Information Technology

The moment I was entrusted with the responsibility of shadowing IT, I made it clear that it was the Malta Labour Party's declared intention to adopt a non-partisan approach that will help us rise above unnecessary confrontation and pique when voicing our opinion and views on developments linked to this particular sector.

This I have done to the best of my ability, as can be confirmed by my parliamentary speech when replying to the Minister of IT's budgetary estimates last December. So much so that the minister concerned lauded the approach we had then adopted in the House.

Today I shall endeavour to highlight some of my reactions to the recent strategy document published by government.

Unlike other strategies and pieces of legislation, government this time round discussed the subject involved at length with all interested parties. It is by getting all the parties concerned together and through dialogue that a holistic strategy can take shape and materialise. We need private-public partnerships in the real sense of the word.

Alas, although IT penetration on the island has increased by leaps and bounds, we still cannot boast of having an IT industry, although we have quite a generous amount of IT hardware importers and software developers.

For government's ICT strategy to work it must not only be formulated in the right direction, but it must be continuously updated and readjusted throughout the lifespan of the action plan due to the ever-changing technologies. It is also important that the milestones and benchmarks set should be as realistic and attainable as possible.

This applies particularly to Internet penetration at a time when we have a shrinking economy and reduced purchasing power.

Malta's size lends itself well for implementation of IT innovations, even though we miss out on the economies of scale.

It is important to stress the importance of teaching and familiarising our children with IT from an early age. IT should be one of the basic skills like Maltese, English and Maths. It is only through such an approach that we could achieve digital inclusion.

The education system should produce better students who will be better prepared to meet the challenges of the information society.

The eGovernment strategy seems to be concentrated on the front end, i.e. the delivery of services. This area should enable the rightsizing of the civil service while ensuring that ICT will also act as a catalyst for civil service reform, meanwhile offering better, more efficient and more effective services to all the local citizens.

One should not only concentrate on the Internet but also on other channels, including contact centres and face-to-face interaction to be more inclusive. Moreover, the strategy should focus beyond the mere placing of existing services on line. Processes need to be redesigned so that they can become more 'citizen centric', placing a higher priority on citizen satisfaction.

A consistent and integrated approach to services that better match the public's expectations is essential.

We have to work together with a strong sense of political leadership in order to make ICT one of our greatest strengths and leverage IT as a competitive advantage tighter with our talented human resources. Investment is also required through EU funding to invest in the young people who are willing to undertake research and innovative projects.

The implementation of ICT throughout the SME sector must be monitored effectively throughout the lifespan of the plan.

Although the stated EU deadline is 2010, government seems to have set itself the over-ambitious target of achieving most of its projections practically in less than two years' time!

The policy document even declares that by 2006 we should have become a 'donor' country in the IT sector.

Do we have enough qualified tutors to achieve the level of academic excellence which the document touts?

How will these objectives square out with the much proclaimed CISCO and Microsoft education centres. The companies concerned have the resources, clout and knowledge to help achieve what Government wants to achieve.

When the strategy was being formulated, was account taken of the inevitable input, which these two major companies can provide, among others?

Government seems to be aiming very high when it declares that by the end of 2006 our education system will prepare 500 IT specialists.

I think that what this document is trying to do is to ride on the outsourcing bandwagon. This is not a bad thing in itself. Although the concept per se is not mentioned in the strategy paper, that is what page 49 of the document effectively hints at.

Are we aiming at making a pitch for a slice of the cake that the low paid, highly indigenous Asian market is producing?

What is not too clear is how the private sector is being engaged in all these concepts.

Although positive, the statement on page 47 that 10 ICT start-ups a year will take place sounds more like a declaration of intent.

Finally, it would be interesting were government to elaborate on how it intends to use ICT in Government to serve as a whistle-blowing vehicle. What is actually being proposed here? The mind boggles.

Note must be taken of the fact that corporate ICT budgets have at this point in time been tightened, while spending on ICT-related projects has slowed down. The focus of ICT projects has in fact shifted from achieving fast growth to enhancing productivity and e-enabling core business processes.

All this is happening at a time when companies and corporations have begun to concentrate on the visible impact of and measurable return on their investments in ICT. Most ICT projects I know of are currently similarly being scrutinised for value and effectiveness.

leo.brincat@gov.mt