[kictanet] ICT Authority, not Treasury, should oversee IFMIS

Wed Jan 18 13:06:04 EAT 2017

Grace B via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote>>>
Second, the problem with IFMIS, it appears is a lack of commitment to simple values such as integrity and prudent stewardship of public funds. What guarantee wold we have that ICTA would be different from Treasury? 

>>Segregation of duties solves this.  Treasury continues being the Process owner, but surrenders the Technical leadership of the system/ERP to ICT Authority. So if it is a case of passwords and their use, expiry amongst other technical issues, we know it is ICT Authority to manage (and take blame).
It is often a confusing and thin line. The line between Administrative and Technical authority.  
But you can look at it in terms of the President's Security detail.   The President maybe the (Administrative) boss of his security detail, but the President can never tell his security detail HOW to guard him or what weapons to use or how many guards he needs, where to position them etc. 
These are TECHNICAL issues that the President cannot and should never pretend to be dictating on since they lie squarely within the NIS/Inspector General domain. The moment NIS start taking technical instructions from the President, is the moment our security system will collapse.
If we get this seperation of authority right, we solve the IFMIS puzzle.
walu.
       From: Grace B via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
 To: jwalu at yahoo.com 
Cc: Grace B <nmutungu at gmail.com>
 Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2017 7:11 AM
 Subject: Re: [kictanet] ICT Authority, not Treasury, should oversee IFMIS

Interesting discussion. There are those who would look at IFMIS as a public finance management issue as opposed to an ICT one but this is not really count when giving management mandate to either Treasury or ICTA as long as the objectives of PFM (Article 201 of Katiba) are met. One of the issues voiced about IFMIS since devolution/new Constitution has been the problems experienced by county governments and other independent organs eg commissions in accessing funds in a timely manner. (We assume that Executive has not had too many problems assessing funds and may have indeed been facilitating leakage) One issue with transferring the responsibility of maintaining IFMIS to ICTA, it seems would be that there could be few differences between ICTA and Treasury. First, both are Executive institutions that may support devolved and independent structures in line with the soft policy direction of the government of the day. Second, the problem with IFMIS, it appears is a lack of commitment to simple values such as integrity and prudent stewardship of public funds. What guarantee wold we have that ICTA would be different from Treasury? 
Regards
2017-01-18 5:54 GMT+03:00 Ali Hussein via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>:

Barrack
We are saying the same thing really.. Let's assume that the ICTA is the ICT Department of the Government (which I doubt it is equipped to execute that mandate) then 'managing' here really means providing support to the system. 
I think it's time the Government considers the role of Chief Information Officer to really manage the strategic thrust of all ICT initiatives across ministries. The CIO can then be held accountable for overall efficiency and security of all Government ICT Systems. This CIO needs to report directly to the Chief Executive Officer (President) of the country. Now, that person could be seconded or be a part of the ICTA with a doted line responsibility to the CS, MOICT...
Ultimately the overall responsibility of how well our Government ICT Systems work lies squarely on the CEO's desk. Look no further.

Ali HusseinPrincipalHussein & Associates+254 0713 601113 
Twitter: @AliHKassimSkype: abu-jomoLinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin. com/in/alihkassim
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit."  ~ Aristotle

Sent from my iPad
On 17 Jan 2017, at 11:27 PM, Barrack Otieno via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke > wrote:

Hi Ali,

ERP grew from MRP (Material Resource Planning which was a means of
planning and allocating resources in Factories. The difference between
the two is that MRP's were stand alone systems whereas ERP's are
modular and have more functionality. From an evolution perspective ,
it would be ideal to manage IFMIS from Ministry of Finance since they
are the custodians of the treasury and normally allocate resources
through the budgeting process. From a Project Management perspective,
it would be ideal to manage IFMIS from ICTA since it is the
specialized agency meant to manage government technology investments.

Regards

On 1/17/17, S.M. Muraya via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke > wrote:

Doubt Treasury economists and accountants are well placed to provide Cyber

Security :)

We need the ICT Authority to configure enterprise wide data protection

(limiting theft of passwords & access to IFMIS).

In 2016, the UN ranked the UK as # 1 in providing digital services.

https://publicadministration. un.org/egovkb/en-us/Reports/ UN-E-Government-Survey-2016

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is part of their Cabinet Office, not

their Treasury.

https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/govuk-pay/govuk- pay

Their Treasury is consulted about the payment system  👆🏾  the GDS

continues to build.

SMM

*"Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one

who takes a city." Prov 16:32*

On Tue, Jan 17, 2017 at 9:45 PM, Ali Hussein <ali at hussein.me.ke> wrote:

I fundamentally disagree with this assertion.

First,y, the role of a CIO is to support the enterprise. I have never

heard in my life of an ERP Director. This is just adding a superfluous

layer of useless bureaucracy.

The owner of an ERP is the business with each department taking ownership

of their components:-

1. Financials - CFO

2. CRM (Commercial/marketing/sales)

3. Procurement - Procurement which sometimes comes under Finance

Etc.

The CIO takes ownership to ensure that the company is well oiled to

execute on its mandate. This in my humble opinion goes beyond ERPs and

talks to aligning the Technology Strategy with the Business Strategy. For

example in the banking sector where increasingly the more savvy banks are

taking a 'Platform Thinking' approach. This allows partners to plug into

their core technology through APIs to enable them extend capabilities and

hence offerings to their customers.

The role of a CIO has fundamentally changed to speak to the need for

using

Technology as an accelerator to successful business models.

Secondly, I don't see how the ICT Authority would be better in managing

the monster that is IFMIS. Let them first learn the basics of

communicating

effectively with the community before taking on this elephant in the

room.

*Ali Hussein*

*Principal*

*Hussein & Associates*

+254 0713 601113

Twitter: @AliHKassim

Skype: abu-jomo

LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/ alihkassim

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a

habit."  ~ Aristotle

Sent from my iPad

On 17 Jan 2017, at 6:42 PM, S.M. Muraya via kictanet <

kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

Interesting comments...

ICT Authority, not Treasury, should oversee IFMIS

http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/ blogs/dot9/walubengo/2274560-

3520560-5j04aq/index.html

______________________________ _________________

kictanet mailing list

kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke

https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/ mailman/listinfo/kictanet

Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ KICTANet/

Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/

mailman/options/kictanet/info% 40alyhussein.com

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.

-- 
Barrack O. Otieno
+254721325277
+254733206359
Skype: barrack.otieno
PGP ID: 0x2611D86A

______________________________ _________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/ mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ KICTANet/

Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/ mailman/options/kictanet/info% 40alyhussein.com

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.

______________________________ _________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/ mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ KICTANet/

Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/ mailman/options/kictanet/ nmutungu%40gmail.com

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.

-- 
Grace L.N. Mutung'u 
Skype: gracebomu
Twitter: @Bomu

<http://www.diplointernetgovernance.org/profile/GraceMutungu>
PGP ID : 0x33A3450F

_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/

Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com

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.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/attachments/20170118/ae5d2ed1/attachment.htm>