MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 1989
GOVT TAKES PRAGMATIC APPROACH IN COMPUTERISATION
IMPLEMENTING
THE GOVERNMENT WILL ADOPT A PRAGMATIC STRATEGY IN ITS COMPUTERISATION PROGRAMME, THE GOVERNMENT DATA PROCESSING MANAGER, DR COLIN GREENFIELD, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
THE STRATEGY WAS DECIDED BY THE PUBLIC SERVICES POLICY GROUP OF THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S COMMITTEE AFTER CONSIDERING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF A CONSULTANCY REVIEW ON ALL ASPECTS OF THE GOVERNMENT'S APPROACH TO COMPUTERISATION.
DR GREENFIELD WAS REFERRING TO SOME MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ORGANISATION AND PROCEDURES FOR COMPUTERISATION IN THE GOVERNMENT THIS YEAR, DURING A MEET-THE-MEDIA SESSION.
OUTLINING THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF THE STRATEGY, DR GREENFIELD SAID INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STRATEGIC PLANNING WOULD BE INTRODUCED IN ALL DEPARTMENTS TO REPLACE THE TRADITIONAL PROJECT-BY-PROJECT APPROACH.
"THE GOVERNMENT DATA PROCESSING AGENCY (GDPA) WILL HELP DEPARTMENTS TO PRODUCE SUCH PLANS EVERY FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, HE SAID.
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IN CONNECTION WITH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING, DR GREENFIELD SAID AN INFRASTRUCTURAL APPROACH, INSTEAD OF THE TRADITIONAL OPEN TENDER, WOULD BE ADOPTED TO PROCURE HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE FOR THE GOVERNMENT.
"ONE CONSEQUENCE OF PROCUREMENT BY OPEN TENDER IS THAT GOVERNMENT HAS ALMOST EVERY MAKE OF COMPUTER UNDER THE SUN. THE INFRASTRUCTURAL APPROACH REQUIRES STANDARDS TO BE SET FOR HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE SO AS TO PROMOTE COMPETITIVE PURCHASES, CONNECTIVITY AND COMPATIBILITY OF SYSTEMS," HE EXPLAINED.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, DR GREENFIELD SAID, WOULD BE ADOPTED WHENEVER AVAILABLE, AND, IF NOT, DE FACTO INDUSTRY STANDARDS SHOULD BE APPLIED.
RESTRICTED TENDERING WOULD THEN BECOME THE NORM RATHER THAN OPEN TENDERING AND THE RESTRICTIONS WOULD CONFORM WITH THE REQUIRED STANDARDS, HE SAID.
ON PROCUREMENT, DR GREENFIELD SAID THE GDPA SHOULD HAVE AN OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY AND A UNIT WOULD BE ESTABLISHED FOR THIS PURPOSE.
AT PRESENT, RESPONSIBILITY IS SHARED AMONG FIVE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS WHILE THE ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY LIES WITH THE GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT.
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"THE GDPA SHOULD ALSO DEVISE A SYSTEM SO THAT IT CAN CHARGE OTHER DEPARTMENTS FOR THE SERVICES IT PROVIDES, DR GREENFIELD CONTINUED.
"IT SHOULD SEEK ΤΟ OPERATE INCREASINGLY LIKE A COMMERCIAL ORGANISATION."
/AS REGARDS