NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE OF SOUTH AFRICA
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AFRIKA

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HEADS OF GOVERNMENTAL BODIES

Circular 4 of 2006

1. The State Information Technology Agency (SITA) in co-operation with the National Archives and Records Service evaluated a number of EnterpriseContent Management (ECM) Solutions to establish a new panel of products to replace the now defunct Tender 59. The panel of products is known as Tender 398: Enterprise Content Management Solutions. The purpose of the panel is to enable governmental bodies to shorten tender processes by procuring from the panel via a Request for Quotation (RFQ), which is a much shorter process than other tender processes.

2. Three classes of solutions were evaluated, namely:
   a) Class A solutions consisting of the following fully integrated modules: imaging and scanning; document management, digital asset management, web-content management and collaboration; records management and integrated document archive and retrieval; portal management; business process management; biometrics and digital signatures; search and retrieval; e-mail archiving and forms management. These solutions would be procured if a governmental body requires all-inclusive functionality.
   b) Class B solutions consisting of a core solution with the following fully integrated modules: imaging and scanning; document management, digital asset management, web content management and collaboration; records management and integrated document archive and retrieval; business process management. These solutions would be procured if a governmental body requires electronic functionality, but does not have a need for the allinclusive functionality.
   c) Class C solutions consisting of the following modules that can be implemented as standalone solutions: biometrics and digital signatures; search and retrieval; e-mail archiving; forms management; portal management; business process management. These products would be procured if a governmental body already has a core solution implemented and wishes to extend its functionality. Details about the products and vendors in the different classes are attached as Annexure A. Annexure B contains a graphical overview of how the technologies fit together.

3. It is advisable that governmental bodies which are considering automating their records keeping and records management practices, make use of the solutions on the panel. The records management functionality of these solutions has been evaluated and they meet the generic records management requirements of the National Archives and Records Service sufficiently.

4. Governmental bodies should be advised of SITA’s procurement requirements, which are the following contained in the SITA engagement model that is available on: http://www.sita.co.za/docs/contracts/RFB398EngagementModel_2.pdf .

5. Detail with regard to the products and vendors that have already signed the T398 contracts with SITA are available on the SITA website at:
   http://www.sita.co.za/docs/contracts/RFB398vendorCONTACTDETAILS.pdf .

6. Governmental bodies should be made aware that the evaluation of the products was based on a generic specification for an ECM solution. The fact that the products are on the panel does not mean that they would automatically suit a specific business requirement. Technology should be used to support and sustain service delivery and its procurement should not be a goal in itself. Governmental bodies should be advised to do a proper analysis of their regulatory environment, record keeping practices, records management requirements and business requirements to enable them to draft proper user requirement specifications against which the products could be measured in a Request for Quotation (RFQ) process. They shouldalso advised to do an investigation into their staff’s capacity to cope with an organizational culture change and to investigate the capacity of their current IT infrastructure to support such a change. If these aspects are not investigated beforehand they may procure a system that does not support their service delivery demands. Annexure C contains a graphical overview of where the technology fits into a broader records management improvement programme.

7. Governmental bodies should also be made aware of the fact they should investigate the risk involved in implementing these products. The following major risks have been identified:

• all the products on the panel have inherent security risks;

• many of the vendors are not familiar with records management or archival records management requirements;

• many of the vendors do not have a good knowledge of the functionality of products that they offer;

• none of the vendors have proven implementation experience, especially in the records management environment.

8. Governmental bodies should also be made aware that the requirements as contained in the National Archives and Records Service’s publication Managing electronic records in governmental bodies: Policy Guidelines remain valid for governmental bodies that implement technology to support their service delivery and records management practices.

9. Your co-operation in ensuring that sound records management practices are implemented is appreciated.

Dr Graham Dominy
NATIONAL ARCHIVIST

ANNEXURE A: TENDER 398 PANEL OF PRODUCTS AND SUPPLIERS

Class A products

Class B Products

Class C Products

Business Process Management

Search and Retrieval

E-mail archiving

Portal

E-Forms

1 SITA, Engagement Model and Guidelines for the use of Contract 398 Enterprise Content Management, July 2006, p. 5.
http://www.sita.co.za/docs/contracts/RFB398EngagementModel_2.pdf