<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div>Hi Walu,</div><div><br></div><div>While you may be right about the potential for stiff resistance to single database/shared services across Govt agencies, one cannot downplay the national security implications of the current, disparate, "silo-tic" system that pervaded gov'ts acquisition, retention and control of esp citizen data.</div><div><br></div><div>We need to envision a day when the thug who sprains his ankle while playing soccer with his co-thugs will get arrested when he goes for treatment at the local clinic, simply because his ID# or biometric data trigger a red flag that alerts the local police station and displays his past misdemeanours, some of which might have him on a "wanted" list.</div><div><br></div><div>Regards,</div><div><br></div><div>Mblayo<br><br>Sent from my iPhone</div><div><br>On Mar 29, 2010, at 3:50 PM, Walubengo J <<a href="mailto:jwalu@yahoo.com">jwalu@yahoo.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><div></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div>right on the spot Harry (the Hare ;-)),</div>
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<div>infrastructure(cables, comps, networks, s/ware, bandwidth etc) is often the easy part. There's a complex bit we sometimes call Layer8 or Peopleware. You cant change the way people think overnite - even if you provided them the pre-requisite policy, legal and other frameworks, one must still fight that inertia (comfort zone) you and i have that makes it difficult to adopt new ways of thinking, working.</div>
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<div>for .KE government, the biggest hurdle towards egovernment is really the turf wars I alluded to (Harry Delano, now am interprating), You will find resistance to building single databases/shared services fought tooth and nail because that means one dept/ministry or agency has to ceed power and assosciated privileges(rent?) to another...</div>
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<div>walu.</div>
<div><br><br>--- On <b>Mon, 3/29/10, Harry Hare <i><<a href="mailto:harry@africanedevelopment.org">harry@africanedevelopment.org</a>></i></b> wrote:<br></div>
<blockquote style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid"><br>From: Harry Hare <<a href="mailto:harry@africanedevelopment.org">harry@africanedevelopment.org</a>><br>Subject: Re: [kictanet] E-Government is it a myth or a reality?<br>To: <a href="mailto:jwalu@yahoo.com"><a href="mailto:jwalu@yahoo.com">jwalu@yahoo.com</a></a><br>Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>><br>Date: Monday, March 29, 2010, 11:26 AM<br><br>
<div class="plainMail">Hello Barrack,<br><br>I see and hear your concerns, however, this animal called e-Government can<br>be very complex and allow me to share some little knowledge I have after<br>more than 10 years of e-Gov consulting. Warning: This will be a bit long.<br><br>First and fore most we have to understand that e-Gov is delivery of public<br>services through the use of ICT infrastructure. This means e-Gov is *not*<br>ICT infrastructure but part of the delivery and facilitation mechanism. If<br>we agree on this, then the networks that you refer to (I think this is the<br>Government Core Network (GCN)) has set the stage for e-Gov service delivery<br>but it is not a service as-is.<br><br>This means there is a another level that needs to be worked on, and that is<br>the services portfolio. This has already started albeit in a very<br>uncoordinated manner. KRA seems to be leading the fray - PIN, VAT<br>application, Online tax returns etc. Due to
poor or lack of coordination,<br>each Ministry seems to be working on their own programmes and projects (I<br>have talked about this before) and I can tell you this does not bring the<br>benefits of e-Gov - efficiency, accuracy and cost savings.<br><br>A case in point is the myriad of databases across government agencies.<br>Almost each ministry *owns* its own database with a lot of redundant<br>information that each ministry keeps on collecting from you. Under the<br>shared services model, application and data re-use can be made possible.<br>Where Govt can shared core applications and databases. You will be surprised<br>the amount of errors that are introduced to records every time an new form<br>is filled. So just reducing the number of times you fill a form at each<br>ministry greatly improves the accuracy of Govt records. So, shared services<br>model is best practice in e-Gov.<br><br>Now, about strategies and strategy meetings. E-Gov is a change
