Local government offices lack proper IT skills and integrated IT infrastructure, says a new report by research and consulting firm ForgeAhead.
"The major challenges facing local municipalities is the lack of proper skilled IT workers, a general lack of IT skills among users and no proper integrated systems," says ForgeAhead research director Pierre Venter.
"They have different systems that are not 'talking to each other`, therefore hampering service delivery. Overall, there is no proper structure to the way ICT is implemented."
Venter says new ICT policies need to be put into place to address these problems.
The research, conducted in 2004, covered 284 municipalities, of which 140 responded to the survey questionnaire.
"It found that skills, human resources and budget are the biggest inhibitors to the successful implementation of ICT. There`s also a lack of understanding and meaning of ICT policies by the municipalities."
He notes that government has introduced a plan of action to control the problem by streamlining intergovernmental initiatives.
The private sector also has a role to play in addressing the issue, adds Venter. "The private sector`s approach needs to be refined when working within local government, because the interaction is different from that of provincial and national government.
"It`s not about pushing a solution but providing a holistic solution."
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