Developing the SAPS website for optimal service delivery
Department of Information Science
University of Pretoria
Preprint. Accepted for
publication in SAJLIS 71/1, 2005
Abstract
This article discusses a study undertaken to enhance online
service delivery by the South African Police Service (SAPS) by
means of its website. It makes various recommendations to achieve
this, following various investigations. The SAPS describes its
primary goal as “service to the public”. This is in line with the
South African government’s Batho Pele (“People first”)
initiative to improve the delivery of public services. However, as
society is changing in response to the demands of the Internet
Age, service providers (for the purpose of this study, police
agencies) must, too, adjust. The application of e-Governance will
enable these agencies to serve the public with a wide variety of
information and services. This study makes recommendations in this
regard as well. In the initial study for this work user needs
regarding the establishment of the SAPS website were assessed.
Subsequently a study was conducted to determine best practices in
various English-speaking countries, using an evaluation framework
compiled for this purpose. Based on the results gained a measuring
instrument was designed to evaluate the SAPS website. Four expert
evaluators were then requested to do so. The assessment of
possible shortcomings of the SAPS website and recommendations for
enhancing online service delivery and e-Governance by the study
are set out in the article.
|
| 1N.E.
Sonderling completed her masters degree in information science
at the University of Pretoria, Department of Information
Science in 2003. |
| 2Theo
Bothma is professor and head of the Department of Information
Science, University of Pretoria. |
back to top
|
