electronic queue management system (eqms) · 3.2 the raf electronic queue management system (eqms)...

PUBLIC SECTOR INNOVATIONSTHE RAF ELECTRONIC QUEUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (EQMS)

AWARDS & ACCOLADESINNOVATION PRIZE FOR AFRICA RECOGNISES LAKHENI

INSIGHTSPUTTING INNOVATION TO HUMANITARIAN PURPOSE A

LSO

INSI

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THE SOUTH AFRICAN PUBLIC SECTOR INNOVATION JOURNAL

ISSN

:207

5-60

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VOL. 8 • ISSUE 1 • 2017

THE RAFELECTRONIC QUEUE

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (EQMS)

2 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

CENTRE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE INNOVATION (CPSI)

The CPSI is mandated to develop innovative, sustainable and responsive models for improved service delivery. The work of the CPSI is guided by an understanding of innovation in a public sector context as “the creation and implementation of new service delivery solutions (systems, processes, methods, models, products and services) resulting in significant improvements in outcomes, efficiency, effectiveness and quality”.

The CPSI facilitates the unearthing, development and implementation of innovative ideas within and throughout the public sector. It achieves this by facilitating pilot projects aimed at demonstrating the value of innovative solutions, and through activities that create an enabling environment within the public sector to support and sustain innovation. The CPSI’s cross-sector reach makes it a resource for the whole of government, thus bridging institutional boundaries.

Through active research and knowledge sharing platforms and products, the CPSI identifies and shares lessons and information on innovation trends nationally, across Africa and internationally. The CPSI partners with a range of individuals and institutions in government, business and the community in exciting and mutually beneficial ways. This partnership model allows us to leverage financial and/or intellectual capital in support of government priorities.

The CPSI is guided by the following fundamental principles:

• DEMAND-DRIVEN: The CPSI is committed to responding to identified and clearly articulated service delivery challenges and their root causes.

• MULTI-STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERING: The CPSI does not directly deliver services. Its emphasis is on facilitating partnerships which cut across all spheres and sectors of government to address

silos that stifle integration and holistic approaches.

• LEVERAGING ICT AS AN ENABLER: The CPSI supports Government departments in enhancing access to services through leveraging and exploiting the power of technology in their operations and services.

• REPLICATION: The CPSI advocates for and drives the adaptation, replication and mainstreaming of innovative

solutions.

• EMBRACING DIVERSITY: Innovations rarely happen in a closed circuit or homogeneous setting. To find holistic solutions to challenges, multi-stakeholder teams are gathered to interrogate these challenges.

VisionA solution-focused, effective and efficient Public Sector through innovation.

Mission

To act as facilitator for the unearthing, development and practical implementation of innovative solutions within and throughout the public service.

Mandate• Provide the Minister for Public Service and Administration with independent, diverse and forward-looking research findings

and advice on innovative service delivery with a specific focus on government’s priorities.

• Enhance public service transformation through innovation partnerships for incubating, testing and piloting innovative solutions.

• Support the creation of an enabling environment for innovation within the structures and agencies of the South African government.

3VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017 3

CONTENT

MANAGING EDITOR Lydia Phalwane • EDITOR Welcome Sekwati • EDITORIAL TEAM Nsizwa Dlamini, Thuli Radebe, Pierre Schoonraad, Lindani Mthethwa • DESIGN AND LAYOUT Siyethemba Kunene • PRINTING Image Hero

ISSN:2075-6054

Ideas That Work: The South African Public Sector

Innovation Journal is a biannual journal published

by the CPSI.

The views of the authors may not necessarily

be those of the CPSI. Copyright of material in this publication is vested in the CPSI and/or the authors. Requests to republish any of the material should be

directed to the CPSI.

An electronic copy of this journal can be downloaded

from www.cpsi.co.za/publications.php

ADDRESS: Corporate 66 Office Park, Cnr Lenchen & Von Willich,

Centurion, 0046

Tel: +27 (12) 683 2800Fax: +27 (12) 643 0943E-mail: [email protected]

www.cpsi.co.za

SEND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE EDITOR AT

THE ABOVE CONTACT DETAILS.

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1. EDITORIAL1.1 Editor1.2 Minister’s Call 1.3 Message from the Deputy Minister 1.4 From the CEO’s Desk

2. INSIGHTS 2.1 This Revolution is by design, not by chance2.2 On the road to a blockchain revolution2.3 Putting Innovation to Humanitarian Purpose 2.4 An Overview of the 8th Regional SADC UNPAN Workshop

3. PUBLIC SECTOR INNOVATION3.1 Improving Amputee Patient Care3.2 The RAF Electronic Queue Management System (EQMS)3.3 The CPSI launches the Call for Entries for the 15th Annual CPSI Public Sector Innovation Awards Programme3.4 Groote Schuur Hospital Going Green3.5 Patient Flow Management 4. NEWS BRIEFS4.1 SA man creates machine to test prototypes at a third of the cost4.2 Young South African leads the way in breast prosthetics 4.3 Water Research Commission launches the world’s first Mine Water Atlas4.4 Removing Barriers to Maths and Science Success for Grades 8 & 94.5 Tshwane launches city-wide crime safety app4.6 Smart Lockers making dispensing easier4.7 SA’s Ekasi-bucks launches ICO to take blockchain to townships4.8 Eastern Cape woman’s geyser sleeve reduces power consumption4.9 World’s largest artificial sun aims to make climate-friendly fuel4.10 Diepsloot gets connected4.11 Sky.Garden is an online marketplace for Kenyan businesses4.12 How this startup promotes “visual learning” in Tanzania4.13 ATTACQ, LaunchLab launch SA Smart Cities challenge4.14 Joburg, Nairobi rank highly for support of female entrepreneurs

5. AWARDS AND ACCOLADES 5.1 Golden Wheat: Mine waste used to ‘grow gold’ thanks to SA scientist’s winning research5.2 Innovation Prize for Africa recognises Lakheni5.3 R1 million Prize money injected into computer gaming to stimulate Public Sector Innovation in Service Delivery5.4 African startups selected for Swiss Kickstart Accelerator

6. INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION 6.1 Decentralisation as a Tool for Effective Customer-friendly Service

7. REVIEWS7.1 Scaling up Excellence: Getting to More without Settling for Less

4 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

From left to right:

WELCOME SEKWATI - Deputy Director: Enabling Environment

THULI RADEBE - Chief Executive Officer

LYDIA PHALWANE - Chief Director: Enabling Environment

PIERRE SCHOONRAAD - Chief Director: Research and Development

LINDANI MTHETHWA - Chief Director: Solution Support and Incubation

NSIZWA DLAMINI - Deputy Director: Innovation Research

SIYETHEMBA KUNENE - Deputy Director: Multimedia Innovation

EDITORIAL TEAM

5VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

INNOVATION IN THE PUBLIC SECTORYet another step or perhaps a milestone if you like in our journey of encouraging, nurturing and celebrating innovation in the public sector - herewith, Volume 8, issue one of Ideas that Work, the South African Public Sector Innovation journal.

As the one government component with an official mandate to lead in promoting innovation as a key propeller and enabler of public service delivery improvement, this is but one channel amongst many that the CPSI uses to fulfil this strategic government-wide mandate. There are many others such as the Annual CPSI Innovation Awards and of course our Innovation Conference that also takes place every year. These key programmes play a pivotal role in advancing the course for innovation to build our public service into a capable development-oriented force that can contribute towards the creation of a better life for all as envisaged in Vision 2030 of the NDP.

In this edition we look back at the projects that were showcased at the CPSI Awards in the previous year. We feature , in particular, two projects from the Grote Schuur hospital, one on caring for Amputee patients and the other on patient flow management. We also feature a project

From the Road Accident Fund which tackles one of the major challenges in our country, i.e. queue management.

In our news brief section, we feature many mouth-watering titbits of innovative initiatives.

We went all out to scour publications for case studies from other parts of our continent to give you a glimpse of the sort of challenges that people have to contend with and the kinds of solutions they come up.

And, as usual, we close with a book review to spur your curiosity for reading.

Evidently, given the many challenges that citizens contend with on daily basis, albeit the disheartening long-winded queue at a clinic or a pharmacy or other government facilities, and many other challenges well-known to all of us, One would be pardoned to feel sympathy for people who find it difficult to see the value or impact of innovation. However, the truth of the matter is the spark of innovation that the CPSI has lit in the public service, is gradually growing into a steady flame.

Every year following our call for entries

for our Awards Programme, we receive an avalanche of high quality innovative projects most of which with so much positive impact on the lives of citizens. You’d just have to feel for adjudicators who have to decide on the overall winners. All this is prove that other than being satisfied with the present state of affairs, public servants are committed to adopting innovation as part of their work-ethic to improve their performance and productivity. We all have a responsibility to contribute towards making the public sector a capable, development-oriented force that can deliver on the government’s developmental agenda of securing a better life for all citizens. And, innovation is the key.

Remember, there are always solutions to challenges. You just have to reach out!!

EDITORIAL

6 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

MINISTER’S CALL

REINVENTING GOVERNMENT THROUGH INNOVATION

The t ruth about governments is that the roles that they traditionally played in the society have transformed and evolved with time. Tradit ional ly social welfare, or the delivery of vital services to citizens constituted the key mainstay or forte of the state. Nowadays, role of governments, in particular that of constitutional democracies , have evolved phenomenally. Governments are increasingly expected to play a pivotal role in economic and social development, in partnership with the private sector and society at large.

Modern day governments performing under these circumstances are placed under enormous pressure. Citizens have grown accustomed to a certain level of service and the private sector continues to challenge us as government by demonstrating the seemingly limitless potential of ICTs in opening up complex multi-channels. We are expected to up our game and perform competitively in terms of the quality of services they offer and the processes involved. Many departments have demonstrated that they are indeed attune to the needs of

the people that they serve and, more importantly, demonstrating responsiveness and reciprocate with relevant services at the appropriate time.

The chal lenge of delivering modern and innovative services to citizens has therefore become highly complex and requires ways and methods that are equally complex and more sophisticated to match the sophistication and high expectations created by the richly resourced private sector.

In this regard the National Development Plan (NDP)

observed that the presence of out-dated national models in public sectors in most countries rendering them unable to deal with global challenges”. For that the recommendation is a relentless shake-up and overhaul of national and international institutions.

Focussing on our government, the National Development Plan (NDP) highlights the continued existence of deep-seated cracks and unevenness in capacity in the public sector which would adversely affect its ability to contribute towards the building of a capable, development-oriented state as envisaged in Vision 2030. As a blueprint towards the achievement of Vision 2030, the NDP provides guidance by unpacking a number of key drivers for change and what

By Hon Ms AF Muthambi, MP

Minister for the Public Service and Administration

Working together with the CPSI and guided by the National Development Plan, departments need to fully leverage innovation as one of the key building blocks for a capable state


would constitute an enabling environment. The NDP called for a complete public sector reinvention through a plethora of interventions in critical areas such as improving inter-departmental coordination to ensure integrated, seamless service delivery, building a capable and public sector cadre with sufficient technical and specialist professional skills, efficient and effective management and operations systems, strengthening accountability to citizens and reducing corruption in the public service.

However, critically the NDP singled out innovation as a key ingredient for successful government transformation for optimal performance. Innovation, it says, should start to become pervasive across state, business and social sectors. Innovation should focus on improved public services and on goods and services aimed at low-income sectors.

Most critically, the task to reinvent,

redesign and rebuild government through innovation should be a course whose advancement becomes a shared responsibility amongst public sector institutions, collaborating across the three spheres of our government. In addition, as part of promoting active participatory citizenship, innovation should be a cross-sectoral priority involving other key partners and stakeholders such as business, academia and civil society to collaborate to reinvent, redesign and ‘rebuild’ the government of the future. The government of the future will continuously evolve over time and would adapt to remain relevant and responsive to the ever-changing dynamic needs of the citizens.

The Centre for Public Service Innovation bares the highly strategic mandate of driving the culture and practice of innovation in our public sector with a view of improving our government’s capacity to perform its mandatory duties.

The CPSI continues to lead the way in the transformation of our government through innovation. A number of processes and services in key areas of our government such as finance, healthcare and education have been reinvented through the unveiling of highly innovative projects, some of which were replicated to save government unnecessary costs. Beyond redefining service standards, the

replication of these projects is of critical importance given the economic conditions prevailing at the moment.

Working together with the CPSI and guided by the National Development Plan, departments need to fully leverage innovation as one of the key building blocks for a capable state. Because innovation is about new thinking and new ideas it can only take root within a culture that draws on one’s social awareness and identity as a basis for forward-thinking, creativity and openness to change. Innovation should define the strategic direction of the public sector.

Reinventing government may be a long, complicated and contentious journey, but it is the only journey that will allow us to realise our vision of creating a better life for all. We need to work hard to tackle all the cross-cutting challenges that can hamper our efforts to unlock innovation. Overcoming the bureaucratic barriers and ensuring a “whole-of-government’ approach to solving problems, requires the harnessing the power of citizens’ ideas and the people behind them; building open, transparent and trust-based relationships with citizens, and enabling a culture that supports innovation, as so succinctly listed by the OECD in their recent report on Embracing Innovation in Government.

In order to maximise the potential for innovation, and ensure socio-economic justice for all citizens, we need to take a leaf from the OECD’s report by prioritising innovation as a catalyst for enhanced service delivery and by “adjusting the internal mechanisms of government in ways that enable innovation”.

Such a permissive and supportive environment is required for us as a country at large where our global competitiveness is dependant on a strong National System of Innovation and it is equally needed for a public sector that is solution-focussed. It is for these very reasons that we established the Centre for Public Service Innovation and will continue to support their efforts to drive innovation to optimise public sector service delivery through effective and efficient innovative solutions.

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MESSAGE FROM THE DEPUTY MINISTER

THE FUTURE IS NOW: ACCELERATING PUBLIC SERVICE INNOVATION FOR AGENDA 2030

By Hon Ms D. Letsatsi-Duba, MPDeputy Minister for the Public Service and Administration

Public sector innovation is a critical element of the work of the Ministry of Public Service and Administration in improving service delivery.

Chapter 10 (Section 195 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa) identifies critical fundamentals such as democratic values and principles that should ideally govern the public administration to ensure its delivery of government’s priorities. These principles include the promotion and maintenance of professional standards and ethics, a development oriented public administration which is able to respond impartially, fairly, equitably and without bias to the service delivery needs of citizens and most critically, the fostering of transparency and accountable governance through the provision of timely, accessible and accurate information to citizens to promote participatory citizenship.

Furthermore, the Public Service Act of 1994 as amended, entrusts the Minister for Public Service and Administration with the responsibility of guiding and nurturing the public sector to optimal performance and productivity. These include its configuration and the availability of

sound information management. Added to these is Section 10 that makes specific reference to transformation and reform. But most notably it highlights innovation as a key factor that can optimally improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the public service and its service delivery. This is fundamentally within the context of

building a development-oriented public sector that can intervene with relevant and responsive services thereby delivering on government’s developmental agenda in accordance with the prescripts of a developmental state.

The criticality of these values and their centrality in building an efficient, effective and development oriented Public Service is re-echoed in the National Development Plan as part of building a capable and developmental state. In addition,, the National Development plan further calls for well-run and effectively coordinated state institutions with skilled public servants who are committed to the public good and capable of delivering consistently high-quality services, while prioritising the nation’s developmental objectives.

Altogether, these assertions from the Constitution, Public Service Act of 1994, and the National Development Plan about public service capacity building and reform highlight a need for a new and unusual approach, one which is premised on innovation and creativity as its touchstone. Chapter 13 of the NDP exposes amongst others a glaring unevenness in the


capacity of the State organs and in some instances lack of proper management and operations systems and processes which adversely affect proper service delivery.

The fact that more than a decade later, these critical gaps and shortcomings still rear their ugly head in the public sector terrain is a damning indictment on our part as the public sector to optimally harness innovation for posterity. But most importantly and somewhat positively, what also emerges from the NDP is a caution to intensify our efforts to accelerate our uptake and practice of innovation , in order to achieve Vision 2030 and other critical

targets such as the AU’s Agenda 2063 and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals .

The public sector needs to galvanise its collective efforts to innovate with a purpose of tackling the developmental challenges caused by poverty, unemployment and inequality and ensure that the idea of a developmental state becomes an inclusive reality for all citizens without anyone left outside.

The mandate of driving the culture of innovation and promoting its practice within the public sector is ably led by the Centre for Public Service Innovation.

As a key driver of innovation in the public service, the CPSI remains a highly strategic enabler for improved service delivery and productivity in the public sector. Through its various programmes, activities and projects, helps in unearthing, promoting, showcasing, piloting and facilitating the replication of innovative solutions that can improve service delivery.

The CPSI is a very strategic role-player in the whole government-wide service delivery equation. As part of the Public Service and Administration portfolio, the CPSI dispatches a unique, highly

critical and indispensable role to facilitate an innovation-friendly environment that is a fundamental requirement in building a progressive public sector of the future.

One of the key programmes the CPSI spearheads is the Public Sector Innovation Awards Programme, which was launched in April 2017.

It is critical to note that awards programmes are a global practice and platform used by

Goals (SDGs). Equally so, the

AUC All Africa Pub l i c Sec to r

Innovation Awards Programme, seeks to

unearth home-grown innovative solutions in

African member states and create a repository from

which the African continent can tap into to solve its own

service delivery challenges.

I am proud to say, South Africa, again through the CPSI as an implementing agency successfully delivered another successful edition of AAPSIA 2016, held at AUC Headquarters in Ethiopia.

These awards programmes, like the CPSI programme, identifies innovative solutions to improve service delivery with a possibility of replicating them in various countries to achieve SDGs and Agenda 2063 respectively.

Furthermore, the CPSI took a strategic decision to also facilitate the replication and mainstreaming of these innovative solutions unearthed through the Annual Public Sector Innovation Awards Programme.

In our journey to entrench innovation throughout the public sector, political principals should be in the lead to facilitate collaboration between different departments and public entities, especially those responsible for ICT infrastructure and service delivery.

