Public Sector In South Africa Research Articles

Transformation of digital government services in the public sector in South Africa

Background: It is well-documented that the 21st century is providing digital technologies in an alarming rate. Their emergence promotes effectiveness, efficiency, accountability and transparency of public services and internal governance. This study was conducted within the government departments and state-owned agencies of South Africa.Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the transformation of digital government services in the public sector in South Africa.Methods: This case study used qualitative approach where data were collected through semi-structured interviews from the national government departments and state-owned entities. The target population comprised information technology officers, investigators or analysts and administrative officers. Data collected were thematically analysed preceding the transcription of audio-recordings.Results: Some of the significant results of this study showed that the executives avoid playing their role to drive Information and communications technology (ICT) through Corporate ICT Strategy.Conclusion: Some of the challenges of adopting digital transformation are associated with low digital literacy, poor digital infrastructure, unreliable power supply, among others.Contribution: This study establishes that if the senior managers from ICT section become members of the executive committee, the government can have successful implementation of ICT projects without scepticism. This study also contributes to the awareness of considering digital literacy skills to support digital transformation.

Factors Impacting Women in Senior Leadership within the Public Sector in South Africa: A Public Sector Department Case

This study sought to assess the factors impacting women in senior leadership within the public sector in South Africa, using a particular Department as a case study. The study used a qualitative approach, where data was gathered using semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. The main finding was that women in leadership have limited access to networks and mentorship opportunities, and unequal pay and compensation. These challenges were found to have various implications for women leaders as well as for the organisation and society.

Diversity of enteroviruses in cerebrospinal fluid specimens collected from hospitalised patients in the private and public sector in South Africa.

Enteroviruses cause a wide range of neurological illnesses such as encephalitis, meningitis, and acute flaccid paralysis. Two types of enteroviruses, echovirus E4 and E9, have recently been detected in South Africa and are known to be associated with meningitis and encephalitis. The objective of this study was to characterize enterovirus strains detected in cerebrospinal fluid specimens of hospitalized patients in the private and public sector to identify genotypes associated with meningitis and encephalitis. From January 2019 to June 2021 enterovirus positive nucleic acid samples were obtained from a private (n = 116) and a public sector (n = 101) laboratory. These enteroviruses were typed using a nested set of primers targeting the VP1 region of the enterovirus genome, followed by Sanger sequencing and BLASTn analysis. Forty-two percent (91/217) of the strains could be genotyped. Enterovirus B species was the major species detected in 95% (86/91) of the specimens, followed by species C in 3% (3/91) and species A in 2% (2/91) of the specimens. Echovirus E4 and E9 were the two major types identified in this study and were detected in 70% (64/91) and in 10% (9/91) of specimens, respectively. Echovirus E11 has previously been identified in sewage samples from South Africa, but this study is the first to report Echovirus E11 in cerebrospinal fluid specimens from South African patients. The genotypes identified during this study are known to be associated with encephalitis and meningitis. The predominant detection of echovirus E4 followed by E9 corresponds with other studies conducted in South Africa.

Lived experiences of South African rehabilitation practitioners during coronavirus disease 2019.

In South Africa, the sharp rise in people with severe illness because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in early 2020, meant that health systems needed to adapt services and operations, including rehabilitation services. Important insights into the lived experiences of rehabilitation personnel enacting these adaptations in an African context are limited. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of rehabilitation practitioners working in the public sector in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. A phenomenological approach and a duo-ethnographic design were used. A recruitment letter was circulated requesting volunteers. Maximum variation sampling was used to select the 12 participants of this study. Data were collected through interviews via Zoom, and critical conversations were facilitated by a non-rehabilitation partner who is known for challenging health inequities. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed through elements of qualitative content and thematic analysis. Data were coded, categorised, clustered into concepts and formulated into themes. Three themes were identified: (1) 'Management became the enemy', (2) 'Tired of being resilient' and (3) 'Think out of the box…think on our feet'. The results of this study highlighted new ways of practice, innovative adaptations, and usage of resources and platforms. This study highlights the re-imagining of accessible rehabilitation services that could lead to deeper onto-epistemological shifts amongst the rehabilitation practitioners.

A Performance Management System, Employment Relationships and Work Engagement Framework for a public sector in South Africa.

