"Democracy at the Click of a Mouse":1 
An Evaluation of NDI's Technology Assistance Program 
With the South African Parliament 
NATIONAL 
DEMOCRATIC 
INSTITUI'E 
Prepared for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs 
By Erica Breth. MPP Candidate 
Kennedy School of Government 
Harvard University 
August 2000 
, The Star. 26 October 1999. page 6 
NDI - An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system -Page 2 
Table of Contents 
EXECunVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................... 3 
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 9 
PART I: IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM AND DEVELOPING A SOLUTION .................................................. 12 
1.1 Identifying the problem ....................................................................................................................... 12 
1.2 Building a solution ................................................................................................................................. 12 
1.3 Implementing the system .................................................................................................................... 15 
PART II: THE RESULT: NCOP ONLINEI ....................................................................................................... 17 
2.1 NeOp Online! at a glance ................................................................................................................. 17 
2.2 Management and monitoring ........................................................................................................... 19 
PART III: IMPACT ON GOVERNANCE .................................................................................................... 20 
3.1 Provincial participation ....................................................................................................................... 21 
3.2 Legislation quality ................................................................................................................................. 22 
3.3 Improved legislative processes .......................................................................................................... 22 
3.4 Administrative efficiency and cost savings ..................................................................................... 23 
3.5 Public participation .............................................................................................................................. 24 
3.6 Sustainability .......................................................................................................................................... 26 
PART IV: LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE ............................................................................................. 26 
4.1 Option A--Complete NeOp Onlinel ................................................................................................ 26 
4.2 Option B-Maximise the potential of NeOp Onlinei ..................................................................... 30 
DOCUMENTS CONSULTED/BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................ 32 
APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................................ 34 
Terms of Reference ...................................................................................................................................... 34 
Interview Questions ..................................................................................................................................... 37 
People Interviewed ..................................................................................................................................... 41 
NDI - An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system - Page 3 
Executive Summary 
In response to the South African Parliament's request for assistance in streamlining the 
legislative and communications processes of it's second chamber, the National Council of 
Provinces (NCOP), NDI developed a unique information management system calIed ''NCOP 
Online!." This report evaluates the impact NCOP Online!, an internet-based information 
management system has had on the communication problems between the National Council of 
Provinces (NCOP), provincial legislatures, and civil society. The National Democratic Institute 
for International Affairs (NOI), in partnership with the NCOP, designed and deployed the 
system. Development started in October 1998; the system was launched in November 1999. 
Costs of the project were covered by the NCOP, the US Agency for International Development 
and NDl's Democratic Century Fund, along with in-kind contributions by Microsoft SA. 
The NCOP, as the second house of Parliament, comprises permanent delegates and special 
delegates who rotate in from each of the nine provinces according to the issues under 
consideration. In addition, the NCOP includes ten non-voting delegates from local government. 
The mandate of the house is to ensure that national policy is sensitive to provincial and local 
government concerns. The NCOP meets in Cape Town several times annualIy, for sittings each 
lasting four to five weeks. These cycles represent the time frame in which legislation must pass 
through the house. Certain bills must also be considered by the provincial legislatures, still 
within the four weeks. Each province must debate a bill, consult public stakeholders, negotiate 
with other provincial delegates and develop a mandate outlining the province'S position before 
the bill is voted on in the NCOP. In the first years of the NCOP, this complex process was 
difficult to manage. For example, politicians in the provinces would receive bills, amendments 
and schedules via fax or courier, then travel thousands of kilometres from the provinces for 
hearings in Cape Town, only to find the meetings had been cancelled, or that they had an 
outdated version of a bill. NCOP 01lli1le!, with a website and pro-active email messaging 
service, was developed as a response to these problems. The website address is 
www.parliament.gov.za/ncop 
This evaluation, conducted after the system had operated one year, explores its impact on the 
legislative process, the participation of provinces in the NCOP and public participation. The 
research is based on a documents review, review of the NCOP Online! website and more than 40 
key informant interviews in the provinces of Western Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, 
Mpumalanga and Northern Cape. [The appendices include the terms of reference, and lists of 
interviews and documents consulted.] 
After just one year, NCOP 01lli1le! has become the primary source of information for many 
NCOP and provincial staff members. The system has imprOVed the legislative process 
substantively and administratively, and has increased the capacity of elected leaders and 
parliamentary staff. Continued efforts are needed to maximise the potential benefits of the 
system, but the collaboration between NCOP and NDI has yielded significant results. 
It is diffiCUlt to prioritise this above the mallY successful activities we have undertake1l together 
over the last few years, but NCOP 01lline! may be the most valuable contribution NDI has made 
to development of the NCOP. 
Hon. Enver Sufty, NCOP Chief Whip 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system -Page 4 
Findings 
NCOP Online! is well on its way to achieving its original objectives. Nearly all respondents 
offered very favourable reviews of the system. NCOP Online! has improved the efficiency and 
cost-effectiveness of the NCOP legislative process by smoothing the flow of information to the 
provinces and cutting communication and travel costs. It has helped strengthen policymaking in 
the NCOP through improved provincial access to information; and has had some effect on 
facilitating public participation in the legislative process. NCOP Online! has contributed to 
transformational changes within the NCOP. 
NCOP Online! was designed and implemented well, despite obstacles such as infrastructure 
partnerships falling through. The consultation process was inclusive within the NCOP, 
encompassing staff and MPs at every level, but was less inclusive of provincial legislatures. 
Designing NCOP Online! as a web-based information system (rather than an internal parliament 
network) kept costs down and spread the ability of people to access NCOP information. The 
restructuring ofthe NCOP staff divisions, which resulted in the creation of new positions to 
support the system and re-design of some existing positions, was critical to the success of the 
project. 
After one year, NCOP Online! has a strong base. Between October 1999 and March 2000, the 
system received an average of25,000 "hits,,2 per month. The numbers decreased in April-May 
2000, but peaked at 26,933 in June 2000 when Parliament was active. The number of hits 
increases sharply when Parliament is sitting. Some 310 users are registered for Epaks, the 
electronic courier packages of documents sent via email, with just under half being national and 
provincial staff members. Nearly 206 subscribers come from NGOs, the media, political parties, 
educational institutes and private sector companies. 
While NCOP Online! has been successful to date, the system has greater potential to reach more 
users. The system requires considerable ongoing support. Continued development and 
maintenance is necessary for NCOP Online! to reach its full potential in promoting participatory 
governance in South Africa. 
The following is a summary of key findings: 
• Provincial participation on national issues is easier and better 
NCOP Online! has without question added value to the legislative process, particularly to 
standing committees. I continuously refer the provinces to the home page to keep track of what 
is happening with our meetings and legislation, particularly on Section 76 bills. 
Hon. Mohseen Moosa, Chairperson of the NCOP Standing Committee on Economic and Foreign Mfairs 
NCOP Online! has been pivotal ill facilitating better participation by provincial a1ld local 
governments in national policymaki1lg. 
Judy Masekela, Northern Cape Provincial Legislature 
2 A Mhlt" is logged any time a user connects with the system and opens at least one document. 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system - Page 5 
NCOP Online! has made it easier for provincial legislators and staff to participate in the NCOP, 
and improved the quality of their inputs. Provincial programmes) are now tied to NCOP 
programmes, facilitating consideration of bills in the provincial legislatures. Access to 
information on national issues is easier through the website and Epaks: there is no longer one 
person or a few people who control the information flow. NCOP members make more informed 
contributions to legislative debates, particularly through committees, and with respect to 
representing provincial views. Parliamentary staff in the provinces and Cape Town generally 
received good training on the use of the system. They are able to devote more time to legislative 
issues and functions because NCOP Online! has reduced their administrative tasks. "Early 
warning" of bills to be tabled in the NCOP allows provinces to plan, thus leading to more and 
better province-specific research and public consultation. There is evidence that provincial 
government departments increasingly get information from NCOP Online! While inter￾provincial dialogue has not been greatly affected by NCOP Online! provinces are at least aware 
of other provincial mandates, if not actually considering them in their own deliberations. 
• Legislative processes are more organised 
Neop Online! has resulted in more orderly administrative operations, and it has also helped 
tremendously ill improving my relationships with provincial (legislature) speakers. We used to 
get lots of complaints from speakers because they thought the NeOp was arbitrarily making last 
minute changes. Now they can see for themselves when and why changes are made to the 
programme, and it helps them organise the provincial programme. NeOp Online! has helped 
us work more collaboratively. 
Hon. G. Naledi Pandor, Chairperson of the NCOP 
Each province must be fully informed about new legislation so that it can debate a bill, consult 
public stakeholders, negotiate with other provincial delegates and develop a mandate outlining 
the province's final position before the bill is voted on in parliament. The ability of the NCOP to 
complete this all in periods of four weeks has been aided by NCOP Online! The system has 
been catalytic in helping synchronise the programmes in the NCOP and the provinces. NCOP 
Online! has helped ease political tensions about NCOP between government spheres, largely 
because scheduling has improved dramatically. The NCOP still faces challenges with legislation 
tabled by the executive on short notice, but overall the administration and organisation of 
parliamentary sittings and the legislative process have become more routine and predictable. 
This helps provinces in planning and preparing, for example, pro-active research. NCOP 
Online! has helped reduce unnecessary travel between the provinces and Cape Town. Provincial 
members have increased access to the most recent versions of bills and other documents. Seven 
out of nine provinces routinely send their mandates via the system, making for quicker reporting 
and allowing those provincial points of views to be considered in committee sessions. 
3 The Mprogramme" is the legislative schedule, outlining dates and times for committee meetings, public 
hearings, plenary sessions, etc. 
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• NeOp Online! has increased administrative efficiency and cost savings 
Without NCOP Online!, my committee clerk would go back to spending six hours per day faxing 
papers to the provinces, instead of sitting with me, doing the things he 's qualified for, and 
helping the committee function better. NCOP Online! is a cost-efficient alternative and one that 
has made us more productive. 
Hon. Mohseen Moosa, Chairperson, NCOP Standing Committee on Economic and Foreign 
Affairs 
I havejust begull to realise how valuable this system is. It has saved us both time and money. We 
no longer have to spend time trying to track dowll committee secretaries as they pick-up alld 
deliver documents all over parliament. We dOll 't have to track them down, because they are 
always in the office now. It is dramatically cutting down on the amount of paper work that we 
have to deal with. I am already adjusting my budgetfor next year's paper purchase. 
Calvin Neluvhola, Parliamentary Unit Manager of Committees, Legislation and Oversight 
Travel, courier and fax budgets have decreased as a result ofNCOP Onlille! Although many 
people still double check the website and Epaks, the amount of time necessary to verify 
information has decreased drastically. The system makes it easier to track information. Although 
paper bills still are available in Cape Town before the electronic versions, access to the 
electronic versions in the provinces has cut hours of standing at fax machines and reduced 
miscommunication about outdated drafts of bills and other documents. Better communication 
has improved relations between staff and members of the provincial legislatures (MPLs) because 
staff members are providing more reliable information. In addition, the decrease in mundane 
administrative tasks has transformed NCOP staff positions: employees now spend more time on 
issues of substance. Individuals say they think more in their jobs and that morale is better. 