In closing we urgently need to have funding for public sector innovation. This remains a challenge in most countries, in particular to fund the development of new solutions. It is critical to identifying mechanisms on creating alternative funding mechanisms in this regard.

many governments and institutions like the United Nations (UN) and the African Union Commission (AUC) to entrench the culture and practice of innovation in the public sector. It is heartening to note that we as South Africa are one of the pioneers of this, as far back as in in 2003, when we established the Public Sector Innovation Awards programme as an avenue to unearthing public sector innovative practices to encourage replication for wider impact.

The UN Public Service Awards programme is a platform to find a myriad of innovative practices that help member states to achieve their Sustainable Development

The public sector needs to galvanise its collective efforts to innovate with a purpose of tackling the developmental challenges caused by poverty, unemployment and inequality.

10 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

FROM THE CEO’S DESK

Digitalisation and new technological developments, like robotics and big data analysis, are having a significant impact on the public sector and society. Importantly, technology creates major opportunities for improving public services and impact. However, on the contrary and quite ironically, these developments may also increase inequality.

Citizens, including the most rural and destitute, are becoming more knowledgeable and sophisticated. They know what services they are entitled to and how they want to receive them. It is clear that archaic and old ways of doing things are no longer working to meet the citizens’ demands. Fortunately, governments and specifically earnest public officials are equally desperate to make a positive difference to the citizens’ lives.

It is obvious and widely accepted that innovation has become extremely essential in addressing the challenges around public service delivery if we want to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There is also no contestation on how critical ICT is as an enabler of public sector innovation, all premised on facilitating collaboration across sectors for integrated products and outcomes in line with the SDGs.

Collaborative innovation requires

very strong, strategic and sustainable relationships and partnerships between governments (the public sector) and their citizens, including in the private, academic and civic sectors. The Open Government Partnership (OGP) Initiative is promoting genuine citizen participation and empowerment for inclusivity, transparency, anti-corruption and strengthened governance. Citizen participation must be valued for its contribution towards the nurturing of responsible citizenship, where members of society understand their own role and the need to contribute to government’s efforts to address their own needs. This ensures that they take ownership of programmes that benefit them.

Therefore, for citizens to bring meaningful value to the table, they need open access to data. Open government, through harnessing of new technologies, brings new opportunities for all stakeholders, particularly governments, to contribute to and leverage big data. This then enables evidence based innovation which is needs-driven and responsive whilst anticipating future challenges and scenarios. This is what breeds responsive, futuristic and reflective societies!

Access to data is possible today due to fast developments in the ICT infrastructure space. This provides for

real-time interaction and data sharing among multiple partners, thus enabling collaborative innovation. Importantly digitalisation and cloud computing facilitate interoperability of systems and connectivity which are critical for public sector innovation, through e-government, to facilitate those old principles of ‘no wrong door’, ‘single door access’, ‘connected citizenship’, ‘cradle to grave’, ‘seamless access to services’ and so on. In South Africa and elsewhere, we have seen e-government enabled innovative solutions such as:

- E-health – connecting under-resourced clinics and hospitals, mostly in far-flung areas to large health facilities with specialists for remote diagnosis e.g. radiologists

- E-learning – connecting under-resourced schools to affluent or well-resourced schools for real-time sharing of lessons and resources

- E-pharmacy – dispensing of medicines through robotics and ATM like dispensing machines eliminating queues, stock losses and wrongful dispensing whilst allowing pharmacists to focus on the qualitative aspects of their work e.g. interacting with patients

- Low cost GPS enabled household

By Thuli RadebeCEO: Centre for Public Service Innovation

ACCELERATING PUBLIC SERVICE IT INNOVATION TOWARDS AGENDA 2030

olutio

11VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

alarms in informal settlements allowing the police and community policing structures to immediately respond to incidents of crime (decreasing response time from 48 hours to less than 10 minutes)

The Fourth Industrial (technological) Revolution with its supposed speed is of course enabling governments and their systems to embrace disruptive change that drives innovation while at the same time, allowing them to be “agile” in their governance and to continuously adapt and reinvent themselves and their processes. We must be innovative and embrace the revolution but importantly direct it with our human ability to strategise, to be able to achieve the SDGs. It is this revolution that is going to ensure that “no one is left behind”. The achievement of the SDGs will remain remote if governments do not move at the same pace as or even ahead of developments in the ICT space.

Challenges and realities

All that said, there are numerous challenges and realities that must be confronted for us to achieve the SDGs. We need to move beyond being only responsive and reactive to also anticipate future scenarios, challenges and problems. We must embrace ’foresighting’ as one of the planning tools that have been introduced by organisations such as the UNDP in collaboration with the Global Centre for

Public Service Excellence in Singapore.

- Connectivity and interoperability of systems may be old fashioned concepts and promises. However, the truth is they are still remote in some if not most of our countries where we still work with archaic legacy systems which do not offer digital platforms and do not facilitate integrated solutions and outcomes but perpetuate SILOS. It is time to embrace digitilisation and Big Data to break down departmental silos and foster cross-departmental and government-wide co-operation and coordination.

- In many countries there is not enough coordination within the ICT governance space. While there are too many players (departments and agencies mandated with related aspects of ICT responsibilities, a lot falls through the cracks and nothing or very little gets achieved.

- We are seeing pockets of very good innovations and innovative solutions but they are not being streamlined, scaled up or replicated. Additionally, one is struck by the presence of many disparate systems sometimes within the same sector, province or district. This again is fuelled by silos in our governments where people obsess with finding solutions even if they already exist

- There are complex issues around government data security and we need to address them with certainty

- The Digital divide is a reality – we are busy laying down cables and broad band fibre-optics largely, if not only, in cities and towns while rural villages are yet to see that. While we are excited that even our most destitute and rural citizens have handsets (high cell phone penetration), the reality is that they don’t have data; they don’t have smart phones. I would suggest that the Smart Cities initiative must be embraced fully and pursued for our cities to achieve their goals, but importantly so that we can leverage them and their capabilities and resources to uplift rural towns, cities and villages. It is very important to stop our rural people from leaving their communities with RICH natural resources and flocking to cities that are overcrowded and offering very little if anything

- We must engage the youth and allow them opportunities for entrepreneurship to take our countries to 2030. Social media and free wi-fi are already putting the youth at the forefront of innovation related economic development and other innovation related programmes.

Skills development in the public sector must take a different stance – we need to analyse and understand the skills sets and competencies to take us to 2030 successfully, beyond public administration – let us for instance, emphasize ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN A DIGITALLY CONNECTED WORLD. Remember public sectors are expected to contribute to economic development and generate employment opportunities.

Our leaders and political principals must be audacious and vigilant in driving and supporting successful collaborative innovation programmes. Importantly we must augment our elaborate talks and clichés with ACTION and IMPLEMENTATION!

Just food for thought!

12 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 201728 VOL. 5 ISSUE 2 2015

United Nations Public Administration NetworkUNPAN

GLOBAL PORTAL AT THE SERVICE OFALL COUNTRIES

The mission of the United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN) is to promote capacity-building through cooperation and the sharing of knowledge, experiences and best practices of sound public policies and effective public administration globally, through means of informa-tion and communication technologies (ICTs) among the Member States of the United Nations.

Consisting of over 20 partner institutions covering five global regions, UNPAN is managed by the Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), in close partnership with a group of international, regional and sub-regional institutions devoted to public administration in the context of social and economic development.

Scan here with your smartphone/device

Or visit www.unpan.org

Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM)

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)

+1 212 963 2764 | [email protected]

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

















29VOL. 5 ISSUE 2 2015



























13VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017 29VOL. 5 ISSUE 2 2015



























14 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

INSIGHTS

“Sometimes it takes a few trees to brave the elements, for a forest to ultimately grow.”

Three years ago, a couple of us: Dr. Sanjeev Khagram, Dr. Paul Zeitz huddled over Skype, imaging what it could be, if Governments, Civil Society, Citizens, academia and technologists would come together to tackle the everyday challenges of citizens.

It is said that perhaps the universe conspires to make things happen, when the time has come for an idea to be brought into existence.

A couple of more Skype calls later, some brave decisions, especially between Paul and I to leave our comforts of civil society and private sector, to join the unchartered waters of Government, was what it took, to start moving the levers of this revolution.

THIS REVOLUTION IS BY DESIGN, NOT BY CHANCEPhilip ThigoFirst published on https://medium.com

This movement was however not linear as there were also a few who had, earlier on, already begun writing the scripts of the Revolution: Dr. Claire Melamed, Shaida Badee (fondly known as Mama Data), Philipp Schonrock, David McNair within the corridors of the United Nations.

Three years later, with brave moments of vanguard fundraising, leaps of faith (by the likes of Rosemary Orlale), galvanizing political leaders, dozens of speeches, talking points and oo.. the MEMOs, the revolution has now been embodied in the form of an institution.

Undoubtedly, as in any revolution, there were turbulent times of protest, of dissent, but also of new notions and new pathways that were curved. It is the first time that Governments have consciously used the words “revolution” in official documents and statements by high level officials.

As the Government of the United States and now Kenya go through the uncertainties of transition, the revolution must be sustained.

In my view, a revolution feeds off the collective energies of the many who have been inspired along the way and while the culture of engagement demanded an organization as the formal expression of the revolution, the movement must continue be sustained by the many, beyond the turbulence of transitions to a cultural artifact.

The grand strategy over the years has been to ensure that the wisdom of the crowd guarantees its longevity. The more the adoption by different countries and stakeholder, the more accessible is the energy that fuels the revolution.

While there are a few who have reached out with either concerns of what the future holds, my humble response is that future must always be unwritten; The wisdom of unknown is often the best equalizer; the less we know, the more we are open to searching, listening, exploring and even letting go.

The true essence of the data revolution, beyond its curators is to the extent that it benefits those who have been in the peripheries of development. It must never be about the holders of the vision; that has been the folly of the founding fathers and mothers of struggles, who have made causes about themselves at the expense of the intended outcome.

At a deeply personal level, when Brian Kagoro and Tajudeen Abdul Rahim challenged some of us a couple of years ago on what the New Pan Africanism could be, it never dawned on me that it could be embodied in a tool or technology that we never created. In actual fact, it is a reflection of what we seem to do best: They often said that Africa consumes what it does not produce and it produces what it does not consume.

By design, Africa has been thrust into the center of a brave new world of data, not as a recipient, but an equal partner, thinker

15VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

and trailblazer. Therefore, regardless of what the future holds, or what history would be written, it is my belief that the seeds of revolt and disruption have been planted.

The Data Revolution akin to the times of our founding fathers has transcend the anglophone, francophone and all the phones divide, connected east and west, north and south, created a language that has enabled an intergenerational dialogue and conversations across sectors. It has began to rekindle the spirit of the 60s, when time was new in Africa and hope was born in the aspiration of ending disease, illiteracy and poverty.

The data revolution must therefore, at least in the African Context, continue to exist by design and not by chance. As Kogoro often reminds us, we must desist from being resolutionaries, but strive to be revolutionaries.

It is up to everyone to learn from past revolutions, that spotlight and exciting moments of planting the seeds must also be followed by invisible and unceremonious hard work of ensuring that they are watered, nourished and monitored until they are fully grown.

Kenya or even the US may have been at the center of the initial phases of the Revolution: new countries, players must also give new winds to its sails. The baton must always be passed.

In hind sight, it also takes faith, prayer and little bit of luck! and so in the worlds of Effie Trinket, May the odds be ever in your favor.

Africa has been thrust into the center of a brave new world of data, not as a recipient, but an equal partner, thinker and trailblazer.

ON THE ROAD TO ABLOCKCHAIN REVOLUTION

“There has probably never been a more interesting or more important time to be in government or to be working with governments – at least not in modern history,” says Don Tapscott. It’s quite a statement. But one that Tapscott quickly seeks to justify.

“On the one hand, you have the irresistible pressure to reduce the cost of government, which is about meeting public expectations that governments should be better, not worse. There is then the challenging broader context – a creation of wealth but not of prosperity, a world that is too unstable and too unjust, a new generation of young people coming into the workplace that have grown up digital, who have different expectations regarding government, the world and what should occur. This all means that it is not a time for tinkering but instead for fundamental change.”

And fundamental change is what Tapscott – a world-renowned author, consultant and strategist – says is coming in the form of blockchain technology. “Once again, the technology genie has escaped from the bottle,” he says. “And it could transform business, government, and society in the most profound ways.”

Blockchain revolution

This is by no means the first time Tapscott has identified a groundbreaking concept and explained its global impact. He has authored more than 15 books including Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything, which has been translated into over 25 languages. Innovation, the media and the economic and social impact of technology have all

By Danny Buerkli, Programme Director at the Centre for Public ImpactFirst published inwww.centreforpublicimpact.org

fallen under his critical eye. And his most recent work, BLOCKCHAIN REVOLUTION: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business, and the World, co-authored with his son, Alex, is already rocketing up the bestseller charts.

So, why blockchain? What makes it so important? Before getting into that, Tapscott says it is worthwhile to set a little context, starting with the ‘internet of information’, something we’ve had for more than 40 years. “We were right when we said the internet would become a tool for the communication of information rather than just processing data,” he says.

“But when you use the internet of information to communicate information today, you’re essentially printing the information. Even the web is a publishing platform and an email is a copy of something, too. This works fine for all kinds of information. But when you start to think about assets, which are owned by somebody and have value, printing a copy is not a good idea. So if you’re talking about money or intellectual property or music or film or financial assets – swaps, contracts, deeds, and loyalty points – it really is important that if I send you that asset I no longer have it.”

And this is where powerful institutions – like governments or banks – are called upon to establish identity and trust online. Tapscott goes on to say that this intermediary role is fine up to a point, but not without its problems – security for one.

“They all use central servers and any central server can be hacked,” he points out. “They also take a cost – a transaction cost – for doing stuff. And another

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INSIGHTS

problem is that they exclude billions of people from the global economy. Billions may have a mobile device connected to the internet, but they don’t have a bank account. This doesn’t mean that the web isn’t a great thing – of course it is – but when it comes to the core of the economy and commerce and wealth creation, the internet of information has not been so great.”

And this is where blockchain comes in.

The internet of value

Some might be think that the array of technology now at our disposal – smart devices, big data, artificial intelligence, drones and so on – means that we don’t need anything else. Tapscott, though, begs to differ. “The most important technology for the transformation of our economy and institutions – including government – is blockchain,” he says firmly. “This technology is at the heart of the transformation of society.”

So what is it? Why does it herald such a transformational shift? “What if there was a new platform whereby we could all communicate assets and store and protect assets in a secure way, and work with those assets without a powerful intermediary?” he asks. “This is essentially what the

blockchain is. It is most well known as the underlying technology for bitcoin but it is so much more.” He goes on to describe it as a giant spreadsheet run on millions of computers which enables trust to be established in an economy without a central intermediary.

“Anyone can use the blockchain because it is on a network rather than a single institution,” he says. “Every 10 minutes, all transactions of value are verified, cleared, and stored in digital code in a block that is linked to the preceding block, creating a chain. Each block is highly encrypted and time-stamped across all these millions of computers in the network, which means that hacking it is practically impossible. With blockchain, your personal information is private, but the activity is transparent.”

There is no limit to what this digital ledger

of transactions can be programmed to record. Bitcoin is one example but anything of value and importance – from money to birth certificates, financial accounts to the provenance of food – can be stored there. And for governments, the arrival of this technology couldn’t be more timely, says Tapscott.

“The internet of information was supposed to enable a new era of democracy where citizens were supposed to be engaged,” he recalls. “But today there is a crisis of legitimacy over our democratic institutions. All across the OECD, youth voting is declining and, if a whole generation of young people turn away from democracy as a way of building a better world, we have a big problem.” To illustrate his point he cites the contrasting approaches of the ’08 and ’12 Obama presidential campaigns.

“The first time President Obama was elected, he used MyBarackObama.com and 35,000 communities self-organised,” he says. “They raised $100 million, engaged young people, and the youth vote went up. Four years later they didn’t use it, as they had big data. They went from ‘Yes we can’ to ‘We know you’. They targeted voters in all the swing states and won another election handily but missed an opportunity to engage young people, and the youth vote in the midterms two years later dropped to the lowest level for 70 years.”

Today, however, the Estonian government – widely lauded as the world leader in deploying digital technology – is once again showing the way. “Estonia is building an extraordinary platform based on the blockchain, where citizens have their identity but still preserve their privacy,” says Tapscott. “Speed, lower cost, security and fewer errors are just some of the benefits, but this is just one example of what will be many. After all, blockchains can be used to store any important government information.”

For Tapscott, we stand on the threshold of a technology that can truly reshape our world – it’s now down to citizens, governments, business and society as a

Every 10 minutes, all transactions of value are verified, cleared, and stored in digital code in a block that is linked to the preceding block, creating a chain.

17VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

whole to make the most of it. “This is now at our disposal to give us another kick at the can over the next few decades,” he says.

“It has given us the opportunity to rewrite the laws of commerce and the nature of government and democracy, and perhaps to redo the economic power grid for the better of society. The promise of a much more democratised, peer-to-peer and

open world awaits.”

FURTHER READING

Transforming technology, transforming government. Rare is the policymaker who doesn’t see digital as a doorway for strengthening public services. But as Miguel Carrasco explains, the pace of the digital evolution means there is always more to do

Computer says yes. Governments are increasingly reliant on digital technology to deliver public services – and Australia’s myGov service is a potential game-changer, says Gary Sterrenberg

Digital dawn. It may not be obvious, but US policymakers have had an important role to play in the creation of today’s digital era, says David Dean

PUTTING INNOVATION TO HUMANITARIAN PURPOSE By S Nkosi, Member of the CPSI Adjudication Panel and Public Service Commissioner

Adapted from an address on the occasion of the launch of the 2017 Public Sector Innovation Awards Programme

The human spirit is perennially restless, seeking to discover new things. The exploration to Mars and beyond as initiated by NASA is a case in point. The Hadron Collider Experiment in CERN, Switzerland, attempting to find out the origin of life further proves this. At CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, physicists and engineers are probing the fundamental structure of the universe. They use the world’s largest and most complex scientific instruments to study the basic constituents of matter – the fundamental particles. It involves 10, 000 scientists from 100 countries.

