I was one of the 150 million who watched the FIFA World Cup draw on Friday evening.  I consider myself lucky, because the weather in Gauteng was not conducive to trouble-free viewing!  As well as those warnings that the storms can interrupt the signal at both the sending and the receiving dishes, we have a couple of trees that have grown into the "line of sight" between the dish and the satellite…  There was a good storm rattling around Joburg at the time, and I thought that Eskom might battle to keep me connected...

Even so, I thought I would play it safe by watching the SABC broadcast, which is still a good old-fashioned analogue signal.  You will share my consternation when, about 20 minutes into the ceremony, the picture and sound started to break up in a very digital-like manner!  Eish!

An then it occurred to me that the FIFA standard for these TV broadcasts is that they are all digital, high-definition, latest technology "at source" and fed to the networks as such.  So, here was our great opportunity to show that South Africa has got it all right - and there was a glitch already!  Was it weather related?  Probably not.  Fortunately, the fault, whatever it was, got fixed quite soon and the rest of the show was fine (except for the badly-mimed singer whose backing track sounded like someone stood on the cat's tail periodically).

But my point is that this latest TV technology is an "all or nothing" delivery.  If something gets in the way of the signal (loose connection, bad weather, dropped voltage), the signal goes - "Kwaa!", as John Robbie would say.  At least with the old analogue transmission, you might get "snow" in the picture, or wiggly lines, but the sound would stay on and you could continue to follow the plot, so to speak.

Fortunately for us Highveld-dwellers, winter is usually dry and storm-free, so we should be able to watch uninterrupted coverage of the World Cup.  Please let's be nice to Eskom - I hate to miss a second when Charlize is on screen.

 What should a "Thought Leader" blog about?  What topics and opinions are relevant and interesting in relation to the Computer Society and its role in the South African (or global) IT industry?  MyByte intrigues me, as an opportunity to build (electronic) bridges to enable us to exchange ideas about and across the whole spectrum of participation in and around this exciting industry.  We can choose to look closely at the microscopic details or to stand back and take a wider view of the big picture.

The world is a challenging place in which to live.  At any level of perspective, there are serious issues to be addressed and urgent problems to be solved.  Are we expecting too much of our leaders when we ask/demand that they "fix" things?  Is democracy failing because we fail to hold our leaders accountable?

There's nothing particularly South African about the issues that affect our daily lives - many, many countries around the world are dealing with poverty, crime and the legacy of past regimes, and we are all dealing with the fallout from the global recession.  What makes the difference is the local "psyche", the local culture, that decides our individual and collective attitude to overcoming the hurdles that we face.

Leadership is about uniting people, to harness their energies towards achieving a common goal for the benefit of the entire group.  It's not about "me first", nor about the "blame game" where it's always somebody else's fault that things are the way they are.  Rather, it is about "what can I do to make things better?".

So what are the hurdles that the South African IT industry needs to jump?  Bandwidth, access, cost, skills and transformation all come to mind.  I am quite sure that future posts will cover all of these but, for now, let's focus on transformation.  It's a national issue, across most sectors of the economy, and one that generates the most emotional responses.

When the BBBEE Act was passed into law, we all knew that empowerment was vital to the future of the country.  We just did not know how to fast track the necessary changes.  As we do with many issues, we tend to think that our problems are unique, requiring unique solutions.  So, the concept of sectoral BEE Charters was acknowledged, and some brave souls set off on the journey to create the ICT Charter without benefit of a road map to guide them (although I suppose I should refer to the lack of a GPS in modern parlance).

Between 2002 and 2004, those brave (and dedicated) souls brought together as many stakeholders as was humanly possible to agree the principles and then the details that were encapsulated in the Charter that was handed to the (then) Minister of Communications for onward transmission to the (then)Minister of Trade & Industry.  In the five years since, the Charter has been through a slow process of "harmonisation", that is the alignment of its criteria with the framework set by the Codes of Good Practice released by the Department of Trade & Industry.  Unfortunately (as at July 2009), there has been some disagreement within the Steering Committee which has prevented finalisation of the Codes for the ICT Sector.

So, are we making progress towards a transformed ICT sector?  Of course we are!  However, there is little doubt that the progress is too slow and too narrow (remembering the intention has always been that it should be broad-based).  Let's stop wasting time on debating what makes us different from everyone else, focus on the common goals we share with all South Africans and adopt the generic codes.  This simplifies administration, eases measurement and levels the playing field.  And, just maybe speeds up transformation...

Adrian Schofield of Computer Society South Africa is one of our www.MyByte.co.za Thought leaders. To subscribe to the www.MyByte.co.za Thought Leaders RSS feed click here http://snurl.com/md27j if you are still not registered on www.Mybyte.co.za and would like to join the online  network that connects the entire ICT industry in one room virtually click here http://www.mybyte.co.za/signup.php.

Mother Nature has a lot to answer for.    Across the board, she has pretty much put in place a system of "survival of the fittest".  Wherever you are in the food chain, being strong, agile, healthy and intelligent gives you a better chance of a good quality of life.