process. Its<br>about change, changing the way people work, changing the processes and<br>re-engineering these process to be supported by an ICT infrastructure.<br>Change at any level is not easy and at government level is unthinkable!<br><br>Let me illustrate. All e-Gov services have to be backed by law and there are<br>legal requirements for every government service you receive. Some laws have<br>come into effect that support the roll out of e-Gov services but many are<br>yet to be enacted. Consider the issue of contracts. When is a contract<br>valid? In most cases there are specific requirements of form designed to<br>protect interests or persons. So you see that contracts may in some cases be<br>considered valid only when executed in their physical form. That's why you<br>have to make a physical application and sign it when applying for your<br>passport. So, for you to apply for the same passport online, some laws have<br>to be amended to allow for
such provisions.<br><br><br>The UN or InfoDev, not sure which one, identified 5 e-Gov maturity levels<br>from basic online presence to what they refer to a Connected Government. All<br>these stages are incremental and have increased benefits to the citizens as<br>you move up the ladder. Connected Government is ideal level and very few<br>countries globally are there yet. One of them is Canada. We are possibly at<br>the second level where we have basic transactional capabilities - can<br>download a form, can file tax returns online, can query a database to check<br>the status of your passport application etc.<br><br>Now, to move to the next level, we need to plan and put strategies in place.<br>Evaluate what we have done, where we are at, revisit our priorities and set<br>new goals. This is a that you will see over and over again. So e-Gov is not<br>something you switch on, its a process that builds on existing blocks<br>incrementally.<br><br>Whether we
use these strategies we develop and review is a totally different<br>thing. But its critical to plan and strategise. As they say, failure to plan<br>is planning to fail.<br><br>My apologies for such a long post, but I felt obliged because e-Gov is a<br>subject that is very close to my heart and I hope this helps. Corrections<br>and additions are all welcome<br><br>I suspect this is worth a bob, ama walu?<br><br>Kindest regards<br>Harry<br><br><br><br><br><br>On 3/27/10 7:43 PM, "Barrack Otieno" <<a href="http://us.mc578.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=otieno.barrack@gmail.com" ymailto="mailto:otieno.barrack@gmail.com"><a href="mailto:otieno.barrack@gmail.com">otieno.barrack@gmail.com</a></a>> wrote:<br><br>> Listers,<br>> <br>> I have been following discussions on this list that seem to be<br>> touching on the above mentioned subject. We seem to be spending large<br>> sums on meetings strategizing and restrategizing however are we<br>> really making any headway? at
this point in time we are still<br>> required to "fill in some forms" whenever we seek government services<br>> is this e-government? we are now talking about shared services i<br>> thought e-government implemented a project that networked most<br>> government offices, however you have to travel physically to offices<br>> to get services, at times we confuse the public with ICT jargon what<br>> the public needs is efficiency and effectiveness in service provision.<br>> ICT4D on the other hand has been infiltrated by commercial interests,<br>> i wonder what should prevail when "commercial" and "public" interests<br>> meet, probably we should spend more money on change management,<br>> capacity building and awareness campaigns as opposed to this "strategy<br>> meetings" which will only lead to analysis paralysis<br>> <br>> My thoughts<br><br>African eDevelopment Resource Centre<br>eDevelopment House : :
604 Limuru Road<br>Old Muthaiga : : P O Box 49475 00100<br>Nairobi : : Kenya<br>T +254 20 3741646/7 : : C +254 725 650044<br><br>Training : : Research: :Consultancy: : Publishing<br><br><br><br><br>_______________________________________________<br>kictanet mailing list<br><a href="http://us.mc578.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" ymailto="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke"><a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a></a><br><a href="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" target="_blank"><a href="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet">http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet</a></a><br><br>This message was sent to: <a href="http://us.mc578.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jwalu@yahoo.com" ymailto="mailto:jwalu@yahoo.com"><a href="mailto:jwalu@yahoo.com">jwalu@yahoo.com</a></a><br>Unsubscribe or change your options at <a href="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com" target="_blank"><a href="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com">http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com</a></a><br></div></blockquote></td></tr></tbody></table><br>
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