In the Southern Cape at Sutherland, the South African Large Telescope (SALT) probes the outer reaches of space. SALT is set up to probe quasars (stars) and enable scientists to view stars and galaxies a billion times too faint to be seen by the naked eye. All of these wonderful initiatives go beyond our time and space and will have implications for this and the generations to follow.

However, one can ask, what about the “here and now”? What about the same drive and commitment of the human spirit to solve problems for people who need better health, schooling, housing and policing? Where are these “human spirits” found to create a better public sector? It is safe to say some of them are found in the public sector. It is for this reason that public sector innovation is of crucial importance and the Centre for Public Service Innovation should be congratulated for the work done since its inception in this regard.

The significance and impact of innovation

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INSIGHTS

on ordinary citizens can never be overemphasised. Amidst all the challenges they face, it is without doubt that many citizens have certain aspirations about the kind of life they want to live and their service delivery expectations. This is clearly summed up in this quoting from Mr Lorenzo Davids, CEO of the Community Chest in Cape Town:

“I want to live in a country where poverty is not a run-away out of control state of being, but where poverty has a face, that we all seek to engage with. I want to live in a country where our biggest challenges are also our areas of biggest development.

I want to live in a country where deals are made to grow our collective well-being and not someone’s personal bank balance.

I want to live in a country where excess food is not thrown away but given away freely.

I want to live in a country where our children don’t die before their time.

I want to live in a country where there is no age, gender, sexual or religious discrimination.

I want to live in a country where people

don’t litter and schools are places of excellence and learning, where girls are respected and boys are boys with soul, heart and manners.

I want to live in a country where being a teacher is a position of honour in society.I want to live in a country where the voice of laughter is a way of life.

I want to live in a country where politicians are not important, but where the work they do is given due recognition.

I want to live in a country that sets my imagination alight during the daytime and fuels my dreams at night time…”

With over 1.2 million public servants at work, is this sector ready for this? Our greatest challenge is to get the public sector ready to embrace innovation. Our children depend on us and future generations will judge us accordingly. The task set before us is clear - we need a relentless spirit and commitment in the public sector to ensure that the dreams of our people are fulfilled in these simple yet necessary ways. It is always important to remember that when you try to do something innovative, your peers, colleagues and supervisors are not always going to understand it until they experience it. Public servants must not despair or give up. As Rene Brown once said: “There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.”

The achievement of the National Development Plan, AU Agenda 2063 and UN Sustainable Goals is equally dependent on the public sector. It is up to each one of us to play our role to make a better life for all citizens a reality.

SALT is set up to probe quasars (stars) and enable scientists to view stars and galaxies a billion times too faint to be seen by the naked eye.

19VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

Being in a global village demands of countries to establish firm and solid ties to work together and share expertise and knowledge. This kind of collaboration and mutual support is fundamental to ensure successful navigation through the current political, economic and social climate to enable them to achieve sustainable, inclusive and resilient development.

Earlier this year on 28-29 June, the Centre for Public Sector Innovation (CPSI), supported by UNDP South Africa, hosted the 8th Regional SADC UNPAN Workshop in Kempton Park, South Africa. In attendance were representatives from all SADC member states in the exception of Swaziland. The Southern African Development Community, or SADC, is a Regional inter-governmental Economic Community that is headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. The SADC Region

AN OVERVIEW OF THE 8TH REGIONAL SADC UNPAN WORKSHOPBy Nsizwa Dlamini and Welcome Sekwati, Centre for Public Sector Innovation

comprises a total of 15 states, namely Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

For the duration of two days, delegates mulled over an assortment of service delivery setbacks in their respective countries. Furthermore a number of innovative solutions and ground-breaking projects which had immensely improved service delivery to citizens were shared. That, in essence gave the workshop its thrust as a valuable learning and sharing platform that complements the UN Public Administration Network portal (UNPAN). The UNPAN portal is an online repository of topical issues and stories from African countries about themselves which the CPSI sources and uploads for general

consumption.

In her opening address, Thuli Radebe, the CPSI Executive Director, paid homage to the UNDP for their patronage and stewardship in the promotion of innovation and its developmental impact in Southern Africa. She commended the organisation for being a strategic partner and most importantly its continued availability and unquestionable reliability.

Turning to the subject of diversity, Radebe lauded its importance as a great enabler in the pursuit for excellence in several key areas such knowledge management and as a key driver in accelerating public service innovation. She further indicated that diversity brought by member states in southern Africa is critical in solving a myriad of service delivery challenges in various countries. Said Thuli: “We are all summarily expected to work together to resolve our various challenges and achieve the various benchmarks such as Vision 30 of the NDP, Agenda 63 of the AU etc.”

The CEO passionately urged all delegates to participate in driving innovation because as she put it “Innovation is extremely essential and central to everything we do and therefore can never be overemphasised.” There should be a concerted, collaborative approach towards innovation across the region because “innovation thrives on collaboration, integration and partnerships.” We should all leverage on the existing Open Government Partnership (OGP) initiative. Thuli further encouraged all governments to coordinate their own information data repositories and contribute towards the big data. Access to big data enables everyone to work collaboratively.

True to her office, heading an organisation that drives innovation, she urged everyone to develop an insatiable appetite and appreciation for new things. Virtuous move can bring different things. While information technology has its limitations such as its inability to strategise. She further indicated that humans and technology can co-exist. It is thus important to take the lead and capitalise on the booming entrepreneurship in Africa as a result of

20 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

towards growth and self-sustainability.

He challenged all SADC member states as they embark on their transformative path to work together, share programmes and take advantage of the massive economic growth potential that Africa offers. He referred to the importance of improving regional production capacity value addition and beneficiation as a way of ensuring the reduction of trade deficit. And finally, he urged member states

to rekindle and prioritise the realisation of their national visions they have committed to such as Vision 2030 of South Africa, Vision 2030 of Namibia and Vision 2036 of Botswana, amongst others.

As a way forward, Steven urged delegates to value and cherish the importance of collaboration. Such an imperative, he explained, is about fostering cross-sectorial partnerships involving the private sector and in particular the broad civil society where everyone will be empowered and trusted to contribute ideas and expertise. A few examples of such community engagement sessions include Izibizos in South Africa and Dipitso in Botswana. These kinds of community engagements can go a long way in harnessing the power of citizens’ ideas and the people behind those ideas. Through such engagements, the citizens are empowered to articulate their needs and aspirations. However, these can only be successful only if there is full commitment to resolve the service delivery bottlenecks.

Effective citizen engagement depends on the availability of the right tools and mechanisms to connect and effectively engage with one another such as being open to feedback regardless of where it comes from. Transparency and accountability are the true pillars of good governance. These are only attainable through relentless transformation at country and regional level. Key to that is firstly clarifying rules of engagement and, even most important, totally avoiding

INSIGHTS

the 4th Industrial Revolution.

The purpose of the UNPAN Regional Workshop was aptly summed up by Mr Bongani Matomela of UNDP South Africa when he said that this workshop is a vehicle to further the UNDP’s work to promote south-south cooperation. Workshops such as this, he said, provide a rare opportunity for learning and sharing of valuable information amongst member states while, importantly facilitating national capacity development through innovation.

Matomela reassured the CPSI of his organisation’s continued and uninterrupted support because the UNDP values and cherishes the role of innovation as an anchor for stability and sustainable development. Equally, the UNDP would continue to support the member states in their journey of innovation to ensure their ability to sustain the momentum. Innovation, he said, should be about doing things differently, which, in essence is the only viable way towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Also on the programme, Mr Steven H. Isaack from Namibia spoke about the perspectives and trends of public service transformation and reforms in Africa. Hailing from a country that has made remarkable progress in adapting the African Union’s Charter on the Values and Principles of Public Service and Administration. He further expounded on how innovation if applied on various service delivery processes can

phenomenally increase citizen access to services. Referring to the phenomenal changes in citizen expectations as well as in and public service priorities across the continent and respective SADC member states, Mr Isaack emphasised the need for concomitant transformation in business improvement and renewal. Through innovation, he said, we are able to look at challenges as opportunities to conjure up effective solutions.

However, we need to get the basics right. Amongst others we need to know what we want, our ability to build on the progress we have made in dealing collectively with our shortcomings, the perceived dependency or non-dependency on western countries. Furthermore we need to interrogate the lessons drawn from the global landscape. Lastly we should have a clear developmental policy as well as cooperation and engagement with internal and external partners. There is an urgent need a rigorous self-examination and introspection about our commitment

We are all summarily expected to work together to resolve our various challenges and achieve the various benchmarks such as Vision 30 of the NDP.

21VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

bureaucracy which tends to impede service delivery by locking people in rules and regulations.

Also required is a shared or common willingness and eagerness to transform particularly from the political superiors who can use their position to drive capacity building and development. This will facilitate an ideal and enabling environment for both individuals and organisations to achieve the desired results effectively and efficiently with decreasing dependence on external support.

On innovation, Mr Isaack spoke to delegates about how this phenomenon cannot be overemphasised, particularly in view of its role as an catalyst for improved service delivery. Countries, he said, need to prioritise the establishment of a solid culture and practice of innovation in their respective public services. This, he continued, includes an unequivocal voice of support from the political principals and leadership who should send the signals to maximise innovation. The challenge is upon public servants to give political leaders honest and trustworthy advice to guide them on decision making.

Innovation should become an integral part of organisational transformation and an operational model that all employees across the entire organisation should adopt in their daily engagements. Continuous striving for improvement is at the core of innovation. He concluded his talk with a rallying call to all delegates to stand up for their future and write their history instead of allowing others to do that for them.

Mr McLean Sibanda, the CEO of The Innovation Hub in Gauteng, spoke elaborately about the importance of innovation and how it should be encouraged as a backbone for development. First off, he emphasised the role of government in not only encouraging citizens to be innovative but also creating an ideal environment for innovation to flourish. He also spoke about the crucial role that private sector is designated

to play to support government in its endeavour to build the requisite innovative muscle to address the challenges of citizen. Innovation, he explained is always demand led and only citizens can honestly identify the gaps. Some such vital gaps where innovation is fundamentally needed include issues of connectivity which his organisation addresses through projects such as Ekasi Labs.

A workshop such as this would not have achieved its key objective without a feature on real, practical innovations and service delivery improvement projects for everyone to share and replicate given the need. A number of projects were showcased including an initiative by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on modern, innovative AgriParks, initiatives to address power shortage in Kenya, and a case study from Namibia showcasing an innovative approach used to expedite the movement of patient reports between hospitals and laboratories etc. Not only are these projects addressing some of the current challenges that continue to impact badly on people’s livelihood such as food security and health. However, most importantly, they address some of the key elements listed in various priorities such as

the NDP, Agenda 2063 and SDGs.

The workshop ended on a high note with a sessions of discussions which focused on a whole range of valuable, salient and thought-provoking issues. For instance there was a major concern about the urgency for SADC countries to prioritise on the SDGs. This was based on the recent reports on the performance of SADC countries. Some of the delegates decried the apparent over-reliance on consultants in their countries and how this results in enormous drainage of the already depleted resources that could have been used for poverty alleviation amongst citizens.

In closing, there was general consensus on the continued need to intensify efforts to consolidate and bolster information management to ensure open access to information by citizens to encourage participatory citizenship. Another key factor which was fingered as a festering cancer against development in many African countries had to do with political governance at a higher level. Elaborating on this, Matomela blamed factors such as political instability and constitutional changes for personal agendas as the main culprits.

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INSIGHTS

Talk to your employer today about the new, improved medical scheme subsidy that will leave you with more cash in your pocket.

you gotta love

The heart of true health

If you are a Government employee and are looking for a medical scheme that puts you fi rst, contact us on *120*4367# or visit m.gems.gov.za. Check our Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/GEMS:AGEMOFASCHEME to fi nd out how you can become a member of a winning medical scheme.

Please keep your PERSAL number handy when calling or sending a Facebook message. Ts & Cs and cellphone rates apply.

What is ...Big on bene� ts, low on costs, strong on health ... and is one of the GEMS among medical schemes?

Good news for members of GEMS

“A� ordability, accessibility and quality of care have long been the driving force behind the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS),” says Liziwe Nkonyana, Communications and Member A� airs Executive of the Scheme. “For this reason, we were delighted with the recent 28.5% increase in the employer healthcare funding subsidy for in-service government employees. This is by all accounts making a tremendously positive di� erence to the lives of our members.”

“The fact that the employer contribution was backdated to January 2015, thereby resulting in a welcome � nancial windfall for Government employees in August, was well received by GEMS members across the board,” she adds.

GEMS – a positive force in healthcare

Nkonyana notes that GEMS has become an integral part of the South African healthcare funding landscape over the past decade. “GEMS is the only medical scheme in the country that has made an impact on and inroads into the previously uninsured market. The Scheme will continue to strive towards providing a� ordable healthcare cover for public service employees in South Africa.”

“The positive impact GEMS is having on the medical scheme industry continues to set an example to employers in all sectors of our economy where there is still a need to redress past imbalances. The Scheme has achieved this through focused practice, dedication and innovation,” she says.

Some interesting facts about GEMS:

• The Scheme has matured into South Africa’s second largest medical scheme.• It is responsible for 687,694 principal members and approximately 1.84 million lives. • 55.7% of all eligible public service employees are enrolled on the Scheme. • GEMS remains the fastest growing medical scheme in South Africa, with the Scheme processing more than 60 000 new

applications during 2014. • When compared to other medical schemes, the GEMS bene� t plans, namely Onyx, Ruby, Emerald, Beryl and Sapphire, are on average 15% less expensive, with similar or increased bene� ts.• GEMS remains the largest contributor to the overall growth of the medical scheme sector and represented 20.3% of the sector by the end of 2014. • At 7.8%, the non-healthcare expenditure of GEMS, which includes administration costs, is substantially lower than the industry average of 12%.• Over 12 500 healthcare providers are now registered on the GEMS network, ensuring that almost 90% of its members are now located within 10 km of a GEMS network provider.• The average age of GEMS bene� ciaries is 30.19.• The percentage of pensioners covered by the Scheme is 12.72%.

Furthermore, GEMS continues to engage in ongoing research to track the satisfaction levels of its members with respect to various aspects of the Scheme’s services, reveals Nkonyana. Findings from the independent satisfaction survey conducted in 2014 indicated that 78% of GEMS members are satis� ed with the Scheme. The overall level of satisfaction implies a high level of con� dence and trust in GEMS and strong brand loyalty.

The members who expressed their dissatisfaction with the Scheme believed that they were not receiving good value for money, which primarily stemmed from the fact that they had run out of funds or had exhausted their bene� ts and therefore had to fund certain services out of their own pockets. This con� rmed increasing a� ordability constraints witnessed throughout the healthcare funding industry and is a matter that is receiving considerable attention from the Scheme.

“The new, improved subsidy is assisting greatly in ensuring that the Scheme will continue to ful� l its all-important mandate of accessibility and a� ordability well into the future,” concludes Nkonyana.

How the improved employer subsidy will bene� t the members of GEMS

New subsidy Previous subsidy

In-service GEMS members In-service GEMS members

Principal member: R925 Member + 1 : R1 850 Member + 2 : R2 415 Member + 3 : R2 980 Member + 4 : R3 545

R720 R1 440 R1 880 R2 320 R2 760

Government pensioners on GEMS Government pensioners on GEMS

Principal member: R925Principal member + 1: R1 850Maximum medical assistance: R1 850 pm

R1 014

Level 1-5 GEMS members who retire on Sapphire will continue to receive 100% subsidy, provided the subsidy amount does not exceed the amount they retired on.

23VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

Talk to your employer today about the new, improved medical scheme subsidy that will leave you with more cash in your pocket.

you gotta love

The heart of true health

If you are a Government employee and are looking for a medical scheme that puts you fi rst, contact us on *120*4367# or visit m.gems.gov.za. Check our Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/GEMS:AGEMOFASCHEME to fi nd out how you can become a member of a winning medical scheme.

Please keep your PERSAL number handy when calling or sending a Facebook message. Ts & Cs and cellphone rates apply.

What is ...Big on bene� ts, low on costs, strong on health ... and is one of the GEMS among medical schemes?

Good news for members of GEMS

“A� ordability, accessibility and quality of care have long been the driving force behind the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS),” says Liziwe Nkonyana, Communications and Member A� airs Executive of the Scheme. “For this reason, we were delighted with the recent 28.5% increase in the employer healthcare funding subsidy for in-service government employees. This is by all accounts making a tremendously positive di� erence to the lives of our members.”

“The fact that the employer contribution was backdated to January 2015, thereby resulting in a welcome � nancial windfall for Government employees in August, was well received by GEMS members across the board,” she adds.

GEMS – a positive force in healthcare

Nkonyana notes that GEMS has become an integral part of the South African healthcare funding landscape over the past decade. “GEMS is the only medical scheme in the country that has made an impact on and inroads into the previously uninsured market. The Scheme will continue to strive towards providing a� ordable healthcare cover for public service employees in South Africa.”

“The positive impact GEMS is having on the medical scheme industry continues to set an example to employers in all sectors of our economy where there is still a need to redress past imbalances. The Scheme has achieved this through focused practice, dedication and innovation,” she says.

Some interesting facts about GEMS:

• The Scheme has matured into South Africa’s second largest medical scheme.• It is responsible for 687,694 principal members and approximately 1.84 million lives. • 55.7% of all eligible public service employees are enrolled on the Scheme. • GEMS remains the fastest growing medical scheme in South Africa, with the Scheme processing more than 60 000 new

applications during 2014. • When compared to other medical schemes, the GEMS bene� t plans, namely Onyx, Ruby, Emerald, Beryl and Sapphire, are on average 15% less expensive, with similar or increased bene� ts.• GEMS remains the largest contributor to the overall growth of the medical scheme sector and represented 20.3% of the sector by the end of 2014. • At 7.8%, the non-healthcare expenditure of GEMS, which includes administration costs, is substantially lower than the industry average of 12%.• Over 12 500 healthcare providers are now registered on the GEMS network, ensuring that almost 90% of its members are now located within 10 km of a GEMS network provider.• The average age of GEMS bene� ciaries is 30.19.• The percentage of pensioners covered by the Scheme is 12.72%.

