Plans to centralise government tech so citizens are less frustrated

SA’s communications & digital technologies minister has outlined a four-point plan to push the government’s use of digital platforms and technology, anchoring the country’s new digital transformation road map. 

Government services in SA are notorious for being a source of frustration for those who deal with them. From long wait times to submitting the same documentation repeatedly, even the use of technology has not been enough to address fundamental issues caused by inefficient government processes and outdated ways of doing things. 

Minister Solly Malatsi said the government is looking to address these issues with a national technology plan. 

“While the government has made significant strides in improving access to services over the past two decades, our digital transformation journey has been uncoordinated, falling short of achieving the scope and urgency needed to benefit all South Africans,” he said during a launch event for the country’s digital plan in Midrand. 

The road map is part of phase 2 of Operation Vulindlela, which was launched last week with digital transformation as one of its main tenets.

According to Malatsi, who chairs the government’s interministerial committee tasked with steering the digital transformation of government services, the digital transformation road map will focus on four “catalytic initiatives”:

• A digital identity system that will allow South Africans a simple way to verify themselves and access services remotely.
• A data exchange framework will eradicate the silo effect in the government, and allow greater efficiency and
  co-ordination in how the government operates.
• A digital payments system that provides universal access to secure, low-cost payment options between the government and citizens.
• A single, zero-rated digital services platform where citizens can access all government services and information.

“Collectively, these initiatives will help us get closer to achieving our vision of an inclusive, secure and people-centred digital government,” he said. 

The government is pushing an agenda where all departments work together on this road map. 

“The lesson we should all take away from this experience is that innovation without co-ordination cannot deliver real change,” said Malatsi. 

Director of strategy & delivery support in the presidency Saul Musker said many government units have invested in their own technologies and platforms, resulting in a fragmented system often characterised by duplication of efforts. 

To reduce this inefficiency the plan is to collapse this structure with technology investment becoming centralised. 

Musker said the new road map is premised on “building solutions around the citizen. You’re interfacing with one government, not hundreds of departments and agencies.”

He said the approach, centred on services, shared infrastructure, data and hardware, will be akin to “building a highway or other infrastructure. You build it once and you can use it multiple times”.

However, the strategist does admit that “we’re a long way from that [vision]. We’re still a long way from a single cohesive digital government.” 

For now, Khule Duma, director of the project management office in the presidency, said work on the platform  will build on the various efforts already done by the government, again with the aim of building one cohesive system. 

Using an example, he said: “in some ways we’re on the way there because of the smart ID, which 26-million South Africans have. The question is how do we bring that to the rest of the country.” 

gavazam@businesslive.co.za