Purpose: This study sought to establish a performance management system, employment relationships and work engagement framework for the public sector in South Africa. Methodology: The study used a survey research design and a quantitative approach in which a structured questionnaire was employed to obtain information from respondents. The data were processed using SPSS. Four hundred employees who were permanently employed, who were at job levels 1–12 and had been employed for more than five years from the population of 10 660 employees took part in this study. The study utilised a non-probability, purposive sampling method. Findings: Empirical findings proved that there is a strong relationship between performance management systems, employment relationships and work engagement. Research limitations: This study was conducted within the public sector; therefore, the results may not apply to other institutions such as those in the private sector and government-private entities. Practical implications: This paper provides good insight into the relationship between performance management systems, employment relationships and work engagement and the way they impact each other. The study advocated that public sector managers are required to ensure that passion for employment relationships and work engagement is high and employee performance can be optimal. Originality/value: There is still a gap left in the literature concerning the relationship between performance management systems, employment relationships and work engagement framework for the public sector in South Africa. Therefore, this study makes a valuable contribution to the body of knowledge already available.

Levels and determinants of overprescribing of antibiotics in the public and private primary care sectors in South Africa

Although overprovision of antibiotics in primary care is a key driver of antibiotic resistance, little is known about its determinants in low-income and middle-income countries. Patient demand and financial incentives...

Stakeholder engagement: A service delivery-based strategy formulation process in the public sector of South Africa

This paper explores stakeholder engagement in the strategic management process for service delivery in government. The main objective is to determine the factors influencing insufficient stakeholder engagement of strategic management processes for service delivery by a government department. The four moments of translation concept of Actor Network Theory (ANT) was utilised as a theoretical framework to understand and explain the interplay between the initiator of the network of service delivery and other actors in the network in aligning diverse interests to achieve service delivery goals. The assumption was that the phenomenon was ontologically subjective and that it was appropriate, epistemologically, to adopt an interpretive paradigm as the leading research philosophy, using a mixed approach of qualitative and quantitative elements wherein quantitative data was used to test the reliability of the qualitative data. Using the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) as a case study, a sample of 26 participants included 11 managers of WCED and 15 Khayelitsha Education Forum (KEF) members representing the community, school governing bodies and school principals and educators of 64 schools around Khayelitsha township. The study revealed that stakeholder engagement could address non-service delivery during service delivery strategy formulation and implementation. The findings suggest that a network of aligned interests should be established for continuous engagement in implementing strategic plans and service delivery in line with the mandate of Government departments and entities. The results imply intense arrangements and relationship building between government departments and citizens are needed to improve stakeholder relationships and alignment of service delivery expectations to reduce service delivery challenges.

The Role and Impact of Forensic Investigations Unit in the Fight Against Fraud, Corruption, Irregularities, Financial Misconduct and Maladministration in the Public Sector of South Africa

This article examines the role and impact of the Forensic Investigations Unit in the fight against fraud, corruption, irregularities, financial misconduct and maladministration in the public sector of South Africa. Section 85(b) of the Public Finance Management Act, 1 of 1999 (PFMA) requires the Minister of Finance to craft regulations stipulating matters relating to the investigations of allegations of financial misconduct. The study adopted a qualitative research approach. Eight (8) participants from the Forensic Investigations Units of various state departments/ institutions were interviewed using open-ended questions. The study followed a purposive sampling guide as a participant were purposively selected. The study found that the role of the Forensic Investigations Unit in the public sector is to investigate the allegations of common law offences such as fraud, corruption, maladministration and financial irregularities. This Unit's impact is to reduce fraud and corruption incidents within the public sector and promote ethical public service through its recommendations. This study recommends amendments to the Public Service Act 1994 (PSA) and Part Three of the Public Service Regulations 2016 (PSR). The amendment is to fulfil the role of the Forensic Investigations Unit as part of a multi-anti-corruption agency in government departments/agencies. It is hoped to resolve reported allegations of fraud, corruption, irregularities and maladministration in the South African public sector quickly and effectively.

Professionalizing the Public Sector in South Africa: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects

Professionalizing the Public Sector in South Africa: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects

Gestalt Grounded My Activism: Supporting Social Change in South Africa

I grew up knowing how to live on a boundary. In 1970s' white South Africa, my grandfather counteracted apartheid government propaganda: “Don’t believe what they tell you about Mr. Mandela; he’s not a terrorist, I know, I’ve met him.” No one at school or in my social circles uttered dissent in this way. I kept quiet, observing. Political consciousness led to student activism, and activism in my career, as a facilitator of community development in African townships. I joined the nonracial liberation movement. And I carried angst about acceptance, and belonging.I encountered the Gestalt approach in the mid-1990s, as part of a group of development facilitators searching for a method to help with the dynamics accompanying donor funding of development interventions in Africa and Asia. (As a group we attended the Second International Organization and Systems Development Program in 1995–1996, offered by the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland [see Lohmeier and Wyley 2012].) We sought a framework for the participation of beneficiaries, how to facilitate people’s ownership of change, and sustainable change. Now, I work in organizational development and leadership development, mainly in the public sector in South Africa. Africa’s governments, decades after liberation, continue to fight colonial or apartheid systemic drivers and for the liberation of economies and cultures. This is the field and intention of my work.Through the Gestalt approach, I found value in my vantage point, on the boundary. I let go of wanting to belong to one side, around which I was carrying introjects and sensory discomfort. I could work constructively, releasing paternalistic responsibility and intervening without investment in the outcome. I became aware of my inner “rescuer,” how a strength in empathy and compassion could entrench oppression. A stance of creative indifference, the Zen of nonattachment, lessened my anxiety and encouraged creativity and investment in presence and intention. I could allow a client’s needs to be figural and lived the respect emanating from “change is the choice of the client.” This perspective was profound in the context of white paternalism in South Africa. The Gestalt approach guided me away from a trap, which reinforces stereotypes around race and power.Gestalt theory’s focus on the use of self and intervener presence helped me process guilt around whiteness. My younger self was suboptimized; now, I could use myself in service of clients. I could work with confidence, authenticity, intent, and with clear boundaries that gave space to the client. A typical theme in client systems was shifting responsibility/blaming. My stance of responsibility-giving supported action and performance (underdeveloped in the client system). Showing vulnerability and not-knowing discouraged stereotypical projections (e.g., around race) and invited government officials’ expertise, confidence, and agency.South Africa loves hope and optimism. We are the “rainbow nation”; we strive for unity and prosperity. Often, however, we do not know how to realize dreams, to fulfill hopes, and to take steps to get there. The Gestalt approach invites us to be in the present (honoring what is held from the past). I hold myself and my clients in the present, resisting drifting into a vague “rainbow” future. Gestalt thinking has equipped me to use the phenomena of the moment. As a result, the client’s sense of self and experience is affirmed, encouraged, supported, and the opportunity is created to access choice and agency. This is something that South Africa’s history denied many. What the Gestalt perspective offers has personal and political significance and supports change/transformation at many levels. My clients include leaders, teams, organizations, and large systems, in government, the nonprofit sector, and community organizations, as well as in socially responsible companies. Gestalt methods have grounded my activism and given me a legitimate and effective boundary at which to contribute to South Africa’s democracy.

Retention of medical officers in district health services, South Africa: a descriptive survey.

The health workforce is critical to strengthening district health services (DHS). In the public sector of South Africa, medical officers (MOs) are essential to delivering services in primary health care (PHC) and district hospitals. Family physicians, responsible for clinical governance, identified their retention as a key issue. To evaluate factors that influence retention of MOs in public sector DHS. A descriptive survey of MOs working in DHS, Western Cape, South Africa. All 125 MOs working in facilities associated with the Stellenbosch University Family Physician Research Network (SUFPREN) were included in the survey. A questionnaire measured the prevalence of key factors that might be associated with retention (staying >4 years) and included the Satisfaction of Employees in Health Care (SEHC) tool and Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS). Data were collected in Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) and analysed in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Ninety-five MOs completed the survey. The overall rating of the facility (P = 0.001), age (P = 0.004), seniority (P = 0.015), career plans (P<0.001), and intention to stay in the public sector (P<0.001) were associated with retention. More personal factors such as social support (P = 0.007), educational opportunities for children (P = 0.002), and staying with one's partner (P = 0.036) were also associated with retention. Sex, rural versus urban location, district hospital versus primary care facility, overtime, remuneration, and additional rural allowance were not associated with retention. The overall rating of the facility was important and subsequent qualitative work has explored the underlying issues. These findings can guide strategies in the Western Cape and similar settings to retain MOs in the DHS.