Furthermore, GEMS continues to engage in ongoing research to track the satisfaction levels of its members with respect to various aspects of the Scheme’s services, reveals Nkonyana. Findings from the independent satisfaction survey conducted in 2014 indicated that 78% of GEMS members are satis� ed with the Scheme. The overall level of satisfaction implies a high level of con� dence and trust in GEMS and strong brand loyalty.

The members who expressed their dissatisfaction with the Scheme believed that they were not receiving good value for money, which primarily stemmed from the fact that they had run out of funds or had exhausted their bene� ts and therefore had to fund certain services out of their own pockets. This con� rmed increasing a� ordability constraints witnessed throughout the healthcare funding industry and is a matter that is receiving considerable attention from the Scheme.

“The new, improved subsidy is assisting greatly in ensuring that the Scheme will continue to ful� l its all-important mandate of accessibility and a� ordability well into the future,” concludes Nkonyana.

How the improved employer subsidy will bene� t the members of GEMS

New subsidy Previous subsidy

In-service GEMS members In-service GEMS members

Principal member: R925 Member + 1 : R1 850 Member + 2 : R2 415 Member + 3 : R2 980 Member + 4 : R3 545

R720 R1 440 R1 880 R2 320 R2 760

Government pensioners on GEMS Government pensioners on GEMS

Principal member: R925Principal member + 1: R1 850Maximum medical assistance: R1 850 pm

R1 014

Level 1-5 GEMS members who retire on Sapphire will continue to receive 100% subsidy, provided the subsidy amount does not exceed the amount they retired on.

24 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

PUBLIC SECTOR INNOVATIONS

IMPROVING AMPUTEE PATIENT CAREBy Lee-Anne Mary Baker-Cobb , Clairwood Hospital, Kwa-Zulu-Natal

Introduction In September 2014, the Clairwood Hospital Physiotherapists started a project as a way of reducing the length of hospital stay for amputee patients and improving their outcomes. Patients were staying in hospital for up to 9 months and once they received their prostheses, some were not using them effectively. The main goal of the project was to reduce the healing times of amputee patients by 25% and reduce swelling in the residual limb. This would help to decrease the time taken for shaping of the residual limb.

The innovation

The project involves putting patients onto a program where a shortwave therapy machine is used to expedite healing. Pulsed Shortwave Therapy (PSWT) had recently been shown to halve healing times of wounds in patients. This machine was applied to patients 3 times per week

for 15 minutes per day. The patients were monitored through weekly photographs of their wounds and patients length of stay was analysed for a year prior to and post implementing the application of PSWT.

Ordinarily, the modality is used for treating muscular pain and has only recently been shown to improve wound healing and reduce swelling. There were only a few research articles showing the benefits at the time so the results were closely monitored in the first year to ensure that clear benefits were seen through the wound photographs from week to week.

The Clairwood Hospital Amputee Patients’ Care project can be said to be a disruptive

innovation in nature in that it ‘disrupted’ and ‘displaced’ the established purpose for which the Pulsed shortwave therapy (PSWT) was conventionally meant to achieve.

Implementation

The physiotherapist in charge of the female amputee patients’ ward initiated the project guided by recommendations from research. At the beginning of the project, the PSWT machine was moved from the physiotherapy gym where it was initially housed to the female amputee patients’ ward, this was to ensure that the machine was conveniently accessible to all patients who required it during the day compared to previously where only four patients could use it for their 15 minutes treatment during the 1 hour long exercise class in the gym.

During treatment, patients would put their residual limb on a wooden bench placed between the electrode plates. The machine was set using the specified parameters so that it can be pulsed with the longest rest interval possible – less than 50% for the machine and the amplitude. This was to ensure that the results are achieved without any heating of the tissues. Circulation would be improved with increased uptake of inflammation products and increased delivery of healing products. As dressings were changed every Friday and Monday, Friday was selected for the weekly wound photograph to be taken, they were stored on the computer under the patients’ initials and a comparison was done visually.

The average length of stay pre-intervention was 157 days, compared to 111 days post-intervention. The results showed a marked decrease in hospital length of stay.

25VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

Impact

The visual assessment of the patients’ wounds clearly showed improvement in healing week on week with some patients’ wounds completely healed in just 4 weeks. It was also noted that the patients’ oedema was reduced post-healing thereby ensuring that shaping of the residual limb was easier and took less time.

The average length of stay (using monthly statistical records) of female amputee patients was calculated from 01 October 2013 – 31 August 2014 (pre-intervention) and compared it to the average length of stay from 01 September 2014 – 31 July 2015 (post-intervention). The average length of stay pre-intervention was 157 days, compared to 111 days post-intervention. The results showed a marked decrease in hospital length of stay of 46 days. This was a decrease of 29.2% in length of stay of female amputee patients’ post-PSWT intervention.

As the oedema was reduced post-PSWT, there was less of a need for the use of bandages for shaping of the limbs. This reduced the need for consumables and the patients were able to attend the Amputee prosthetic clinic in less time.

Sustainability This project is easily sustainable as the PSWT machines are currently available in both the male and female surgical wards. The physiotherapists and physiotherapy technician were all trained on how to utilise the machines correctly. New staff are being trained as their rotation takes them through the wards with amputee patients. The procedure is clearly explained and the nurses and patients are fully aware of the service and because they are able to clearly see the results, they are motivated for the project to continue.

Replicability

Many of the hospitals in eThekwini Municipality were given Shortwave Therapy machines as part of the MERP project a few years ago. This is a project where machines are given out to hospitals on a needs basis.

Another plus factor is as physiotherapists are generally trained in using the PSWT machine at undergraduate level. This makes explaining the procedures and settings easier. The physiotherapists at Clairwood Hospital were able to hand over to each other without incident and this program has been running for 3 years.

Challenges and lessons

The SWT machines needed to be housed in the wards instead of the physiotherapy gym for ease of patient access. There were difficulties with the nurses and cleaners in the wards initially as the machine would be constantly moved. However, once the project was clearly explained to and the results noted by them, a designated permanent space for the machines was agreed upon. The patients’ propel or ambulate to the machine themselves to await therapy.

A contraindication to using this machine is pregnancy and as some of the physiotherapy team members have been pregnant over the course of this project, the physiotherapy technician was trained to ensure the continuation of patient care without placing the physiotherapist at risk.

The PSWT machine is only able to improve blood flow where it is functional therefore the patient needs to be counselled

extensively with regards to dietary and other lifestyle changes (e.g. smoking cessation). Outcomes and results are more clearly and easily seen when the machine is utilised in patients who have complied with these changes.

Conclusion

Innovation is ordinarily almost always associated with new things or ideas or methods or approaches in the execution of duties with some improvement. Yet, as the Clairwood Hospital physiotherapists have demonstrated, at a broader level, being innovative can also include adapting that which already exists and using it to achieve other results outside its scope of operation. The PSWT machine is conventionally used for treating muscular pain in patients. However, the Clairwood Hospital Physiotherapists took a decisive step to apply the technology for another purpose which was ‘unpopular’, namely to improve wound healing and reduce swelling with an aim of shortening the healing times of amputee patients by reducing swelling in the residual limb in order to eventually decrease the time taken for shaping of the residual limb. Therefore, the Clairwood Hospital Amputee Patients’ Care project bears the hallmarks of a disruptive innovation.

25

26 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017


THE RAF ELECTRONIC QUEUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (EQMS)By Ntuli Peter Letoaba,Road Accident Fund (RAF)

Introduction The RAF is a juristic person established in terms of the Road Accident Fund Act, 1996 (Act No. 56 of 1996) as amended (RAF Act). It commenced operations on 1 May 1997, assuming at the time, all the rights, obligations, assets and liabilities of the Multilateral Motor Vehicle Accidents Fund. The RAF provides compulsory social insurance cover to all users of South African roads, rehabilitates and compensates people injured as a result of the negligent driving of motor vehicles in a timely and active manner; and actively promotes the safe use of our nation’s roads.

In order to improve accessibility and visibility RAF established a flagship project called ‘RAF on the Road’ (RotR) where claimants are provided with the opportunity to lodge and verify claims. This event is normally hosted on a single day within a community that would not necessarily have access to the services of the RAF. Due to the large number of potential and existing claimants attending RotRs, long queues form outside the venues, this is mainly as a result of the tedious paper-based registration process.

As a result of this manual registration process, RotRs would typically run from 6:00 until till about 20:00 with approximately 1200 clients attended to. Queues would remain very long throughout the day and given the socioeconomic background of most of South African rural dwellers, some people would return home without being assisted.

Additionally, the manual process made it difficult for RAF to account for all the claimants in the queues. As a result, the

Electronic Queue Management System (EQMS) project was introduced with the aim to manage queues and automate the attendance register for all claimants engagement interventions.

The innovation

It is important to note that the EQMS solution was developed in-house in 2013 with the following elements:

• Handheld scanner Application using windows CE Operating System (OS);

• Web Service integrating with the RAF Claims System;

• Real time integration to the Department of Home Affairs system (DHA); and

• Back-end EQMS administration and reporting on SQL Database.

As a result of the manner in which the solution was developed (mobility and capability), EQMS has ability to interface in real-time with the DHA system and authenticate identity numbers and display statuses such as mortality, marital and gender. The system is further linked to the RAF Claims System and thus is able to pull claimants’ information and claim status. This enables registration personnel to give claimants status updates from the onset without queuing. In instance where further clarity is sought, the system enables onsite personnel to refer claimants to relevant queues i.e. Enquiries, Settlements, Payments, Forensics

Investigations, amongst others.

The system provides RotR Event Management team with attendance statistics that enable them to respond effectively to growing queues at various service stations and thus redistribute attendees to effectively and efficiently serve them. Moreover, the team would use the same statistical data to provide feedback and update to various stakeholder like media, local leaders, political leaders, RAF Management and larger communities on various platforms or channels.

How it works

During RotR registration process the registration personnel scan identity documents (IDs) of claimants using EQMS hand-held scanners. Upon scanning the IDs, claimants’ information is pulled from the RAF Claims System and the DHA onto the scanner screens. The statuses of already existing claims are displayed on the screens and subsequently shared with the claimants. In instance whereby claimants seek to enquire even further, they are referred to relevant queues. The system then registers claimants and

27VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

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generates real time report of attendees. Furthermore, during this process claimants are afforded an opportunity to update their contact details on the system.

Impact

The implementation of the solution resulted in reduced queues at RAF claimant engagement initiatives i.e. RotR. RAF currently serves communities in excess of 1500 attendees at one RotR event in less than 12 hours. Real time and post-event reports are generated thus sipmlifying the audit processes. Furthermore, the process of registering claimant has reduced from approximately 5 minutes to 1 minute per claimant. It should also be borne in mind that claimants no longer have to queue to find out the status of their claims as the solution provides claims status from the onset. This further reduces queues at the events.

Sustainability The system is developed and maintained by RAF Information Communication and Technology (ICT) personnel. There is no licensing right required to operate this solution and the smart hand-held scanners that are used as part of the solution are available in the general market. The system is built on common products that are already used by most government departments and agencies, thus the cost of ownership is very low.

Replicability

The solution has been deployed to all RAF Regions for claimant engagement initiatives (RotR, mini RotR, Activations etc.). It was further deployed into the RAF Mobile Vehicles. The ease of use of the solution and effective reporting capabilities have improved the overall effectiveness of the RotR programme. Internal replication has been realised at different levels and uses. There is an opportunity to externally replicate the solution to other government departments or agencies such as SASSA, GEMS, IEC, public hospitals and Compensation Fund.

28 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017


THE CPSI LAUNCHES THE CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR THE 15TH ANNUAL CPSI PUBLIC SECTOR INNOVATION AWARDS PROGRAMME By Mmabatho MashabaCPSI

Durban - The Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI) Executive Director, Ms Thuli Radebe, accompanied by the KwaZulu-Natal Province Deputy Director- General: Strategic Management & Head of Secretariat KZN Provincial Planning Commission, Mr Frikkie Brooks and the Adjudication Panel representatives, Commissioner Selinah Nkosi and Ms Phelele Tengeni launched the 15th Public Sector Innovation Awards Programme, in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province on Thursday 6th April 2017.

The launch was held in partnership with the Office of the Premier in the KwaZulu-Natal Province and it serves as an official call for the public sector to submit innovative projects under the four categories namely: • Innovative Solutions Reducing the Cost

of Delivering Services; • Innovative Service Delivery Institutions

(i.e. schools, hospitals, clinics, courts, police stations etc);

• Innovative use of ICTs for effective service delivery; and

• Innovative Enhancements of Internal Systems of Government

The category winners compete for the coveted Public Sector Innovator of the Year Award, a title currently held by the Limpopo Provincial Treasury Revenue Enhancement Project.

The annual Public Sector Innovation Awards promote and encourage best practices in public sector innovation and celebrate the successes of individuals and teams at all spheres of government. The programme also serves as a tool for expanding innovation and encouraging others to innovate for improved of service delivery.

Ms Radebe stated that this launch formalises the start of the 2017 Awards Programme and signals the beginning of the submission of entries. Later in the year, a robust adjudication process follows culminating in an Awards Ceremony finalist projects will be recognise. In this regard the awards programme is an important feeder into a number of other programmes, importantly the replication programme. It is also contributes to the repository of service delivery innovations showcased in the Multi-media Innovation Centre at the CPSI.

Commissioner S Nkosi, in her remarks, mentioned that innovation in the public service is of crucial importance and she further congratulated the CPSI for the sterling work done since its inception. She further reiterated the importance of government taking the responsibility in implementing and mainstreaming these innovations for the improvement of the lives of our people.

This launch was attended by representatives from all provinces and all public servants were encouraged to submit entries.

The annual Public Sector Innovation Awards promote and encourage best practices in public sector innovation.

2 9 o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7 - 0 1 n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7

d u r b a n i n t e r n at i o n a l c o n v e n t i o n c e n t r e

R e g i s t e r N o wDON'T MISS OUT!Be part of the dialogue and solutionsby registering as a delegate orparticipating as a sponsor.

A DISRUPTIVEGOVTECHA REBIRTHBECKONS

Rebirth. As we live our lives each day, we are given the opportunity to reframe the story. The ability to begin again. The need to revisit decisions and adjust the path. What value is technology without benefiting those that need it the most?

Govtech 2017 seeks to re-write the narrative, one that is about unleashing and unlocking possibilities for South Africa to bring about effective service delivery solutions.

This year’s Govtech seeks to bring in a disruptive engagement platform to accelerate the growth journey of not only business, but people’s lives. Championing technology solutions and interactions that create value. You’re invited to join us and to be part of this exciting journey.

G o v t e c h :

29VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017 2 9 o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7 - 0 1 n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7

d u r b a n i n t e r n at i o n a l c o n v e n t i o n c e n t r e

R e g i s t e r N o wDON'T MISS OUT!Be part of the dialogue and solutionsby registering as a delegate orparticipating as a sponsor.

A DISRUPTIVEGOVTECHA REBIRTHBECKONS

Rebirth. As we live our lives each day, we are given the opportunity to reframe the story. The ability to begin again. The need to revisit decisions and adjust the path. What value is technology without benefiting those that need it the most?

Govtech 2017 seeks to re-write the narrative, one that is about unleashing and unlocking possibilities for South Africa to bring about effective service delivery solutions.

This year’s Govtech seeks to bring in a disruptive engagement platform to accelerate the growth journey of not only business, but people’s lives. Championing technology solutions and interactions that create value. You’re invited to join us and to be part of this exciting journey.

G o v t e c h :

30 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017


GROOTE SCHUUR HOSPITAL GOING GREENBy Denton Smith, Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH)

Background

Hospitals can save lives, but they can also be bad for the health of the planet. Most hospitals were constructed in the days when ‘green’ was just a colour. It is commonly known that hospitals tend to be environmentally unfriendly, energy inefficient and haemorrhaging resources in terms of fuel and electricity bills.

This situation is untenable due to the current financial constraints. Hospitals are forced to innovate to save costs and the environment. There is a pressing need for hospitals to play a bigger role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This was certainly the case for GSH as well.

Challenges

The Lancet Commission stated in 2009 that climate change is the biggest public health threat of the 21st Century. Since then, the climate crisis has deepened and thus heightening the urgency for action. Climate change is already exacerbating a wide range of health problems the world over. As the earth warms, infectious diseases are spreading thus threatening to reverse hard won gains made in the health sector across the globe. Heat waves are growing in intensity and number, killing tens of thousands outright and aggravating asthma, heart disease and heat stroke. Increasingly severe storms, droughts

and floods harm human health and put pressure on the already overstretched and ill-prepared health systems at risk.

If greenhouse gas emissions remain unchecked, climate change will, within a matter of decades have severe, pervasive and irreversible effects thus compromising food and water supply in many parts of the world. This will trigger potentially unmanageable public health crises. While everyone is experiencing the scourge of climate change, the most vulnerable populations, who are least responsible for the problem,will suffer the greatest impact.

Fossil fuel combustion, particularly burning coal, is the single greatest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuels are also the source of significant local health problems. For instance, fossil fuels make a major contribution to air pollution, which, according to the World Health Organization, killed seven million people in 2012, causing twice as many deaths than HIV and AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. In order to protect local and global health from climate change and its sources, the world needs to move toward an economy based on clean, renewable, healthy energy. A transition to a clean energy economy will benefit both the climate and public health. As health care providers, hospitals can play a leadership role in this transition.

GSH journey to going green

GSH started with “green initiatives” long before the signing of the Paris Agreement on Earth Day, April 22, 2016. This agreement saw 175 nations make their commitment to take action on climate change official. To reach the goals set out in the agreement requires a truly global effort. It would require each and every sector to commit to a low carbon path for the future. On its part, the health sector can play a critical role by taking action to reduce its own climate impact and act as a leader to inspire others to do the same. GSH journey was triggered by the Paris Agreement to reduce emissions thus moving towards low carbon and ultimately carbon neutral health care.