Then, just to complicate matters, she showed that being dependent is not necessarily a weakness, and that families and communities that depended on each other could combine to form a strong and sustainable group.  In nearly all cases, though, such groups also needed clear leadership (often decided by the survival of the fittest rules).

So it seems we are destined to inherit a legacy that makes us competitive, aggressive and prone to fighting with each other on various scales up to full-blown war.  But, being humans, we have been granted the gift of being able to think beyond the instincts, to set alternative standards of evaluation and even to contradict the laws of nature.

The founding fathers of the US of A had it that "all men are created equal" (pity they left out the founding mothers…), but there are very, very few societies where this "truth" is apparent.  Even in the most socialist communities, it is plainly evident that some are more equal than others.  Why else would they hold on to titles, wear medals and reserve parking spaces?

I would argue that we need to recognise the inequality of those around us.  It is our way of establishing a "pecking order" and learning which are the examples to be emulated in order to succeed (to be fit, to survive).  By recognising the achievements of others, we channel the need to compete into controlled environments, where the "winners" are identified without the need to slay their opponents (or to enslave them).

There are a number of ways in which we recognise inequality.  It starts at school, when our learning efforts are tested and examined and those with higher marks are applauded; and our sporting prowess is evaluated against our peers or the clock, with the top performers being selected to represent the lesser achievers.  Later in life, we can find ourselves nominated for an "Award" - often without knowing how we came to the attention of the proposer and by what criteria we will be evaluated.

For an award to be worth anything, it must have a perceived value in the eyes of the "winner" and of the community relevant to his or her performance.  Imagine the embarrassment of announcing the winner and then finding that they did not want the award!  In some environments (notably, the "Oscars") it can be essential to future commercial success to be seen to be a finalist and even more so to be a winner.  In others, the award is more about recognition of achievement rather than about competition.  In the latter case, the awardee's peers subscribe to the award without feeling that they have "lost" by not being honoured on this particular occasion.

For the next couple of weeks, CSSA is looking for nominees for its annual awards - the IT Personality of the Year and the Visionary CIO of the Year.  Help to make these awards more and more successful by entering the "stars" that you know into the pool for consideration.  Only by getting a wide audience to put the spotlight on good people can the adjudicators come to a fruitful conclusion.  Go to

http://www.itweb.co.za/events/itpersonalityoftheyear/2009/ and enter the details of your favourite people!

Adrian Schofield of Computer Society South Africa is one of our www.MyByte.co.za Thought leaders. To subscribe to the www.MyByte.co.za Thought Leaders RSS feed click here http://snurl.com/md27j if you are still not registered on www.Mybyte.co.za and would like to join the online  network that connects the entire ICT industry in one room virtually click here http://www.mybyte.co.za/signup.php.

More than a few citizens  were impressed by President Zuma's unannounced visit to Balfour, with the possible exception of the Mayor, who had gone home early.  Two questions arise - will he repeat the trick and will appropriate action follow?

MBWA has long been a useful management qualification (sorry - that's Management By Walking About, for the unenlightened), although I guess we could amend it to MBHA in the modern idiom (Management By Helicopter Arrival).  However, it only works if it is repeated often enough to keep people thinking that it might happen to them at any time and if, when sub-standard performance is observed, things get fixed (or miscreants get fired).

For the first to happen just takes making slots in the diary and picking the next target.  I'm sure it is much more fun for the average Chief Executive than sitting through interminable meetings while people justify their existence.  For the second to happen, there must be no "old boy (or girl)" network, no nepotism or cronyism, just swift (and fair) retribution.

In the Balfour example, the AWOL Mayor rushed from his house and got to meet with the President behind closed doors.  While it would be nice to believe that he got told the new rules, his (later) blaming the provincial and national governments for his problems did not sound  like a man who has turned over a new leaf.  Imagine the effect of that meeting taking place under a tree in the Mayoral car park, where all could hear!

When we seek to change the status quo, we should act differently.  Talking about change but acting the same will merely frustrate everyone.  Change is uncomfortable.  Change requires the immovable to move.  Change requires US to act, not THEM.

So, in seeking to change the CSSA's contribution to the country, we will have to give up our grip on some of the traditions that worked a century ago and look to what we can do differently to offer a better value proposition to our current and future stakeholders.  There is a place for an association of professionals and aspiring professionals - setting standards, mentoring and coaching the next generation and demanding recognition for the talents acquired, networking for growth and development.  But there isn't a place for two.

This President wants to see the change that creates one "family", united by their shared belief in the future and accepting that distant cousins are as much a part of the family as siblings.  Accepting that the branches of the family tree can be unique without losing their strength from the core.  Nature offers many precedents - vines and roses are just two examples of using an older, stable root stock on to which is grafted the newer, productive flowering, fruiting growth.

Let's do it!

Adrian Schofield of Computer Society South Africa is one of our www.MyByte.co.za Thought leaders. To subscribe to the www.MyByte.co.za Thought Leaders RSS feed click here http://snurl.com/md27j if you are still not registered on www.Mybyte.co.za and would like to join the online  network that connects the entire ICT industry in one room virtually click here http://www.mybyte.co.za/signup.php.