• Public participation has improved 
As a result ofNCOP Online!, we now have the time to help trallslate "parliamelltese" to 
outsiders, improving the infomlation that we call give to public. 
Lindikhaya Sipoyo, Manager. NCOP Liaison Unit 
NDI -An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system -Page 7 
While activities around NeOp Online! in the first year were intended primarily to help improve 
the legislative process, the system has had effects on increasing public participation. People and 
organisations outside Parliament can access information freely, parliamentary staff can provide 
information more easily and provinces can plan better for public consultation. A few dozen 
NGOs, media organisations and individuals are registered for Epaks. However, some consulted 
in this evaluation said they had difficulty registering. Respondents in some provinces said that 
NeOp Online! enabled them to hold more public debates. The increased administrative 
efficiency has freed up some staff to focus more on public education. Some NGOs stated that 
they have been able to get more accurate government figures through NeOp Online! than other 
public sources. While the vast majority of South Africans do not have access to internet or 
Email, government is promoting the use of information technology, and NeOp Online! has great 
potential to facilitate more public participation and education. 
Recommendations 
There are several possible routes to follow for future developments. The following 
recommendations can be viewed as a package or separately. 
Option A-Complete Current Phase of NCOP Online! 
To complete the original vision of NCOP Onli1le! the NeOp should continue taking over full 
responsibility for the vision, accuracy, and legitimacy of the system within parliament, the 
provinces and public, as well as finish and fine-tune certain features. Specific tasks might 
include: 
• Identify a person within NCOP to further the vision of NCOP Ollline! With NDI 
decreasing its involvement in developing and maintaining the system, the NeOp will require a 
manager to be responsible for the system's overall effective functioning, as well as its long-term 
sustainability and continued development. This will assist in ensuring proactive problem 
solving around delays or blockages. 
• Market NCOP Online! within the NCOP as well as in the provinces, in government 
departments and in the National Assembly. NeOp leadership can help to encourage use of the 
system and encourage the perception that NeOp Onli1le! is the authoritative place to find official 
information on the Neop. This can be done through the Speakers' Forum, the South African 
Legislative Secretaries Association, new employee manuals, regular "advertisements" in Neop 
news and other parliamentary newsletters and emails to employees. 
• Institute on-going training mechanisms for new employees and elected members, including 
advertising the availability of training throughout the NeOp and the provincial legislatures. As 
more members gain access to computers, this need grows in importance. 
• Expand system functionality and content by merging the Neop website with the 
parliament website, making the research and committee report pages functional by training, 
making researchers and committee members accountable for content, and improving Epak 
registration accuracy. 
• Follow up on committee section training and monitor timely publishing of reports. Like 
the research papers, this is an area where there is widespread provincial interest. 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system - Page 8 
• Evaluate NCOP O"line! again in a year focusing on the system as an internal 
communication tool, as well as a technical assessment of the site and Epaks. 
Option B-Maximise the potential of NCOP Online! in next phase 
This option sets forth a more expansive course of action, moving beyond completing the first 
phase ofNCOP Online! to maximising the full potential of the system. The recommendations 
outlined make use of the financial commitments already made by the NCOP without the need for 
significant additional resources. 
• Create inter-unit working group in order to combine the ideas and vision ofNCOP users 
like the IT, Liaison Unit, the provincial liaisons, the researchers, the committee clerks, etc. This 
group would contribute ideas to redesign and vision changes. 
• Promote NCOP Online! externally. Augmenting traditional marketing methods, NCOP 
Online! can help increase awareness of the NCOP and improve dissemination of parliamentary 
information through a marketing campaign to the media, government affairs sections and NGOs. 
• Redesign the web page for a public audience. As a government body it is still new even to 
the people who work within it and a little more explanation of the types of information available 
on the site would be helpful. This might include the history of the NCOP, profiles ofMPs and 
frequently asked questions. 
• Add web casting of NCOP debates. Since television stations are not airing all NCOP 
debates, NCOP Online! could add a video feature for live or archived debates. 
• Evaluate impact of NCOP Online! on public participation once the site is further 
marketed and an effort has been made to reach out to other parts of government, civic 
organizations, the private sector and the public. 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system - Page 9 
Introduction 
In 1999, the National Democratic Institute (ND!) and the South African National Council of 
Provinces (NCOP) launched NCOP Online!, an internet-based data management and 
communication system, to assist the NCOP in carrying out its constitutional mandate-ensuring 
that provincial and local government and the public are represented in national policymaking. 
This report analyses whether NCOP Online! addressed the NCOP communication problems and 
explores the impact of the system on the legislative process. Lastly, the report sets out options 
for future steps for ND! and the NCOP. 
Background 
The National Council of Provinces (NCOP), South Africa's second house of parliament, held its 
first sitting in February 1997. The NCOP was created to ensure provincial and local government 
participation in the national legislative process and institutionalise the concepts of participatory 
democracy and cooperative governance. 
The NCOP comprises delegates from each of the nine provinces as well as non-voting delegates 
from the South African Local Government Association (SALGA). The underpinning rationale of 
the NCOP is to ensure that national policy is sensitive to provincial and local government's 
needs and concerns. It also requires that provinces do not act alone or in isolation - they are 
integrated in the national legislative process through the NCOP. This set-up was intended to give 
equal voice to all regions of South Africa regardless of economic, racial and ethnic makeup, and 
offset the separation of the country under apartheid.4 
The NCOP sits in Cape Town during a series oflegislative cycles throughout the year, each 
lasting four to five weeks. These legislative cycles represent the timeframe that legislation must 
pass through the house, from tabling, to consideration by legislative committee, to a final vote in 
the plenary. 
The process of building consensus among provincial delegations requires a great deal of 
consultation and communication. Each province must be fully infonned about new legislation so 
that it can debate a bill, consult public stakeholders, negotiate with other provincial delegates 
and develop a mandate outlining the province'S final position on the bill before it is voted on in 
parliament The result is a highly complicated legislative process. All of the above often must 
take place in all nine provinces within only four weeks. 
In the first few years of the NCOP, legislation was often passed without provincial input and 
some committee meetings in Cape Town were cancelled at the last minute. Politicians in the 
provinces would receive bills, amendments and programmes via fax or courier, often travelling 
thousands of kilometres from the provinces for hearings in Cape Town, only to find they had 
relied on an outdated version of the programme, had received an outdated version of a bill, or 
that the meeting had been cancelled. Often these cancellations were due to a lack of quorum or 
because the National Assembly had not finished its work on a given bill. The common problem 
was that members did not always have up-to-date infonnation. 
4 National Council of Provinces 1996-1999 In Review, 4. 
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The need for a communications system to help manage this complex process became clear 
during the NCOP's strategic planning in 1995-97. NDI, an international democracy assistance 
NGO that had been working with the NCOP since 1995, was asked to assist. NDI and the 
NCOP conducted extensive consultations with members of the national and provincial 
legislatures, parliamentary staff, civil society representatives and others to provide a detailed 
scope of the problem. Ultimately, the solution was seen as an information-technology system 
that would allow an efficient flow of information between the NCOP in Cape Town and the 
provincial legislatures. 
Launched in October 1999, the NCOP Online! information management system consists of a 
website and email system that automatically distributes parliamentary information around the 
country. NCOP Online! was designed so that national and provincial legislators and staff - along 
with members of the public and interest groups - would have instant access to the latest bills, 
committee and public hearing schedules, parliamentary programmes and other legislative 
information. 
The launch ofNCOP Online! followed two years of design, development and planning, 
undertaken jointly by NOI and the NCOP, with project management by NOI staff. The 
development phase coincided with a major staff restructuring in the NCOP, and ultimately new 
staffwere hired and jobs re-designed to accommodate the system. Those arrangements were 
critical to the viability of the project. Some of the system design was contracted privately by 
NOI, but the NCOP provided the network and cabling infrastructure. Microsoft SA donated 
software and Telkom South Africa donated a computer training room. NOI provided extensive 
training to parliamentary staff (in both legislative and information systems departments) in Cape 
Town as well as the provinces. 
In the seven months following the launch ofNCOP Online! NOI and the NCOP received 
anecdotal evidence of the utility of the system to parliamentarians, staff and civil society actors. 
However, NOI and NCOP sought to more formally investigate the qualitative impact of the 
system and in June 2000 commissioned this evaluation. As the NCOP takes over the day-to-day 
management, monitoring and development ofNCOP Online!, this evaluation is meant to analyse 
the results of the project after one year and outline future options. 
Objectives 
The objectives of the evaluation are to: 
• Determine whether NCOP Online! achieved any or all of its stated objectives, including 
examining if those objectives addressed the stated problem and fit into NDI's mission 
• Identify the successes and areas of improvement ofNCOP Online! including whether the 
programme was implemented as designed 
• Analyse the overall impact ofNCOP Online! (sustained changes to individual and 
institutional understanding and behaviour, including public participation) 
Specifically, this evaluation seeks to determine the impact ofNCOP Online! on the: 
• Delivery of relevant parliamentary information to targeted audiences in a timely fashion; 
• Quality oflegislation and related legislative participation, particularly with respect to 
provinces; 
• Administrative efficiency and cost savings to the NCOP and parliament in general; and 
NDI-An evaluation of the NCOP Online! information management system - Page 11 
• Public participation (specifically through NCOP Online!). 
In addition, the evaluation will touch on the effectiveness of current efforts to sustain the system, 
as well as recommendations for increasing its use and expanding its functionality. 
Methodology 
Erica Breth, a Masters in Public Policy candidate at Harvard University's Kennedy School of 
Government, conducted the evaluation from June to August 2000. The evaluation was based on 
terms of reference drafted by Erin Martin, Director of NO I South Africa, with additional input 
from Senior Programme Officers Julie Hughes and Chris Spence. The evaluation is based on a 
documents review, review of the NCOP Online! website, and key informant interviews. 
Interviews were conducted in four provinces that represented differing technological capacity, 
training and economic resources: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Northern 
Cape. Budget and time constraints prevented interviews in the other five provinces. 
Ms. Breth drafted the interview questionnaire, with input from Ms. Martin, Mr. Spence and Ms. 
Hughes. While the interviews were conducted in such a way as to encourage candid responses, 
most interviewees were asked all questions, generally in the same order. Interviews were held 
with 42 individuals in the NCOP, provincial legislatures and non-governmental organisations, as 
well as NDI. While most interviews were one-on-one, a group interview took place with five 
people in KwaZulu-Natal, along with three paired interviews in the provinces. Interviewees 
represented varying levels of political and staff experience and seniority. Analysis of website 
and email usage is based on monitoring statistics generated by the NCOP Information 
Technology (IT) department as provided by Mr. Spence. Website monitoring began in July 
1999. 
Outline 
Part I describes the early communication problems that hampered the legislative capacity and 
smooth operation of the NCOP; explains how NCOP and NDI developed a solution using 
information technology; and details the system. Part II analyses the impact of the system on the 
legislative capacity ofthe NCOP; examines the successes and suggests areas for improvement. 