To enable this journey, the Hospital became a member of the Global Green Hospital Initiative which pledges to lead the way towards a low-carbon health care by setting greenhouse gas ambitions. According to the pledge, members commit to work to implement energy efficiency measures and when feasible deploy clean, renewable energy to power their buildings. They will further measure and report on their progress, including the financial savings related to these actions.

Members further commit to provide leadership for a healthy climate. This will be done by educating health care

31VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

GROOTE SCHUUR HOSPITAL GOING GREEN

professionals, students, hospital staff, as well as their communities, on the challenges and solutions related to fighting climate change.

They also pledge to influence public policy, economic development, as well as investment strategies to move away from fossil fuel dependency. They undertake to foster a healthy energy future thereby protecting local health care, mitigating its climate impact, saving money and leading by example.

The Innovation

Innovation should not always be about new things, neither should it be restricted to sophisticated and complex contraptions. Innovation can often be as simple as finding a new and different approach to how things are done.

The innovation at GSH was based on the most simplest of engineering principles and included amongst others, upgrades and improvements of the existing steam reticulation system to improve efficiency. The entire system was overhauled including the re-installation of the original steam system on the steam lines and improvements to the Steam Generation Plant.

These improvements to the steam lines comprised of:

• Re-lagging• Replacements of faulty steam valves• Repair of steam leaks on flanges,

valves and equipment• Removal and blanking of all

redundant steam lines• Replacement of faulty condensate

legs• Replacement of condensate return

tanks• Replacement of hot well tanks

The improvements to the Steam Generation Plant comprised of:

• Complete overhaul of boiler valves and fittings.

• Re-lagging of boilers.• Sand blasting of boiler tubes and

flues.• Replacement of soot separators and

induced draft fans.• Installation of variable speed drives

of the stokers and force draft fans.• Replacement of the original boiler

controls with new up to date control panels, but retaining the non-PLC control method for ease of maintenance.

• Complete upgrade to the boiler house electrical reticulation in order to eliminate redundancy and to become compliant with all current electrical regulations.

The water saving initiatives comprised of:

• Fixing all leaks at the hospital.• Replacing corroded pipes.• Proper maintenance plans in place.

These projects, initiated by the Head of Engineering at the Hospital were a stepping stone to many other “go green” initiatives started in 2009, including measures to save electricity.

Project Impact

Over a five year period, the coal consumption at GSH was reduced by 48% and the efficiency of the system improved from 30% to 70%. Over the same period water consumption was also reduced by 46%.

The project has created enthusiasm amongst the engineering staff and generated innovative solutions that the staff developed themselves. The teams working on the projects have a sense of ownership and pride in what they had accomplished and the difference that their projects are making. This lead to a more environmentally- friendly and “green” hospital. The projects were also designed in such a way that the innovations can be rolled out in other health facilities.

Conclusion

GSH has demonstrated that daily challenges can be addressed through simple innovations that reduce the carbon footprint and thus saving energy in the public health care sector. Furthermore, the hospital has demonstrated green leadership and environmental responsibility.

The success of the implementation of this project hinged entirely on the expertise and technical strengths of the artisan staff of the mechanical and electrical departments of the Hospital. The continued effectiveness of this project relied on the continued motivation of the engineering teams responsible for the upgrades and improvements carried out on the steam reticulation system in order to increase the overall efficiency of the installation. The staff did not require any technical training as all of the improvements to the system were based on the most simplest of engineering principles.

With the success of this project, we hope that the green leadership concept can be rolled out to other public health facilities in the country and combined green solutions can be initiated and implemented through the health care Innovation Hub at GSH.

Health care facilities could become more energy efficient by installing green energy solutions such as solar and wind energy. In addition, the carbon and waste footprint of each facility could be reduced. Creating a platform for sharing solutions, technical teams from hospitals can learn and share lessons.

32 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

PATIENT FLOW MANAGEMENT

By Dr Belinda Jacobs, Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH)

Background

Congestion in the emergency unit (EU) caused by delay in the transfer of patients from this section to the wards, adversely impacts on patient outcome and length of stay. The reasons for such delays are multifactorial and they include, amongst others, lack of available beds at ward level. An audit of patients transfer from EU to the wards has demonstrated that the majority of transfers occur after 4pm on weekdays.

The main objective of introducing patient flow management was firstly to measure and monitor the time it takes to discharge patients from wards. This initiative further sought to collectively pursue a number of interventions to improve the efficiency of the discharge process.

The entire in-patient journey through a hospital consists of three stages, that is, the admission process, an in-patient stay, followed by the discharge process. The final stage wherein patients are discharged ensures that they vacate hospital beds at an appropriate time, with adequate notice given to families and the provision that other services are organised.

The discharge process can be perceived as a complex series of linked activities, where a multi–disciplinary team and resources work together to exchange and use knowledge in the process of discharge planning and care transactions. Therefore, effective patient flow is dependent on a well – coordinated discharge process.

Although the discharge process is considered the tail end of a patient’s hospital stay, it can surely be seen as a front-end for another patient waiting to be admitted. Therefore, the effect of delayed discharge can result in overcrowding and long waiting times.

Overcrowding usually occurs when the number of patients in a particular department (e.g. emergency department) exceeds the number of allocated staff and physical resources that allow for adequate treatment, thus resulting in the inability of patients to be granted a ward bed. In addition, it also has been established that there is a significant correlation between the time a patient spends in the emergency department and their in-hospital length of stay. Therefore, efficient

discharge processes at ward level will also reduce patients and staff frustrations in the overcrowded EU area, which in turn eliminates unwanted medical and legal errors.

Good patient flow usually refers to patient movement through the various parts of a hospital system without delay. This should result in benefits to patients that include improved clinical outcomes.

The Intervention

This project used the A3 methodology, a structured problem solving approach that is used for the implementation of a continuous improvement initiative. This approach also involves a multidisciplinary team at ward level. The main function of the A3 process is to map out the background condition and current context of the project setting, with a detailed description of the process flow.

Data was collected and the discharge process was analysed to gain an understanding of the factors contributing to the lengthy discharge process. Data analysis indicated that the average process time for a patient to be discharged, from the time that the decision is made until the patient exits the ward, was 6 hours and 30 minutes. The goal for this project, therefore, was to decrease this discharge process time by 10%.

The two main improvement objectives were the promotion of use of the transit lounge and use of the Shute for transporting the discharged medication scripts to the pharmacy.

The A3 was developed during a series of meetings with the role players involved, including ward staff. Once the plan was developed, implementation was monitored by daily measurement of the number of patients discharged before 1pm and the number of patients transferred to the transit lounge. Daily huddles were conducted in the ward examining the data


33VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

Optimise your health the fun way

with GEMS – at no extra cost

Dance, skip and walk your way to weight loss

At no additional cost, the Government Employees Medical Scheme’s (GEMS) members and their dependants who are also employed in the public service can apply to take part in this health and exercise programme. This is in keeping with the GEMS commitment to provide public service employees with access to excellent healthcare which is both aff ordable and effi cient.

GEMS’s philosophy is to encourage proactive health, which not only can go a long way to preventing non-communicable diseases but can also help with stress management and boosts the immune system.

Exercise not only sculpts the body but also has innumerable benefi ts for the body’s health. People who exercise regularly are less likely to contract illnesses such as colon cancer, for example. Exercise also assists in the management of other healthcare risks and medical conditions, such type 2 diabetes. In combination with a balanced and varied diet, exercise also assists in the prevention of heart disease and stroke, as well as assisting in the management of high blood pressure.

GEMS also understands that embarking on an exercise regime can seem daunting to members, which is why the GEMS Fitness programme has been specially designed for maximum fun to keep motivation levels up.

If you join the GEMS Fitness programme, you will receive a � tness welcome pack, which includes:

Bene� ts of joining• An annual fi tness assessment,• Access to a GEMS Contact Centre that

provides health coaches and support agents for wearable device and fi tness-related queries,

• Access to onsite exercise sessions, and• Comprehensive information on exercise,

nutrition and all the information you need to embrace a healthier lifestyle.

In addition, you will have access to the GEMS Fitness Journey portal via My Health to help you track your personal journey to fi tness. It includes a range of features such as challenge my friends, view my wellness/fi tness reports, view my overall health and many more.

There are three simple steps to joining the GEMS Fitness exercise and health programme:

1. You need to be a principal GEMS member or a dependant who is also employed in the public sector.

2. You need to be validated; which means your department needs to agree to participate. GEMS will then come to your department to host an activation event.

3. You need to attend an activation event and complete a form to activate your GEMS Fitness membership.

Validated members can join the GEMS Fitness programme through the GEMS Fitness call centre on 0860 00 4367. Alternatively you can register on the GEMS Fitness Journey web portal via gems.� tnessjourney.co.za.

Leading an active lifestyle and reaching your ideal weight need not be a drag. The recently launched GEMS Fitness programme encourages members to get into shape the fun and high-tech way.

• a skipping rope,• a set of earphones,• a fi tness tracking device,• a water bottle,• a drawstring bag and • a gym towel.[ [

Striving Towards an Affordable, Excellent and Member Centric Scheme

34 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

for the day which was completed by the project owner with the assistance of the ward operational manager.

The following data points were collected in the audit:

• What time the discharge decision is made?

• What time the discharge medication script was completed?

• What time the discharge medication script was send to pharmacy?

• What time the medication for taking more, arrived back in the ward from pharmacy?

• What time the patient discharge letter is completed?

• What time the patient is transferred to the transit lounge?

A standard operating procedure was developed for the weekly audit as well as for the discharge process.

This project advocates for a decentralised approach which involves operational employees taking ownership of the project in their department. This decentralised approach created an environment that encourages leadership and provides a learning platform for all employees involved with projects. This project promotes good communication and harmony that inspires patient-centeredness.

The influence and empowerment of the patient flow manager enhanced patients movement in and out of the ward which was

previously hindered by employees who did not understand the broader system. The barriers created by silos were eliminated as relationships within the multidisciplinary team strengthened. The communication between the ward, pharmacy messaging and the transit lounge enhanced the coordination between departments to process discharge timeout.

The new lean management tools such as displaying graphs in the ward and assessing performance with a performance chart allowed staff to understand the significance of this project.

Impact of the project

The main focus of this project was to reduce the time it takes to discharge patients in order to facilitate early transfer of patients from the EU, as well as to enable waiting patients to be admitted and allocated ward beds. While our goal was to reduce the average process time for discharge by 10%, following implementation of the innovation, the average process time was reduced by 21.5%.

The significance and impact of this project

are evident as the challenges identified are addressed appropriately and the result proves that ward beds are made available sooner for patients awaiting ward admission.

The project also contributed to alleviation of overcrowding in the emergency unit which in turn reduced patient frustration and staff burnout. It is argued by many employees that it is less stressful to care for patients in an area that is not overcrowded by patients awaiting ward admission as these patients also require regular attention from staff.

Feedback from ward staff with regards to the impact of this project has been positive. The staff indicated that previously there was poor communication between members of the multidisciplinary team. Furthermore, ensuring that discharged patients vacated their ward beds as soon as possible was not prioritised. The project created an environment of structured thinking and standardised work processes which enables the multidisciplinary team to understand the system and sub-systems of the ward.

The staff also indicated that contrary to their initial fears about their work load increasing, the project actually made their ward tasks easier. The staff further pointed out that this learning experience expanded their knowledge on improvement and innovation and that they finally understood the true meaning of being patient-centred.

Bed managers could clearly see a difference in the movement of patients from the emergency unit to the wards. Furthermore, the emergency unit was less congested with patients waiting for a bed to be allocated in a ward. The impact of the early movement may seem insignificant, but it can be seen in the faces of both patient and staff members.

Conclusion

The successful implementation of the A3 method and other lean methodologies made a huge impact with regards to patients flow management. Other hospitals can easily replicate this model.

The main focus of this project was to reduce the time it takes to discharge patients.


35VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

RAF Mobile Office for your Convenience

With it’s continued quest to make its services more easily accessible, the Road Accident Fund is coming to your doorstep with its new Mobile Office.Be on the lookout for the RAF Mobile Office in your area where you can lodge

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36 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

NEWS BRIEFS

Johannesburg – Anybody that is involved in the business of testing prototype circuit boards will tell you about how frustrated they are because of the astronomical costs and the arduous process involved in tests. But all that is over.

Phumlani Ntloko who comes from a dusty township in Pretoria and does not have any formal training in computing, has developed a mobile Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine to test prototype circuit boards. The machine can also do 3D printing , this at less than a third of the cost of an imported unit.

The technology is so user-friendly that Ntloko says a person with no knowledge of computing can have a basic understanding of how to test a prototype using his mobile CNC machine in less than a day.

But the machine’s simplicity is just one of its benefits. Ntloko and his company, Adia

Engineering Systems, have managed to reduce the cost of a CNC machine from the R150 000-R200 000 price tag for an imported unit to just over R60 000.

After developing the first mobile CNC machine prototype, Ntloko found there was a massive demand for testing the viability of prototypes within communities. “Our system works with the developer inputting his prototype system into a computer which can print the tracks for a circuit board and test the board as a prototype,” Ntloko said.

Ntloko’s idea caught the attention of the Grassroots Innovation Programme, an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and implemented by the Technology Localization Implementation Unit of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The programme has now incubated Ntloko’s company to produce more CNC machines.

SA MAN CREATES MACHINE TO TEST PROTOTYPES AT A THIRD OF THE COSTby Kyle Venktess, Fin24First published in Fin24tech

About 3 000 South African women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually. Many are candidates for breast deconstruction. Even worse, where this ends up in the removal of a breast, this becomes a huge loss, physically and psychologically. However, breast prostheses can help to soften this blow.

Nneile Nkholise, a young South African and her company, iMed, have embarked on a very noble course to make prostheses more accessible. Herself, an asthmatic from a young age, Nneile became sensitive to the way in which medical conditions affect the daily lives of people around her. After school, she wanted to make a difference by helping to ease the suffering of others, yet not as a medical doctor.

Nkholise launched her company, iMed officially in 2015, following a lot of market research and networking with doctors and prosthesis specialists to identify the needs of prospective clients and factors that could accelerate company growth. Her vision was to make the process of breast prosthesis manufacturing easier and cheaper with the help of a computer-aided method of data manipulation using 3D modelling. This allows for the 3D model to be fabricated layer by layer in various additive manufacturing machines to create a prototype.

The result is a soft silicone product that compares well with higher quality imported products. More importantly this has made the product a little cheaper, around R6 000 per prosthesis in comparison with R6 500 for the imported product. The plus factor is the availability of a greater variety of skin tones which ensures that their product caters for everyone. “Since 2015 we have developed standard moulds to suite different cups and we also make custom moulds on demand”, said Nneile

Manufacturing costs are high, so the prostheses are manufactured for us in the UK. We will shift manufacturing to South Africa once sales volumes justify it. It only takes about two hours for the silicon to set

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in the moulds and the product reaches us in SA within 24 hours.Nneile took time to respond to a few questions posed to her:

“You reportedly only employ female engineers under 30 years of age. Tell us about this.

It made sense when I started out, but I have since changed my mind. Men are just as passionate as women about helping women suffering from breast cancer. It would be foolish to exclude people merely because of their gender or age.

At the moment, I have three committed freelance employees, of whom one is a man. Of these three, two are older than 30, while the other one is 29. I also make use of many consultants and experts for guidance. Many of them are of advanced age – they bring years of experience.

“What has been your greatest challenges so far?”

YOUNG SOUTH AFRICAN LEADS THE WAY IN BREAST PROSTHETICS

by Glenneis KrielAdapted from an article that originally appeared in the 23 March 2017 edition of Finweek.

First, to be recognised by medical aid schemes. That would really be a big break for us. Second, to make people more aware of the product. Winning the title of Africa’s Top Female Innovator at the World Economic Forum has helped.

Third, to make ends meet. I had to bootstrap for quite some time now. There are so many unforeseen expenses in running your own company, such as insurance on equipment, administrative things and necessities such as a telephone. We would have grown a lot faster if we had more funding. I have been fortunate to secure funding through my SAB Foundation Innovation Award (an overall finalist, Nkholise was also an Innovation Seed Grant winner). The foundation has also helped me to connect with other potential investors.

“What are your plans for the next five years?”

When I started iMed Tech, we sold the product in a white box, without branding.

Can you believe that? I have smartened up and have since developed a brand and packaging to give our product more personality and differentiate it from the competition.

This month we are launching the brand name “Meyme”. Many people struggle to pronounce my name correctly and then end up calling me something like “Meyme”. The word doesn’t have another meaning, which appealed to me, as now it can create its own connotations and meanings.

Nneile’s advice to other aspiring young entrepreneurs is – in the form of the Nike slogan, “Just do it.” Says Nneile. She further said that scientists and academics, like herself tend to overanalyse and control everything in an attempt to produce the perfect product. Too much of this can work against you. Instead of brooding and overanalysing, rather produce a good quality product and then improve on it as time moves on in accordance with customer feedback.

NNEILE NKHOLISEis the founder of iMed Tech

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NEWS BRIEFS

The South African Water Research Commission (WRC) set a trend as world leaders with the launch of the world’s first Mine Water Atlas in partnership with consulting firm Golder Associates. The launch was also part of the World Water Day Celebrations that saw the global Launch of the 2017 UN World Water Development Report.: “Waste Water: The Untapped Resource. The Atlas was officially launched by the Honourable Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms Nomvula Mokonyane in March 2017.

The South African Mine Water Atlas provides a comprehensive reference on the vulnerability of water resources to mining activity in South Africa The Atlas highlights the critical interplay between mining and water resources and is the most extensive set of documents of its kind.

“We’re very excited about this project. It’s a world first. No country in the world has done this before,” said WRC Manager, Dr Jo Burgess. The project delivers the most comprehensive document of its kind in South Africa.