We all know that "nothing will go wrong" - until it goes wrong.  The CSSA's annual awards programme is driven by the nominations it receives via the ITWeb web site in July and early August.  Unfortunately, the gremlins have removed all nominations made up to 8 August!  If you nominated someone, PLEASE go the the ITWeb site and renominate them NOW!

My piece under the heading of "Time for concerted action" for the MyByte newsletter was written last week.  Since then, I have attended the South African Communications Forum (SACF) gathering of industry associations on 1 September where the development of a vision for the ICT sector's development over the next 10 years was the hot topic.

Let me say at the outset that I support the initiative.  The Minister of Communications committed his department to producing an Integrated National ICT Policy Framework and it is vital that the industry's stakeholders have the principal input to its development.  South Africa is fast losing ground in the global indices that measure our development in both human and technology terms.  We must have an effective partnership between government and industry to capitalise on the resources and strengths we have, to reverse this trend and to spread the benefits of technology diffusion across our society.

But this is not the first time that South Africa has attempted to translate the theories of connected communities into practice.  We have had the South African IT Industry Strategy project (SAITIS), the Nedlac ICT Jobs Summit, the Minister of Trade & Industry's ICT Development Council and the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) derivatives of Presidential National Commission and President's International Advisory Council, to name but a few.

If this new drive for a unified approach is to succeed, what can we learn from our own experiences and from the experiences in other countries?  It really is a "no-brainer" that the representation of the industry's stakeholders must be strong, must be based on consensus and must be credible.  There are many sub-groups of stakeholders, each with their own pressing concerns, but those concerns should not be dealt with in silos, as if they have no effect on nor are affected by the needs of other groups.  Coordination, based on understanding bred from effective communication, is the key to success.  On our own continent, we can see the effectiveness of the Egyptian IT industry Development Agency (a 50/50 partnership between government and industry) in moving that country ahead of us in competitiveness.  The Zambian Computer Society has recently called for their government to separate implementation from regulation, through the formalisation of the relationship between state and industry.  We can go on through examples ranging from UK to India to Singapore, Australia…

The other "nettle" that needs to be grasped is the dispersion of ICT sector issues across too many government departments.  The so-called ICT sector (if you think it is a homogeneous grouping, please describe its unifying characteristics) is too embedded across the whole of our society to be left to the willingness of different departments to synergise and coordinate their various priorities into a holistic programme.  I am sure you can add to this list - Communications (policy and regulation), Trade & Industry (enterprise development and export growth), Public Enterprises (infrastructure), Public Service & Administration (government use), Science & Technology (research and innovation), Education - basic and higher - (skills development), Labour (skills availability)…

So my plea to the stakeholders is let's do it differently this time.  Let's not just talk about working together but make it a reality.  The goal should be to move South Africa back up the rankings, to reflect the inherent strengths we have and our ability to share the vision.  Woza 2020!

The opening of GovTech 2009 has been an interesting experience, leaving me with the question of whether it is an opportunity to showcase the best of what is happening in the relationship between Government and the ICT sector, or is it a performer's paradise interspersed with occasional business sessions?

Let's face it - in 2009 it is definitely no less expensive to stage the fourth GovTech for over 2 000 delegates than it was to stage the first one for about half that number.  In these tough times, that makes it so much more important that every rand invested in GovTech by sponsors, delegates and government should be leveraged for maximum business return.

Nobody would begrudge SITA celebrating its 10th anniversary at this prestigious event, so it made sense that the "legends" theme would honour an illustrious group of men and women who have become legends in the South African ICT sector.  However, it would have meant more to the audience had there been an explanation of this legendary line-up being the pre-cursor to a future awards programme that would focus on the achievements of public sector performers, contributing over and above the call of duty to the application of ICTs in service delivery improvement.  It would have made even more sense to many of the younger members of the audience had there been a potted history of each awardee up on the screen as their names were called, to remind delegates of the notable claim to fame of each legend.

But that's really a minor issue.  What puzzles me more is the energy and expense that goes into the non-business elements of the opening of the conference.  Deafening rock music suitable for a "rave" venue is not conducive to the establishing (or re-establishing) of contacts with one's peers, of renewing the network that is the lifeblood of successful business development.  Similarly, a conference day that has already started late does not need the preface of an amusing but irrelevant mime/acrobatic performance.  Business is business.

And when it came to setting the business scene, the Minister, Richard Baloyi, said all the right things in an articulate and comprehensive speech.  He emphasised government's need to improve service delivery by being more citizen-centric and said that a ministerial group had been formed to support SITA (from the Ministries that most depend on SITA's services) and noted that SITA is taking a leaf from ABSA's book with a slogan that goes, "SITA today, SITA tomorrow, SITA to the future".

Minister Baloyi also mentioned the increasing importance of community development workers, who would use technology to take government services to citizens where they live, rather than asking citizens to come to government offices.  A new buzz-phrase comes to mind - GTTH, or government to the home!

