iDEP, A DIGITAL PLATFORM FOR INFRASTRUCTURE TURNAROUND

STAKEHOLDERS TO REPORT ON iDEP

In a significant move to fast-track infrastructure delivery in Gauteng, the Department of Infrastructure Development (DID) is moving ahead with plans to enrol all the critical stakeholders on the newly designed Infrastructure Delivery Platform (iDEP). Critical stakeholders undergoing training are Contractors, Professional Service Providers (PSPs) as well as client departments.

The training modules ensure that all the stakeholders are fully equipped with the necessary skills to report as well as to operate the system effectively. ?All the DID Internal Project Managers (IPMs), Chief Project Managers (CPMs) have already undergone training and are currently utilizing the platform to manage construction projects.

Announcing the initiative, MEC Jacob Mamabolo said: “the training of PSPs, Contractors and client departments is a significant move which will result in the iDEP platform becoming a construction data-rich ecosystem able to generate real-time information about the DID construction project portfolio across the province.”

“Infrastructure projects deliver high volumes of data and efficiency and effectiveness of the iDEP platform is highly reliant on the quality of the construction data generated by all critical stakeholders such as DID Project Managers, Chief Project Managers, PSPs, Contractors and client departments” added MEC Mamabolo.

HOD Masabata Mutlaneng announced that once all stakeholders are onboarded all the construction data generated at various sites will be harnessed and managed through the iDEP platform. “Data storage and management is critical in decision making, future referencing as well as improving our audit outcomes. When the construction data is seamless and validated by all our infrastructure delivery partners, senior management will be empowered to track progress on all projects, ensure adherence to Project Readiness Matrix (PRM) and governance, monitor Portfolio of Evidence (PoE), manage risks across all the IDMS stage gates and take quick data-driven decisions to unlock challenges in all the construction sites,” said HOD Mutlaneng.

The iDEP platform is the first-ever in-house construction technology platform designed and implemented by the provincial government in partnership with e-Gov as well as Council for Science, Innovation and Research (CSIR). The platform is disrupting the status-quo in both the public and private sector by presenting novel, innovative and superior digital solutions to transform infrastructure delivery in the country. The platform is also positioning DID as a pioneer in the infra-tech digital space.

MEC Mamabolo announced that the department is implementing the iDEP digital solution as a major organisational turnaround initiative to transform the infrastructure project delivery process. “Overtime, the Department has been failing to meet expectations from client departments and communities and the turnaround initiative will enable us to deliver high quality infrastructure within time and cost,” commented MEC Mamabolo.

“Our old infrastructure delivery process was inconsistent and fragmented. We are now creating a single approach or one point of reference for the department and our delivery partners on how to deliver infrastructure. Through the automated Project Readiness Matrix (PRM) we will be able to introduce discipline, consistency, transparency and sustainability in our delivery process” added MEC Mamabolo.

HOD Mutlaneng also announced that all the DID service delivery partners are required to upload project-related evidence, including images, via the POE mobile application. “These updates must be submitted on a weekly basis in alignment with the performance progress of their respective projects. Moving forward, the Department will not accept reports in any other format, and all project reporting must be conducted exclusively through the iDEP platform,” said HOD Mutlaneng.

HOD Mutlaneng also stressed that that failure to comply with this directive may have serious contractual implications. “As per the Service Level Agreements (SLA) and contracts signed by service providers, non-compliance with reporting standards will result in payments being withheld. Persistent failure to adhere to the Department’s reporting requirements may ultimately be deemed as a breach of contract, leading to further action. An addendum reinforcing this requirement will be issued to PSPs and contractors to ensure adherence to the iDEP platform,” added HOD Mutlaneng.

DID Infrastructure Stakeholders to Report on iDEP Platform for Delivery of Cost Effective, High Quality and Timely Delivery of Infrastructure

To ensure full compliance and alignment, all project contractors and PSPs are required by the Head of Department, Masabata Mutlaneng to attend these training sessions. Attendees are expected to bring smartphones running on the Android operating system, as these devices will be utilized for the compulsory project reporting on the iDEP system. System access will be granted in training and training sessions are taking place from 29 January 2025 to 07 February 2025.

DDG for Health Infrastructure, Realeboga Mahapa said, ?“iDEP has succeeded in automating infrastructure project delivery life cycle from providing an end-to-end project management capability designed to centralise and accommodate construction project delivery dynamics, to providing a capability that collate all portfolio of evidence necessitated by the Department’s very own Project Readiness Matrix (i.e., a framework that guides public infrastructure delivery in the Gauteng Province). Through leveraging iDEP’s capability that is linked to Geographic Information System (GIS), DID professionals are also enabled to ensure construction site compliance and effective project oversight with ease. Thus, enabling a proactive response towards mitigating construction project risks and ensuring project compliance throughout the delivery life cycle.

IRPS Systems Specialist and training facilitator Jonathan Morulane said the online collaboration between DID and all critical stakeholder through the iDEP platform is going to improve infrastructure delivery: “We have modernised the way we work to reduce inefficiencies and allow for collaboration and sharing of information between DID, implementors and client departments. This is one of the many layers of analysis which we have created for us to unlock our operational inefficiencies so that we can expedite project delivery.”

Mmakwena Selepe, DDG for Education Infrastructure, Mmakwena Selepe, said “This initiative marks a pivotal step towards the DID turnaround initiative. We will now be in a position to streamline infrastructure project management, improve transparency, and ensuring accountability in project execution.

“The Department remains committed to enhancing efficiency in infrastructure development and we call upon all stakeholders to comply fully with the new reporting requirements in order to make the DID turnaround initiate a reality,” concluded MEC