ICT as an Economic Enabler for Local Government

1. ICT as an Economic Enabler for Local Government Douglas Cohen dcohen@salga.org.za 012 3698012 25 August 2009 Economic Development & Planning Directorate

2. The Role of Salga SALGA mandate: • Representative of Local Government (Voice) • Advisor to municipalities • Profiling Local Government SALGA therefore becomes a platform for… • Consolidating local government policy perspective on ICT policy matters and lobbing National Government on such issues • Sharing experiences and providing guidance on good practices on ICT matters • Building capacity and awareness to best leverage ICT’s • Developing partnerships within, across and beyond Gov.

6. According to the South African Constitution, different levels of government are responsible for particular functions. The way these functions are carried out and which ones local government is responsible for are dealt with in Schedules 4B and 5B of the Constitution.

7. ICT’s @ LG • “Some municipalities see the vision of ICT as a tool - and that’s often the larger municipalities. Smaller municipalities still view ICT as a computer instead of seeing the bigger picture.” • Municipal ICT Researcher, Forge Ahead • "to build a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society, where everyone can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge, enabling individuals, communities and peoples to achieve their full potential in promoting their sustainable development and improving their quality of life.“ • Charter of the United Nations and respecting fully and upholding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

8. ICT’s @ LG How ICT can change Local Government • Deployment of ICT systems can enhance management of local government, as well as streamlining of processes and flow of information and hence Service Delivery • Technology in service delivery is crucial and ICT can transform local government by promoting good governance through an increased capacity to deliver. • This will allow for more effective and efficient processing and delivering information greater involvement on the part of residents, and even permit them to monitor what the municipality is doing. • Not only does ICT assist in speeding up and improving delivery of services, it encourages transparency and accountability. • Citizens and business community transact online and engage in other e-Government activities.

9. ICT’s @ LG Citizen Centric Service Delivery Model

10. ICT’s @ LG Corporate Service Centric Delivery Model

11. ICT @ LG Socio-Economic Centric Delivery Model ICT is an ideal means of making Government more ‘people-centric’ and a powerful instrument in increasing productivity, generating economic growth and creating job opportunities.

12. ICT’s and LED • ICT and Economic Growth • enhanced competitiveness • increased business opportunities • access to market for rural communities • ICT and Improved Delivery of Social Services • ICT for Greater Transparency • improved efficiency on government procurement • increased civil society participation • ICT for Empowerment of the Poor • Local economic impacts in the broadband economy

13. Multi-dimensional Approach

14. Challenges Challenges for Local Government in driving their ICT agenda • Budget constraints and lack of skills and high employee turnover • Responsiveness of government services is not currently promoted through e-governance • Lack of planning between IT and departments people within the departments • Web development requires greater attention to content management in all municipalities • ICT Department reporting to the Finance or any other department instead of at the strategic management level due to cross-cutting/cross-functional support role. • Web presence will have no value in poor communities as long as there is limited access or awareness to the internet • Limited / outdated Fiscal Management & Reporting systems

15. Challenges Challenges for Local Government in driving their ICT agenda • Metros are relatively well advanced in formulating and implementing e-governance strategies, these do not necessarily align strongly to the social and local economic development priorities • Districts and local municipalities generally lack an explicit strategy and are struggling to build e-administration • Managing partnerships with the private sector • Absence of National Policy for Local Government • The increasing divergence between the big city and others experience makes universal policy development difficult • Insufficient levers for economies of scale • Shared-services philosophy not fully explored

16. Salga’s Approach to ICT “Sector Support” • The application of Information and Communication Technologies lies both within good governance as well as within the field of socio-economic development. • While there are legislative and political measures to facilitate or enable application of ICT’s, local government has not activity participated or benefitted. • There is a need to assess, formalise and build a greater ICT voice / network and coordination across the LG level • Greater alignment/co-operation between LM’s /DMs /Provinces • Salga’s focus for 2009/10 within three broad areas: • ICT infrastructure and Access; • e-Government Strategy and Services; and • ICT Awareness and Capacity.

18. Salga’s Approach to ICT “Sector Support”

19. Questions & Discussion Douglas Cohen dcohen@salga.org.za 012 3698012