A retrospective study assessing the clinical outcomes and costs of acute hepatitis A in Cape Town, South Africa

BackgroundWhile some evidence has been demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of routine hepatitis A vaccination in middle-income countries, the evidence is still limited in other settings including in South Africa. Given this, the evidence base around the cost of care for hepatitis A needs to be developed towards considerations of introducing hepatitis A vaccines in the national immunisation schedule and guidelines.ObjectivesTo describe the severity, clinical outcomes, and cost of hepatitis A cases presenting to two tertiary healthcare centers in Cape Town, South Africa.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective folder review of patients presenting with hepatitis A at two tertiary level hospitals providing care for urban communities of metropolitan Cape Town, South Africa. Patients included in this folder review tested positive for hepatitis A immunoglobulin M between 1 January 2008 and 1 March 2018.ResultsIn total, 239 folders of hepatitis A paediatric patients < 15 years old and 212 folders of hepatitis A adult patients ge 15 years old were included in the study. Before presenting for tertiary level care, more than half of patients presented for an initial consultation at either a community clinic or general physician. The mean length of hospital stay was 7.45 days for adult patients and 3.11 days for paediatric patients. Three adult patients in the study population died as a result of hepatitis A infection and 29 developed complicated hepatitis A. One paediatric patient in the study population died as a result of hepatitis A infection and 27 developed complicated hepatitis A, including 4 paediatric patients diagnosed with acute liver failure. The total cost per hepatitis A hospitalisation was $1935.41 for adult patients and $563.06 for paediatric patients, with overhead costs dictated by the length of stay being the largest cost driver.ConclusionMore than 1 in every 10 hepatitis A cases (13.3%) included in this study developed complicated hepatitis A or resulted in death. Given the severity of clinical outcomes and high costs associated with hepatitis A hospitalisation, it is important to consider the introduction of hepatitis A immunisation in the public sector in South Africa to potentially avert future morbidity, mortality, and healthcare spending.

Coproduction in the management of individuals with cleft lip and palate in South Africa: the Ekhaya Lethu model.

ObjectiveCleft lip and palate (CLP), one of the most common congenital anomalies of the craniofacial complex, has a worldwide prevalence rate of 1 in 700 live births. In South Africa, a middle-income country, the CLP prevalence rate is 0.3 per 1000 live births in the public health sector. The complexity of the condition requires that individuals with CLP be treated by a multi-disciplinary team of health professionals, with the integral involvement of caregivers and families.MethodsBetween 2015 and 2018, we conducted a cross-sectional study entitled: The epidemiology and care of individuals with cleft lip and palate in South Africa, in fulfilment of a Doctor of Philosophy degree. The study setting consisted of 11 specialized academic centres (nine central hospitals and two specialized dental hospitals) that are situated in six of South Africa’s nine provinces. The study used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods and consisted of four distinct but inter-linked components. The first component consisted of a record review of CLP data over a 2-year period to determine the prevalence of CLP in the public sector of South Africa. The second component consisted of a survey of the leaders or heads of the health care teams in the 11 specialized centres to determine the current approach to CLP care provision. The third component consisted of a survey among CLP team members to measure inter-professional collaboration. The fourth component consisted of interviews with parents or caregivers on their perceptions of health service provision and support for children with CLP.We draw on the findings of this large empirical study on CLP in South Africa’s public health sector and the theory and principles of health care service coproduction to present the Ekhaya Lethu model for the management of CLP.ResultsThe conceptual design of Ekhaya Lethu derives from the findings of each of the study components. We describe the possible application of the model in the coproduction of health care to examine the roles, relationships and aims of the multidisciplinary team in CLP management. We highlight both the implications and challenges of coproduction in the care and management of CLP for multidisciplinary health teams, the caregivers and families of individuals with CLP, and for health managers and policy makers.ConclusionThe proposed Ekhaya Lethu model introduces a discourse on coproduction in the design and implementation of quality health care to individuals with CLP in South Africa and other low-and middle-income countries.

Performance management as a mediator for work engagement and employment relationships in the public sector in South Africa

Orientation: To improve service delivery to its citizens, the South African public sector should aim to improve employees’ performance by implementing effective performance management that would impact positively on work engagement and employment relationships.Research purpose: The primary objective of this study was to determine whether performance management could be a mediator for work engagement and employment relationships in the public sector in South Africa.Motivation for the study: The success of the public sector relies primarily on performance management that strengthens work engagement and employment relationships, which in turn positively influence employee performance. Managers need to understand the influence of performance management on work engagement and employment relationships.Research approach/design and method: A quantitative approach was employed. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to select 400 permanent employees with more than 5 years of experience at job levels 1–12 in eight national departments based in Gauteng. A structured questionnaire was utilised as a data collection method in this study. The questionnaire for the study was divided into four sections and consisted of 74 Likert-scale questions.Main findings: This study showed a moderate correlation between performance management and work engagement and a strong correlation between performance management and employment relationships. This study indicated that performance management was indeed a mediator between work engagement and employment relationships.Practical/managerial implications: Management should ensure that employees understand the function of performance management as a whole, display a positive attitude towards the implementation of performance management, ensure that employees’ Key Performance Indicator (KPIs) adequately reflect their areas of responsibility, motivate the use of performance management through the reward structure and finally, training and orientation on performance management should also be provided to newly appointed and existing staff members to ensure strong work engagement and good employment relationships.Contribution/value-add: Contribution of the study to knowledge and practice surrounding performance management, work engagement and employment relationships. The contribution of this study is to impress on managers and leaders the influence of performance management on work engagement and employment relationships.

