Eastern Cape Department of Education embarked on a project last year June 2016, where the plan would be to digitize all departmental files.

The intention of the project was good, but the manner in which the files were collected, created an unsettling notion to the officials of the department.

Communications of the Department felt it was its duty to unlock the truth and get to the bottom of the hundreds of concerns that came through the departmental website, social media and customer care platforms to allay fears instilled in the officials.

Going to the warehouse, which is based in East London, the Communications Team met with armed security that escorted them into the premises, where they found thousands of boxes neatly stored and organized according to the stage of the process at which those specific files are at.  With razor wire fencing, within the warehouse, protecting files that are kept there, only a minimum amount of access given to employees that work there, with a security guard, guarding the section. The boxes are well stacked according to the Districts from which they come from, to create an easy work flow to digitize files. These sections are monitored 24/7 by CCTV, and under no circumstances are employees allowed to use phones during their shift.

Employees are working extremely cautious to make sure that the files are safe and organized according to a well-structured checklist.  To give you an idea, each official that works for the Department of Education in the Eastern Cape has a box, in that box there are five files, which are labeled as follows: Personnel, Salary, Human Resource, Housing and leave, where information is arranged from the closest date all the way back to the date of appointment.

To further test the system which has been put in place, the team decided to go the extra mile and request a file of Nobulali Sigabi through a testing process. The team went to their Call Centre, where she had to fill out a request form, it then had to be authorized by the Project Manager Thabisile Khanyile, by way of signature and then handed back to the Call Centre Officer. Within a mere ten minutes Sigabi’s box was in the office, where she checked for her five files, which were neatly labeled and in order according to dates.  All her information was digitized and reflected on the system.

Departmental officials can set their fears aside and have a settled notion to know that their files are well taken care of and are safe to uncomprehendable measures. The Teams feels, it is their duty to continually update officials on the progress that is being made at the Warehouse and will check in often to do short video clips for employees, so that they can understand the manner in which their files have been taken care of.