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South African-European Union Dialogue Facility Series

Future-Proofing Public Service
Digital Readiness

Mandla Ngcobo, Government Chief Informa-
tion Technology Officer, Department of Public
Service and Administration (DPSA), provides
his thoughts on digital transformation and gov-
ernment service delivery. He is currently on sec-
ondment to the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) Secretariat, working on the
regional body’s ICT strategies.

Government Chief Information Technology Officer, Mandla Ngcobo

The Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial (ITU) further enrich these digital transformation efforts
Revolution (PC4IR) released its report on August 20, (see sidebar article) and contributes to a clear vision
2020, roughly a year after President Cyril Ramapho- of what a digitalised Public Service should look like.
sa established it. The report made recommendations
on the economy’s digital transformation (DX). The re- Minding the digital gaps
search scope of the PC4IR was as broad as it was There appears to be no shortage of policy fodder to
far-reaching in its investigation of the fourth industrial power a digital public service. However, most of these
revolution (4IR) and its implications for critical eco- efforts are hamstrung on several fronts. Foremost
nomic sectors, including the Public Service and so- among these is the disconnection between the cur-
ciety. The most notable proposals for the Public Ser- rent and envisaged future state. The Public Service
vice are an investment in appropriate human capital is trying to solve 21st-century challenges through
development and reviewing policies and legislation reliance on 20th-century tools. The administration of
to drive digital transformation. High-level governance people, structures and processes in the Public Ser-
mechanisms (such as the 4IR Strategy Implementa- vice is still steeped in 19th-century policies and laws
tion Coordination Council in the Presidency) would that are compounded on the following fronts:
provide much-needed impetus to digital transforma- § Leadership and Governance – Inadequate
tion. Executive involvement in matters of Digital
Governance, except for those public ser-
Building blocks vants participating in the Government Tech-
In line with the recommendations of the PC4IR, the nology Officers Council (GITOC);
DPSA is developing a legislative framework to institu-
tionalise e-government and DX in the Public Service. § Lack of digital thinking and skills, or mis-
The DX policy framework is the basis for engagement alignment between the current work prac-
with the ongoing bi-national South Africa - Denmark tices and skills against those required for a
Dialogue. Combined, the P4IR report, the National digital public service;
Development Plan (NDP) and other strategic poli- § Departmental ICT budgets are spent on
cy inputs provide a clear destination and the requi- resolving specific problems or solutions,
site milestones. The Digital Transformation Building which leads to a lack of coordination across
Blocks of the International Telecommunication Union the Public Service and a loss of economies

12 SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 15 • No. 1 of 2022