A framework for management of digital records on the cloud in the public sector of South Africa

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate a framework for management of digital records on the cloud in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative case study used semi-structured interviews and document analysis to collect data from regulatory documents, records practitioners and chief information officers in the national government departments in South Africa.FindingsThis study reveals that despite the advent of cloud computing, government is still struggling with manual paper-based records challenges, as they have not developed a government-owned cloud in which to manage and dispose records.Practical implicationsTechnological advancements have brought about dramatic changes to the management and disposition of records since cloud computing emerged. The traction gained by cloud computing influences how records are managed and disposed in the cloud storage. Currently, the South African Government manages and disposes records in the government premises as stipulated by the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa Act (1996). This is enforced by the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa, which is the government records regulator because records are on paper-based, microfilms and audio-visual formats. It is hoped that the recommendations and framework proposed in this study may assist the government and related sectors in the adoption and implementation of the cloud computing system for records management and disposal. This may assist in resolving challenges such as missing files, damaged records and archives and long turnaround time for retrieval of records.Social implicationsIn South Africa, the digital records are securely stored in storage mediums such as hard drives and USBs, to mention but a few. In addition to digital obsolescence faced by the storage mediums, global access to information is hindered because information is limited to those who can visit the archival holdings. The alternative option is to manage and dispose of records in the cloud. The framework and recommendations in this study may also assist in improving information, archives and records management policies and service delivery to the community at large. The framework proposed may be applied as a theory for framing future studies in the same area of cloud computing and used as a resource to guide other future studies and policymakers.Originality/valueThis study provides a framework for management of digital records on the cloud in South Africa. It also proposes the promulgation of the Cloud Act to promote unlimited access to state heritage, regardless of time and location. This study is framed on the Digital Curation Centre Life Cycle Model.

Construction quality process implementation as a source of competitive advantage in small and medium-sized construction projects

It is generally accepted that construction quality process implementation improves construction project performance through the systematic application of quality practices. It is equally established that current quality management systems, particularly compliance management, are essential for Small and medium-enterprises (SMEs) seeking effective completion of road-building infrastructure. Despite the opportunities offered by these quality practices, there are potential pitfalls. As low-cost economies proliferate, South African construction SMEs are under increasing pressure to be more flexible and innovative. The study examines the factors affecting the quality of work produced by construction SMEs through a regulatory road building procedure, namely design, construction, and execution. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 165 SME contractors, designers, and their experience was recorded of construction quality standards and performance improvement on completed work in the public sector in South Africa. A combination of descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyse the data. The empirical findings established that five construction quality process factors affect the quality of road infrastructure projects undertaken by construction SMEs. These factors comprise construction process and design; construction quality management at the site level; the development and implementation of quality procedures and requirements; quality benchmarking issues; continuous improvement and communication. This study is of value to designers/consultants and managers in the construction SME sector as it helps to establish the factors affecting the quality of road infrastructure projects. Managers in analogous environments may also use the results of this study as a benchmark for competitive advantage. The results also provide a guideline for the successful construction quality implementation in small and medium-sized construction projects.&#x0D; Keywords: Construction quality; Continuous improvement; Design; Performance; Quality management.

Strengthening public sector records management through the Information Regulator in South Africa

The Information Regulator in South Africa is charged with the responsibility to regulate access to information. The implementation of the access to information legislation is heavily dependent on proper records management in the public sector; however, there is consensus among researchers that records are poorly managed in the public sector. The purpose of the study is to describe how records management in the public sector in South Africa can be strengthened through the Information Regulator. This qualitative study utilised document analysis and literature review for data collection. The study was limited to one mandate of the Information Regulator, which is the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA). The PAIA was analysed to contextualise the correlation between the Act and records management in the public sector. The study found that the successful implementation of specific sections of the PAIA is dependent on proper records management. While it is acknowledged that the Information Regulator is making inroads into records management space, the study recommends that extra effort needs to be made to strengthen collaboration with the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa, which is charged with a statutory regulatory role for records management in public bodies. A framework was developed to outline the role that the Information Regulator can play to strengthen records management service in the public sector.

