Foreign Software Houses of Babel..in kenya.
I am watching news in awe where they are reporting that Kenya Ports Authority has deployed a Korean piece of software (Kwatos) to ease turn-around at the Port but now its not working well with the Kenya Revenue Authority software from Chile (Simba). Ofcourse both cost billions. As the spanish-speaking chileans 'haga el informe con los otros extranjeros' with the Koreans to '소프트웨어를 저희를 위해 일한' , sisi wakenya tunangoja kusaidiwa. Mwafrika anajimaliza mwenyewe...as Baba Gideon would say. < http://uk.babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_txt> The result according to one Mureithi of Kenya Shipping Associations is that port has now become a 'store' rather than a 'door' taking ages (14 days instead of 3 days) to clear goods because of the software conflict. Here be dragons...is this a kictanet sized problem...or do we just watch and comment later in another study on this discussion forum???? Time for an ICT Commission of Inquiry ??? Bill Kagai
Actually Bill I think that this is just a clear and perfect example (or expression) of the dire need for standards in Govt implementation of ICT projects as well as coordination across departments. Since both of us are techies - we know that integration between system no matter the origin or the language/database/message formats is simply a matter of a deliberate integration process. Clearly that is missing in this picture - and rather than deal with the real problem, the actors have resorted to finger pointing/blame game and all the other forms of unhelpful and time-wasting bureacracy that plague large institutions like governments (as well as many corporates). I can assure that if there was commitment to process and deliverables from the top down to the bottom, these issues could have/ would have been sorted ages ago. Our "Waafrika" problem is that when faced with challenges we'd rather tear each other down than face the problems head on and (together) tear them down. Brian On Aug 25, 2008, at 10:04 PM, Bill Kagai wrote:
I am watching news in awe where they are reporting that Kenya Ports Authority has deployed a Korean piece of software (Kwatos) to ease turn-around at the Port but now its not working well with the Kenya Revenue Authority software from Chile (Simba). Ofcourse both cost billions.
As the spanish-speaking chileans 'haga el informe con los otros extranjeros' with the Koreans to '소프트웨어를 저희를 위 해 일한' , sisi wakenya tunangoja kusaidiwa. Mwafrika anajimaliza mwenyewe...as Baba Gideon would say. <http://uk.babelfish.yahoo.com/ translate_txt>
The result according to one Mureithi of Kenya Shipping Associations is that port has now become a 'store' rather than a 'door' taking ages (14 days instead of 3 days) to clear goods because of the software conflict. Here be dragons...is this a kictanet sized problem...or do we just watch and comment later in another study on this discussion forum????
Time for an ICT Commission of Inquiry ???
Bill Kagai _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
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Bwana Ndemo, I have not been a fan of committees and inquiries but I hope its appropriate to suggest that you set up one under your ministry to investigate, recommend and enlighten us (read) those in the software industry. Kenyans can script the missing code to link the two databases. I mean...the software...it must be just two databases requiring relational code. But I can't say that with finality. Bill Kagai On Mon, Aug 25, 2008 at 10:21 PM, Brian Munyao Longwe <brian@caret.net>wrote:
Actually Bill I think that this is just a clear and perfect example (or expression) of the dire need for standards in Govt implementation of ICT projects as well as coordination across departments. Since both of us are techies - we know that integration between system no matter the origin or the language/database/message formats is simply a matter of a deliberate integration process. Clearly that is missing in this picture - and rather than deal with the real problem, the actors have resorted to finger pointing/blame game and all the other forms of unhelpful and time-wasting bureacracy that plague large institutions like governments (as well as many corporates). I can assure that if there was commitment to process and deliverables from the top down to the bottom, these issues could have/would have been sorted ages ago.
Our "Waafrika" problem is that when faced with challenges we'd rather tear each other down than face the problems head on and (together) tear them down.
Brian
On Aug 25, 2008, at 10:04 PM, Bill Kagai wrote:
I am watching news in awe where they are reporting that Kenya Ports Authority has deployed a Korean piece of software (Kwatos) to ease turn-around at the Port but now its not working well with the Kenya Revenue Authority software from Chile (Simba). Ofcourse both cost billions.
As the spanish-speaking chileans 'haga el informe con los otros extranjeros' with the Koreans to '소프트웨어를 저희를 위해 일한' , sisi wakenya tunangoja kusaidiwa. Mwafrika anajimaliza mwenyewe...as Baba Gideon would say. < http://uk.babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_txt>
The result according to one Mureithi of Kenya Shipping Associations is that port has now become a 'store' rather than a 'door' taking ages (14 days instead of 3 days) to clear goods because of the software conflict. Here be dragons...is this a kictanet sized problem...or do we just watch and comment later in another study on this discussion forum????
Time for an ICT Commission of Inquiry ???
