analysis
The State and Information Technologies State investments into information technologies are usually considered overpriced and often accompanied by corruption scandals. But that’s only a part of the truth. There are more problems. Their requests usually lack quality specifications based on accurately described and more effective processes for data flow. The pilot phase is underestimated for testing the functionality of the project. In cases of extensive critical applications, working in real-time, tests may even reach a cost equivalent to developing new programs. Another problem is training users and communicating with them. People have a natural tendency to resist change, particularly when they know how to do something and are asked to approach it differently. Overlooking these factors leads users to involuntarily become guinea pigs.
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The citizenry is even worse off. They could accurately be called victims in cases such as the registry of drivers and vehicles, payment of social care support or the sCard. The costs per message in the ‘data box’ exceed the costs of mail delivery. The attempt to require all entrepreneurs, without any communication or training, to use ‘data boxes’, ended in a predictable fiasco. A further problem is division between departments. Witness the mutual blaming of the Ministry of Interior with the Ministry of Transportation about who caused the catastrophic state of the new vehicle register.
Tenders for critical complex orders should also take into consideration the issue of maintenance and solutions to possible problems. Smaller, fragile companies have little chance to resolve such issues. Last but not least, the final product should be handed off to qualified personnel who perfectly understand it on the part of the ordering institution. If this doesn’t happen, the ordering institution becomes victim of the contractor. To replace an unnamed firm that has critical contracts from the Ministry of Finance would be political suicide if covered in the broadcast media.
It is necessary to create a between-department group of qualified professionals focused on systems architecture,
their specifications and monitoring of solutions must be created. Politicians seldom understand a particular issue, their naive solution to data infrastructure ends with ‘faster’ internet, optical cables, or creating a ‘digital strategy’ that leads to a complete underestimation of the entire subject. They haven’t yet realized that this infrastructure supports a massive amount of data necessary for the basic function of the state. The result is tens of billions of Crowns wasted on messed-up projects. The Stone Age didn’t end by running out of stones. The ‘stone’ politicians won’t disappear on their own. They will have to be replaced. By Ivan Pilný ■ Member of the Parliament, ANO party President of Tuesday Business Network český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz
Leaders Magazine I/2014 33