My last plea to the organisers - find a way to avoid the "give away scramble".  Every year, there is a period of chaos when delegates discover they must collect an item of GovTech clothing from the registration desks.  If these items cannot be made available at the time of registration, please find a way of distributing them that does not involve long, long queues!

But GovTech is still the best networking event of the year...

South Africa is a member of WITSA, through the ITA, we thought you might be interested in learning about an exciting event hosted by their sister association in Bermuda this November 1-3; WITSA’s Global Public Policy Summit 2009. Below, please find some important information about GPPS 2009. Please note that registration and discounted hotel rates are limited, so please visit the official event page at www.gpps2009.bm soon to make your arrangements. ITA is a proud member of WITSA and will be represented at this important event.

 

24 September 2009

WITSA Global Public Policy Summit, Bermuda - 32 days to go!

Additional Session Added

Of interest to ALL international institutions and companies will be an added session: “A Light at the end of the Tunnel?” Possible solutions to some of the privacy and security challenges encountered with outsourcing through Binding Safe Processor Rules.

In difficult economic times, many companies turn to outsourcing services or rely on cost effective solutions such as cloud computing to help control the bottom line. In a global context, this can lead to unanticipated problems related to security and liability issues when handling of data is passed to a third-party. Add to the mix, different international regulatory frameworks and trans-border data flows and it can be a minefield.

Come and be part of developing a practical global industry solution. This session hosted by the Government of Bermuda and Field Fisher Waterhouse, calls for the participation of international regulators and industry officials, to explore the creation of an international working party to develop a model for Binding Safe Processor Rules (BSPR) – see attached

Pre-Summit Workshop:

Incubators and Associations:  Catalysts in Building and ICT Sector - An important opportunity to address and learns means of strengthening the ICT industry in the Caribbean, Mid-Atlantic and Latin and South American regions through the formation of incubators and associations.

Bermuda Jazz Festival – Added attraction

Bermuda, as well as playing host to the WITSA GPPS2009, is also host to the Bermuda Music Festival with Quincy Jones and Friends.  Come and enjoy the warm sun, pink sand and great music from October 29 -31. For Thursday Friday and Saturday nights the stars shine even brighter in Paradise.  For more details: http://www.bermudatourism.com/bermuda_music_festival.aspx or e-mails us that you are interested at info@gpps2009.bm .

Entertainment Schedule
Thursday, October 29, 2009

Featured Artists:

Erykah Badu, Wyclef Jean, and Naturally 7
Introductions by Quincy Jones

Location:

The Keep Yard at Maritime Museum - Royal Naval Dockyard

Gates Open:

6:00pm (ADT)

Show Time:

7:00pm (ADT)

Friday, October 30, 2009

Featured Artists:

Quincy Jones & Orchestra, Patti Austin, James Ingram, Kenny Rogers and Michael McDonald

Location:

The Keep Yard at Maritime Museum - Royal Naval Dockyard

Gates Open:

6:00pm (ADT)

Show Time:

7:00pm (ADT)

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Featured Artists:

Quincy Jones & Orchestra, John Legend, and Naturally 7
Program Note: This Halloween night program will feature a special presentation of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" - 25 years after the best-selling album of all time (produced by Quincy Jones) was released.

Location:

The Keep Yard at Maritime Museum - Royal Naval Dockyard

Gates Open:

6:00pm (ADT)

Show Time:

7:00pm (ADT)

GPPS 2009 Programme Update

The WITSA Global Public Policy Summit is now nearly finalised and the programme is set, the speakers and panelists confirmed and our organisation geared up for the arrival of delegates for the Pre-Summit Workshop and the Summit proper on October 30^th/31^st and November 1^st/2^nd/3^rd respectively. The conference global Advisory Committee have worked closely with the Bermuda organisers to present content that is topical, relevant and of interest to a wide audience.

·         Do policies that promote technology infrastructures that are resilient, secure and that protect the privacy of personal data conflict with policies that encourage economic expansion?

·         Can enlightened ICT policy enable your economy and economic growth?

·         Will proposed Internet governance policies relating to stability, security and private sector leadership dampen economic recovery and expansion?

·         Do environmental policies hamper growth and can enlightened ICT policies bridge the gap?

·         Is there evidence that institutions can play a positive role in promoting ICT and expand economies or are they a thing of the past?

·         Are there potential Business Technology developments on the horizon that will enhance growth?

We look forward to welcoming all WITSA members and all delegates to come and actively participate in these timely and important discussions. We will be soliciting interactive feedback using the latest technology and it is anticipated that a number of declarations will be prepared as output from the summit.

WITSA GPPS2009

The WITSA Bermuda Global Public Policy Summit (GPPS) is THE global thought leadership event of the ICT world. This is the ONLY event where global ICT industry invites policy makers to sit down and discuss issues of mutual concern, including the what, and where to next questions.

WITSA represents the majority of the world’s ICT industry companies. WITSA members consist of the leading ICT associations in over 70 countries around the globe.