Bill Kagai
In addition to these, the idea should not just be trying to help with the integration. Integration and compatibility issues ought to have been dealt with long before an informed decision to procure the product was made. Why should they be identifying problems after procuring – didn’t they have sufficient time to evaluate/test? Were they not happy enough that they were obtaining the product that best fitted their requirements? I can understand the predicament the suppliers might be caught in. I do not expect a supplier to spend their time making their system work with another, a job which may not have been costed initially. True, we need to understand the real issues. I am almost certain that procedures were not followed. There are some very competent IT guys in KPA, and most likely they never had the chance. So to the PS (and KPA), help is knocking.... not just to integrate the systems at KPA but to establish (if they don’t exist) or reinforce mechanisms for successful government project implementations. From: kictanet-bounces+skisonzo=gmail.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+skisonzo=gmail.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Brian Munyao Longwe Sent: 25 August 2008 22:21 To: skisonzo@gmail.com Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Foreign Software Houses of Babel..in kenya. Actually Bill I think that this is just a clear and perfect example (or expression) of the dire need for standards in Govt implementation of ICT projects as well as coordination across departments. Since both of us are techies - we know that integration between system no matter the origin or the language/database/message formats is simply a matter of a deliberate integration process. Clearly that is missing in this picture - and rather than deal with the real problem, the actors have resorted to finger pointing/blame game and all the other forms of unhelpful and time-wasting bureacracy that plague large institutions like governments (as well as many corporates). I can assure that if there was commitment to process and deliverables from the top down to the bottom, these issues could have/would have been sorted ages ago. Our "Waafrika" problem is that when faced with challenges we'd rather tear each other down than face the problems head on and (together) tear them down. Brian On Aug 25, 2008, at 10:04 PM, Bill Kagai wrote: I am watching news in awe where they are reporting that Kenya Ports Authority has deployed a Korean piece of software (Kwatos) to ease turn-around at the Port but now its not working well with the Kenya Revenue Authority software from Chile (Simba). Ofcourse both cost billions. As the spanish-speaking chileans 'haga el informe con los otros extranjeros' with the Koreans to '소프트웨어를 저희를 위해 일한' , sisi wakenya tunangoja kusaidiwa. Mwafrika anajimaliza mwenyewe...as Baba Gideon would say. <http://uk.babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_txt> The result according to one Mureithi of Kenya Shipping Associations is that port has now become a 'store' rather than a 'door' taking ages (14 days instead of 3 days) to clear goods because of the software conflict. Here be dragons...is this a kictanet sized problem...or do we just watch and comment later in another study on this discussion forum???? Time for an ICT Commission of Inquiry ??? Bill Kagai _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: brian@caret.net Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/brian%40caret.net
This is where i would agree with Dr Siganga that we are in dire need of an Authority that can be taken to task when such Systems fail so that Proper due diligence can be conducted before engaging in projects of this magnitude, we have a habit of doing things Hapharzadly just because they are being financed by tax payers, systems have never had problems it is always the human component that messes things up. A commission of enquiry might not help we have had so many reports and they are gathering dust somewhere, we need an Institutional mechanism to take care of such issues in the longterm. One other thing, dont we have the capacity to develop such applications locally? am perplexed at how 70% of our economy is driven by the Informal Sector yet we are so quick to give billions to foreign investors for what we can do here. THAT IS INTELLECTUAL THUGGERY! and it has to be stopped. Sorry Mr Moderator for using foul language but i dont know how best to put it. Thank you On Tue, Aug 26, 2008 at 8:39 AM, Sylvester Kisonzo <skisonzo@securenet.co.ke
wrote:
In addition to these, the idea should not just be trying to help with the integration. Integration and compatibility issues ought to have been dealt with long before an informed decision to procure the product was made. Why should they be identifying problems after procuring – didn't they have sufficient time to evaluate/test? Were they not happy enough that they were obtaining the product that best fitted their requirements?
I can understand the predicament the suppliers might be caught in. I do not expect a supplier to spend their time making their system work with another, a job which may not have been costed initially.
True, we need to understand the real issues. I am almost certain that procedures were not followed. There are some very competent IT guys in KPA, and most likely they never had the chance.
So to the PS (and KPA), help is knocking.... not just to integrate the systems at KPA but to establish (if they don't exist) or reinforce mechanisms for successful government project implementations.
*From:* kictanet-bounces+skisonzo=gmail.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto: kictanet-bounces+skisonzo <kictanet-bounces%2Bskisonzo>=gmail.com@ lists.kictanet.or.ke] *On Behalf Of *Brian Munyao Longwe *Sent:* 25 August 2008 22:21 *To:* skisonzo@gmail.com *Cc:* KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions *Subject:* Re: [kictanet] Foreign Software Houses of Babel..in kenya.
Actually Bill I think that this is just a clear and perfect example (or expression) of the dire need for standards in Govt implementation of ICT projects as well as coordination across departments.
Since both of us are techies - we know that integration between system no matter the origin or the language/database/message formats is simply a matter of a deliberate integration process. Clearly that is missing in this picture - and rather than deal with the real problem, the actors have resorted to finger pointing/blame game and all the other forms of unhelpful and time-wasting bureacracy that plague large institutions like governments (as well as many corporates). I can assure that if there was commitment to process and deliverables from the top down to the bottom, these issues could have/would have been sorted ages ago.
Our "Waafrika" problem is that when faced with challenges we'd rather tear each other down than face the problems head on and (together) tear them down.
Brian
On Aug 25, 2008, at 10:04 PM, Bill Kagai wrote:
I am watching news in awe where they are reporting that Kenya Ports Authority has deployed a Korean piece of software (Kwatos) to ease turn-around at the Port but now its not working well with the Kenya Revenue Authority software from Chile (Simba). Ofcourse both cost billions.
As the spanish-speaking chileans 'haga el informe con los otros extranjeros' with the Koreans to '소프트웨어를 저희를 위해 일한' , sisi wakenya tunangoja kusaidiwa. Mwafrika anajimaliza mwenyewe...as Baba Gideon would say. <http://uk.babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_txt>
The result according to one Mureithi of Kenya Shipping Associations is that port has now become a 'store' rather than a 'door' taking ages (14 days instead of 3 days) to clear goods because of the software conflict. Here be dragons...is this a kictanet sized problem...or do we just watch and comment later in another study on this discussion forum????
Time for an ICT Commission of Inquiry ???
Bill Kagai
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participants (4)
-
Barrack Otieno -
Bill Kagai -
Brian Munyao Longwe -
Sylvester Kisonzo