Pretoria - Technology and data have helped government to improve the efficiency of delivering massive infrastructure projects such as the building of schools and hospitals.
“We are sharp-bending the infrastructure delivery pipeline. We have made remarkable progress in leveraging, harnessing and applying smart technologies and systems, with business intelligence capabilities to deliver and drive infrastructure development,” Gauteng MEC for Infrastructure Development Jacob Mamabolo said.
Speaking on Monday at the 1st United Nations Data Forum in Cape Town, MEC Mamabolo said South Africa’s development blueprint, the National Development Plan, identified infrastructure as the key driver of economic growth, job creation and the primary tool to change the spatial landscape inherited from apartheid.
This was characterised by racially-skewed development patterns and the neglect of black residential areas.
According to Statistician General Dr Pali Lehohla, the Lutsinga Infrastructure House uses technology to track spending and project milestones to ensure that public infrastructure is delivered on time, at the correct quality and within budget.
“It is a room integrating five of our core data management systems generating critical business intelligence that allows for a data-centric, insight-driven proactive approach to project management.
“Centralised dashboards display critical data aggregated from all our operations and has automated our infrastructure delivery core process in the province,” MEC Mamabolo said.
The project nerve centre houses systems that have the Immovable Asset Register including properties and land parcels that are critical for all build and construction projects.
It also has a Construction and Built Project Management Dashboard, the Expanded Public Works Programme Dashboard, the E-maintenance Dashboard as well as an Infrastructure Monitor that measures and reports on the socio-economic impact of the department’s work.
“We needed to ensure that our managers change their reporting habits and that they are accountable. We needed to bring transparency and visibility to the management environment and build our capacity to fight and root out corruption,” MEC Mamabolo said. – SAnews.gov.za
