During his budget speech at the National Council of Provinces, public service and administration minister Richard Baloyi said the department has acknowledged SITA's poor performance.

“After extensive consultation with stakeholders... we resolved that serious interventions were required to address the challenges faced by SITA.”

The agency was initiated in 1999 to ensure government benefits through bulk purchasing of ICT goods and services; deliver e-government services; re-engineer the business processes of government to improve service delivery; and establish an ICT skills development plan.

However, it has been plagued by a lack of top-level stability, as several permanent and acting CEOs have come and gone since the agency's inception. The agency has also been beleaguered by allegations of large-scale corruption and irregular procurement practices.

Employer of choice?

Baloyi said the SITA turnaround strategy implementation is gaining momentum and aims to reposition the agency in accordance with its original mandate.

The minister identified the challenges that require serious immediate attention within the agency as poor service delivery; the absence of an integrated customer relationship management approach; procurement processes being fraught with weaknesses culminating in irregular expenditure and non-compliance with regulatory frameworks; the perceived high cost and pricing models; the high turnover of leadership at executive level and lack of core skills; and poor governance leadership.

“The SITA turnaround strategy has identified seven strategic outcomes for the period 2011 to 2014.”

Baloyi said these are quality service delivery to the public sector; to become the proficient lead agency in public sector ICT; effective and integrated public sector ICT supply chain management; competitive pricing and financial sustainability; to become an effective ICT regulator; effective governance and monitoring; and to become an employer of choice.

Cost cut please

“The provision of government services on the Internet means that SITA must provide wider service coverage for government through the government network and, therefore, the network costs must drastically be reduced while the government network utilisation is optimised,” said Baloyi.

He added that the optimal utilisation of the SITA next-generation network must result in the reduction of overall voice and data costs.

“SITA will drive the programme to ensure all government departments use the value-added services of the network.”

Filling gaps

The minister said SITA has achieved some deliverables set out in the turnaround strategy.

It attained a fully constituted board of directors in April 2010, appointed a COO in November, and filled the CEO position in January.

“All outstanding executive appointments will be finalised during the fourth quarter of this calendar year.”

Deceptive success?

“It should be noted that, whereas there has been so much talk on SITA challenges, which we are addressing as per the strategy, we can still refer to a record of service delivery.”

Baloyi highlighted a telemedicine project that is under way at the departments of health and social development, in Limpopo.

It entails the upgrading of infrastructure to ensure suitability for the utilisation of telemedicine equipment and facilities. Of the 14 sites identified, 10 have been successfully upgraded.

He also mentioned that the National Network Upgrade Programme for the South African Police Service (SAPS) has made some progress and the ICT teams deployed have ensured high service delivery levels.

However, the contract between SITA and SAPS has been described by chief of business operations at SITA Andile Pama as “fractious” since there are complaints by SAPS of poor service delivery from SITA.

Baloyi also said SITA is providing Thusong Centre connectivity.

Deputy minister of public service and administration Ayanda Dlodlo said the work on Thusong Centres has moved at an impressive pace.

“Eighty percent of these were already connected by March 2011. SITA has also deployed satellite connectivity to Thusong Service Centres. A process to validate equipment deployment and facilitate site sign-off is presently being undertaken.”

In terms of the turnaround strategy, the department is now at the point of reconciling the SITA performance profile with the objectives of its development.