Digital move to save metro R11m
Paperless agendas and e-recruitment applications set to be rolled out in new concept
GOING paperless in the digital age is set to save the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality R11-million a year. Thick council agendas and standing in long queues to submit job application forms will soon be a thing of the past as the municipality embarks on a paperless government concept.
The municipality spends about R11-million a year on printing agendas that are circulated to councillors.
Presenting the idea to the human resources and corporate services standing committee yesterday, corporate admin and support services director Simphiwe Javu said the paperless government was part of a bigger project but would start with agendas.
“Our aim is to learn to do more with less and one of the areas targeted is reducing our use of paper,” Javu said. “This will include all consumables that are used for printing.”
He said the project had already been rolled out in the human resources and corporate services portfolio.
Councillors in all portfolio committees will receive an e-mail with the link to their agendas, which will come with hyperlinks to related articles or council resolution documents.
Human resources and corporate services executive director Vuyo Zitumane said councillors who were not computer-literate would get basic training.
“We are implementing this paperless agenda assuming that councillors have the basic knowledge of how to use a computer,” she said.
“If not, we will train them fully, but we want councillors to be open and come to us.”
Portfolio chairman Dean Biddulph said the project was a natural progression into the digital age.
“We know the cost of printing in the institution is a significant cost driver. This is money we don’t need to be spending,” he said.
Biddulph said the department had to ensure that all charging and network points in the council chamber were fully operational.
“We need to make sure that all councillors understand the process and that we roll out with the necessary education,” Biddulph said.
Training for councillors is set to start by the end of this month.
Meanwhile, human resources and corporate services official Norman Prinsloo presented to the committee the latest technology for job seekers in the form of an e-recruitment app.
For inclusivity, a computer hub is set to be opened at the Lillian Diedericks Building where residents will have access to computers and the internet.
Prinsloo said the move would help save on printing and office space to store applications.
Zitumane said the app would help the municipality process job applications within the three-month turnaround time.
“We discovered that each time there was a post only 10% of 10 000 people who have applied actually qualify, and data capturers have to go through all those applications.
“But the app will stop you at some point if you don’t qualify,” Zitumane said.