Part III details options for further development ofthe system with recommendations for future 
action. 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system -Page 12 
Part I: Identifying the problem and developing a solution 
1.1 Identifying the problem 
During a typical legislative cycle, NCOP delegates travel frequently between Parliament and the 
provinces to detennine mandatesS on bills under consideration by the NCOP. Within a four-week 
period, each bill must be considered by the nine provincial legislatures, and by local 
government. The process of building consensus among provincial delegations and soliciting 
public input requires a great deal of consultation and communication. This communication 
ensures that each province is fully infonned of the content of the legislation and able to consult 
public stakeholders and develop a mandate in time. 
The NCOP relied on courier services, email attachments, fax machines and telephones to 
manage the arduous communication process. Given the size of the country, and the varying 
quality of infrastructure from province to province, this was an enonnous challenge. The result 
was an overwhelming amount of paper arriving around the country by multiple mediums 
(courier, fax, etc.) at various times, causing confusion and making the consideration of national 
legislation at the provincial and local levels very difficult. 
In addition, time and resources were sometimes misdirected as communication shortfalls 
resulted in unnecessary or ill-timed travel and poor meeting coordination. The NCOP recognised 
the need to automate these infonnation flows and the NCOP legislative process as much as 
possible. 
In 1996, a series ofNCOP provincial workshops supported by NDI reinforced the need for better 
communication. Subsequently, the NCOP asked NDI to provide technical assistance in the 
conceptualisation and development of a solution. NOI's objective was to work with the NCOP to 
"improve communication and coordination of processes and procedures between the NCOP, 
provincial legislatures and local government'>6 
NDI had been working with the NCOP since the establishment of the NCOP Preparatory 
Committee in 1995, conducting numerous workshops, comparative studies, staff and member 
training, study missions, and reports. Calling on a global network of volunteer experts, NDI 
provides practical assistance to civic and political leaders advancing democratic values, 
practices, and institutions. NDI currently operates in 38 countries worldwide, and has been in 
South Africa since the early 1990s. 
1.2 Building a solution 
In 1998, NDI worked with NCOP members of parliament (MPs), provincial legislators (MPLs), 
and staff, (from the committee section and Regis House) to document infonnation flows. Those 
consultations and the experience of the provincial workshops resulted in the publication 
"Provincial Comparative Study, Report of the National Council ofProvillces." 
5 A -mandate" is a vote from a provincial legislature, required on Section 76 bills. 
B NOI South Africa Work Plan April - September 1999 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system -Page 13 
As the white boards filled up with the complex route parliamentary information takes to get from 
Cape Town to the provinces and back, the emerging question was how to enable easy access to 
timely information when stakeholders were spread over 1.2 million square kilometres. During a 
two-month period, NDI worked on mapping the information flows and began to research 
technology options. The NCOP management continuously informed this process. 
The NCOP leadership was keen on improving communication. South Africa was anticipating a 
grant from the European Union's parliamentary support programme to provide technology 
infrastructure in the national and provincial legislatures. Then-NCOP Chairperson Mosiuoa 
Lekota envisioned information systems. When EU negotiations began to take longer than 
anticipated, the Secretary of the NCOP, Marion Sparg, requested permission from the NCOP 
Management Board to continue with implementation on its own. 
NDI played an integrating and advisory role to make sure all the pieces of the system fit 
together, as well as designing the system, managing its development and roll-out, and 
conducting training for Parliament staff. 
NDI and NCOP made several assumptions in the start-up phase of the project: 
• The system, in the first few years, would be primarily an internal communication tool. The 
system would have public participation benefits, but they would be secondary because of the 
paucity of computers and internet access in South Africa. Although South Africa has more 
computers than other countries in Africa, a very large population has no computer access. As 
a result, other public participation methods would still be necessary. 
• Initially, the NeOp and the provincial legislatures would all be wired. Anticipating lack of 
networking, the system would be internet-based, rather than intranet-based. Thus, someone in 
Ulundi would need only a computer and an internet connection to access the NCOP 
information. The system would also be designed to work even on computers running older 
software, due to potential delays in replacing old computers. 
• Training efforts would be considerable. To ensure the success of the system, users would 
need computer and internet training, in addition to research training. 
• Staff, rather than members of the national or provincial parliaments, would be targeted for 
training. 
• Funding for the project would be available. Funding and support came from NCOP, NDI 
(through its USAID grant and its private Democratic Century Fund), and Microsoft South 
Africa. In mid-1999, NCOP got computers and a network (R500,OOO). The server was 
purchased through the parliament budget. NDI matched NCOP funds for cabling in order to 
connect the Information Technology (IT) Department and the computer training centre to the 
internet 
NOI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system -Page 14 
At the time the project started, the NCOP did not have staff to build or maintain the information 
system. The NCOP's subsequent restructuring was shaped in part by the need to dedicate staff 
to manage, maintain and contribute to NCOP Online! Initially, the NCOP Liaison Unit was 
staffed with two liaison officers and nine provincial liaison officers based in Regis House. After 
the restructuring, a management position was added, along with two information service officers 
to draft content for the site and ensure the quality and accuracy of information on the site. In 
addition, the jobs of all the liaison staff were re-designed to give them responsibilities for 
overseeing the effective operation of the system. In addition, a system administrator was hired 
within the parliament IT section to be dedicated to technical oversight and maintenance of 
NCOP Online! In designing the new configuration, NCOP management consulted with 
parliament divisions such as joint services, library and information services, committees and 
research. The addition of staff and realignment of existing positions was critically important in 
ensuring the NCOP had a technical and editorial skill base to sustain the project without NDI 
support. 
NDI made an effort to keep the solution "South African." This included extensive consultations 
with the NCOP, contracting with South African service providers and vendors for software and 
hardware. In the development cycle, consultations took place with the primary software 
developer, Idion Consulting; the manager ofthe NCOP Liaison Unit, Lindikhaya Sipoyo; and 
the developers ofthe National Assembly website. NOI was accountable to Secretary ofthe 
NCOP, Ms. Sparg, and Mr. Sipoyo. 
Microsoft South Africa donated the server software and 50 copies of Windows 95 and Microsoft 
Office. 
Obstacles to the project included the delay of the European Union's hardware tender in early 
1999, as well as a private sector company's withdrawal of a substantial offer to donate computer 
equipment to parliament. The project design was adapted accordingly. The system went live in 
July 1999 and was officially launched October 1999. 
The solution itself was a location-independent information depository on the internet 
(www.parliament.gov.zalncop) featuring an email/fax/telephone document delivery system. 
Documents would be published on the site, not centrally, but by the originators of the 
documents. Electronic courier packages, or Epaks, would be sent pro-actively to registered users, 
free of charge. The system would be monitored by the NCOP Liaison Unit -- with the manager 
of the Liaison Unit having overall management responsibility -- and maintained by the NCOP IT 
unit. The system was originally intended to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the 
NeOp legislative process by smoothing the flow of information to the provinces and cutting 
communication and travel costs; strengthen policy making in the NCOP through improved 
provincial and local government input on legislation; and by extension, increase public 
awareness of and participation in the legislative process by providing extensive, up-to-date 
information on such issues as legislation in parliament and committee meetings, hearings and 
minutes and public submissions.' 
7 USAID grant document 
NDI-An evaluation of the NCOP Online! Information management system - Page 15 
The solution was soon given a name: NCOP Online! The challenge then became one of getting 
people to use the system. NDI and NCOP would have to help people think about ways to change 
their work habits, in environments where there was limited experience with such technology. 
The strategy for achieving this was through training and outreach, led by the leadership of the 
NCOP. 
1.3 Implementation 
As the system was built, NDI and NCOP began preparing for incorporating NCOP Online! in 
the daily workings of the NCOP. NDI consulted regularly with NCOP management and staff 
on the rollout and implementation ofNCOP Online! including the implications of the system on 
staffing. These conversations were very relevant to the simultaneous NCOP restructuring 
process. There was less direct consultation with the provinces and local government. 
Project management 
NDI played an integrating and advisory role to make sure all the pieces of the system fit 
together, as well as designed the system, managed its development and roll-out, and conducted 
training for Parliament staff. 
Training 
The first level of training was in computer literacy. In June 1999, NDI conducted a computer 
skills assessment for 90 NCOP staff, which prompted computer skills courses taught by NCOP 
staff member Ben Coffinan. In July, NDI conducted seven training workshops for 55 NCOP, 
provincial legislature and SALGA staff on NCOP Online! 
By August 1999, NCOP staff had taken over regular updating of information on the system and 
management of daily electronic courier packages. The network in the NCOP was up and 
running and the first computer was installed in the Secretary's office. 
Training continued through November with 38 training sessions on the NCOP Online! system 
for NCOP members and staff in Cape Town and provincial executive members, legislators and 
staff. A handful of provincial local government association officials also took part. In total, NDI 
reached more than 300 people-including 100 members of the provincial legislatures-in eight 
provinces. (Training for Mpumalanga was cancelled three times by the legislature and to date 
has still not taken place.) The provincial programme was intended to introduce the system and 
develop provincial capacity to manage and access information on the website.8 
The training was mostly general computer training, accompanied by an introduction to the 
internet and the NCOP system. Staff responsible for publishing documents, such as committee 
secretaries, provincial liaisons and researchers, were trained specifically on web publishing. Mr. 
Spence and NDI program officer Foster Mijiga conducted most training. NDI also did ''training 
of trainers" courses in March 2000 to enable the NCOP Liaison Unit and provincial information 
systems staff to provide future NCOP Online! training. Participants interviewed in this 
evaluation agreed that the training was comprehensive and few felt there was anything else that 
would have been helpful to have. The absence of training in Mpumalanga hindered the ability of 
the province to use the system. 
8 Oct 99- March 30 USAID report 
NDI-An evaluation of the NCOP Online! information management system -Page 16 
Training manuals were developed and used. One NCOP staff member was able to learn the 
system just by reading the manual. 
When I got here, in September J 999, I got a brief rundown of the system and was given 
the manual. Since I hadn't had the complete training, readillg the manual was very 
instructive. 
Darwin Franks, NCOP Researcher 
Mr. Spence worked in Parliament full-time as a resource and "walking help line": he offered 
one-on-one and informal training to people ranging from the NCOP Secretary to the private 
assistants to develop specific skills and answer their questions. This support would not been 
possible through the private sector-it would have been too expensive. 
The training was well-planned and organised. The July 1999 staff training programme received 
universally positive evaluations from participants. After training for information systems 
managers in the provincial legislatures and SALGA, Mr. Spence was given a standing ovation. 
In addition, one participant from the SALGA commented, "The computer training session was 
great. We were really impressed with the system. I've been asked to provide a demonstration Oil 
the system to all staff during our next staff meeting ... 9 
Outreach 
On October 25, 1999, the NCOP leadership launched NCOP Online! at parliament in Cape 
Town. The launch was attended by 125 people including NCOP Chairperson Naledi Pandor, 
USAID Mission Director Stacy Rhodes, Microsoft's Sibonelo Ngubane, MPs, journalists, 
parliamentary staff and NGO representatives. E-TV, SABC Radio, Radio 702, Punt Radio and 
several newspapers throughout the countrylO covered the launch. SABC Radio featured the 
system on its Monday morning IT segment Cybersuif. 