Participating in the WITSA Bermuda GPPS2009 panels will be:

Eduardo Ustaran

Partner

Field Fisher Waterhouse

Liesyl Franz

Vice President

TechAmerica

Billy Hawkes

Data Protection Commissioner

Ireland

Yurie Ito

CERT

Japan

Andy Purdy

Co-Director

International Cyber Centre, George Mason University

Markus Kummer

Executive Coordinator

Internet Governance Forum

Marilyn Cade

President

ICT Strategies

Sally Shipman Wentworth

Senior Manager for Public Policy

ISOC

Peter Dengate Thrush

Chairman, Board of Trustees

ICANN

John Higgins

Director General

Intellect, UK

Ian Birks

CEO

Australian Information Industry Association

Bernard Courtois

President & CEO

Information Technology Association of Canada

Julian David

Vice President Public Sector

IBM

Raymond Karrenbauer

EVP and CIO

Axis Capital

Graham Vickery

Head, Information Economy Group

OECD

David Olive

Chairman

WITSA Global Public Policy Group

Sarbulund Khan

Executive Coordinator

Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID)

Lee Tuthill

Senior Counselor

Trade in Services Division, WTO

Dimitri Ypsilanti

Head Information, Computer and Communications Division

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

Phil Bond

COO

TechAmerica

Dr. David Belanger

Chief Scientist

AT&T Labs

Laurent Bernat

Policy Analyst

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

Tim Heffernan

VP Global Government Relations

NCR Corporation

Larry Irving

VP  Global Government Relations

Hewlett Packard

Mike Nelson

Professor of Internet Studies

Georgetown University

Makoto Yokozawa

Centre for Knowledge Exchange & Creation, Nomura Research Institute

The World Bank has provided some funding to allow some emerging nations to attend what is considered to be a significant initiative, particularly as the theme is about technology as a stimulator in tough economic times.

During a global recession it is even more critical that industry and regulators work closely together to avoid the tendency to institute more regulation.

Registration is open at www.gpps2009.bm where you will also find more information about travel to the island and other more detailed information on the event as well as the Pre-Summit Workshop. We have organised a number of lower cost rooms at our host hotel the Fairmont Southampton that will be allocated on a first come basis with these lower cost registrations closing at the end of September 2009.

If there is any further information we can provide please contact us via the website or via WITSA at www.witsa.org.

We hope to see you in Bermuda in October!

REGISTER BY SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 TO GUARANTEE YOUR ATTENDANCE AND SUMMIT HOTEL ROOM RATES

Who represents you?  Did you have a hand in choosing them and in what they say on your behalf?  Should they be high profile, grabbing headlines and stirring controversy?

Politically, in South Africa, you vote for a party and they decide the personalities that will form the "front line".  If they choose to prioritise frigates above food or networks above nurses, can you complain?  If you are a union member, you may find you are affiliated to COSATU, with Zwelinzima Vavi demanding that labour brokers be banned.  If you are under 35, you may have Mr Malema urging the removal of senior appointees in government.  If you are a runner, you may have Leonard Chuene as the source of opinions about your sport and its administration.  Your views might well be the exact opposite of those purporting to be in your interests.

Socially, you might belong to a Club, where a committee and chairperson are elected to guide the affairs of the members.  Do they have your interests at heart?  If they put up the prices of drinks, have they thought about the effect it will have on your budget?

Economically, you might have even less choice about who speaks on your behalf.  Many "representative" associations have a relatively small number of members, often not reflecting the demographics of the entire group.  Their spokespersons may be even less typical of the thinking of the community.

We now have an interesting situation developing in the ICT sector.  To borrow a John Robbie expression (and he has few I would want to borrow), I have been "banging on about" a lack of coordination in the industry for years.  As we approach the end of 2009, one group is working on how to best advise the Minister of Communications on the right way forward for the next 10 years in terms of ICTs role in the Knowledge Society.  They plan a Forum and presentation to the Minister on 16 October.

Coincidentally (or maybe not), the Minister convenes an ICT sector Forum a week later.  Not everyone invited to the first event has been invited to the second.  Will it be more exclusive?  Will it be more influential?

Who knows?  But, whatever gets discussed or decided (and we are very good at the former, if somewhat less impressive at the latter), whose opinions will influence the way forward?  Will they be yours?
 

v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-ZAX-NONEX-NONEMicrosoftInternetExplorer4/* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}Are you looking for a relevant, practical postgraduate education program that flexible enough to fit in with your busy life?  Do you want to be recognised as an IT Professional globally?

The CSSA Computer Professional Education Program, offered in partnership with the Australian Computer Society, is a masters-level program offered on-line, so you can schedule your studies aorund your professional career, family life and social activities.  With a sound reputation fro relevant, quality course content, the CPE Program is workplace based, so your learning can be applied immediately to your career and your organisation.

For more information, contact cpep@cssa.org.za or check out http://www.cssa.org.za/article.php?a_id=366&PHPSESSID=805b367c307eb3c4b8c9471d346a15e5

The UK Daily Mail today reported on an attack on the British Government's education policies by the CEO of the country's largest private employer.