The Atlas introduces mine water and its geological, hydrological and legal context, while examining the geographical foundations of water quantity, quality and distribution, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing South Africa as it strives to improve the quantity, quality, protection and use of its water resources. “Decision-makers will be able to look to the Atlas for background information and

WATER RESEARCH COMMISSION LAUNCHES THE WORLD’S FIRST MINE WATER ATLAS

tools to assist in fulfilling commitments made in other recent events and declarations,” explained Burgess. “The Atlas uses various measures to illustrate South Africa’s hydrological characteristics by charting and mapping water resources on a provincial scale.” The multi-layered set of maps spans all mineral provinces in South Africa and particularly drills down into the areas where mining frequently takes place. The maps chart the water resources in the various provinces and in turn are overlaid with maps of mining and mineral-refining activities in order to understand the locations at which surface and groundwater and mining collide.

The Atlas is intended to help mining companies, investors, government departments and students get a better understanding of the impact of mining on water resources. While it is an extremely useful guide, the Atlas does not replace Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) or tell you where you can or cannot mine, but assists with the decision-making process around the likely impacts of mining activity in a given mineral region.

The Atlas can be used to see what the potential liabilities may be and what the focus of mitigation measures may need to be to protect water resources in an area of operation; for example, water treatment plants may be needed to ensure water discharges from the mines are of good quality and that it will not damage the environment or pose a risk to public health.

Mining often comes under the spotlight

The Water Research Commission is committed to leading research that will continue to produce ground breaking interventions.

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in relation to water pollution problems. Uncontrolled discharge of acid, neutral, and saline mining-impacted water can have a devastating effect on surface and ground water resources. Acidic water leaking out of mine dumps can flow into rivers or streams, stop plants from growing and kill the food chain from the bottom up. When left unchecked, the dirty water generated from mining activities finds its way into surface water features such as rivers and wetlands, negatively impacting both downstream users and the aquatic environment.

The Atlas will further help government departments to visualise and highlight areas that are very risky and help define the key questions for impact assessment. • It will serve as an educational reference

for legislators as well as universities.• It is geared towards raising awareness

among the public about the critical link between water and mining.

The Mine Water Atlas for South Africa’s primary benefit lies in the ability to assess cumulative impacts of mining in a catchment through the understanding of the presence of upstream mines (both operational and derelict) and the sensitivity of the receiving water environment. This in turn will enable an improved understanding of an individual’s mine’s potential impact versus the cumulative impact.

The Water Research Commission is committed to leading research that will continue to produce ground breaking interventions such as the Mine Water Atlas and will continue to partner with industry to translate leading research into tangible implementations that ultimately inform legislation, drive innovation, educate the public and ultimately improve the quality and quantity of water resources.

Link to more information: http://www.wrc.org.za/Pages/MineWaterAtlas.aspx

To find out more about the WRC go to www.wrc.org.za

Contact: Adriaan Taljaard Email: [email protected]

REMOVING BARRIERS TO MATHS AND SCIENCE SUCCESS FOR GRADES 8 & 9

Ground-breaking innovation has been developed by video education pioneers Paper Video in partnership with the Actuarial Association of South Africa (ASSA) to remove the barriers to maths and science success for grades 8 and 9. “Grades 8 and 9 are crucial foundation years, and yet we are finding that many students, especially those in more rural and impoverished areas, do not receive the adequate grounding to continue with mathematics and physics,” Mike McDougall, CEO of ASSA, says in a press release announcing the Subject Maps. Subject Maps will guide learners through a two-year journey, covering every concept in the grade 8 and 9 curricula for maths, physics, life sciences, natural sciences and accounting.

“It shows you where a subject is going

but it can also show you where you need to go back to, if you don’t understand something. So it’s easy for a student to identify where the gaps in their content knowledge are,” says Paul Maree, Paper Video co-founder and mathematics teacher.

With Subject Maps, a learner uses his phone to scan a QR code next to the concept as it appears on the map. A step-by-step video lesson ranging in length from 30 minutes to two hours appears on the phone and then takes the learner through the entire concept.

Maree says a key feature of the resource is that all the videos represented on the map can be watched without internet connectivity or data. While there are a lot of technology-based learning resources in South Africa, they often exclude students who do not have an internet connection or

This article originally appeared in the 6 April edition of Finweek.

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NEWS BRIEFS

data. With Subject Maps the learner inserts Paper Video’s micro SD card that contains thousands of videos into any Android device or Windows computer. Paper Video became known for supplying series of past exam papers, supported by video solutions, to schools across the country. One of their success stories was that of Siphelele Xabendlini from Phandulwazi High School in Philippi who achieved 100% in physical science in the final matric exam last year. He became the first student from a township school to achieve the best grade for physical science in the Western Cape. Xabendlini specifically mentioned “his use of our resources to achieve that result,” Paper

Video co-founder Chris Mills says in a press release.

Maree adds that Paper Video works alongside its partner, ASSA, to get their resources to learners and schools that would otherwise not be able to afford them in a private capacity. “We have so far rolled out to just over 15 000 students across the country, thanks to projects sponsored by some of the largest companies in South Africa, including Momentum, Metropolitan, Old Mutual, SAB, Swiss Re and Investec. Once we have a corporate sponsor on board, we then work with them and local representatives from the department of education to identify recipient schools and learners,” Maree adds.

Individual learners can also visit Paper Video’s website where they can learn more about resources available to them and visit the online store if they would like to purchase Subject Maps. Learners can watch these videos on a smartphone, tablet or computer via Paper Video’s website or app (which is available for all Android devices and Windows computers). Learners who use the website or Windows app would simply type in the video code instead of scanning the QR code.

The micro-SD cards can be purchased via the online store on Paper Video’s website, with cost ranging from R199 to R349 depending on the size of the micro-SD card require.

TSHWANE LAUNCHES CITY-WIDE CRIME SAFETY APP

by Duncan Alfreds, Fin24

Cape Town – After a months’ long incubation period, Project Namola is finally live in the City of Tshwane. The safety application went live and demonstrated faster response times for Metro Police vehicles in the Monument Park pilot in February 2015.

“With Namola dispatch times take around 13 seconds - an 11 times improvement. All it takes is for a user to open the app, click the alert button and an officer to accept,” said Craig Rivett chief executive of implementing agent Happimo, a non-profit company.

The City of Tshwane decided to implement Namola across the metro following a successful pilot phase that reduced the average police response times of around two minutes. Rivett told Fin24 that 135 Metro Police vehicles have been equipped with tablets that allow responders to react to calls for help.

Unlike a traditional call centre where language can be a barrier to details in an emergency, Namola uses GPS co-ordinates to map locations in partnership with Tshwane Metro Police Department control room.

“When a citizen sends out an alert the nearby Tshwane Metro Police officers

A TMPD OFFICER checks the Namola app on the in-car tablet

With Namola dispatch times take around 13 seconds - an 11 times improvement. All it takes is for a user to open the app, click the alert button and an officer to accept.

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are able to see the exact location of the incident. The first available officer is then directed to the incident while being monitored by the control room, which has the ability to intervene if necessary,” said Rivett.

“For the first time operators are able to send images and messages, like a photo and

description of a stolen vehicle or missing child, to the officers on the ground,” he added.

Namola is an evolution of the StellieSafe application piloted in Stellenbosch by former Mxit boss Alan Knott-Craig Jnr and with the support of mayor Conrad Sidego. “Namola can be downloaded

anywhere in SA, but it will only work in Tshwane. Only the Tshwane Metro Police have been integrated into the app thus far but there is nothing stopping other metros or SAPS following Tshwane’s lead,” said Rivett.Namola currently only operates on Android smartphones, but there are expansion plans for the application.

SMART LOCKERS MAKING DISPENSING EASIERFirst published by the Innovation Hub

A Mandela Day Day nod goes to Technovera that has ingeniously replaced the traditional use of lockers by making them dispensaries of medication for patients of chronic medication. Smart Lockers have been used to speed up the delivery of medication to stable chronic patients by introducing a novelty in the collection of medication.

Now, instead of standing in long hospital queues, patients will receive an SMS notification for the collection of their medication at a nearby Smart Locker. Using this technology chronic patients can collect their medication in a few minutes as opposed to standing for hours in queues. The technology has been used to address the challenge of long waiting times for chronic stable patients that currently spend hours every month queuing when they need to refill their script. For five of every six months the process of collecting the repeat prescription need

not involve the nurse, patients could simply be authenticated and collect their medication.

TechnoVera wants to improve patient care by ending the indignity of long queues. Founder, Neo Hutiri, says that he used to be a patient collecting treatment from a public clinic and stressed that it was a really unpleasant experience to wait the whole day just to manage your condition.

TechnoVera is made up of a multidisciplinary team with backgrounds in engineering (electrical, mechanical and industrial), manufacturing, software development, business science and accounting.

TechnoVera wants to improve patient care by ending the indignity of long queues.

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NEWS BRIEFS

South African startup Ekasi-bucks has an ambitious goal to take blockchain-based financial systems to businesses in the country’s townships. Launched last year, Ekasi-bucks provides blockchain-based digital payment, point of sale, loyalty programmes and inventory management systems to township businesses and is already active across the country in the likes of Soweto, Soshanguve and Khayelitsha.

“We create monetary value in rewards for customers supporting township businesses. Customers buy ekasi-bucks and they are stored in their mobile wallets. Customers use ekasi-bucks to transact with registered merchants,” co-founder Lucky Kgwadi told Disrupt Africa.

“We are also bringing mobile banking over the blockchain to over 300,000 unbanked clients on our database. Our systems give

SA’S EKASI-BUCKS LAUNCHES ICO TO TAKE BLOCKCHAIN TO TOWNSHIPS

the previously disadvantaged group total control over their money and redistributes wealth back into their hands.”

Ekasi-bucks launched a pilot with only a handful of merchants, but is now building its customer base. Its loyalty programme has over 4,000 merchants and 20,000 card users, and Kgwadi is plotting further expansion. “We have a database of a potential client base of over 4,000 merchants and around 27,000 users around Gauteng townships who have the potential to adopt the payment system. We also aim to bring mobile banking over the blockchain platform to over 300,000 unbanked clients on our database,” he said.

“We are currently in the townships in South Africa and in communication with a few companies who are looking to offer our services in their countries. This

By Tom Jackson

includes Zimbabwe, Botswana and Kenya.” But the startup, which charges monthly subscription as well as small transaction fees, has just the one investor, and needs financing in order to scale. Thus, it has turned to the Initial Coin Offering (ICO).

An ICO is kind of like an IPO, but with some major differences. It is an unregulated way of raising funds for a new cryptocurrency venture, selling cryptocurrency to early backers. ICOs have been in the news lately after South African entrepreneur Vinny Lingham raised US$33 million for his US-based startup Civic by selling digital currency tokens in a public sale.

Ekasi-bucks has made available half of its 200 million coins for US$50 per coin, the sale began on 14 July 2017.

Kgwadi said the founders of the startups are serial entrepreneurs within the

townships and fully understand the problems they face. “We got to fully understand the challenge facing the township market: a lack of proper business systems,” he said.

“This hinders growth not only in businesses but also in the township economy. Our systems equip businesses, thus encouraging the consumers to spend locally and increase money circulation in the townships.” Ekasi-bucks, then, aims to revolutionise the way townships transact, using a decentralised cryptocurrency. This has, however, not proven difficult to explain to township businesses.“We clearly explain the benefits of the systems. We also give them added value by consulting biweekly to monitor the progress and ensure successful implementation,” Kgwadi said.

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Exciting course:Leading Innovation in the Public Service

Do you want to innovate in the public sector? Do you want to demystify innovation?

Then you must attend the enthralling “Leading Innovation in the Public Service” course offered by the

School of Government in partnership with the Centre for Public Service innovation.

Innovation management within the public sector is one of the pillars of the knowledge economy. In practice, one will however find that very few managers know about innovation management and therefore cannot easily define it as different to other general concepts such as improvement, creativity or entrepreneurship.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS COURSE IS TO EMPOWER PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO:◊ Approach challenges in new and creative ways

◊ Apply innovation theory, models, principles and practices to work-related challenges in a specific context

◊ Analyse their own work environments in terms of the features of innovation and identify gaps that should be bridged in order

to embed innovation as a culture and practice

◊ Lead a team through a process of creative thinking and problem solving that is not traditional or expected so that it can yield

new possibilities and solutions for improved service delivery standards

The NSG: Tel: (+27) 086 100 8326

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For more information, please contact

Visit our websites:www.thensg.gov.zawww.cpsi.co.za

44 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

Johannesburg - An Eastern Cape innovator may have found the solution to reducing the cost of a geyser’s energy consumption with a simple contraption to heat water as and when one needs it. Sandiswa Qayi from East London has devised a silicone sleeve aptly called the HotSpot – which is fitted to a geyser’s element to heat water in the tank more efficiently.

The sleeve is currently being installed in homes as part of a pilot project. Qayi’s invention was created out of the frustrations of continuously switching a geyser, one of the biggest energy consumers in a household – on and off. “Switching a geyser on and off like many people do only affects an electricity bill on a certain kind of geyser and only when done during strategic times during the day,” Qayi told Fin24.

She explained that when a geyser was switched off and on again to restore heat to the water it would consume the same amount of energy to restore the water to usable heat. “The HotSpot allows for the hot water to rise to the top of the geyser, while the cold water settles to the bottom. It allows to for the geyser to operate like a kettle to heat water as and when it is needed to be hot,” Qayi told Fin24.

Prof. Stephen Tangwe, an energy

EASTERN CAPE WOMAN’S GEYSER SLEEVE REDUCES POWER CONSUMPTION

by Kyle Venktess, Fin24 researcher at the University of Fort Hare in Alice in the Eastern Cape, who endorsed the invention, said that it is expected to reduce energy consumption of the geyser drastically. “We have piloted the project in several households around the Eastern Cape. What we have noticed is that all of the households that have the HotSpot are very happy with how drastically the amount of their electricity bill had reduced by,” Tangwe told Fin24.

Tangwe said despite the project still being in its early stages, the potential energy reduction the device showed could save households more than 27% less on their electricity bills each month. Qayi’s invention has since been

incubated by the Grassroots Innovation programme, an initiative by the Department of the Science and Technology’s Technology Localisation and Implementation Unit (TLIU) and incubated by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The programme is aimed at funding the ideas of aspiring entrepreneurs, turning them into fully

fledged businesses. The programme is also currently incubating Nkosana Madi from Springs in Gauteng, who developed a hybrid motorised bicycle and Phumlani Ntloko from Pretoria, who created a

Qayi’s invention was created out of the frustrations of continuously switching a geyser, one of the biggest energy consumers in a household – on and off.

SANDISWA QAYI

Computer Numeric Machine (CNC) used to test motherboard prototypes and 3D print at a fraction of the cost.

NEWS BRIEFS

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German space agency DLR has launched the so-called Synlight device, made up of 149 high-powered lamps totalling about 350 kilowatts, in Juelich, a small town in the western state of North Rhine Westphalia.

Climate-friendly fuel

One of the main areas of research will be efficient hydrogen production with the aim of making climate-friendly fuel for planes, DLR chief Karsten Lemmer said.

The device uses as much energy in four hours as a four-person household does in a year, Lemmer said.

WORLD’S LARGEST ARTIFICIAL SUN AIMS TO MAKE CLIMATE-FRIENDLY FUEL

First published by All 4 Women, 23 March 2017

On Thursday, German scientists launched what is being billed as the world’s largest artificial sun with the intention of conducting research on the creation of climate-friendly fuel

There were cries of jubilation, drums beating and celebration dances all around at the launch of the new eHub Diepsloot last week. The fantastic container building, and the promise it offers to the residents of Diepsloot, deserved every bit of praise it received.

Designed as a series of stacked shipping containers, each one decked out in stylish furniture and finishes, and fully equipped with the latest technology and free Wi-Fi, it’s now available for those who need it.

DIEPSLOOT GETS CONNECTEDBy Garreth van Niekerk First published by W24, 2 July 2017

A new community incubator is changing the lives of Diepsloot’s big thinkers. Garreth van Niekerk takes a look inside.

The brilliant structure acts as a collection of incubator spaces for servicing 44 small businesses and 13 organisations from the area. Ericsson sponsored the eHub Diepsloot infrastructure with their training room, Cyber Café and reception area on the ground level.

The top level currently offers an open view of the Diepsloot landscape and doubles up as a meeting space and think-tank with white boards, but future plans include an audiovisual recording studio along with editing hardware and software. Designers will also have a maker’s space that will include a 3-D printer.

Some of the businesses already within the building are the team from Diepsloot Radio,

NEWS BRIEFS

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an inspiring community and personal alarm group called Mememza Community Safety and solar energy DIY kit supplier Khanda.

A highlight from the group was the work of self-taught 3-D and gaming designer Joshua Pule, who hails from Diepsloot. Pule created a special game for the occasion, intended to raise awareness about the endangered Diepsloot bullfrog. His ingenious and simple car-racing game disqualifies the user if they hit the Diepsloot bullfrog, and teaches the facts about the area’s famous amphibian.

The space opens up a world of possibility. More of this please!

The brilliant structure acts as a collection of incubator spaces for servicing 44 small businesses and 13 organisations.

48 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

NEWS BRIEFS

Founded in mid-2015 by Christian Grubak and Martin Majlund, and launched to the general public in March of this year, Sky.Garden provides an easy-to-use platform that takes into account a user’s possibly elementary understanding of e-commerce via safe and secure payment and shipping.

“It plugs in localised solutions and helps them to reach customers that would otherwise fall out of their immediate

SKY.GARDEN IS AN ONLINE MARKETPLACE FOR KENYAN BUSINESSES

By Tom Jackson First published by Disrupt Africa, 19 July2017

Kenyan startup Sky.Garden is seeing 400 per cent month-on-month growth in transaction volumes on its online marketplace that allows informal traders, SMEs and established businesses to sell their products.

reach. By targeting these specific traders, they are in turn able to access their existing customer bases and propel their overall visibility via social networking to similar customers of the same demographic,” managing director Daniel Maison told Disrupt Africa.

“Sky.Garden is therefore the pioneering gateway for the masses to take part in a digital economy without having to bear the heavy burden of capitalising new

physical businesses.”

Maison said Sky.Garden has exceeded its expectations since it went live in March, with transaction volumes increasing by 400 per cent each month. Bootstrapped since its launch, the startup is aiming for a seed round by the end of this year.