To promote use of the system, NDI produced and distributed 500 mouse pads and 2,500 posters. 
NDI accessed a Telkom education project to place 1,000 posters in schools across the country 
that are connected to the internet, and gave another 100 posters to the Government 
Communication and Information Service for distribution in their provincial multi-media 
communication centres. II In addition, Chairperson Pandor emailed the provinces announcing the 
launch of the new system. 
9 (July 1999 NOI SA report) 
10 Oct 99- March 30 USAIO report 
11 Oct 99- March 30 USAIO report 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system -Page 17 
These outreach efforts were effective in letting NCOP insiders know about the existence of 
NCOP Online! Many of the people interviewed for this report heard about the system through 
Chairperson Pandor's email or the launch. As of this writing, posters and mouse pads were 
visible on the walls and desks of many of the legislative staffers interviewed for this report. 
Some of these same people, however, didn't know about the Epaks. They said they would 
register if they knew how. Part ofthis may be solved by making the Epak system more 
prominent on the website. However, particularly in a population where internet use is new, 
outreach must be proactive. In addition, some people in the provincial legislatures who were 
internet users did not know about the system at all. One provincial staff member expressed the 
need for further outreach led by NCOP management: 
This idea is good and the idea can fly. But it would be helpful for the management of 
NCOP to advise provinces on how to sell the product. The Chair needs to sell NCOP 
Online! at the Speaker's Forum. The Secretary needs to sell it to colleagues at SALSA. 
More efforts are needed. 
Gengezi Mgidlana, Director of Parliamentary Operations, Gauteng Legislature 
Limited marketing to NCOP has meant that some people key to the functioning ofNCOP, such 
as the researchers in the Parliament Information Services, do not know how to publish or who to 
go to for help. 
As far as outreach to the public goes, the launch seems to have reached the press, at least: 
journalists at SABC, the Independent and Reuters, among others, are registered to receive Epaks. 
Again, the primary purpose ofNCOP Online! was to improve internal communications, rather 
than spark public participation and awareness. More recently, the NCOP has drafted a services 
brochure that highlights the system, and the quarterly publication NCOP News, which reaches 
hundreds of people around the country, routinely carries an article on NCOP Online! Future 
development efforts may wish to focus more on public outreach. Comments on this topic are 
found in Part III. 
Part II: The result: NeOp Online! 
This section briefly describes the content and features of the website and E-paks, the usage 
figures and a discussion of the management and monitoring of the system. 
2.1 NeOp Onlinel at a glance 
The planning, consultations, training and outreach yielded an internet-based data management 
and communication system that integrates the world-wide web, electronic mail (email) and other 
technologies to link Parliament to the provincial legislatures and local government associations. 
This information is simultaneously available to the public on the NCOP Online! website. In 
addition, anyone can subscribe free of charge for email delivery of Parliament documents via E￾paks. 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system -Page 18 
The website includes detailed infonnation about the NCOP and is linked to parliament's main 
website. It stores legislative documents such as programmes, bills and provincial mandates. It 
includes a plain language version of the NCOP rules and has links to the constitution and policy 
papers. The website also has acts and the Hansard, parliament's official record, although neither 
of these are current. Viewers can access order papers to find the status of legislation. The 
website has a search function as well as mandate and bill monitors. The website has contact 
infonnation for NCOP members and staff, although some of the provincial contact infonnation 
has tended to fall out of date. The website has many of the features recommended by the Inter￾Parliamentary Council in the recently published Guidelines for the Content and Structure of 
Parliamentary Web Sites!2 
Between February and May 2000, NCOP Online! received an average of 600 hits'3 per day, with 
numbers peaking to more than 1,000 hits per day when parliament was sitting. Current 
monitoring does not count home page hits since many people in the NCOP have their internet 
browsers set to the home page. The sections viewed on the website most were bills and 
committees, with the time-sensitive documents such as the programme and A TCs, a daily report 
on Announcements, Tablings and Committee documents, also accessed heavily. 
Publishing a document on the website and sending an Epak is straightforward: the publisher logs 
on to the website and is taken through the process step by step. After uploading the document 
onto the website, the publisher indicates whether it should be sent in an Epak. The Epak is set up 
and sent to subscribers, via email. The faxing option is currently in development; it will likely be 
restricted to MPs. 
Epaks are sent out automatically on timed schedules, generally overnight so that subscribers are 
not deluged and can count on them on certain days and times. Any urgent infonnation is emailed 
in a morning or afternoon alert. This system seems to work very well, although some expressed 
frustration that the programme did not appear until the next morning, even when changes have 
been made the day before. 
Between February and May 2000, an average of 69 different Epaks linked to 118 documents 
were sent out to the 364 subscribers. Epak documents most viewed tend to be the ones with the 
most time-sensitive infonnation: the NCOP programme, ATCs, mandates and committees. 
Epak subscribers include individuals from public, private and non-governmental organisations 
including the media, as well as private citizens. Subscriber address, occupation and other 
infonnation is voluntary at registration, so a complete profile is difficult. 
The infonnation available shows that in June 2000, there were 364 NCOP subscribers. It is 
important to note that at the time of this report, only two out of four presiding officers and one 
NCOP pennanent delegate had internet access. Fifty-four subscribers come from provincial 
legislatures and nine from local government. Politicians registered include members from 
diverse political parties: the United Democratic Movement (UDM), the Inkatha Freedom Party 
(lFP), the New National Party (NNP) and the ANC. Members of the press registered include 
Cape Argus, SABC, the Independent and Die Burger. Registered non-governmental 
organisations include the Child Health Policy Institute, Contact Trust, University of Cape Town 
and the Parliamentary Monitoring Group (PMG). 
12 , "Guidelines for the Content and Structure of Parliamentary Web Sites." Inter-Parliamentary 
Council, May 6, 2000. www.ipu.org/english/strcture/cnldocs/166%2Dweb.htm 
13 A "hit" is counted when any document is opened. 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system - Page 19 
Areas for improvement 
People still rely on printed versions of bills because they are available much earlier than 
electronic versions. In some cases, personal connections and informal networks are a faster way 
of tracking down committee minutes and research because electronic versions sometimes appear 
late or not at all. 
Many MPLs and MPs are not using NCOP 01lli1le! as much as staff members. At the time of 
this report many MPs and MPLs were just receiving computers. Deputy Chairperson CM Cronje 
of the KwaZulu-Natallegislature, said that politicians are nonetheless benefiting from NCOP 
Online! "Although we're not using it ourselves, our staff gets the information to us." 
NCOP Online! currently offers few links to online resources that assist in legislative and policy 
research. Research reports generated in the NCOP or provincial legislatures are posted months 
after they are completed, and research is often duplicated. NGO subscribers interviewed said 
that research would be particularly helpful if it were made available in a more timely fashion. 
While those documents are available on the website, many are not up-to-date. Some are up to a 
year out of date. For example, on 13 August 2000, a check of the web site yielded: acts and 
provincial programmes up to November, 1999, NCOP Hansards up to March 2000 and 
committee schedules up to June 2000. The Hansard office is backlogged in transcribing NCOP 
debates and this may contribute to the outdated section. However, there is no indication of this 
on the website. This kind of delay in posting information and documents may be the result not of 
poor monitoring of the website, but perhaps an organisational problem. If that is the case, 
posting a brief explanation (as is found on the order papers page) and contact details for further 
information can give the user the confidence that the website does have the most up-to-date 
information available at the time. 
2.2 Management and monitoring 
One of the strengths of the system is that publishing is decentralised to dozens of staff in Cape 
Town and the provinces. However, strong management and coordination from Cape Town is 
still needed. That oversight will ensure the effective operation of the system, continued training, 
systems for planning and monitoring, and future development. 
NDI, particularly Mr. Spence, has been spearheading the vision ofNCOP Online! While his 
project management responsibilities will be divided among several NCOP staff, it is still not 
clear who will take over the "vision" role in the NCOP. This can tum into a serious problem. As 
NDI reduces its involvement, the NCOP must assume that management role in order to drive the 
short and long term vision of the system. This may be an appropriate function for the manager 
of the Liaison Unit. . 
The NCOP Liaison Unit is responsible for monitoring the content of the website, providing 
training on NCOP Online!, managing Epak registration and distribution, publishing the E￾Bulletin electronic newsletter and serving as an information resource on the system. Some users 
are not aware they can get training and help solving problems from the NCOP Liaison Unit. 
NDI-An evaluation of the Neap Online! information management system -Page 20 
At the same time, the Liaison Unit's responsibilities do not include monitoring the overall 
system. For example, authority over the research section is unclear, and the sections have not 
worked together to brainstorm solutions to current problems. As another example, Mpumalanga 
provincial mandates are not published on the site. Both the province and the Liaison Unit are 
concerned about this, but it is unclear who is responsible for solving the problem. The NCOP 
Liaison Unit may be the best place for developing strong systems to prevent provinces, 
parliament divisions or individuals from "falling through the cracks." Part III includes 
recommendations on this subject. 
Publishing content on the website is spread out among NCOP and provincial legislative staff. 
NCOP staff and provincial staff generally put information onto the website in a regular and 
systematic way. However, inputs from parliament, committee and research sections are generally 
less regular, due not to limitations of the NCOP Online! system, but rather to human resource, 
organisational management and infrastructure limitations. 
Technically, maintenance of the website has been successfully transferred to the NCOP IT 
department. Mr. Spence provided training to the IT department, and particularly to new staff 
members, and is no longer doing technical maintenance. 
Training is another persistent issue. While many people were trained, some of it has been lost 
because certain participants did not have computers at the time. People were not able to practice 
what they learned. In addition, a few new employees who were interviewed expressed interest in 
being trained, but did not know where or whom to ask. This included several Regis House staff 
who are the liaisons between the NCOP and the provinces. In addition, as new employees are 
hired, there is no system in place for introducing them to NCOP Online! Part III of this report 
includes specific recommendations on this issue. 
Some Areas of Improvement 
Bills, for example, often are available on paper before they appear on the website. The electronic 
versions are delivered to the printer for overnight printing and then entered onto the website the 
next day. The person with responsibility for entering bills onto the website does not work at 
night. This problem may be solved by training the person who completes the electronic 
documents to publish. 
The paucity of committee documents on the website is related to a lack of infrastructure in the 
committee section. As of the end of July 2000, the 11 committee secretaries shared one 
computer with internet access and the windows-based word processing software necessary for 
NCOP Online! publishing. Committee documents are published mostly by one staff member. 
Many people interviewed rely instead on the Parliamentary Monitoring Group website for 
summaries of committee minutes. 14 
14 PMG (www.pmg.org.za) is a non-govemmental organization that monitors parliamentary committee 
meetings. 
NDI-An evaluation of the NCOP Online! information management system -Page 21 
No one is currently authorised to publish research documents and few reports are published. This 
is a hindrance to the NCOP because provincial researchers and national researchers at times 
duplicate efforts and do not benefit from horizontal information sharing. Ifbackground research 
is done in Cape Town, for example, provincial researchers can focus on researching only those 
issues that directly affect the province. The head of the Information Services Section, Leon 
Gabriels, is keen to have researchers trained to publish documents directly so that at least Cape 
Town research can be available on NCOP Online! in a timely manner. 
