Re-imagining public sector infrastructure delivery through smart governance technology

For many South African municipalities and government departments, infrastructure delivery remains a critical enabler of economic development, social upliftment and basic service provision. Yet, despite increased investments in infrastructure programmes, challenges persist such as: underspending on budgets, project delays, audit findings and a lack of transparency in how infrastructure is planned and executed.

These challenges are not due to a lack of intent or capacity, but rather the absence of a unified, transparent system that links infrastructure delivery with legislative compliance, financial governance and performance oversight. Sourceworx has spent years working closely with public sector institutions to understand these needs. What Sourceworx found inspired it to build iManage, a smart project governance platform designed specifically for South Africa’s public sector.

Public sector stakeholders. (Image: Supplied)

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1. National Treasury and policy enablers

National Treasury, through its Infrastructure Delivery Management System (IDMS) and frameworks like the FIDPM, has been a leading voice in calling for standardisation, life cycle-based project delivery and accountability mechanisms. However, the practical implementation of these policies often lacks digital support. Treasury needs assurance that allocated funds translate into value-for-money, while municipalities need support to navigate these requirements.

2. Municipal managers (MMs)

Municipal managers are the accountable executives for service delivery and financial governance. Their biggest challenge lies in achieving oversight without being bogged down in operational detail. They require executive dashboards that offer real-time visibility into project performance, risks and community impact, aligned with IDP and SDBIP commitments.

3. Chief financial officers (CFOs)

For CFOs, the pressure is relentless: ensuring financial discipline, aligning spending to plans and passing audits. Many still work with fragmented systems that make it difficult to reconcile project progress with budget performance. Their need is clear – one system that supports MFMA compliance, treasury reporting and audit readiness.

4. PMOs and infrastructure directors

Project management offices and infrastructure directors often operate in isolation, with limited integration between planning, procurement, execution and reporting. They need an intuitive, process-driven system that mirrors the IDMS life cycle, with built-in control points, workflow approvals and performance tracking.

Sourceworx built iManage with a simple but powerful goal: to provide a smart governance system that integrates the entire infrastructure delivery value chain, from planning and budgeting to execution and reporting that is aligned with National Treasury's requirements.

iManage enables:

• Full life cycle governance – From Stage 1 (Initiation) to Stage 7 (Close-Out), iManage mirrors the IDMS control points and delivers a structured, stage-gated process for project delivery.
• Automated approvals and workflows – No more paperwork bottlenecks. iManage digitises document routing and decision-making processes, reducing delays and improving accountability.
• Budget alignment and financial oversight – Through seamless mapping to IDP, CMIP, and SDBIP structures, and integration-ready formats for mSCOA and MFMA reporting.
• Executive dashboards – For municipal managers and CFOs to track performance, risks and spending in real-time, enhancing governance and responsiveness.
• Citizen transparency tools – Because residents deserve to know how public funds are used. Sourceworx's citizen engagement portal improves trust and communication.

Too many “project management systems” are retrofitted for public service. What makes iManage different is that it was built from the ground up using the principles and processes defined in the IDMS, as well as the operational needs identified by the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA) and aligned with National Treasury’s evolving infrastructure standards.

Sourceworx worked with:

• Engineers navigating the SIPDM.
• CFOs preparing audit packs.
• PMO teams struggling with SDBIP reporting.
• Municipal managers needing real-time risk alerts.

This is not a generic tool trying to serve everyone – it is a specialised solution for municipalities and infrastructure-focused departments.

If we are to move the needle on infrastructure delivery in South Africa, we must go beyond manual systems and fragmented tools. The time has come for smart project governance, where policy, finance and operations converge into one digital framework.

Sourceworx believes that the right technology, grounded in public sector realities, can restore trust, improve delivery and create measurable impact.

Let Sourceworx show you what’s possible with iManage.