Tesco employs 280 000 people and Sir Terry Leahy lamented that standards are woefully low in too many schools and claimed that teachers are distracted from their real purpose of teaching children.

His comments are supported by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which claims some companies have to give teenage employees remedial English and Maths lessons, with about half of the employers expressing dissatisfaction with the basic literacy and numeracy of school leavers.  This leaves the youngsters unable to perform simple calculations, speak articulately or understand written instructions.

Does all this sound depressingly familiar?  I would expect the Brits to know better, but the bottom line is that the schools must produce the best possible quality of “raw material”, i.e. young people fit and capable (and willing) to enter the world of work, or to enter the world of higher education.

A poor person who is educated has the opportunity to devise a solution to his/her poverty and can rationally communicate their needs to a broad community.  A poor uneducated person is condemned forever to be ballot-box (or, even worse, cannon) fodder for corrupt politicians and criminals.

We can argue that South Africa has been held back by its legacy from the 19^th and 20^th Centuries but every day that we delay the implementation of effective education, we are losing whatever competitive edge we had as the 21^st Century dawned.  As many countries have learned to their cost, you build your future on skilled young people, not on armies, security apparatus or luxury vehicles.

Elevating the quality of education across the board – schools, colleges and universities – is an absolute “no-brainer”.  We now have two Ministers and their deputies to advocate this cause in Parliament and in Cabinet.  Let every pressure group lend weight to the demand for effective action to reverse the slide of the last decade.  Investment in our children is the surest way to guarantee a return on that investment.  In the same way, we must learn that long term returns are ultimately more satisfying than short term glory when it comes to other social foundations such as health and housing.

Electricity, bus systems, football stadiums – these modern glories will be wasted unless the new generation of South Africans are shown how to use them, how to create ideas for new uses, how to leverage these investments into productive communities.

Education, education, education!  Tony Blair was right – what a pity he did not practice what he preached.  Let us learn the lesson, before it is toolate.

I love it when Ministers (we're talking those in Government, not those in Church) convene meetings of "stakeholders".  Why?  Well, everybody turns up!  The Inaugural Meeting of the ICT Industry Forum last week was attended by the Minister, the Deputy Minister, the DG and a battery of DDGs and other senior executives from the Department of Communications, along with the Presidents/Chairpersons of a range of industry associations, including the ITA, EIF, ISPA, CCASA, BITF, SACF, NAFCOC, SADiBA, WiT, NAB and (of course) CSSA.

Regardless of the substance of the discussions, it was a great opportunity to catch up with who's (still) who in the sector zoo, and to enjoy a sizeable buffet lunch as a reward for sitting through three hours of uninterrupted discussion (cups of tea were served to the Minister and Deputy in situ).

On a more serious note, I remain convinced of a number of things:

• We love to talk
• The industry is wasting valuable resources in the variety of associations
• We need to see the "big picture" and combine resources to get the parochial issues off the table
• ICTs are pervasive and Government's ICT policies must be coordinated
• We are shy to define "who does what next" at the end of a discussion

The Minister and the DG said the right things, as quoted on the DoC's website:

'The Minister acknowledged that there have been other similar initiatives in the past. However these have collapsed due to a lack of long-term commitment on the part of the Department and the participants alike.

“It is clear that in order for the ICT Industry Forum to be sustainable over time, there is a need to nurture this stakeholder forum. In this regard, my department and I commit to provide leadership at both political and administrative levels. We are aware that benefits of these kinds of initiatives take time to be realized, but it’s us to identify low-hanging fruit, that is the quick wins.”

The Director General of Communications Mamodupi Mohlala shared the department’s 2009-2012 Strategic-Plan with members of the Forum. “The long term objective of the forum is to ensure that the interests of both the private sector and government are harnessed and realized for the good of all South Africans,” Mohlala said.'

I am an eternal optimist (which is why I am still serving on a variety of committees), so I am hopeful that the Forum will be the catalyst for meaningful action in 2010 and beyond.  I have fond memories of the equivalent forum under Alec Erwin's direction at Trade & Industry - from which SAVANT is probably the most visible legacy. 

Our initial tasks seem to be to review and comment on the policies for Cybersecurity, Broadband and Radio Frequency Spectrum, all of which were drafted in August 2009 and will be tabled for regulation or legislation early in 2010.

After that, we can get to grips with the National Internet Policy and the National ICT Policy - and I am having some odd visions when I try to conceive what might be legislated in those two areas...

So Julius needs the protection of the State.  According to the media reports at the weekend, any South African who can show that their life has been threatened can appeal to the State for protection.  I quote from one of the reports: "Police Ministry spokesman Zweli Mnisi said Malema had received death threats.

“(Malema) wrote a letter to the SAPS advising of his request to receive such protection as he believed his life was in danger,” he said.

“Crime Intelligence, upon receiving this request, conducted an investigation which then revealed that indeed there were threats to his life.”

