CICT head backs appointment of government CIO for implementation of e-governance

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) is supporting the appointment of a chief information officer (CIO) for the government to oversee the implementation of e-governance in the country.

Newly appointed CICT chairman Ivan Uy told The STAR that the government CIO can also help oversee the implementation by the different local government units (LGUs) of information and communications technology (ICT).

The Office of Chief Information Officer (OCIO) has been described as government’s chief technology strategist, promoting and guiding the management of government information as a strategic business asset. The government CIO would be responsible for coordinating IT policies and setting standards in the public sector.

Uy also said the Aquino administration has identified information technology as a key to achieving good governance. However, he would not say if the President supports the creation of a Department of ICT.

During a breakfast forum with some of the country’s leading information technology (IT) and telecommunications companies, Uy said the implementation of e-governance among local bureaucrats requires a lot of paradigm shift.

Representatives from different IT companies have agreed to form a committee that will prepare policy recommendations in the area of interoperability of IT systems within the national and local governments, as well as in the area of reviewing government procurement rules. Both are aimed at reducing corruption in government. Among those to be represented in the committee are Microsoft Philippines, Oracle and Hewlett-Packard Philippines.

During the forum, it was observed that at present, there are no reference as far as IT standards are concerned among LGUs, preventing interoperability of systems. Without interoperability, data cannot be shared nor used efficiently, representatives from various IT companies said.

They noted that either the donor agencies determine the standards or that whoever gives the best offer to the LGUs dictate the standards, without regard to interoperability of systems.

Former CICT head Virgilio Pena, also a former president of IBM Philippines, noted that the private sector should take over e-governance, in particular government processes. “What is ideal is for government processes to be outsourced but all examples we have are steeped in controversy – the recent elections, the Land Transportation Office, Land Registration Authority, and the Department of Foreign Affairs. We have to clean up our BOT (build-operate-transfer) and government procurement laws,” he said.

European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ECCP) president Henry Schumacher emphasized that “it takes two to tango.”

“We must remove the interference of people in the process,” he added.

Meanwhile, a representative from Oracle pointed out that there must be a standard process introduced for LGUs.

Among those who attended the forum are representatives from IBM, Microsoft, HP, PLDT, Globe Telecom and People Inc.

A representative of HP, meanwhile, urged a recrafting of the government procurement act, adding that those who were behind it are non-IT people.

For his part, Uy noted that nobody guided the LGUs in the preparation of the terms of reference for their software development. “What happens is that when there is a new LGU head, the LGU has to start all over again and the guys that installed the software take everything with them. There is always this issue of sustainability with a new head,” he said.

He, however, pointed out that before the matter of interoperability of systems can be tackled, there is a need to take a look not only at the technology, but also the non-disclosure agreements and ownership of data. “Otherwise, they might not be allowed to share the data with other LGUs, or even the National Government,” he said.