Glitches hit home affairs
There are suggestions that the machine issuing services and placement tickets to clients is being sabotaged by staff.
11 March 2020 | Ministries
The home affairs ministry head office in Windhoek has acknowledged that a queue management system (QMS) machine has not been “fully utilised” due to some administrative challenges.
It said the ministry has been in internal consultations to iron out some of these challenges, such as the reconfiguration of the system.
However, service delivery has not been fully impacted by this and clients have been, or are, served at all times, the ministry assured.
The QMS machine issues tickets for services and placements as clients enter the main service hall at the ministry. Officials on the ground said the machine has not been working, or was only in use partially, since last year. This means that the machine was used for the issuance of tickets, but there is no corresponding communication on the television screen mounted at the counter, nor any reference being made to these by the frontline administrative officers behind the counters.
Sentiments have been expressed that some staff might have wilfully “pulled the plug” to bypass its performance management component, and so dodge being monitored.
There were also suggestions that staff have “sabotaged” the machine because it might detect bribery for national documents being issued on the side.
Not so, said the ministry's spokesperson, Sakeus Kadhikwa.
“Monitoring of staff is one of the ministry's priorities, hence the ministry has strategised that all counter staff should wear name tags. Additionally, directorates engage in daily meetings with counter supervisors and report on some issues,” Kadhikwa said.
For the moment, the ministry is in consultation with service providers to streamline the system.
CATHERINE SASMAN
It said the ministry has been in internal consultations to iron out some of these challenges, such as the reconfiguration of the system.
However, service delivery has not been fully impacted by this and clients have been, or are, served at all times, the ministry assured.
The QMS machine issues tickets for services and placements as clients enter the main service hall at the ministry. Officials on the ground said the machine has not been working, or was only in use partially, since last year. This means that the machine was used for the issuance of tickets, but there is no corresponding communication on the television screen mounted at the counter, nor any reference being made to these by the frontline administrative officers behind the counters.
Sentiments have been expressed that some staff might have wilfully “pulled the plug” to bypass its performance management component, and so dodge being monitored.
There were also suggestions that staff have “sabotaged” the machine because it might detect bribery for national documents being issued on the side.
Not so, said the ministry's spokesperson, Sakeus Kadhikwa.
“Monitoring of staff is one of the ministry's priorities, hence the ministry has strategised that all counter staff should wear name tags. Additionally, directorates engage in daily meetings with counter supervisors and report on some issues,” Kadhikwa said.
For the moment, the ministry is in consultation with service providers to streamline the system.
CATHERINE SASMAN
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