Mnisi said Malema was then given the choice of using either the police’s VIP Protection Services - the unit that guards ministers and other dignitaries - or private bodyguards.

The SAPS would foot the bill for both options."

I wonder if this is the solution to the unemployment crisis?  Every citizen who has been the victim of a hijacking or an armed robbery, or is the neighbour of such a citizen, can now go to the SAPS and demand their right to a 24-hour bodyguard service, presenting the past crime as proof of a real threat.

I wonder if we can extend the practice further, and suggest that any organisation or enterprise whose future is threatened by the failing economy must now be afforded the protection of the State?  I am sure we can arrange for them to achieve a higher public profile by issuing inflammatory statements on irrelevant issues!  For example, what if I suggest that the Department of Communications is intending to take over the role of the Department of Trade & Industry?  According to the press release today, their new strategic plan aims to build up more SMMEs in the ICT sector, which is the DTI's job.  In my view, DoC's job is the reduce the cost of and increase the availability of access to communications infrastructure.  Why don't they just get on with that, and leave enterprise development in the department that has the mandate for it?

Final thought on this topic - where does the estimate of R300 000 a month for the protection service come from?  We are all aware of how little is paid in salaries to policemen and security guards.  It costs a great deal less than that to provide 24-hour security to 350 properties in an up-market estate, including gate guards, patrols and vehicles.  Maybe the extra is to pay for the speeding fines...

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING CSSA EVENTS FOR NOVEMBER 2009

 1.    CSSA BASA SIG Event -  "Why Agile Techniques Work"

(By Shane Hastie (International Speaker) - delivered at Agile 2009 and Agile Australia 15 October)

Date: Wednesday 11 November 2009

Time: 17h00 for 17h30

Venue: ITA Offices, Stellenryk Building, Constantia Square, 526 16th Road Midrand

Cost: R40.00 CSSA Members. R80.00 Non-members

RSVP: Cathy Biyela (Cathy@cssa.org.za)

"Agile is a culture, not a methodology"

This talk examines the organisational, cultural and individual changes needed for a business to successfully embrace Agile methods.

A number of organisations have implemented Agile techniques on pilot projects or in small groups to great success, and then stumbled

when trying to scale to a larger company-wide rollout. This has led to the myth that Agile only works well in small companies or in isolated

groups within larger organisations.

About the Speaker

Shane Hastie joined Software Education Associates Ltd in May 2002, specialising in project management, business systems analysis and

design using “traditional” structured programming, Object Oriented and Agile methodologies. He brings with him a wealth of experience

in systems design and development in real-world environments.

Read More ....

2.    Project Governance Community of Practice - Public Event with Dr. Giel Bekker

Dr Giel Bekker will present a paper entitled "Project Governance – a practical framework "

Date: Thursday 12 November 2009

Time: 15h30 for 16h00

Venue: University of the Witwatersrand, FNB Building, West Campus, Braamfontein

Cost: R50.00 CSSA & PMISA Members. R80.00 Non-members

RSVP: Cathy Biyela (Cathy@cssa.org.za)

Despite the numerous tools and techniques that have been developed during the past decades, the management of projects towards original time commitments and budgets remains challenging. In recent years the concept of ‘project governance’ emerged as potential addition to the project management attire. However, the definition of the concept as well as organisational positioning thereof was kept to individual and institutional interpretation. The lack of common understanding of what was meant by ‘project governance’ created much confusion resulting in the project manager being trapped between corporate expectations and project responsibilities.

Based on empirical research this paper presents a definition of ‘project governance’ as well as a practical framework. The framework provides the critical link between corporate governance and project management and explains the function of a project steering committee, project reporting and auditing as well as ethical and responsible conduct. Case studies illustrating the impact of good and poor project governance are also discussed.

Read More ....

3.    2009 CSSA President's Awards Breakfast

The 2009 IT Personality, Visionary CIO,  IT Leading Employer and Distinguished Service in ICT Awards will be presented at the CSSA President's Awards Breakfast:

 Date: Friday 27 November 2009

Time: 07h00 for 07h30

Venue: Johannesburg Country Club, Woodmead

Cost: R295.00 per individual ticket. R2750.00 per Table for Ten.

Dress: Business Suit (Club rules require Gents to wear a jacket and tie)

RSVP: Lerina or Charlene (events@cssa.org.za)

Read more ...

And for CSSA Gauteng Chapter Members Only:

4.    CSSA Gauteng Chapter Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Gauteng Chapter of Computer Society South Africa will be held as follows:

 Date: Monday 23 November 2009

Time: 17h00 for 17h30

Venue: ITA Offices, Stellenryk Building, Constantia Square, 526 16th Road Midrand

RSVP: Cathy Biyela (Cathy@cssa.org.za)

Guest Speaker: Craig Rosewarne (Founder & Chairman of Information Security Group of Africa)
Topic: “Information Security and Risk Management – Points on the CIO and Risk Management Agendas for 2009 - 10”
 

Please note that Chapter Committee elections will be held at the AGM. Special Interest Group (SIG) Chairs are ex officio members of the Chapter Committee.

