The draft Digital Government Policy Framework (DGPF) provides principles to guide the digital transformation of public services in South Africa. It aims to leverage digital tools to enhance service delivery, improve government efficiency, and centre governance on citizen needs. The DGPF promotes a ‘digital-first’ mindset across government departments, fosters collaboration, and aligns digital initiatives with the government’s strategic objectives. Every public body in South Africa (and private bodies servicing the public sector) should read it and consider the opportunities and impact it will have.
The Digital Government Policy Framework aims to transform the public sector in South Africa digitally.
Decoding the Digital Government Policy Framework (DGPF)
The DGPF draft breaks down the digital transformation approach for the public service by the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) by explaining the background of the policy framework and the problem it should tackle. Furthermore, it gives an overview of the status quo of respective legislation, adding the policy framework’s purpose and objective. Other national legislations (e.g. Estonia and Spain) and existing best practices by the OECD are also mentioned.
The DPSA published the draft DGPF in May 2024
Digital transformation affects numerous economic and social sectors, creating challenges for balancing public policy objectives. During COVID-19, digital tools became essential to maintaining basic services, especially health, education, and security. The National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 highlights the need for a capable government with sound policies, skilled management, and accountability, and calls for addressing policy instability within the digital context. Therefore, the DGPF aims to update outdated policies to handle the rapid advancements in digital technology better.
The DGPF sets out the following key elements to transform the government digitally.
- Improvement of service delivery
- Open government and citizen engagement
- Leadership and coordination
- Institutional or department Governance
- Data governance
- Institutional arrangement
- Legislation and policy
- Procurement
- Funding
- Digital skills development
- Identity Management
- Modernise digital technologies
Impact of the Digital Government Policy Framework
According to the DPSA, the policy framework should serve as a roadmap for the digital transformation of the public service and contribute to establishing a competent and ethical public sector in South Africa. However, the opportunity was missed to implement a separate entity that drives digital transformation in public service, but instead allocated it to a department (DPSA). Furthermore, for remarkable digital transformation, an appropriate budget should also be provided. Nevertheless, the DGPF will set further standards for digital transformation not only in the public sector but also in private industries.
