Local municipalities still need an ICT overhaul, although the government has instituted initiatives to address some of the challenges.
This is according to ForgeAhead`s ICT in government report, which says many municipalities participating in the government`s initiative to consolidate ICT don`t know what should happen and feel no value in being part of it.
ForgeAhead undertook the research to determine the level of ICT implementation and use within local government. Of the 284 municipalities in the country, 231 have some form of ICT and 73% of these responded to the survey. This indicates 17% growth from 2004`s response rate.
Eight out of nine provinces indicated a lack of financial resources as a key inhibitor to ICT implementation. Municipalities said one of the key challenges was a lack of senior management buy-in.
The report cites instances where ICT projects had been planned and implemented, then left to collapse before completion. This created the impression that ICT is an "ineffectual and costly mistake", and that the money would be better spent elsewhere.
There is not enough information available about what ICT costs municipalities annually, the report notes. There is also little information to indicate what impact further ICT implementation will have.
State IT Agency (SITA) executive for provincial and local government Joe Mazibuko adds that less than 20% of municipalities have formulated master systems plans that indicate ICT planning and implementation. In addition, there are disparate systems within districts and municipalities, resulting in duplicate initiatives and little or no interoperability between systems.
Mazibuko says senior government executives feel there is a need for SITA to assist municipalities to enhance service delivery.
Share