Read more ...

Effective CIO Performance:  Managing Pressure

 Café Conversation:    Managing Stress

WHERE:                          KASE House, 1 Aulax Close, Eversdal Heights, Durbanville (map attached)

DATE AND TIME:   Friday, 20^th November 2009 at 08h30 for 09h00 to 10h30

RSVP:                           http://cioforum.ning.com   (network portal)

CIO Forum Background:

The CIO Forum is open to CIO's, Academics whose work falls into the intersection of business and technology, IT Professionals in Industry and Commerce, Government and Graduates.  It is an educational and interactive gathering of IT professionals and academics which evolved as an informal social network of academics in response to calls for institutions in higher education to better prepare graduates entering the Information and Communication Technology sector. The CIO Forum is not open to consultants, recruiters or technology salespeople and/or marketers.

As academics and professionals, they felt the need to bring influential stakeholders such as those serving as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of corporate enterprise and academics teaching in universities to discuss a variety of important topics. They began by dealing with the lack of skills in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector and reviewing the disparate views on internship and graduate programs held by corporate employers and academia.

Since  2009, the CIO Forum has grown  as a South African social network with a view to broadening out into the African continent and  we have also had a number of international CIO’s who have joined and actively participate on the on-line forums . The CIO Forum was launched in 2008 with sponsorship by the Simeka Business Solutions Group and co-hosted by the Department of Information Systems of the Faculty of Economic and Management Science (EMS) at UWC and the School of Information and Design at CPUT. Academics from the Department of Information Systems at UCT and Social Informatics at SU have also joined and hosted these monthly breakfast forums. ICT industry role players such as Microsoft, Oracle and SAP have supported the forum and a number of influential stakeholders from government have presented and participated in our discussions.

The format of the breakfast forum is a conversation modelled on the concept of Cafe Conversations - visit The World Cafe. The opening topic of the forum was "ICT Skills Development - the Role of Universities and Employers". In discussions with academics and CIOs it was evident that there was support for such an event and more importantly that on-going conversations between these important role players needed to take place.

AGENDA

08:30 - 09:00                    Registration and Breakfast

09:00                           Welcome and Opening (Dr Andre De La Harpe)

                                        Introduction to Speaker

09: 05     -  09:45                             Allan Dickson

Allan is a results oriented, highly experienced IT professional with proven delivery capability at strategic, project and operational levels. He is recognised for building capability and releasing capacity in organisations and people through the application of business understanding, thoroughness, dependability, people and communication skills.

He applied these skills in directing and delivering major IT-driven transformation at four South African Retail and Banking blue-chip companies over the past 30 years.  He made substantial improvements in each organisation, either in terms of improved turnover or customer service levels. Success enabled in each case by getting the most from IT staff and the ability to build effective ‘bridges’ between IT and the user communities which it serves. 

Effective CIO Performance:  Managing Pressure

As the pace of macroeconomic change accelerates, CIO’s are under increasing pressure to become multi-taskers. The need to balance a variety of seemingly competing (and often conflicting) demands is stronger than ever before.

·       How can the CIO support the introduction of new services without disrupting the current ones?

·       How can the CIO reduce costs whilst improving services?

·       How can the CIO influence business strategy yet at the same time focus on running a top-notch IT operation?

The CIO is no magician but he is certainly a juggler. The pressure from demands can have a debilitating effect on the CIO.  If the pressure is not adequately harnessed, it can detract substantially from the impact that the role can and should have on the organisation and affect the personal health and well-being of the CIO.

Allan Dickson is an IT ‘veteran’ having survived the IT industry for over 35 years mostly as a CIO (Edgars and Ellerines Groups) or IT Executive (Woolworths and Standard Bank). During this presentation he will share his experience and views as he examines  how this pressure can be successfully managed and controlled to ensure a more efficient and effective CIO performance.

10:00 to 10:30          Café Conversation  (Roderick Lim Banda)

Stress Management

Closing

With kind regards,     
Bridgetti

ACADEMIC CIO FORUM

Twitter: @CIOForumSA

Skype:  Bridgetti

http://www.cioforum.co.za

http://www.linkedin.com/in/cioforum

http://cioforum.ning.com

Time: November 17, 2009 from 9am to 12pm
Location: KASE House
Organized By: Bridgetti Lim Banda

Event Description:
Click here to reserve a seat
http://www.cioforum.co.za/publiccioforum/event_cmn00101.htm

Time: December 2, 2009 from 6pm to 9pm
Location: KASE House
Organized By: Bridgetti Lim Banda

Event Description:
Click here to reserve your seat
http://www.cioforum.co.za/publiccioforum/event_saw00101.htm

Check out "Kent Beck Webinar on Responsive Design" on CIO FORUM

See more details and RSVP on CIO FORUM:

http://cioforum.ning.com/events/event/show?id=2233439%3AEvent%3A5402&xgi=3sYeVVmkQYhSzc&xg_source=msg_invite_event