In the next section we look at the impact of NCOP Online! on governance. 
Part III: Impact on governance 
NCOP Online! was officially launched in November 1999. Now the system is almost complete. 
What impact has NCOP Online! had on the working of the NCOP? Are provinces participating 
more than before? If so, has provincial participation improved the quality ofNCOP legislation? 
Has NCOP Online! made legislative processes any easier or led to increased efficiency and cost 
savings? Although it wasn't a primary goal in the first year, has there been spill-over to public 
participation? This section explores these issues and concludes with a discussion of 
sustainability issues. 
3.1 Provincial partiCipation 
Most people interviewed in the provinces agreed that NCOP Online! has positively affected their 
workplace. 
NCOP Online! has been pivotal in facilitating better participation by provincial and 
local governments in national policymaking. 
Judy Masekela, Northern Cape Provincial Legislature 
NCOP Online!, has made it easier for provinces to participate in the NCOP: provincial 
legislatures have access to much of the information they need; debating on issues before NCOP 
votes is now much easier since the provincial programme matches the NCOP programme; and 
provinces are able to produce more in-depth research. 
This evaluation did not include interviews with local government officials. However, there is 
some evidence that local government officials have been affected by NCOP Online! There is 
easier individual access to information. Thus when someone else from provincial or local 
government contacts a provincial legislative staffer, passing on the information is easy. NCOP 
Online! is providing an informal way for local governments to get NCOP information even 
when they do not have internet access. 
I send bills from NCOP Online! to the local government ministries: allY review or 
debates on issues that affect them. 
Dr. T.O. Raphoto, Head, NCOP Affairs, Northern Cape Legislature 
One school requested illformation and I sellt the link via email. Provincial departments 
askfor information. 
Mr. A. Alexander, Senior Technical Advisor, Northern Cape Legislature 
NDI - An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system - Page 22 
The availability of the mandates online has improved discussion about provincial positions in 
committee meetings. 
Without the mandates, there is no discussion ... there is no provincial view and this slows 
down the legislative process. Previously, the chairs would adjourn the meetingfor half 
an hour and ask members to call their provinces and find out what the mandate was. This 
looks unprofessional to the press and makes it look like the members, the provinces and 
the staff aren't working. I now print hard copies of the mandates from NCOP Online! so 
that the committee can discuss them. 
Edgar de Koker, Committee Secretary, NCOP 
Most provinces post mandates regularly with the exception of Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape. 
Mpumalanga mandates are out of date because no one in the province is trained to publish and 
because the format in which they send the mandates to the Liaison Unit is not usable for 
publishing. Mpumalanga staff did not know how to get training or who to contact about posting 
the mandates. The Eastern Cape does not have reliable internet access. There are ways to get 
around both of these problems, but the interviews did not reveal that either the provinces or the 
Liaison Unit had addressed them. 
The reliable delivery of the NCOP programme has greatly impacted workings in the provinces. 
Provincial programmes are now synchronised with the NCOP programme, enabling MPLs to be 
available for legislative work at the same time as the NCOP. Prior to this, some provinces were 
asked to issue a mandate when the house was not in session. In one province, early warning on 
an important upcoming bill enabled the province to schedule public hearings on the bill in 
advance ofthe voting in the legislature. Without NCOP Online! the province might not have had 
enough time to plan for the hearings. In that situation, NCOP Online! aided provincial 
participation and indirectly, public participation in that province. 
Not only does NCOP Online! affect scheduling of meetings and hearings, but it has also 
contributed to improving research in the provinces. For example, Gauteng province outsources 
some of its research to meet the demand of its members. Outsourcing requires budget outlays in 
advance. With the notification from NCOP Online! the research team can project their needs, 
make the budget request, and hire someone to do the research. Without NCOP Onli1le!, fewer 
issues would be researched or in little depth. 
The easier, more timely flow of information has contributed to better legislative participation. 
Staff in the provinces responsible for advising politicians about upcoming issues say they are 
better informed on legislative issues and functions. One provincial liaison commented on the 
improvement in the quality of the work she does for her province: 
NCOP Online! has much improved my job and made it more i1lteresting. Now, I don't 
just fax, but I also read and brainstoml with my colleagues in the provinces. Now, I can 
spend time with the provincial whips and MPLs to review the ma1ldates. Before I was like 
a post office. 
Patience Mbalo, Mpumalanga Liaison Officer 
Further investigation could be made by comparing provincial negotiating mandates before and 
after NCOP 01lline! 
NDI-An evaluation ofthe NeOp Online! information management system -Page 23 
3.2 Legislation quality 
It was difficult to determine NCOP Online!'s impact on recent legislation or amendments in the 
time period allowed for this evaluation. 
Future evaluations might select one or two high profile bills from past and present and interview 
the people involved to determine if there was a qualitative difference in the debate and 
amendments. Determining the measures of impact can be elusive as the Gauteng Legislature 
discovered when it attempted a similar study to determine the effect of recent organisational 
changes on provincial legislation. 
What is evident from this evaluation however, is that NCOP Online! has enabled people to 
increase the amount of substantive work they can do, made in-depth research easier to 
accomplish and increased access to information. While the above does not necessarily mean that 
legislative quality has improved, it does demonstrate a more enabling environment for 
improving the quality oflegislation. The next section contains a more detailed discussion of 
these elements. 
3.3 Improved legislative processes 
The smooth and productive running of legislative processes such as bill drafting, committee 
review, plenary debates and voting is important to any governing body and crucial to the NCOP 
because of the need to build consensus among provincial delegations. Each province must be 
fully informed about newly introduced legislation so that it can debate a bill, consult public 
stakeholders, negotiate with other provincial delegates and develop a mandate on the bill before 
it is voted on in parliament. NCOP Online! has increased the ability of the NCOP to complete 
this process in periods of four weeks. 
To begin with, political tensions have lessened. According to NCOP Chairperson Naledi Pandor, 
"the arrival ofNCOP Online! has reduced the number of complaints about NCOP . .. The 
improved communication through NCOP Online! has eased some political tensions as well. 
Chairperson Pandor explained that there are now "more orderly administrative relations. I have 
a better relation with Speakers." The systematic nature ofNCOP Online! has eased other 
politically sensitive issues: 
Prior to the system, there were many changes to lists of speakers at meetings and I had to 
prillt and copy new hard copies every time there was a change. This is a sensitive 
political issue which is solved much more easily by doing [the programme] 
electronically. 
Elmarie van der Horst, Usher of the Black Rod, NCOP 
Overwhelmingly, respondents said they had better and more reliable information delivery. Now 
people know where to find the information and get it quickly. 
It used to be that in the monzing, about 7:30 am, dowllloadi1lg bills was my first priority. 
Sometimes I couldn't start my other work ulltil lOam. No olle else could start their days 
either. Now, they're not really dependent on me anymore. NCOP Online! changed 
everything. 
Mr. A. Alexander, Senior Technical Advisor, Northern Cape Legislature 
NDI-An evaluation ofthe NeOp Online! information management system -Page 24 
The availability of infonnation has affected the conduct in committee meetings and debates as 
well: 
Debates and meetings are happening ill a more professional way. Members now cannot 
say they haven't received programmes, bills, etc. 
Elmarie van der Horst, Usher of the Black Rod, NCOP 
People did say that although they were now regularly receiving bills and amendments, they still 
relied on paper copies that arrive sooner. 
As mentioned previously, NCOP Online! has contributed to more and better research in the 
provinces. NCOP Online! could go even farther by fixing the research section so that 
parliamentary and provincial researchers could share their research on the web. 
While there are areas that still need improvement, the changes in legislative processes have led 
to administrative efficiency and cost savings in the NCOP and the provincial legislatures. 
3.4 Administrative efficiency and cost savings 
Administrative efficiency and cost savings is an important outcome ofNCOP Online! because 
better use of human and financial resources eliminates waste and creates space for better 
governance. Improved scheduling and use of staff time, and reducing paper and travel costs, are 
ways in which NCOP Online! has improved administrative efficiency and cost savings. In 
addition, morale has improved, a catalyst to better perfonnance and efficiency. 
Perhaps the biggest change in governmental processes has occurred because of the improvement 
of parliamentary infonnation delivery. Provincial legislative schedules now match the NCOP 
schedule and staff in all areas are able to plan and prioritise their work more effectively, 
increasing the quality of what they can do. 
[Scheduling problems have been solved as a result ofNeOp Online!} For installce, the 
whole of the provincial calendar dovetails with our constituency week and leave for 
members. The fact that we have this on hand, helps us to rework the programme. 
Dr. T.D. Raphoto, Head, NeOp Affairs, Northern Cape Legislature 
The scheduling problems also used to result in provincial delegations missing entire days of 
work in transit when they could have been in the provinces working and of course, the expenses 
were wasted. Thousands of rands of unnecessary travel costs have been avoided because of 
NCOP Online! 
In addition to the misdirected resources, scheduling mishaps also created problems for the 
provincial staff. A loss of trust occurred between members and their staff, because members 
could not rely on staff for correct infonnation. 
Previously, schedules lost in the mail or faxed to a wrong number left the provincial members 
acting unknowingly on out-of-date infonnation. It created a perception that the NCOP was 
disorganised. NCOP Online! has contributed to eliminating this perception. It is now easier to 
see which scheduling problems result due to a legislative delay or organisational management 
issue, rather than a simple communication problem. 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system -Page 25 
All those interviewed agreed there has been cost savings as a result ofNCOP Online! As 
mentioned earlier, documents are now available on the internet and by email delivery that were 
previously faxed or couriered to provinces. The process of tracking down missing documents 
was difficult. NCOP Online! took a complex process and made it simpler. 
I havejust begun to realise how valuable this system is. It has saved us both time and 
money. We no longer have to spend time trying to track down committee secretaries as 
they pick-up and deliver documents all over parliament. We don't have to track them 
down, because they are always in the office now. It is dramatically cutting down on the 
amount of paper work that we have to deal with. I am already adjusting my budget for 
next year's paper purchase. 
Calvin Neluvhola. Parliamentary Unit Manager of Committees, Legislation and Oversight 
Neop Online! also saves NCOP money in hiring employees: 
IlfNCOP Online! disappeared tomorrow} this would have a great impact because we 
would have to have additional staff. 
Dr. T.O. Raphoto, Head, NCOP Affairs, Northern Cape Legislature 
There has been a fundamental change in the jobs of a number of people. People do less repetitive 
administrative stuff and think more. Some people speak of improved morale. There is also a 
feeling of being part of a greater governing process. 
It was quite a fun thing to publish. I e1ljoyed c01ltributing to a docume1lt that you see on 
the web and that is seen by parliame1lt a1ld others beyond parliament. 
Ester May, Researcher, Parliament Information Research Service 
How many others beyond parliament use and derive benefit from NCOP 01lli1le! still remains a 
question, as we see below. 
3.5 Public participation 
From the start, NCOP and NDI intended that the NCOP 01lline! in its first year would be 
primarily an internal communication tool that could have public participation benefits. NCOP 
Online! was not envisioned primarily as a public participation tool and the focus was on its 
applications within the NCOP. 
