Strategic Objective:
Programme 1 detailed on here
Performance – Integration of E-system with identified State-Owned Companies and Government Departments.
Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) continues to be employed as a catalytic enabler of conducting business in a more efficient manner by the National Lotteries Commission. The implementation of an integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform in 2015, continues to yield favourable results in enhancing the operational capacity of the entire organisation.
The ERP platform is characterised by five core modules that collectively lay the foundation to enable the organisation to conduct a variety of transactions. The modules are:
| i. | Finance Management |
| ii. | Grant Fund Management |
| iii. | Human Capital Management |
| iv. | Payroll Management |
| v. | Supply Chain Management |
All these core modules represent ICT’s response vectors to the organisation’s business needs. The ERP platform extends to all the nine National Lotteries Commission offices across the country by means of a modern MPLS data network. This network enables seamless transmission of multiple data technology-based services such as email, internet, telephony and video conferencing applications.
Attaining operational excellence enabled by ICT technologies remains a long-term objective of the ICT department. During the year of review, gradually progress toward achieving the objective has been made. Central to this process has been the ICT division’s adoption of the King IV principles on ICT governance as depicted below:
Integral to the ICT Governing Body is the appreciation that the ICT division must continue to exercise its managerial competencies in the following areas of the organisations:
Accordingly, the role of ICT in Regulatory Compliance remains inherently a vital necessity considering that globally, virtually all lottery operators are reliant on modern, complex and largely automated ICT platform to secure revenue that still needs to be translated into sustainable profits. Policy formulation and legislated regulations going forward may have to consider the role of ICTs as policy inputs.
In terms of the ICT Governance arrangements, the governing structure of ICT at the NLC is informed by the ICT strategy, ICT polices as well as ICT Standard Operating Procedures. This includes an ICT Steering Committee.
The ICT Chief Information Officer (CIO) is a member of Exco and participates in the Board Audit and Risk subcommittee.
During the year of review, the ICT objectives effectively remained the same as articulated in the ICT strategy. Accordingly, policy changes were minimal. The core objectives of the ICT strategy are as follows:
The ICT governance framework serves as a guideline in realising the upkeep and optimal operation of the ICT environment in terms of the solutions implemented. ICT continues to put in place the relevant SLAs, MOUs and SOPs. Indeed, in line with established best-practice ICT governance frameworks, ICT employs frameworks such COBIT V and King IV.
In the short- to medium-term, ICT plans to increase focus in the following key areas:
Key Areas of focus during the reporting period included development of the ERP system, training and roll-out thereof, which was underpinned by business process mapping. In view of the cyber environment and associated risks, the division rolled out Cyber security initiatives, which included updated security software licences and delivery of awareness programme. The Division realised savings through setting up of the Disaster Recovery Site at one of the Commission’s facilities and roll-out of the Video Conferencing facility. The Division invested in a GIS Mobile application which supports an automated tool used for Monitoring and Evaluation activities, regulation of the National Lottery and information resource for the Grant Funding division and adjudicators. The Division provided ICT technical expertise in the monitoring of the National Lottery Operator’s activities.
All ICT policies were reviewed and aligned to best practice and legislative developments.
The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) is more likely to unlock the National Lotteries Commission’s untapped potential in the realm of the local grant funding landscape. The ICT division embraces the opportunity the 4IR will provide in the next 12 months. Blockchain technology will simultaneously present opportunities and challenges in the ICT domain of the organisation. Collaboration with other organisations in the sphere of government entities will be a decisive factor in the NLC ensuring relevance in the next 15 years.