Sky.Garden is currently serving the Nairobi area, with Maison saying it plans to adopt a “Big Cities strategy” whereby it targets urban areas in emerging markets.

“Our plan is to expand into the main cities in East Africa and scale this to the rest of the Sub- Saharan region, adapting to each market accordingly,” he said.

Merchants signing up to the platform pay no registration or monthly fees, with Sky.Garden working on a commission basis, and taking a service fee of eight per cent on every transaction.

Maison said Sky.Garden is currently processing an average of 16 orders a day, with an average basket size of US$39.50.

“Due to the high uptake of the platform by sellers, we expect to exceed our volumes exponentially within the next year,” he said.

According to him, Sky.Garden’s growth journey has attracted the interest of a few big brands keen on tapping into the mass demographic via an online solution.

“This has resulted in a model whereby these brands are posting their inventory onto the platform for end customers to purchase through associated businesses. This passes on savings to the customers and allows for the associated businesses to purchase stocks at affordable prices – as and when they’re needed,” Maison said.

“We therefore created a business model whereby the big brands end up benefiting from the creation of numerous distribution points in the smaller businesses that use their products; without the need of breaking bulk, mobilising distribution points or having boots on the ground to

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check on stock points and merchandising functions.”

Sky.Garden offers a range of options for businesses to choose from depending on their needs. Smaller businesses and informal traders take up the freemium model where they get charged commission on revenues, while more established businesses can opt for an enterprise model that includes several bespoke services, such as the ability to connect their distribution fleets and integrate their own payment gateways at a monthly premium.

“Sky.Garden is mobile commerce technology built specifically for African businesses. From a tech perspective, we’re a Shopify/Amazon crossover, but built for African standards and structures. A position in the market that none yet has claimed,” said Maison.

“Existing e-commerce platforms and marketplaces are tailored to the middle or upper class populace who are looking for convenience and access to alternative goods and services. These are offered at high premiums which are out of reach to the bulk of the African population.”

In comparison, Maison said Sky.Garden actively targets the “marginalised masses” by offering a platform for them to trade online with zero overheads and minimal transaction fees. The startup also takes into account the low penetration rate of desktop mediums and relies on mobile technology.

The company is currently capturing as much data on merchant and customer behaviour as possible in order for us to build “smart” technology though AI and machine learning to secure and maintain a competitive edge, Maison said.

HOW THIS STARTUP PROMOTES “VISUAL LEARNING” IN TANZANIA

Launched last year, tanzDevs has developed Smart Darasa, an Android mobile platform with the ability to enhance normal books to make them interactive and bring content to life in the form of

By Tom Jackson First published by Disrupt Africa, 11 August 2017

Tanzanian startup tanzDevs is on a mission to revolutionise the country’s education sector through visual learning, which it says is the best methodology for educating young people.

video animation and 3D objects.

The startup designs and prints the books, with a student then able to scan diagrams and images using the mobile app to

access the interactive images and videos. Primary school users are the current target market, with tanzDevs making money from sales of individual books. Later, it plan to embed a subscription option into the app.

“This increases student engagement in the learning process and is a cost effective solution,” Elias Elisante, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of tanzDevs, told Disrupt Africa.

“This combination brings a quality learning experience, even in remote areas.”

He said the use of technology is a major advantage for the startup when it comes to scaling. Currently only operating in Dar es Salaam, it expects to grow into five neighbouring regions in the next six months.

“We are just entering the market and we have already tested our products in schools and received positive feedback,” Elisante said.

Self-funded thus far, tanzDevs is now looking for partners to accelerate the impact of its project.

“The uptake has been positive. This is because of the kind of technology, and the timing. It is the right product at the right time. In our country digital inclusion is a burning issue,” said Elisante.

“Our product is portable, affordable and easy to adopt.”

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ATTACQ, LAUNCHLAB LAUNCH SA SMART CITIES CHALLENGE

LaunchLab and ATTACQ are looking for entrepreneurs with solutions that address opportunities in location technologies, transportation, security, “black screen” technology, loyalty and technology to improve experiences.

The two organisations originally partnered in August of 2016 to host a workshop where budding entrepreneurs and startups could engage with ATTACQ over what types of businesses they were looking for.


JSE-listed ATTACQ and Stellenbosch University incubator LaunchLab are partnering again to launch a Smart Cities challenge, looking to engage with startups to make Waterfall City the premier location in Gauteng to live, work and play.

Six winners were chosen out of the original 86 submissions at the LaunchLab’s Ideas Pitching Platform. After going through LaunchLab’s Lift-Off programme, three startups have survived and ATTACQ is using their network and global footprint to help them expand. The companies are Vizibiliti Insight, Drive Buy and SwiftPay.

“ATTACQ was founded by property entrepreneurs looking to put their stamp on the local property market, and that spirit runs through the everyday business

of ATTACQ. In the dynamic retail environment we felt it was necessary to be part of the change, rather than just accepting change when it came to our world class shopping mall portfolio,” said Michael Clampett, head of asset management – retail at ATTACQ.

“Our initial partnership with Launch Lab has proved to be very successful and we are very excited to turn our focus in innovation toward the idea of living in a smart city.”

NEWS BRIEFS

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school of governmentNational School of GovernmentDepartment:

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

086 100 8326www.thensg.gov.za

Learn Grow Serve

THE NATIONAL SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT

The National School of Government offers courses in the following learning streams:

INDUCTIONThe core function of the Induction stream is the implementation of programmes that give effect to the induction and orientation of all public servants in line with the Public Service determinations, directives and regulations, the Constitutional requirements, the principles of Batho Pele and values and ethos of the public service. In addition, the stream looks into the preparation of unemployed young graduates for entry into the public service.

LEADERSHIPThe core function of the Leadership stream is to develop public servants into leaders who care, serve and deliver. This stream builds leadership capacity to everyone in the public service. Its approach is grounded in distributed leadership at all performer levels. Leadership development and support include training programmes on effective leadership in the public service, mentoring and coaching, workshops and seminars.

MANAGEMENTThe core function of the Management stream is to provide training that focuses on the functional skills for generic management competencies. These cover the following core areas: financial management, human resource management, project management, supply chain management, monitoring and evaluation, planning and organisation design.

ADMINISTRATIONThe core function of the Administration stream is to provide training that focuses on improving the administrative capacity of the State, for which there has been repeated calls for improvement. It focuses on Project Khaedu: a service delivery oriented intervention, promoting excellent customer service for frontline staff, diversity management, ethics management and anti-corruption, as well as mainstreaming gender and implementing the Promotion of Administration Justice Act (PAJA) for managers in the public sector.

The National School of Government plays a significant role in overseeing the professional common purpose in addressing the systemic challenges of public service delivery, through the learning and development of public officials. In doing so, the National School of Government has to integrate lessons and experiences from the past to develop and improve on current skills and empower the current generation of public servants; and determining a conduit for producing future public servants with a vastness of competitive opportunities and abilities to innovate.

Book your training today with our contact centre at [email protected]

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JOBURG, NAIROBI RANK HIGHLY FOR SUPPORT OF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS


Johannesburg and Nairobi have been named amongst the 50 best cities in the world when it comes to supporting female entrepreneurs by tech firm Dell.

Dell used the eight annual Dell Women Entrepreneur Network Summit to announce the findings of its 2017 Women Entrepreneur Cities (WE Cities) Index, revealing how 50 top global cities are fostering high-potential women entrepreneurs.

Johannesburg (28th) and Nairobi (33rd) were the only two African cities to make the list, which was topped by New York, the Bay Area, London, Boston and Stockholm.

“Globally, women’s entrepreneurship rates are growing more than 10 percent each year. In fact, women are as likely or more likely than men to start businesses in many markets. However, financial, cultural and political barriers can limit the success of these businesses,” said Karen Quintos, executive vice president and chief customer officer at Dell.

“By arming city leaders and policymakers with data-driven research and clear calls to action, we can collectively improve the landscape for high-potential women entrepreneurs, which in turn dramatically lifts a city’s economic prospects – as what is good for women is good for the

economy.”

Elizabeth Gore, entrepreneur-in- residence at Dell, said it was in the world’s best interest that women entrepreneurs everywhere thrive.

“The WE Cities Index can be used as a diagnostic tool to help ensure that lawmakers are enabling women entrepreneurs to succeed,” she said. “Each of the cities on this list can learn from one another and encourage political change to attract and support women entrepreneurs. The resulting change will be felt at not just a city level, around the

world as we develop an ecosystem where all entrepreneurs can thrive regardless of gender.”

Cities were ranked on five important characteristics: capital, technology, talent, culture and markets. These pillars were organised into two groups – operating environment and enabling environment.

The overall rating is based on 72 indicators, 45 of which have a gender-based component. Individual indicators were weighted based on four criteria: relevance, quality of underlying data, uniqueness in the index and gender component.

Globally, women’s entrepreneurship rates are growing more than 10 percent each year.

NEWS BRIEFS

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empowers, entertains, educates

www.tshwane.gov.zawww.tshwane.gov.za

Free Wi-Fi a reality for Tshwane residents

Delivering more than 2,5 TB of data every day, with peaks of close to 3 TB per day, the service enables 250 MB of data per day for every connected device as well as unlimited access to the Tobetsa content portal where information related to education, jobs, eTshwane, Wi-Fi TV and sports can be enjoyed without any data restrictions.

It is the City’s vision to connect its residents to the digital economy through Wi-Fi services. The value that residents enjoy and the establishment of a city where connectivity is available to everyone have placed the City of Tshwane on a global stage and ensures that it is poised for the long-term benefits of increased GDP, productivity and efficiencies that result from being digitally included.

Doing business in and with the City will be cheaper through the new Tshwane Wi-Fi Voice app. This is a mobile application that allows users to call each other and the City’s customer care line at no cost when connected to the Tshwane free Wi-Fi service. This app also allows affordable calls between users and the City’s customer care line over any other data connection.

Wi-Fi Chat is a web-based platform that allows the City to push messages to users and receive real-time comments and feedback from users. It also serves as a new service delivery mechanism for users to log queries and complaints to the City, thus increasing the number of ways to communicate with the City.

Wi-Fi Drive-in is a video-on-demand service enabled at specific Tshwane free W-iFi locations that allows users to watch a selection of the latest Hollywood blockbusters on their personal devices.

To find your nearest Wi-Fi hotspot or more information about the new Wi-Fi products, visit www.tshwane.gov.za.

Tshwane free W-iFi locations that allows users to watch a selection of the latest Hollywood blockbusters on their personal devices.

To find your nearest Wi-Fi hotspot or more information about the new Wi-Fi products, visit www.tshwane.gov.za.

FREE

Wi-Fi

The City of Tshwane is on a quest for ‘Wi-Fi everywhere’ through ensuring free Wi-Fi sites in 1 km grids in urban areas and 5 km grids in non-urban areas. There is currently a total of 673 free Wi-Fi sites in Tshwane, making it the largest government-funded public-space free Wi-Fi deployment in Africa.

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AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

GOLDEN WHEAT: MINE WASTE USED TO ‘GROW GOLD’ THANKS TO SA SCIENTIST’S WINNING RESEARCH

South Africa, Tshiamo Legoale is quick to point out, has an estimated 17.7-million tons of gold waste. “All this gold was mined out previously, but tiny amounts remain in the dumps,” she explains.

Just in time for Youth Month and the Youth in Science and Technology Indaba, Legoale, a geologist and researcher at metallurgical R&D organisation Mintek, late last week won top honours at the FameLab International 2017 contest – one of the largest of its kind globally. She won both the audience and the judges’ vote, which was a surprise, she says, “because all 31 contestants had wonderful research”.

Be that as it may, Legoale cruised to the finish with research that uses wheat as a gold hyper-accumulator, which essentially means wheat plants are used to harvest gold from mine dumps. In layman’s terms, the wheat is planted in the dumps, where enzymes found in the roots react with the gold and the plant absorbs it. Somewhat fortuitously, the gold is absorbed by every part of the plant except the seeds, which means the next harvest can be used for food if need be.

For those with the stomach for a little more detail: this entire process is called phytomining, or extracting minerals

using plants in an environmentally sound manner. That wheat is a hyper-accumulator means it can naturally take up gold and not be harmed – and it happens to do so in amounts larger than any other plant. Those handy little root enzymes make the gold soluble, which means it can be stored in the stems and branches, and later – when those stems and branches are incinerated – the gold can be extracted from the ash.

The research represents a win on multiple levels. First, there are the obvious potential socio-economic benefits: food production, job creation, and phytomining

By Marelise van der MerweFirst published in the Daily Maverick, 11 June 2017

Last week, a young South African scientist nabbed a top international award for her groundbreaking metallurgical research. Geologist Tshiamo Legoale, aged just 27, is probing methods to use wheat as a gold hyper-accumulator – or, as she puts it, “grow gold from wheat”

itself is more economical than other contemporary mining methods.

Then there is safety. It’s a more environmentally friendly practice than methods like heap leaching, carbon-in-leach or carbon-in-pulp. It’s also safer for miners themselves, who will not be exposed to dangerous chemicals like mercury, which has been responsible for a great deal of toxicity in mine dumps. And it’s safer for those living in the surrounds. Earlier research by Wits University underlined the need to clean up the high levels of existing mercury in South African mine dumps.

TSHIAMO LEGOALE

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“While the large mining corporations are taking the problem seriously and have implemented remedial actions, the challenge lays in the rehabilitation of old, abandoned mines and tailings dumps, as well as artisanal ‘illegal’ mining,” the university said.

The wheat-to-gold method represents a potential alternative to illegal mining, should it be rolled out successfully to multiple locations in the future.

Currently it is at the pilot stage, says Legoale, but Mintek is hoping to roll it out more broadly within the next five years. Future goals include increasing the yield from each crop – it’s currently at around 49%; the research team is aiming for 80% and experimenting with various methods to do so, one of which is increasing the bio-surface of the actual plants. They also want to take the research further, from quantitative to qualitative analysis. “We want to see the human impact,” explains Legoale. “What are the socio-economic benefits, for example, if it’s rolled out within a community? Would human beings be interested? Would they be successful? Would they be able to commit to such a project?”

The human impact is crucial, because

Legoale’s win is not only scientific. It

is also social and political. As a young, female scientist in South Africa, she represented one of three African countries to make it to the finals of FameLab, which has grown to one of the largest science communication competitions internationally.

Legoale works for the small-scale mining and beneficiation division of Mintek, and one of their mandates is to create jobs in marginalised communities using natural ores. It’s a loaded task: many of the small towns around South Africa’s mine dumps are exposed to toxic waste, pose health risks to residents, and suffer high levels of poverty, which can give rise to dangerous illegal mining. Large numbers of South Africans live near, or are affected by, the country’s mine dumps. For this reason, some of the country’s innovators have devoted their research to reducing contamination around mine dumps and attempting to put them to use.

Legoale explains that for Mintek to meet its goal of using natural ores to benefit marginalised communities, the most efficient route is to use those ores in close proximity. “Most of the ores around small towns is mine waste,” she says. “So one of the innovations we are working on is trying to extract the metals from dumps. This includes rock waste dumps and tailing dumps.” And, of course, to use safer, more economical and more environmentally friendly ways to do so.

With this in mind, Legoale says it may, in the end, be necessary to balance the needs of communities with the desire to increase yield. “Are we looking to make a fortune or are we looking to put food on the table?” she asks. “These are all things we consider when we conduct such research.”

South Africa is not the only country with the potential to benefit from phytomining. A new species of nickel-eating plant made waves when it was discovered in the Philippines, with researchers finding that it could store up to 18,000 parts per million of nickel in its leaves as part of its diet, without getting poisoned.

“Stripping mining is pretty devastating for landscapes,” Australian researcher Antony van der Ent told Fox News. “You essentially end up with land that’s not useful for many things. The soil is very nutrient-poor, so it’s very difficult to do any normal agriculture on it.” But hyper-accumulators, miraculously, are able to thrive.

In Australia, the Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation is hard at work attempting to find plants that can assist in making mining a little less toxic. Dr Peter Erskine, one of the researchers at the centre, said they had identified several new species capable of taking mining above ground rather than below it.

At Mintek, meanwhile, Legoale continues to go for gold.

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INNOVATION PRIZE FOR AFRICA RECOGNISES LAKHENI

Nokwethu Khojane and her business partner, Lauren Drake, saw a need and found a solution: their social enterprise, Lakheni, uses the buying power of whole communities to lower the price of staple food. It also provides a means for day care centres to generate income.

A poverty tax is imposed on people who live a long way from grocery stores. The added cost of travel eats into money that poor families should spend on groceries.

By Sulaiman Philip First published by Brand South Africa, 20 June 2017

A South African initiative that uses group buying power to lower food prices for needy communities, using a mobile app, has been nominated for the continental prize.

In response, Khojane and Drake founded Lakheni, a group buying club that combines orders from a community, and uses the buying power of the group to get better prices.

“At the bottom of the pyramid, distribution is very inefficient because of the small amounts that individuals buy. But there’s value when you start aggregating that demand, because the numbers are there — they’re just fragmented,” Khojane

told Fast Company magazine.

How it works

Lakheni takes bulk orders for staples such as maize, sugar and oil every month through local day care centres. Customers deposit their payments into a bank account that Lakheni uses to order in bulk from suppliers.

Orders are delivered to the day care centres, which earn a fee for processing the communities’ orders, or to spaza shops, which also benefit from Lakheni’s bulk ordering. Using the system saves customers about 30%, including the savings on transport.

When they began, Khojane, Drake and the centres they signed up took orders using a pencil and notepad. Now they have developed a mobile app that can be used to take orders and handle payments.

LAKHENI FOUNDERS Nokwethu Khojane and Lauren Drake. (Image: Lakheni)

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Innovation Prize for Africa

Nokwethu’s innovation — using a mobile app to increase the buying power of families in poorer communities — earned her a nomination for the Innovation Prize for Africa. While Lakheni has concentrated on groceries, the prize money would help it to develop the app further. The partners are looking at ways to include financial services as well.