That being said, the public is using NCOP Online! to some extent. The system has facilitated 
public participation in the provinces, but there is significant room for building a greater public 
participation component into NCOP Online! 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system -Page 26 
Public usage of NeOp Online! 
As mentioned in Part II, Epak registration shows that several NGOs use the system, along with a 
number of members of the media. These include individuals from the Child Health Policy 
Institute, Contact Trust, University of Cape Town, PMG, The Cape Argus, Reuters, SABC TV, 
The Independent and Die Burger. Non-governmental organisations that are active in policy 
issues but are not registered include Black Sash, the Institute for Security Studies, Fair Share, 
EPRI and the SA Council of Churches. (The reporting function only reports organisations 
registered to receive Epaks.) 
The scope of the evaluation did not call for an in-depth look at public participation, but the few 
interviews with civil society organisations highlighted some reasons why more NGOs are not 
registered for Epaks. For example, an IDASA staff member attempted to sign up for Epaks twice 
over the past year, but never received them. Fair Share did not know about NCOP Online! and 
was delighted to learn of a place to access primary government documents as it would enable 
them to quote correct NCOP figures in their budget pamphlets instead of relying on secondary 
sources. Fair Share sends their publications to hundreds of people. This is an example of how 
NCOP Online! may be facilitating public education, albeit indirectly. 
Facilitating public participation in the provinces 
As mentioned in the earlier section, some provinces have found that they are now able to 
schedule more public hearings because they know about upcoming bills ahead of time. In 
addition, staff members find that being freed up from administrative tasks allows them to help 
public participation: 
[As a result ofNCOP Online!, we now have the time to] help translate parliamentese to 
outsiders, improving the information that we call give to public. 
Lindikhaya Sipoyo, Manager, NCOP Liaison Unit 
Outreach to the public 
By law, committees are supposed to take public opinion into account in discussions of bills. A 
public submissions feature on NCOP 01lli1le! has yielded few online submissions. It was hoped 
that the electronic submission option would aid in increasing the number of public submissions 
made by civil society organisations. The low use of this feature may be due to a lack of 
awareness about NCOP Online! 
The E-Bulletin, a periodic newsletter published on the site, is a new feature that has potential use 
for public outreach. The E-Bulletin allows NCOP media officers to publish reports on 
happenings inside the NCOP. It also displays all bill status changes and new provincial 
mandates from the prior week. The idea is to liven up the type of information available so that 
provinces and other stakeholders are interested in what is happening in Parliament outside of the 
information contained in normal parliamentary papers. 
As noted earlier, outreach to the public has been limited. Now that the programme is up and 
running, there is an opportunity to expand the universe ofNCOP Online! users in a way that 
could improve public understanding of the NCOP and improve the access of information by 
other parts of government. This is discussed further in the recommendations in Part IV of this 
evaluation. 
NDI-An evaluation of the Neap Online! information management system -Page 27 
3.6 Sustainability 
What efforts have NCOP and NDI made to ensure that NCOP Online! will continue? 
Efforts to sustain the project include: 
• The system was designed to be operated with a minimum of infrastructure and so that even 
computers running older software could be used 
• NCOP created a new unit to specifically work on NCOP Online! as well as dedicated IT staff 
to the project 
• NCOP and NDI created a solid training programme, including "training of trainers." The 
NCOP Liaison Unit is trained to carry on training new people in the use of the system as 
needed. Mr. Spence trained the IT unit to manage and develop new functions for the system; 
they are currently fulfilling that function. 
• Basic monitoring systems are in place to help the system remain accurate and legitimate. 
• NOI has decreased its role at a pace that matches the increasing capability of the NCOP. 
As it stands currently, NCOP Online! will likely continue to function because enough people 
rely on the system as part of their daily routine. However, NCOP Online! will need to improve 
its accuracy and reliability as the place to get information on the NCOP if it is to truly succeed 
and be sustainable over years. This is further discussed below. 
Part IV: Looking toward the future 
While NOl's strong support is coming to an end, NCOP Ollline! is not "done." It is a continuing 
work in progress: the NCOP can increase system use, expand its functionality and promote 
NCOP Online! as the definitive source ofNCOP information. As the NCOP takes over the day￾to-day management and monitoring and development ofNCOP Online!, there are many 
opportunities for continued development ofthe system. Option A focuses on finishing what the 
NCOP and NDI set out to do. Option B looks beyond that to outline activities to maximise 
NCOP Online!'s potential. The recommendations can be viewed as separately or together. 
4.1 Option A-Complete NeOp Online/ 
To complete the original vision ofNCOP Ollline! the NCOP should assume full responsibility 
for driving the vision; improving accuracy; increasing legitimacy of the system within 
parliament, the provinces and beyond; and fine-tuning existing features. 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system -Page 28 
Transition to full NeOp ownership 
1. Identify a person within NCOP to further the vision ofNCOP Online! Until now, NDI has 
taken the lead on the driving the strategic vision and development of the system. As NDI 
changes roles, various people within NCOP are dividing NDI's former responsibilities. It 
appears that the basic operation ofNCOP Online! will continue, however a gap remains: 
ultimate authority and responsibility for the system's maintenance, longevity and continued 
development are unclear. Internet projects are highly dependent on reviewing, updating and 
innovating to retain their utility. A senior manager within the NCOP should be charged with 
driving and overseeing all aspects of the system. The Liaison Unit is the one department 
most universally concerned with NCOP Online! and its manager may be a logical choice for 
that position. Close contact with the NCOP IT department will further enhance thinking 
about technical innovations. 
2. Expand the monitoring role of the NCOP Liaison Unit to include proactive problem￾solving. This way, the Liaison Unit will not only be able to identify outdated pages or 
missing mandates, but will have the authority and responsibility to actively seek to work with 
researchers, provinces and other stakeholders to ensure NCOP 01lline! maximises its utility. 
Public support from the NCOP leadership would strengthen the Liaison Unit's legitimacy and 
authority while reinforcing the idea that primary responsibility for correct and up-to-date 
information lies within the originating department. 
3. Document lessons learned developing NCOP Online! including technical specifications 
written by Mr. Spence. This would help NDI compare and assess similar pilot projects around 
the world help NCOP maintain records ofNCOP 01lli1le! as changes occur. It would also be 
of great value to others in government, particularly at local government level, seeking to 
apply information technology in similar ways. 
Market NeOp Online/ internally 
1. Encourage committee and research sections to contribute to NCOP Online! Staff in these 
sections are already keen to participate but may not have the infrastructure or mandate to do 
so. Encouragement from the NCOP leadership and pro-active engagement from the Liaison 
Unit could enable these sections to make an enormous contribution to NCOP Online! 
2. Promote NCOP Online! within the NCOP as well as in the provinces, in government 
departments and in the National Assembly. The NCOP leadership can help to encourage 
use of the system and encourage the perception that NCOP Onli1le! is the authoritative place 
to find official information on the NCOP. This can be done through the Speakers' Forum, the 
South African Legislative Secretaries Association (SALSA), new employee manuals and 
orientation, regular articles or "advertisements" in NCOP News and other parliamentary 
newsletters and emails to employees. 
3. Include NCOP Online! orientation in new employee materials and training, emphasising 
the role NCOP Online! plays in NCOP's constitutional mandate. Ideally, some training 
should be offered, but at minimum the training manual should be provided, along with 
information on who to contact with problems. 
NO/-An evaluation of the NCOP Online! information management system - Page 29 
4. Make it clear for the general audience how to get training and who to contact with 
questions. Within the NCOP people might know to call the Liaison Unit with a problem, but 
those in the provinces and other government departments may not have that same knowledge. 
This information should be explicit on the website, in the Epaks and in any published 
material. 
Expand website and Epak functionality and content15 
This evaluation was not intended to review the website. The recommendations below address 
some of the larger issues discussed in this report, rather than comprehensively evaluating the 
website and Epak systems. 
5. Merge the NCOP website into the "parliament" website. Plans underway to merge the two 
sites should be supported. Currently, instead of having one parliament website, or one site for 
the National Assembly and one site for the NCOP, there is a parliament website and an 
NCOP website. This makes it seem as if the NCOP is outside of parliament. To add to the 
confusion, the NCOP website has search and tracking features not just for NCOP but also for 
NA bills. 
6. Conduct outreach, perhaps in the form of a workshop, with researchers to improve the 
research page, making sure to include provincial as well as parliament researchers. At the 
same time, designate a researcher with responsibility for publishing research papers on NCOP 
01lline! 
7. Email-to-fax the Epaks to provinces without reliable internet access. The system is 
currently being set up to allow this function for MPs in constituencies without internet access. 
This should be expanded on a temporary basis to include provinces that at this time do not 
have good internet access. This might include Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape, which do 
not have reliable internet access. 
8. Improve monitoring of Epak registration. Slow or no response to registrationlde￾registration efforts are a continuing problem that cuts down on the number of registered users 
and negatively affects perceptions of the site and the NCOP. This is an integral part ofNCOP 
Onli1le! and should be monitored more closely. 
9. Review the Epak delivery timing and publication ofinformation on the website, 
specifically with respect to the programme and bills. Currently, the NCOP programme Epak 
is sent out at the end of each day, often too late in the workday for people to read it. In 
addition, NGOs, such as PMG, put the programme up on their website before it is published 
on the NCOP Online! website. Interviewees suggested that there is a demand for an earlier 
mailing of the programme Epak. Another important point is that some bills still arrive as a 
paper version before they arrive electronically. This situation should be addressed. 
10. Add an Epak on upcoming bills. NCOP Online! has been able to favourably impact 
provincial participation through its early warning systems. One NCOP staffer often emails a 
list of bills to be introduced. Just as the NCOP 01lline! website announces bills, a 
corresponding Epak would be valuable. 
15 In the course of doing the interviews. users made suggestions for improvement which I have forwarded 
on to the NOI and NCOP IT staff and the NCOP Liaison Office. 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system -Page 30 
11. Make a template for official documents, or add text to official documents stating they are 
official. This will increase the credibility of information posted on NCOP Online! For 
example, many banks have stopped sending paper statements to their customers, and instead 
use an electronic template that looks like the paper statement. This helps build their 
customers' confidence in the information. In this case Parliament's "paper users" will 
become more comfortable receiving official documents electronically. 
12. Add explanations and contact details on web pages that are outdated. For example, if 
the Hansard section is not up to date, include an explanation of that and a contact number for 
the Hansard section so that users can track down the information they need. 
13. Add ability to email the webmaster/comments section. 
14. Add links to provincial legislatures and have them add links to NCOP Online! The 
following provincial legislatures have websites not listed on or linked to NCOP Online!: 
Eastern Capel6, Gauteng17, KwaZulu-Natal'8, Mpumalanga'9, Northern Cape20, Western 
Cape21 . 
15. Add press statements, speeches and Hansards. 
Continue training 
The NCOP Online! system was well designed, such that many people interviewed were able to 
teach themselves how to use it. Even so, there was a clear difference in understanding between 
those who had been trained and those who had not. In addition, those who had not been trained 
tended to use the system less. The capacity has been built within the NCOP to conduct training, 
and a regular programme should be developed. 
