment to service delivery at the TSCs.

“A number of TSCs are established in rural areas and, while their establishment ensures easier access to remote communities, the problem with IT connectivity remains high.”

The Thusong centre programme was initiated in 1999 and provides one-stop integrated community development centres.

The Presidency says this is one of the primary vehicles for the implementation of development, communication and information, and to integrate government services into primarily rural communities.

While 1 227 centres have reportedly been established around the country, the Presidency says only 157 are operational.