Leadership of change in South Africa public sector turnarounds

PurposeOrganisational decline has far-reaching, negative emotional and financial consequences for staff and customers, generating academic and practitioner interest in turnaround change processes. Despite numerous studies to identify the stages during turnarounds, the findings have been inconclusive. The purpose of this paper is to address the gap by defining these stages, or episodes. The characteristics of leaders affect the outcome of organisational change towards turnarounds. This paper focusses, therefore, on the leadership requirements during specific episodes, from the initial crisis to the full recovery phases.Design/methodology/approachA total of 11 semi-structured interviews were conducted with executives from the public sector in South Africa who went through or were going through turnaround change processes and 3 with experts consulting to these organisations.FindingsContrary to current literature in organisational change, this study found that, in these turnaround situations, leadership in the form of either an individual CEO or director general was preferable to shared leadership or leadership distributed throughout the organisation. This study found four critical episodes that occurred during all the public service turnarounds explored, and established that key leadership requirements differ across these episodes. The study shows how these requirements relate to the current literature on transactional, transformational and authentic leadership.Practical implicationsThe findings on the leadership requirements ultimately inform the selection and development of leaders tasked with high-risk turnaround change processes.Originality/valueFour episodes with corresponding leadership requirements were established in the particular context of public sector turnaround change processes.

When rain clouds gather: Digital curation of South African public records in the cloud

Background: Many scholars lament of poor infrastructure for the management and preservation of digital records in the public sector in South Africa. For example, in South Africa, the national archives repository and its subsidiary provincial archives do not have infrastructure to ingest digital records into archival custody. As a result, digital records are left to the creating agencies to manage and preserve. The problem is compounded by the fact that very few public sector organisations in South Africa have procured systems to manage digital records. Objective: This study investigated whether government departments in South Africa entrust their records to cloud storage. The study asked the questions: How are digital records managed and stored in these organisations? Do government departments entrust their records to the cloud as an alternative storage? Method: Qualitative data were collected through interviews with purposively chosen chief information officers, records managers and IT managers from public entities that implemented e-government services, as well as officials from the National Archives and Services of South Africa, which is charged with the statutory regulatory role of records management in governmental bodies and the State Information Technology Agency, a public sector Information Communication Technology (ICT) company established in 1999 to consolidate and coordinate the state’s information technology resources. Results: The key findings suggest that although public servants informally and unconsciously save some records in the cloud, government departments in South Africa are sceptical to entrust their records in the cloud because of a number of reasons such as lack of trust in the cloud storage, jurisdiction, legal implications, privacy and security risks related to Minimum Information Security Standards, as well as lack of policy and legislative framework, specifically regarding cloud storage. Conclusion: Because of lack of infrastructure for management and preservation of digital records, for the purpose of increased storage and access, this study recommends that government departments should cautiously consider exploring the possibility of storing their records in a trusted digital repository cloud as an interim solution whilst observing legal obligations. As cloud storage is not very prevalent amongst government departments in South Africa, given the present challenges in managing digital records, it would be advantageous to have cloud storage tested rigorously before embarking on the exercise.

Nurses’ Attitudes Towards a Computerised Health Information System in a Private South African Hospital

Various researchers have explored the use of health information systems (HISs) in the public sector in South Africa, including users’ experiences thereof. However, there is limited research relating to the private health sector. Nurses form the majority of the health workforce and are therefore essential for capturing clinical data into an HIS. The study under review aimed to obtain a better understanding about nurses’ attitudes towards a computerised HIS. The objectives were to explore and describe nurses’ attitudes towards the HIS in a private hospital in North West, South Africa. The research followed a qualitative design using interpretive, descriptive and contextual strategies. Purposive sampling was done (n=14) and semi-structured individual interviews were conducted, while thematic analysis was done according to Creswell’s steps. It was found that the nurses held specific affective, cognitive and behavioural attitudes towards the HIS. The findings indicated how the HIS challenges the caring ethos of nursing as information technology (IT) infiltrates the caring presence between nurse and patient. The study confirmed that nurses have positive attitudes towards the HIS. It is recommended that managers include confidentiality measures as part of HIS standards and ensure adherence thereto. Further research could be done on the relation between the HIS and the ethics of nursing as a profession.