1. Follow-up on previous committee section training and monitor timely publishing of 
committee reports. Like the research papers, this is an area in which there is widespread 
provincial interest. The situation should improve significantly once the committee section 
gets computers; this is scheduled for August 2000. 
2. Train NCOP and provincial staff to publish research documents. The Liaison Unit 
should train one administrative assistant or each researcher in the Information Services 
Section to publish documents. Links with the provincial researchers should be expanded, and 
training provided for them as well. 
3. Support and encourage MP training. More and more MPs are becoming computer literate, 
and they are both good consumers and advocates of the system. Efforts should be made to 
reach out to MPs in both the NCOP and NA. 
16 Eastern Cape website: www.ecprov.gov.za 
17 Gauteng website: www.gpg.gov.za 
18 kwaZulu-Natal website: www.kwazulu.net 
19 Mpumalanga website: http://mpumalanga.mpu.gov.zallegislaturellegislature.html 
20 Northern Cape website: http://ncwebpage.ncape.gov.za 
21 Western Cape website: http://westcape.wcape.gov.zal 
NDI-An evaluation of the NCOP Online! information management system - Page 31 
4. Institute an on-going training programme that includes the provinces. As people change 
jobs within parliament, or are newly hired, the knowledge of the system spreads with them. 
The training should take into account employee turnover, whether it is by training trainers in 
government departments and in the provinces, or by a regular training schedule from the 
Liaison Unit. Information on the training should be incorporated into the marketing materials 
and the website in a clear and accessible manner. 
Evaluate the system again 
One year after the official launch ofNCOP Online!, a targeted group has begun to use the 
system regularly and incorporate it into their everyday work. Yet many other groups, inside and 
outside government, still have not taken part. The system has great potential for technical and 
user expansion, and this should be monitored. In addition, continued learning about the success 
ofNCOP Online! will be of great benefit to others in South Africa and internationally. 
1. Workshop this report and conduct another evaluation in a year to assess the system. This 
evaluation should be reviewed with key stakeholders to determine a specific work plan in the 
year ahead. That work plan can serve as the basis of continued evaluation. A key area to 
highlight might include use by MPs and MPLs, as well as the general public. 
4.2 Option B-Maximlse the potential of NeOp Online! 
This option sets forth a more expansive course of action, moving beyond completing NCOP 
Online! to maximising the potential of the system. The recommendations outlined make use of 
the financial commitments already made by the NCOP without the need for significant 
additional resources. 
Expand NeOp Online! visioning 
2. Create an inter-unit working group in order to combine the ideas and vision ofNCOP 
users such as the IT section, Liaison Unit, provincial liaisons, researchers, committee clerks, 
etc. This group would contribute ideas to redesign and vision changes, as well as help flag 
problems. 
Promote NeOp Online! externally 
3. Develop marketing campaigns for government and non-government users. The non￾government campaign might target NGOs, the media, the government affairs sections of 
private sector companies and embassies. The NCOP can help promote awareness and 
improve dissemination of parliamentary information through a marketing campaign to the 
media, government affairs sections and NGOs. Along with more traditional marketing 
methods, an email campaign - which has very low cost implications -- can increase 
awareness of and understanding ofNCOP Online! as well as increase accuracy in reporting. 
This is a potential role for NDI in consultation with the NCOP. 
4. Reach out to young citizens through a civic education page. Again, there is not enough 
internet saturation in South Africa to warrant this as a primary means of reaching young 
people, but the NCOP could add a civic education page to be used in wired schools, such as 
the 1,000 schools across the country that were connected by Telkom. This would 
complement the national government's push to increase internet access and use country-wide. 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system - Page 32 
Redesign the web page for a public audience 
5. Make the website more user friendly. While NCOP Online! does not target public users, it 
could nonetheless be made more accessible to the non-NCOP user. Provinces should be 
included in the brainstorming on this issue. 
6. Add web casting of NCOP debates. Since television stations do not air all NCOP debates, 
NCOP Online! could add a video feature for live or archived debates. 
7. Reorganise the Epak subscription page. According to the Liaison Office, a number of 
subscribers from the private sector unsubscribed in early 2000. This may be because it was 
unclear from the start what type of information they would receive. Currently, the list of 
Epak selections is long, and many choices may be unclear to a parliament outsider. A more 
detailed description of the Epak content, and even suggestions on Epaks for new subscribers, 
might be very useful. For example, the media recommendation might include press releases, 
upcoming bills and research reports; the citizen recommendation might include press releases 
and the E-Bu11etin; the staff recommendation might include the programme, upcoming bills 
and bills. In addition, Epaks based on sectors could be created, such as an Epak for all 
agriculture-related documents and meetings. 
8. Add philosophy behind/mandate of the NCOP. NCOP Online! is an inexpensive marketing 
resource available to the NCOP. As a government body, the NCOP is still new even to the 
people who work within it, and more basic information would be helpful. This might include 
the history of the NCOP, profiles ofMPs and a list of frequently asked questions. 
9. Add NCOP press releases 
10. Increase links to other government websites, parliamentary information websites and related 
NGOs. 
Evaluate NeOp Onlinel with expanded audience in mind 
1. Evaluate impact of NCOP Online! on public participation once the site is further 
marketed and an effort has been made to reach out to other parts of government, civic 
organisations, the private sector and the pUblic. 
2. Review content and organisation of the website with NCOP outsider in mind. The Inter￾parliamentary Union has a guideline document for content and structures of parliamentary 
web sites that might be useful to review, particularly when assessing the public participation 
component 22 
22 The document "Guidelines for the Content and Structure of Parliamentary Web Sites" can be 
downloaded from www.ipu.org/english/strcture/cnldocs/166%2Dweb.htm 
NOI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system -Page 33 
Documents Consulted/Bibliography 
___ 
" "Democracy at the click of a mouse, Internet initiative gives public 
information on governmenf. The Star, 26 October 1999, page 6. 
___ 
" "Guidelines for the Content and Structure of Parliamentary Web Sites" . 
Inter-Parliamentary Council, May 6, 2000. 
www.ipu.org/english/strcture/cnldocs/166%2Dweb.htm 
___ 
" "SA democracy goes on line for all to access", Sowetan 26 October 
1999. 
___ 
" A Window on Parliament. The National Council of Provinces. Pamphlet. 
___ , Backgrounder[on NCOP Information Management System]. NDI 
___ 
" Government Communication and Information Service website 
___ , Inter Parliamentary Union website 
___ , "NCOP National Council of Provinces 1996-1999 In Review." NCOP, 
NDI,AID. 
___ , NDIiSouth Africa Monthly Report 1-30 April 2000. 
___ , NDIiSouth Africa Monthly Report 1-30 March 2000. 
___ , Parliament Making Democracy Work. Packet. 
___ , SA Parliament website 
___ , Parliamentary Monitoring Group website 
___ , Provincial Comparative Study, Report of the National Council of 
Provinces. ND!. 
___ , Semi-Annual Report, South Africa Post Election Consolidation, 
Transparent, Accountable, and Participatory Governance. USAID Grant 
Agreement No. 674-0301-A-SS-6056-00, October 1, 1999 - March 30, 2000 
___ , Semi-Annual Report, South Africa Post Election Consolidation, 
Transparent, Accountable, and Participatory Governance. USAID Grant 
Agreement No. 674-0301-A-SS-6056-00, April 1, 1999 - September 30, 1999. 
___ , Service Level Agreement: NCOP Information Management System (NDI 
and Idion Tech) 
__ --', The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. 
___ 
" The Imperative of Co-operative Governance, Report of the National 
Council of Provinces, National Conference of 8-9 May 1998. NDI, AID. 
___ 
" The Making of the Constitution: The Story of South Africa's Constitutional 
Assembly, May 1994 to December 1996. Churchill Murray Publications (March 
1997) 
___ 
" The NeOp Information Management System. National Council of 
Provinces, Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. (same as backgrounder) 
NDI-An evaluation ofthe NeOp Online! information management system -Page 34 
Coleman, Stephen, John Taylor and Wim van de Donk, eds., Parliament in the 
Age of the Internet (NY: Oxford University Press, 1999.) 
Jensen, Mike, "Internet Connectivity for Africa", May 2000 
http://demiurge.wn.apc.org/africa/afstat.htm 
Mijiga, Foster, Draft Report NCOP ONLINE!! System Introduction to the Provinces 
and Training. 
Moran, Greg, You and the Constitution. Constitutional Assembly. 
Norris, Pippa, Digital Divide? Civic Engagement, Information Poverty and the 
Internet in Democratic Societies (currently under development, NY: Cambridge 
University Press, publication Fall 2001). 
Also http://WWW.ksg.harvard.edu/people/pnorris/book1.htm 
Ott, Dana, 1998. 'Power to the people: the role of electronic media in promoting 
democracy in Africa.; First Monday, 3: Ap 6. 
http://www.firstmonday.dklissues/issue3 4Iott 
Terms of Reference 
Background 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system - Page 35 
Neop Online/ Evaluation 
Terms of Reference 
June 2000 
The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NOI) and National Council of 
Provinces (NCOP) in October 1999 launched an internationally-unique information 
technology initiative known as NeOp Online! This Internet-based information 
management system consists of a website and Email and fax broadcast systems that 
proactively distribute parliamentary information around the country. Before, politicians in 
the provinces would receive bills, amendments and schedules via fax or courier, often 
traveling thousands of kilometers from the provinces for hearings in Cape Town, only to 
find they had been canceled, or that they had received an outdated version of a bill. 
Through NeOp Online!, national and provincial legislators and staff - along with 
members of the public and interest groups -- have instant access to the latest bills, 
committee and public hearing schedules, parliamentary programmes and other 
legislative information. NeOp Online! even allows the public to make submissions 
directly to NCOP committees. 
The launch of Neap Online! followed two years of design, development and planning, 
undertaken jointly by NOI and the NCOP, with project management by NOI staff. NCOP 
strategic planning processes in 1995-97 highlighted the need for such a system; 
extensive consultations with members of the national and provincial legislatures, 
parliamentary staff, civil society representatives and others provided a detailed scope of 
work. While some of the system design was contracted privately by NOI; the NCOP 
provided the network and cabling infrastructure. NOI provided extensive training to 
parliamentary staff (in both legislative and information systems departments) in Cape 
Town as well as across the provinces. 
This document is intended to serve as a terms of reference for evaluation of the NeOp 
Online! system. 
Objectives 
The NeOp Online! system has been set up in such a way that it automatically tracks the 
number of users and documents downloaded. NOI and the NCOP have also received 
anecdotal evidence of the utility of Neap Online! to parliamentarians, staff and civil 
SOCiety actors. However, NOI and NCOP, through this document, seek to more closely 
examine the qualitative impact of the system. The objectives of the evaluation are to: 
• Determine whether Neap Online! achieved any or all of its stated objectives, 
induding examining if those objectives addressed the stated problem and fit into 
NOl's mission 
• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of Neap Online!, including whether the 
programme was implemented as designed 
• Analyse the overall impact of Neop Online! (sustained changes to individual and 
institutional understanding and behavior, including public participation) 
Specifically, this evaluation seeks to determine the impact of NeOp Online! on the: 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system -Page 36 
• Delivery of relevant parliamentary information to targeted audiences; 
• Quality of legislation and related legislative participation, particularly with respect to 
provinces; 
• Administrative efficiency and cost savings to the NeOp; and 
• Public participation. 
