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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>In addition to these, the idea should not just be trying to help
with the integration. Integration and compatibility issues ought to have been
dealt with long before an informed decision to procure the product was made.
Why should they be identifying problems after procuring – didn’t they have sufficient
time to evaluate/test? Were they not happy enough that they were obtaining the
product that best fitted their requirements?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>I can understand the predicament the suppliers might be caught
in. I do not expect a supplier to spend their time making their system work
with another, a job which may not have been costed initially.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>True, we need to understand the real issues. I am almost certain
that procedures were not followed. There are some very competent IT guys in
KPA, and most likely they never had the chance. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>So to the PS (and KPA), help is knocking.... not just to integrate
the systems at KPA but to establish (if they don’t exist) or reinforce mechanisms
for successful government project implementations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
kictanet-bounces+skisonzo=gmail.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke
[mailto:kictanet-bounces+skisonzo=gmail.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] <b>On Behalf
Of </b>Brian Munyao Longwe<br>
<b>Sent:</b> 25 August 2008 22:21<br>
<b>To:</b> skisonzo@gmail.com<br>
<b>Cc:</b> KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [kictanet] Foreign Software Houses of Babel..in kenya.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Actually Bill I think that this is just a clear and perfect
example (or expression) of the dire need for standards in Govt implementation
of ICT projects as well as coordination across departments.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>Since both of us are techies - we know that integration
between system no matter the origin or the language/database/message formats is
simply a matter of a deliberate integration process. Clearly that is missing in
this picture - and rather than deal with the real problem, the actors have
resorted to finger pointing/blame game and all the other forms of unhelpful and
time-wasting bureacracy that plague large institutions like governments (as
well as many corporates). I can assure that if there was commitment to process
and deliverables from the top down to the bottom, these issues could have/would
have been sorted ages ago.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>Our "Waafrika" problem is that when faced with
challenges we'd rather tear each other down than face the problems head on and
(together) tear them down.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>Brian<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>On Aug 25, 2008, at 10:04 PM, Bill Kagai wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><br>
I am watching news in awe where they are reporting that Kenya Ports Authority
has deployed a Korean piece of software (Kwatos) to ease turn-around at the
Port but now its not working well with the Kenya Revenue Authority software
from Chile (Simba). Ofcourse both cost billions.<br>
<br>
As the spanish-speaking chileans 'haga el informe con los otros extranjeros'
with the Koreans to '<span style='font-family:"Batang","serif"'>소프트웨어를</span> <span
style='font-family:"Batang","serif"'>저희를</span> <span style='font-family:"Batang","serif"'>위해</span>
<span style='font-family:"Batang","serif"'>일한</span>' , sisi wakenya tunangoja
kusaidiwa. Mwafrika anajimaliza mwenyewe...as Baba Gideon would say. <<a
href="http://uk.babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_txt">http://uk.babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_txt</a>><br>
<br>
The result according to one Mureithi of Kenya Shipping Associations is that
port has now become a 'store' rather than a 'door' taking ages (14 days instead
of 3 days) to clear goods because of the software conflict. Here be
dragons...is this a kictanet sized problem...or do we just watch and comment
later in another study on this discussion forum????<br>
<br>
Time for an ICT Commission of Inquiry ??? <br>
<br>
Bill Kagai<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>kictanet mailing list<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><a
href="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet">http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>This message was sent to: <a href="mailto:brian@caret.net">brian@caret.net</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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