Thesis (MMil)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Managing any government institution has become increasingly complicated as the
requirements for accountability; streamlined operations and greater flexibility have multiplied.
As effective and efficient management becomes more complex and the demands of constant
change are more insistent, consequently the role of information as an organisational
resource assumes greater importance for management on all levels inside the organisation.
Management relies heavily on information to thrive. The value of information is derived from
the actions that managers take as a result of using information.
Information management consumes a large portion of any organisations finite resources and
it would be to the benefit of the South African National Defence Force to achieve goal
congruence between the information management objectives and the organisational
objectives. If information is to be viewed as a resource of comparable importance to staff
assets, and finance it must be procured and managed as purposefully as any other resource.
Information can be seen as a strategic resource for any organisation and must be managed
accordingly. The Public Service Act, Act 103 of 1994, which classifies information as a
strategic resource for the public sector, confirms this. The formal information management
strategy of the Department of Defence must therefore enable the information systems of the
South African National Defence Force to support the military and business objectives of the
Department of Defence. This strategy specifies how an organisation matches its scares
resources and capabilities with the opportunities in the environment to accomplish its
objectives.
The structure of the South African National Defence Force, before transformation, was
centralised and structured into vertical silos. The current information systems in use are
therefore functionally orientated supporting the centralised structure (vertical silos).
Transformation restructured the South African National Defence Force into a more integrated
forces concept (general support base concept), suggesting emphasis on co-operation, joint
planning and joint operations. The management of information must move away from the
islands and silos towards an integrated and shared environment that enables the integration
of information amongst the integrated forces of the organisation. This joint engagement
strategy places certain requirements on the resource information to enable it to support the
military and business strategy of the Department of Defence.
The South African National Defence Force is moving unavoidably closer to an accountability
framework based on transparency and compliance with legislation and regulations. An integral part of this framework is the requirements to provide clear and unambiguous
evidence of how and why decisions are made. If managers and commanders are going to
be more accountable, information must be available to assist them in decision-making and
control. With the introduction of the Public Finance Management Act and the Promotion of
Access to Information Act, the ability to adhere to the requirements of accountability and
responsibility has become a necessity.
Relevant and timely information for decision-making and control purposes therefore must be
provided to managers and commanders to assist them in decision-making and control. In its
present state the available architecture of the information systems of the South African
National Defence Force is inadequate to provide the required information for decision-making
and control purposes. The information management practices including the information
systems therefore must be improved to ensure adherence to the requirements of
accountability and responsibility.
This study is directed towards the improvement of the quality of information provided by the
information systems of the Department of Defence to assist commanders and managers in
decision-making and the provision of information for control purposes inside the general
support base concept of the SANDF. This improvement can only be achieved by changing
budget priorities to ensure a higher priority on information technology across the
organisation. Failure to improve the information management practices will result in the
ineffective execution of the defence strategies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die bestuur van enige regeringsinstansie raak toenemend kompleks namate die eise van
aanspreeklikheid, operasies en groter buigsaamheid meer word. Soos doeltreffende en
doelmatige bestuur meer gekompliseerd en die vereistes vir voortdurende verandering meer
veeleisend raak, word die rol van informasie as 'n organisasie hulpbron al hoe belangriker vir
bestuurders op alle vlakke binne die organisasie. Bestuurders steun sterk op informasie om
suksesvol te wees en die waarde van informasie word dan juis bepaal deur die aksies wat
bestuurders neem deur informasie te gebruik.
Informasiebestuur neem 'n groot deel van enige organisasie se beperkte hulpbronne in
beslag en dit sal voordelig wees vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag om
doelwitooreenstemming te bewerkstellig tussen informasiebestuurdoelwitte en
organisasiedoelwitte. Indien informasie gesien word as 'n hulpbron van betreklike belang vir
personeel, bates en finansies moet dit net so doelgerig as enige ander hulpbron bekom en
bestuur word. Informasie is 'n strategiese hulpbron vir enige organisasie en moet
dienooreenkomstig bestuur word. Dit word bevestig deur die Staatsdienswet, Wet 103 van
1994, waarin informasie as 'n strategiese hulpbron in die staatsdiens geklassifiseer word.
Die formele informasie bestuurstrategie van die Departement van Verdediging moet dus die
informasiestelsels van die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag in staat stel om die militêre
en besigheidstrategie van die Departement van Verdediging te ondersteun. Hierdie strategie
spesifiseer hoe 'n organisasie sy skaars hulpbronne en vermoëns verbind aan geleenthede
in sy omgewing om sy doelwitte te bereik.
Voor transformasie was die struktuur van die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag
gesentraliseerd en in vertikale silo’s gestruktureer. Die informasiestelsels huidig in gebruik is
derhalwe funksioneel georiënteer en ondersteun die sentrale struktuur (vertikale silo’s).
Danksy transformasie is die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag hergestruktureerd in 'n
meer geïntegreerde magtekonsep ("general support base concept") met die fokus op
samewerking, gesamentlike operasies en gesamentlike beplanning. Die bestuur van
informasie moet wegbeweeg van die eilande en silo’s-benadering na 'n meer geïntegreerde
en gedeelde omgewing wat die integrasie van informasie tussen die geïntegreerde magte
van die organisasie moontlik maak. Hierdie gesamentlike strategie stel sekere vereistes aan
die hulpbroninformasie om die ondersteuning van die militêre en besigheidstrategie van die
Departement van Verdediging moontlik te maak. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag beweeg onvermydelik nader aan ‘n
aanspreeklikheidsraamwerk wat gebaseer is op deursigtigheid en die nakoming van
wetgewing en regulasies. ‘n Integrale deel van hierdie raamwerk is die vereiste om duidelike
en betroubare bewyse oor besluitneming te verskaf. Indien bestuurders en bevelvoerders
meer aanspreeklik gehou gaan word, moet informasie beskikbaar wees om hulle by te staan
in besluitneming en beheer. Met die implementering van die Wet op die Bestuur van
Openbare Finansies ("The Public Finance Management Act") en die Wet op
Openbaarmaking van Informasie ("Promotion of Access to Information Act") het die vermoë
van organisasies om te voldoen aan die vereistes van aanspreeklikheid en
verantwoordelikheid ‘n noodsaaklikheid geword.
Relevante en tydige informasie vir besluitneming en beheer moet dus voorsien word aan
bestuurders en bevelvoerders om hulle by te staan in besluitneming en beheer. Die huidige
stand van argitektuur van die informasiestelsels van die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag
is onvoldoende om die vereiste informasie vir besluitneming en beheer te verskaf. Die
praktyke vir die bestuur van informasie moet dus verbeter word om uitvoering te gee aan die
vereistes van aanspreekilikheid en verantwoordelikheid.
Hierdie studie is gerig op die verbetering van die gehalte van informasie wat verskaf word
deur die informasiestelsels van die Departement van Verdediging om bevelvoerders en
bestuurders by te staan in besluitneming, asook die verskaffing van informasie vir beheer
doeleindes binne die "general support base"-konsep van die SANW. Hierdie verbetering kan
slegs bereik word deur begrotingsprioriteite te verander om te verseker dat ‘n hoër
begrotingsprioriteit op informasietegnologie geplaas word reg deur die organisasie. Die
onvermoë om die informasiebestuurspraktyke te verbeter sal die bereiking van die
verdedigingstrategieë nadelig beïnvloed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/16475 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Bester, Christoffel |
| Contributors | La Grange, J. F., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Military Sciences. School for Defence Organisation and Resource Management. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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