Work and midterm review

Last week was the midterm review with the client.  We delivered our assessment on the MoH website and IT infrastructure and recommendations to Mr. Ahmed, the director of PR and Communication Department of MoH.   Mr. Ahmed liked our analysis and recommendations, he wanted us to implement all of them immediately.  Later on we met the Director General of Office of the Minister, Dr. Addis Tamire, and followed by meeting with the Minister of Health, H.E. Dr. Kesetebirhan Admasu Birhane.  They all embraced our recommendations and want to see immediate and tangible result, such as straighten up the web site, set up an internal email system et al.  The expectation about IBM team is that IBM will follow up on execute the recommendations on pro bono bases just like CSC.  We have to spend a lot of time to explain the nature of CSC mission, ensure them an easy to follow step by step execution plan which is in preparation will be included in the final report, and promise them we will made ourselves available for further consultation after return to our normal job.  From their eye, we can tell they wish IBM will not only give them a report, but also the reality.

I knew exactly where the expectation come from after a three-week immersion.  Like most of the African countries, Ethiopia government and institutions rely heavily on aid and NGOs in many operation and infrastructure projects.  While it is good to have money come in, but they also tend to be short term scattered projects that fit this or that NGO's interest.  For projects like direct health care delivery, although it is not evenly distributed, at least the aid can improve some peoples like in certain region.  However, for IT related project, the lack of high level planning and coordination could mean dysfunctional systems.  This is what is happening in MoH.  Two broken back up power supplies, half rack low end blade servers, two telecom gateway boxes, one wireless controller, and one firewall module is the data center.  The intranet supposed to exist but it never works and no one knows why.  The same was the email system.  Government officials use public emails such as yahoo and Gmail.  Mr. Ahmed's yahoo email was hacked, he does not have a backup email to reset the password.  The external web site was recently touched up through a funding from Gates Foundation by an American based communication and PR firm whose expertise is not in web application.  The list can go on and on.  The stories from other CSC teams are more or less the same.  Every client wants IBM team to hand them solutions, not just recommendations.   


My number one recommendation to the MoH, above all others, is to build its own high quality IT leadership team, with competitive salary, consists of both system and application architects to develop a systematic road map and oversee the installation of the new IT system to meet the need of MoH.   With an internal team, they can coordinate the funding from government and development partners to build a cohesive IT infrastructure throughout the federal government and entire health care system.   The current piece meal and patch up approach will not only waste the resources and delay the infrastructure development, but also have adverse impact on the long term stability, sustainability and scalability of the IT system.  

For now, I am polishing the final report, to make it as detail as possible and try to imaging every possible scenario.  In here, you cannot take anything as granted.  The things we are used to in everyday life could be new to them, therefore, explain, explain and explain.   

Soon will be Friday, the assignment will be over.   I will miss everything here.  I feel heavy and wonder ”will it be carried on?  How can I do more? "