[kictanet] Has the ICT Sector Failed?

Wed Mar 6 21:04:26 EAT 2013

Edith,
First let me clarify that the Biometric Voter Registration worked and that
is how we were all registerted.  The Voter verification system (a small
gadget that takes the impression of your thumb and verifies with the
registration data)failed in most polling centers.  The data transmission
system worked but the server could not cope within the short window period
for transmission (just a few hours after polling centers were closed
before they moved the ballot papers to the constituency tallying centers).
 Not all data was transmitted due to various issues including failure to
fully charge the equipment, alligning data capture with the server
software and other minor human errors.

This does not qualify to condemn the entire industry.  I remember once in
the US when the space shuttle blew up yet they had made many missions into
space. They did not claim failure of the program but rather used it to
build a better program.

In our election exercise we may need to further examine the errors in a
more detailed way.  Often we say we understand when we have not
understood.  We do not have the courage to say I have failed and need
help.  We see errors that we do not report.  We do not learn from mistakes
around us (KNEC has failed a couple of times in a similar exercise but we
have never learnt from it).  These are simple behavioral issues but it is
what we need to correct if any training is to work on us.

In my view we should rather examine ourselves in an increasingly
complicated world.  Recently, I boarded a Matatu from Westlands to city
center which the drive pumped the breaks more that five times to get it to
stop.  When I asked him, he just laughed and said "Mheshimiwa hii inaweza
enda hata mwezi".  I decided to inform everybody that we are riding a
vehicle with no breaks as I alighted.  Nobody followed my call as they
looked at me as though I was crazy. Technology may not be the problem as
we think.

Ndemo.

> Mark,
>
> The law requires that the results are transmitted electronically, so it's
> not a PR exercise! I guess this was made a requirement to avoid rigging
> and disappearing returning officers like Kivuitu experienced - as these
> are transmitted in the presence of all party agents observers etc. I guess
> also a back-up to the actual signed paper copies.
>
> So ICT was playing a very crucial role.
>
> Edith
>
> From: kictanet
> [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.ca at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of
> Mark Mwangi
> Sent: March 6, 2013 12:23 PM
> To: Edith Adera
> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Has the ICT Sector Failed?
>
> The way I understand the electronic system is that it was only meant to be
> a public facing results platform that would give a general feel of the
> winners and loosers before the official figures were declared.
>
> The failure of the system thus does not affect the integrity of the
> elections but only the PR skills of IEBC. The official results are still
> on form 16a i presume.
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 6, 2013 at 11:57 AM, Erik Hersman
> <erik at zungu.com<mailto:erik at zungu.com>> wrote:
> Valid question Edith.  The short answer is that only the people in Bomas
> can answer that question.  I'm looking forward to when they talk about it
> as well.
>
> Erik Hersman
>
> www.ushahidi.com<http://www.ushahidi.com/> |
> www.iHub.co.ke<http://www.ihub.co.ke/>
> www.whiteafrican.com<http://www.afrigadget.com/> |
> @whiteafrican<http://twitter.com/whiteafrican>
>
> On Mar 6, 2013, at 11:45 AM, Edith Adera
> <eadera at idrc.ca<mailto:eadera at idrc.ca>> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> Erik,
>
> Key question, were these companies working in sync or providing services
> independently without a lead ensurin tgat everything works.
>
> The demo seems to have failed as per article circulated by Muthoni, why
> were these not addresed as the same problems were experienced during
> the`live show`.
>
> Hard to understand.
>
> Why not use one integrated system?
>
>
>
> ____________________________________
> From: kictanet
> [kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.ca at lists.kictanet.or.ke<mailto:kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.ca at lists.kictanet.or.ke>]
> on behalf of Erik Hersman [erik at zungu.com<mailto:erik at zungu.com>]
> Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2013 1:52 AM
> To: Edith Adera
> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Has the ICT Sector Failed?
>
> Agreed with Evans here.
>
> Every single tech system has problems, that IEBC does as well should be no
> surprise.  I've been spending last night and this morning trying to better
> understand how the IEBC's data flow works, their lack of clarity here is
> the only problem that I can find.  You can see my questions, sources and
> even the IEBC RFP for the system here: http://iebctechkenya.tumblr.com/
>
>  *   Polling station uses Safaricom SIM cards >
>  *   App installed in phone, proprietary software from IFES >
>  *   Transmitted via Safaricom's VPN >
>  *   Servers hosted/managed by Next  Technologies (needs confirmation) >
>  *   Google hosted website at http://vote.iebc.or.ke >
>  *   Google hosted API at http://api.iebc.or.ke
>
> You'll note that, besides the IEBC itself, there are at least 4 (large)
> organizations that have to be in sync in order for the system to work
> (Safaricom, IFES, Next Technologies, and Google).  That's no small task,
> and as you can see by the list of companies involved, these are largely
> not local companies.
>
>
> Erik Hersman
>
> www.ushahidi.com<http://www.ushahidi.com><http://www.ushahidi.com/> |
> www.iHub.co.ke<http://www.iHub.co.ke><http://www.ihub.co.ke/>
> www.whiteafrican.com<http://www.whiteafrican.com><http://www.afrigadget.com/>
> | @whiteafrican<http://twitter.com/whiteafrican>
>
> On Mar 6, 2013, at 9:42 AM, Evans Ikua
> <ikua.evans at gmail.com<mailto:ikua.evans at gmail.com><mailto:ikua.evans at gmail.com>>
> wrote:
>
> Edith, I beg to differ. Its not ICT that has failed here. Its the
> processes. Just throwing some expensive servers and plenty of bandwidth at
> a problem will not solve it. The top leadership has to fully understand
> their organization's ICT strategy. They have to internalize the
> opportunities that technology brings to the table, as well as the inherent
> risks that come with it. This cannot be left to techies, however good they
> may be. The reason being that if the organization that you lead fails (and
> the reason was technology), its you who is answerable, not the techies.
> This is the spirit of IT Governance.
>
> It would be interesting to know if the IEBC commissioners fully understand
> the risks of the technologies that they are relying on.
> Let us not blame the technology.
>
> Evans
>
> On Wed, Mar 6, 2013 at 8:55 AM, Edith Adera
> <eadera at idrc.ca<mailto:eadera at idrc.ca><mailto:eadera at idrc.ca>> wrote:
> Listers,
>
> It is a shame that for the first time in Kenya's history when IT is given
> a chance to bring credibility and efficiency in the electoral process, ICT
> has failed SPECTACULARLY!
>
> what went wrong?
>
> Edith
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> --
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Kind Regards,
> Evans Ikua,
> lanetconsulting.com<http://lanetconsulting.com><http://lanetconsulting.com/>,
> lpi-eastafrica.org<http://lpi-eastafrica.org><http://lpi-eastafrica.org/>,
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> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and
> development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>
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> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and
> development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>
>
>
> --
> Regards,
>
> Mark Mwangi
>
> markmwangi.me.ke<http://markmwangi.me.ke>
>
>
>
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> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and
> development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.