For the past five years, the Africa Innovation Foundation (AIF) has supported African innovators through the Innovation Prize for Africa. This year, Khojane and the Lakheni app have been nominated alongside nine other African innovators.

They were whittled down from 2,530 innovators in 48 African countries. Nominees include innovators from Zimbabwe, Liberia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Kenya. The nominated innovations show that Africa can drive its own growth and prosperity.

Walter Fust, chairman of the AIF board, said: “Given the instrumental role African women play in transforming Africa, it is thrilling to see more women among the 10 nominees with game-changing innovations. By providing platforms to recognise innovation excellence in Africa and mobilising for African innovators, we continue to live up to our credo of engaging, inspiring and transforming.”

Over the five years of its existence,

the Innovation Prize for Africa has generated $22-million in investment to previous winners and nominees. Pauline Mujawarmariya, the competition director, said: “[The Innovation Prize for Africa] has been growing stronger each year and not only the number of applicants continues to increase, but the quality of applications too.”

This was “a strong indication of the creative potential that exists in Africa”.

Other shortlisted nominees

Peris Bosire, Kenya: FarmDrive

The Kenyan financial technology company developed a mobile app that collects data and provides an alternative risk assessment model for small farmers.

Omolabake Adenle, Nigeria: Voice Recognition and Speech Synthesis Software for African Languages

Adenle’s software understands and digitises spoken African languages, presenting them as a text. It allows Africans to interact more easily with hardware and call centres, using their local languages.

Nzola Swasisa, Democratic Republic of Congo: Lokole

Lokole creates a shareable local network that makes it up to 1,000 times cheaper to access emails and social media by sharing the costs.

Badr Idriss, Morocco: Atlan Space

Atlan Space software is used to manage drones that are, for now, used to monitor illegal fishing and deep sea dumping off the coast of Africa.

Aly El-Shafei, Egypt: Smart Electro-Mechanical Actuator Journal Integrated Bearing

The patented Smart Electro-Mechanical Actuator Journal Integrated Bearing, or SEMAJIB, is an oil filled bearing that allows it to change characteristics as it operates. The SEMAJIB enables one bearing to be used across multiple systems.

Dougbeh-Chris Nyan, Liberia: New Technology for Rapid Detection of Many Infections Using Only One Test

Nyan developed one simple test to detect seven different infections from one sample within 40 minutes. The diagnostic tool is simple to use and inexpensive to produce.

Olanisun Olufemi Adewole, Nigeria: Sweat TB Test

The Sweat TB Test is a non-invasive rapid diagnostic skin test to detect tuberculosis. It is simple enough to use in rural areas where the largest number of new infections occur. It tests for specific markers in saliva and produces results within 10 minutes.

Gift Gana, Zimbabwe: Dr. CADx

Designed for use in areas with poor internet connectivity and intermittent power, the Dr CADx is a software solution that helps doctors and healthcare workers read medical images more accurately.

Philippa Ngaju Makobore, Uganda: Electronically Controlled Gravity Feed Infusion Set

The Electronically Controlled Gravity Feed Infusion Set, or ECGF, is a medical device designed to accurately administer intravenous fluids and drugs by controlling the rate of fluid flow based on feedback from a drop sensor.

THE LAKHENI MODEL allows creches like Mzamo Educare to make extra money by administering group buying in their area. (Image: Lakheni)

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R1 MILLION PRIZE MONEY INJECTED INTO COMPUTER GAMING TO STIMULATE PUBLIC SECTOR INNOVATION IN SERVICE DELIVERY

Background

The Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT) of the Provincial Government of the Western Cape launched the “Serious about Games Challenge” in 2016. This initiative greatly excited the computer game development community in the province and highlighted the emergence of the serious games sector in South Africa.

DEDAT initiated the challenge involving the computer game development sector to motivate and stimulate game developers to think about the role they can play to assist the various levels of government to deliver public services better. It was also the stated objective of DEDAT to

By Nqaba Bucwa

get government departments to see the gaming sector as a source for innovation and solutions for how government works and to improve efficiency in the public sector.

The potential for the application of serious games in the public sector

Serious games are an extension of the entertainment game development industry. They however have a focus on addressing social challenges and on enabling the public sector to utilize gaming innovation to support its governance mandate.

The utility of games is proven to be applicable at local, provincial and national

government levels. Games that are currently in the commercial market are among other applications used to conduct medical research on dementia, change attitudes on gender inequality, perform therapy for amblyopia (lazy eye) condition and as teaching tools in schools.

The Serious About Games report released in 2016 by the Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi), Interactive Entertainment South Africa and the Western Cape government points to various applications for serious games. Social games are ideal for tackling social problems such as racism, abuse against women and children, xenophobia, homophobia, drug addiction and gangsterism.

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Secondly, they can play a pivotal role in supplementing education. The introduction of devices such as laptops and tablets in schools increases the scope for the exploration of game based learning, to create teaching content and to teach learners skills that are relevant to the knowledge economy. They contribute towards advancing medical therapies. Lastly serious games can contribute towards advancing research in the science and technology field.

Increased public sector adoption of technological innovation aimed at supporting a national technological innovation ecosystem will spur new ways of generating and analysing research data through the means of serious games. In this regard, the National Department of Science and Technology and the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism invested a sum of R600 million in the development of the Cape Health Technology Park. This investment was done with the hope that it will boost the growth of the serious games sector and the potential for development of therapeutic serious games in particular.

Team Vuk’uzenzele scoops R1 million In April 2017 the winner of the “Serious about Games Challenge” was announced in Cape Town at an event attended by Mr Alan Winde, the Member of the Executive Committee (MEC) of Economic Development and Tourism in Western Cape Provincial Government. The event was also attended by members of the community of computer game developers and the developmental community organizations in the province.

Team Vukúzenzele, a partnership between Renderheads, a game developing company and the non-governmental organization, Ikhayalami ,were announced as winners of the Serious about Games Challenge and was awarded a price of R1 million from MEC Alan Winde.

According to Shane Marks, Renderheads managing director, “the submission by team Vuk’uzenzele dealt with a very

relevant issue of informal housing, the lack of improvement in this area and how people can take it into their own hands to generate ideas for improving their conditions”. The game offers the concept of “re-blocking” which is the process of spatial reconstruction of informal settlements into a rationalized layout that takes into consideration the provision of essential services.

The game proposed by Vukúzenzele looks at the problem of informal housing to try to close the disconnect that arises between what government wants to do and what people want. The approach in the game is to start at a community level to find out what people want in detail. Do they want to live near a school? Do they want to be away from the train stations because of the perception that stations are high crime spots? The spatial design of residential settlements are therefore designed bottom-up.

Through play, the game Vuk’uzenzele deals with a difficult topic in a safe way because there are no real consequences to the choices in the game. If the results are not ideal a player can start again until they come up with the solutions that work. This therefore acquaints participants with the concepts of negotiation and solutions generation.

The actual game will be modeled after a real informal housing area such as in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. The hope is that users can see after a game that there are

alternatives to waiting on government and that they can generate their own ideas that they can share with government. This can give government a truer sense of people’s expectations, filtering out narrow or party political interests.

One of the primary objectives of the game is to gather data by enabling self-enumeration by participants. Players will input their own census data in the game. This information can then be used by government for purposes of planning and service delivery.

Two versions of the game will be developed with the first intended for distribution via the App Store and can be uploaded on cellular phones and tablets. The second version will be rolled out to community computer centers and municipal libraries amongst others. The goal will also be to partner with as many government entities as possible to ensure maximum reach into communities and spatial planners.

Conclusion

The relationship between technology absorption and effective governance is relevant to South Africa because the country faces significant developmental challenges. The absorption of technology and innovation by the public sector will enable government efficiency and accelerate socio-economic progress. Integrating interactive games in governance is therefore one way to foster innovation in the public sector.

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AFRICAN STARTUPS SELECTED FOR SWISS KICKSTART ACCELERATOR

More than 1,500 startups applied to be part of the second cohort of the Kickstart Accelerator, which is an initiative of digitalswitzerland and operated by Impact Hub Zurich.

A total of 30 startups have now been selected to take part in the 11-week programme later this year, across four verticals – fintech, food, smart cities and

By Tom Jackson First published by Disrupt Africa, 19 July 2017

South African fintech startup Libryo and Ghanaian agri-tech solution Farmerline are among the 30 startups from all over the world selected to take part in the Switzerland-based multi-corporate, zero-equity Kickstart Accelerator.

robotics, and intelligent systems. This came after 60 startups were shortlisted to take part in a two-day selection bootcamp in Zurich.

The selected companies, which come from 15 countries, include South Africa’s Libryo, which enables any person working in any organisation to understand their legal obligations in any situation, and Ghana’s

Farmerline, which connects small-scale farmers to information services, products and resources to improve their incomes.

“It’s great to see applications from so many countries, wanting to build, challenge and scale their businesses here in the Swiss innovation ecosystem”, said Patricia Schlenter, programme manager at the Kickstart Accelerator. “What I am particularly excited about is that 13 out of 30 startups at the Kickstart Accelerator have at least one woman as founder.”

Kickstart Accelerator offers startup-friendly benefits packages, taking no equity, providing funding and giving startups access to some of the best known corporates locally and internationally, such as AXA Winterthur, Swisscom and PwC.

Dr Christian Westermann, leader for data and analytics and a partner at PwC Switzerland, said artificial intelligence and the further development of robotics will lead to long-lasting changes in our world, at a speed never seen before.

“We are very pleased to leverage our global network to support the most promising startups and give them the opportunity to actively shape these exciting market developments,” he said.

ALLOYSIUS ATTAH AND EMMANUEL OWUSU ADDAI Farmerline founders

GARTH WATSON AND PETER FLYNN from Libryo

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INTERNATIONAL INNOVATIONS

DECENTRALISATION AS A TOOL FOR EFFECTIVE CUSTOMER-FRIENDLY SERVICE

Most modern day public services have adopted the strategy of institutional and policy reforms to cope with the ever-changing demands of their environment, customers and stakeholders. At the beginning, most organisations start very small. As demands for services increase, the need to create departments becomes pertinent. When there is a geographical spread of service demands, the need to decentralise becomes imperative.

This case study focuses on the use of decentralisation in achieving effective service delivery at the Lagos State Local Government Pensions Board. The strategy led to a reduction of fatalities among aged pensioners throughout the intake process, reduced fraud resulting from exploitation of the formerly rowdy and over-centralised verification exercise and achievement of a more accurate database for monthly pension payments.

Background information

Decentralisation in the public service has always been a subject of controversy. While proponents have stressed the positive benefits of ensuring efficient service delivery at the grassroots, opponents have argued that the level of institutional development required at this level makes decentralisation a disaster. If management capacity is lacking, the possibility of mismanagement resulting from such additional responsibilities is very high.

In their paper titled, “The Impact of Decentralisation in Service Delivery, Corruption, Fiscal Management and Growth in Developing and Emerging Market Economies: A Synthesis of

By Mr Ashimi Jamiu AdewaleLagos State, Nigeria

Empirical Evidence”, Shah, Thompson and Zou observed a myriad of outcomes resulting from the implementation of decentralisation in many developing countries. In some cases the study revealed negative impacts associated with high perceived corruption and poor service delivery.

In other cases the impact of decentralisation was inconclusive as the local officials may have had a good understanding of local needs but exhibited inadequate responses because of procedural, financing and governance constraints. There were also many empirical cases of decentralisation with positive impact that led to increased transparency, reduced corruption and successful service provision. In terms of the economic impact of decentralisation, the study also revealed a myriad of results varying from negative, inconclusive and positive.

In theory, decentralisation is expected to ensure responsiveness, accountability, efficiency and equity. However, the

absence of effective coordination, capacity to deliver services and stakeholder understanding and support could negate the positive expectations from decentralisation.

As part of Public Sector Reforms carried out in Nigeria between 1999 and 2003, the Contributory Pension Scheme (funded by the government with contributions by employees) was introduced. This new initiative existed side-by-side with the old Pay-As-You-Go Scheme (funded by the government). By its nature, government funding of the old pension scheme is expected to decrease until the last beneficiary dies.

To ensure an accurate database, an annual ‘I am Alive’ verification exercise is conducted by the Lagos State Local Government Pensions Board with over 10,000 pensioners. During the exercise, pensioners are expected to come forward with the necessary documents for screening and retention of their names on the pensioners’ database. Those outside the country and those who cannot be

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INTERNATIONAL INNOVATIONS

there because they are indisposed are expected to take photographs with recent newspapers and send proxies with relevant documents so that they can be cleared. The exercise normally takes ten working days, and until 2013 has always been in one venue. Pensioners are expected to appear before the respective committees assigned to their local government, and there are 57 local government and local council development areas.

Challenges

The Board carries out this exercise at the car park of the Old Government Secretariat at Ikeja. Canopies and chairs are provided with conveniences, light refreshments, and skeletal medical services in case of emergency. In spite of the facilities provided, casualties, in some cases fatal, are recorded annually. As well, the process is always disorderly and takes up to 48 hours for most of the pensioners to complete screening. Because of its rowdy nature, fraudulent individuals and their insider accomplices smuggle fake names onto the list of cleared pensioners resulting in erroneous payments by the Board. Lastly, the amount released by the state government for the verification exercise has been decreasing yearly. Management was thus faced with the challenges of addressing the unruliness and finding innovative ways to achieve better results in the face of dwindling resources.

The intervention

To address these challenges, a meeting was held with the pensioners’ unions where agreement was reached to decentralise the exercise to 12 of the 57 local governments. Inherent benefits such as reduction in travel distance for the pensioners and reduction in the number of pensioners expected at each venue were identified. A total of 12 screening

panels were constituted. Each panel consisted of two senior staff members of the Local Government Commission from other departments (excluding staff members of the Pensions Board), one external auditor, one internal auditor, and the internal auditor and pension desk officer of the local government where the venue was located.

Screening panel membership was expanded to include executive members of the pensioners’ unions in their catchment areas to ensure that infiltrators were easily detected, since most of them worked for 35 years before retirement. Because venues were spread throughout the state, the location of a member’s residence was taken into consideration in determining their placement on panels so that transport allowances could be reduced and accommodation allowances avoided.

To implement this change within the available budget, council managers in the selected local governments were contacted and they provided canopies, chairs, medical staff and first aid facilities and other amenities. At some venues light refreshments were also provided. These gestures made it possible to reduce costs and work within the budget approved for the exercise.

The list of pensioners was also divided into groups associated with the local government located closest to each pensioner’s place of residence. Each of the 12 lists was further divided into eight groups. Pensioners of the subdivided lists were to report on a specific date during the first eight days of the ten-day screening exercise. The last two days were reserved for special cases including those who missed the exercise in any of the eight specified dates.

In view of the expanded panel

memberships and because of change in modalities for the screening exercise, a one-day training programme was conducted for panellists and selected staff of the relevant local government to ensure a smooth verification exercise.

Outcomes

As a result of the intervention that was deployed, the exercise recorded no casualties that year. The screening time per pensioner was reduced to five minutes. The monthly pensioners’ pay was reduced from an average of N210,000,000 to N184,000,000. The travel distance to the venue was also reduced considerably to less than two kilometres. At the end of the exercise, not all the funds releasedto augment the fund provided by the state government were utilised. Finally, the Union of Pensioners wrote a letter to commend management for organising the most effective verification in the history of the exercise.

Conclusion

This case study underscores the need for a continuous review of modes of operation by government agencies so that they are in line with existing realities and achieve efficient and customer-friendly service delivery. One of the initiatives that can be deployed is decentralisation of services closer to the grassroots. This approach requires careful coordination of efforts, enlistment of stakeholder support, and building official’s capacity at the grassroots through joint implementation of service delivery with experienced state officials and training. Public servants should as much as possible review and evaluate modus operandi to accommodate changes that will improve the impact of their service delivery.

It is also important to note that in addition to internal resources, external resources could be tapped using goodwill to accomplish assigned duties. Finally, public servants should explore the use of decentralisation for effective service delivery as appropriate where the geographical spread of customers is large.

65VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

t +27 11 237 4500 f +27 11 314 9838218 Roan Crescent, Corporate Park North, Midrand, South AfricaPO Box 6973, Halfway House 1685, South Africa

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66 VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

REVIEWS

SCALING UP EXCELLENCE: GETTING TO MORE WITHOUT SETTLING FOR LESS

The two Stanford professors drew on case studies ranging from Silicon Valley companies, not-for-profit organisations to public sector institutions. At face value the book talks to excellence in growing organisations. The essence of the book, and lessons drawn from the case studies, is however about scaling innovation.

The issue of scaling innovation is a very topical one, especially in the public sector. What complicates the matter is that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach. By analysing these case studies, Sutton and Rao illustrate where a corporate, top-

Review by Pierre Schoonraad Authors: Robert I Sutton & Huggy Rao

down, cookie-cutter mindset is needed and where localisation, adaptation and variation from the original are critical. In embarking on the scaling route, whether rigid or flexible, the duo came up with seven “mantras” and distilled five key principles from the case studies.

The Seven Mantras:

• Spread a mindset, not a footprint• Engage all senses• Link short term realities to long term

dreams• Accelerate accountability• Fear the clusterfug (my favourite mantra,

talking to disastrous consequences of illusion, impatience and incompetence)

• Scaling requires addition and subtraction

• Slow down to scale faster – and better – down the road.

The Five Principles (a chapter is dedicated to each of these principles):

• Hot causes, cool solutions – starting and stoking a virtuous cycle

• Cut cognitive load but deal with necessary complexity

• (Getting) the people who propel scaling• Using social bonds to spread the right

mindset

• Bad is stronger than good

Sutton and Rao analysed a number of public sector solutions in the book. These include experiences from fighting forest fires to reorganising hospital emergency rooms. This is one of those “must read” books for those innovators who are not just interested in bringing excellence into their own environment but would want to see, support or lead broader impact.

We cover, compensate and rehabilitate road accident victims.You can come directly to us.

This is one of those “must read” books for those innovators who are not just interested in bringing excellence into their own environment but would want to see, support or lead broader impact.

67VOL. 8 ISSUE 1 2017

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