In addition, the evaluation will touch on the effectiveness of current efforts to sustain the 
system, as well as recommendations for increasing its use and expanding its 
functionality. 
Methodology 
An independent evaluator will draft a questionnaire, conduct the review and draft a 10 to 
15 page report summarising the findings. The evaluation will be based on a documents 
review and key informant interviews with at least 30 individuals in the NeOp, National 
Assembly, provincial legislatures and non-governmental organisations, as well as NO!. 
The evaluation is to begin in June; a draft report is to be available in late July. 
Key Questions 
IMPLEMENTATION 
1) What were NDI objectives? 
2) Were those objectives met? 
3) Were they the right objectives? 
4) How was the programme designed? 
5) Is NeOp Online! implemented as designed? 
USE 
6) How many users are registered on the site? How are they distributed across 
provinces? How many are governmental? Non-governmental? Which stakeholders 
are not registered? Why not? 
7) How many hits is the site getting on a daily basis? How does this change when 
Parliament is not sitting? What is the distribution across provinces? What 
percentage of users are from government? Outside of government? 
8) How many e-paks are sent out? How many documents are accessed through e￾paks? 
9) Which staff in provinces are using NeOp Onlinen How do they use the information? 
Is there anyone who is not using NeOp Online! that should be? Why not? If not, how 
are they getting their information? 
10)Which staff in the NeOp and provincial legislatures are inputting information? Are 
they doing so effectively (regularly, systematically, consistently)? Is there anyone 
who is not inputting information that should be? Why not? 
11) How many people were trained on using the system? What were the training 
methods? Were training efforts sufficient? Are there people who still need training? 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system - Page 37 
12)What efforts have been made to sustain the system? What is NOl's current role? 
Who is trained to take over NOl's role? Has the NCOP committed financial resources 
sufficient to continuing NeOp Online.'? Have the efforts to sustain the system been 
effective? 
13)Are all functions used? What other functions might be added to the system? 
14)Oid NeOp Online! automate administrative tasks within Parliament? What tasks did 
ON automate? 
15)ls it possible to track legislation online? Is this helpful? How? To whom is this 
helpful? 
16) Is there access to online resources that assist in legislative and policy research? 
What are those resources? Are they used? Are they helpful? 
IMPACT 
17)With NeOp Online!. is it easier for provinces to participate in the NCOP? 
18) Do members of the national and provincial parliaments and their staff have more 
information about legislation and the NCOP process? 
19)Have the contributions of provincial delegations or individual members improved? 
20)Have the provincial mandates changed from two years ago? Are they posted more 
frequently? Are they more detailed? 
21 )Is the impact of NeOp Online! evident in any recent legislation or amendments? 
22)What would happen if NeOp Online! were terminated tomorrow? 
ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCY AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS 
23)Has there been a demonstrated cost-savings to the NCOP as a result of NeOp 
Online!. perhaps in travel. telephone. fax or courier accounts? How have information 
system costs changed? 
24) With the availability of schedules on NeOp Online!. are members able to get 
information about events in a timely manner? How have scheduling problems 
changed since NeOp Online! was introduced? 
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 
25)Which local governments use NeOp Online.'? How do they use the information? Are 
they online? Is Neop Online! useful to them? 
26)Which organisations outside of government use NeOp Online!? How do they use the 
information? 
27)Which key groups do not have access to NeOp Online!. or have access but are not 
using the system? What can be done to improve this? 
28)How many online submissions have been received? How are those used by 
committees? 
29)What outreach efforts have been undertaken? Have they been effective? 
NOI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system - Page 38 
Interview Questions 
NOI Evaluation of NCOP Online/ 
Purpose: To informally assess the impact of NeOp Online! and gain insight on utility of 
information technology initiatives. 
Note: This information is confidential and will be referred to without mentioning the 
interviewee. Any direct quotes with attribution must be approved by interviewee. 
General 
What is your job? How does it relate to NCOP? How long have you been in your current 
position? 
Do you have access to a computer? How does a computer help you accomplish NCOP￾related responsibilities? 
Do you have access to the internet? Dial-up or modem? Do you have email? 
Outreach & Training 
Are you aware of the NeOp Online! system? Do you subscribe to E-paks? 
How did you learn about NeOp Online!? 
How did you learn how to use NeOp Online!? 
Is there anything you didn't learn that would be helpful to know? Do you feel additional 
training would be useful? 
NCOP Online/ E·Paks 
Do you use email for work-related business on a regular basis? Would you describe 
your email usage as heavy (>10 messages per day), moderate (5-10) or light «5)? 
Which e-paks do you find useful? 
Useful Not useful Not Send to 
u .. ? 
Programme 
Daily Papers 
Committee Minutes and 
" 
Legislation (bills, 
..I. acts) 
Morning and Afternoon 
Alerts 
Provincial Mandates 
NDI - An evaluation of the Neap Online! information management system -Page 39 
lather 
Have you had technical problems receiving E-paks? What were they and are they 
resolved? Who do you contact when you have e-pak problems? 
NCOP Online! Website 
Do you use NCOP Online! website? How often (times per day, week or month»? 
Do you use other Internet web sites for collecting Parliamentary information such as 
GOV.ZA. PMG, the Parliament web site, or the ANC web site? Why? (more information, 
more accurate information) 
Have you had technical problems accessing the web site or the Intemet? What were 
they and are they resolved? 
What parts of the NCOP Online! website do you find most useful/accurate/timely? 
Useful/accur Not 
ate and whv 
NCOP Programme 
Legislation (bills and bill 
trackino\ 
Parliament Papers (ATCs, 
Order Papers, Minutes of 
O ..... ... ,..,.,in".., .... """"tin".., ",f 
Committees {contact"" 
. hills 
Scheduling information 
(notices for committees and 
",+h""r h", t 1C!iC> 
Contact fnformation , 
Rules, procedural 
information, Interventions, 
r"""''''''!2r,..h ",r ... +h ..... 1) 
Ebulletan, NeOP'News 
NCOP Onlinel Processes and Information Flows 
Sending Information 
Refer this How 
to other distribute 
What NCOP information do you send, to whom? (NCOP, provinces, other?) How do you 
send it? 
Who did you send information to before? How did you send it? 
Do you input information onto the site (publish mandates, etc.)? If so, what is your 
procedure for inputting information (regular, systematically, consistently)? 
Do your submissions to the NCOP get there in a more timely fashion then they did 
previously? Why or why not? 
NOI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system - Page 40 
Are certain tasks automated now that weren't before? Which tasks? If so, what do you 
do now that you spend less time on those tasks? Have you saved time/money as a 
result of this automation? 
Are there times when you do not/cannot submit information to the NCOP electronically? 
If so, why not? How do you get around this problem? Who do you contact when you 
have this problem? 
Has the process of sending information improved? Why is this important? Are the 
procedures to submit information to the NCOP electronically more/less effective 
compared to the old procedures? 
Receiving information 
Do you get information quicker than before through NCOP Onlinen Before NCOP 
Online! how long did it take you to get that information? How much quicker? Example? 
Why does that matter? 
Has the system made things more/less efficient than before (time, money, streamlining?) 
Why is that important? 
Is the information you receive any more accurate? How much more accurate? Example? 
Why does that matter? 
Administrative Impact 
What scheduling problems have been solved as a result of the new system? Are there 
any unresolved or new scheduling problems as a result of the new system?(Solution e￾pak or the web page?) 
Has the NCOP Online! service made your job easier or improved the quality of what you 
are able to do? How? 
Impact 
Is you/your provincial delegation able to make meaningful input into bills and mandates 
to the extent that it would like? Why/why not? 
How often do you or your stakeholders compare or consider the mandates of other 
provinces? How do you get the mandates? Do the mandates of other provinces 
influence decision-making in your province? 
Has your province's access to legislative information improved over the last year (since 
the 1999 election)? If so, what do you attribute the improved access to? If not, what 
causes the lack of improved information? 
Do you/your province participate in more debates, committees and propose more 
amendments than you did before? 
In your opinion, has the NeOp Online! service facilitated better participation by 
provincial and local governments in national policymaking? Example. 
If NCOP Online! disappeared tomorrow, what impact would that have on you in your 
current responsibilities? What impact would it have on your province or organisation? 
Do you have any recommendations for improving NCOP Online! or the e-pak document 
delivery system? 
NDI - An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system - Page 41 
Any other comments? 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system - Page 42 
People Interviewed 
Director of Parliamentary 
Ms. Jocelyn Moeti 
Ms. Margare Diederick 
t s 
Mr. Mike Coetzee 
Mr. Lizette Symeone 
Operations 
Regis House 
Research Services Manager 
Secretary 
IT Consultant 
Mr. R. Mzimela Secretary 
Mr. Sibisi Procurement 
Mr. Sam Muthige Administration 
Mr. ET Vezi Chief Whip (IFP) 
Mr CM Cronje Deputy Chairperson/ChiefWhip 
s. (ANC) 
Head of Procedural & 
Ms. Patience Mbalo 
Mr. MJ Bester 
Mr. Mkhonza 
Mr. Advocat Zama 
e 
NCOP Section 
Regis House 
Senior Researcher 
IT Manager 
legal advisor 
officer, NCOP 
Affairs 
Ms. Tebago Ranaka Regis House 
Mr Nomhlo Ngcakani Researcher 
s. bo 
Mr. A. Alexander Senior Technical Advisor, Finance 
Department 
Dr. TO Raphoto Head, NCOP Affairs 
Mr Natalia Borchard Library Assistant 
s. 
NCqfr. Mohsee Moosa Permanent Delegate 
n 
Mr. Moham 
med 
Ms. Naledi 
Mr. M.L. 
Bhabha Provincial Whip/Permanent 
Delegate 
Pandor Chairperson 
Mushwan Deputy Chairperson 
a 
NDI-An evaluation of the NeOp Online! information management system - Page 43 
Mr. Thembal Stamper Information Officer, Liaison Office 
ani 
Mr. Mandisi Tyumere Information Officer, Liaison Office 
Mr. Lindikya Sipoyo Manager, Liaison Unit 
ha 
Mr. Jonatha February Office of Chairpersons of 
n Committees 
Ms. Lana Willemse Systems Operator, Liason Office 
Ms. Elmarie van der Usher of the Black Rod 
Horst 
Mr. Darwin Franks 
Martin Country Director 
Mr. Chris Spence Senior Programme Officer 
Ms. Julie Hughes Senior Programme Officer 
Mr. Elroy Paulus Programme Manager 
Mr. Albert VanZyl 
Hermion Cronje Special Assistant 
e 
Mr. Edgar 
Ms. Ester 
de Koker Committee Secretary 
May Researcher 
Mr. Leon Gabriels Manager 
NDI 
NDI 
NDI 
Fair Share 
Idasa 
National Director of Public 
Prosecutions 
Parliament 
Parliament Research 
Information Services 
Parliamentary Research Unit