CWP: How big is your IT team?

Sevilla: Right now, we have four regular programmers, one IT officer, and, at the top of the organizational chart, is my position. Under it is the IT Officer 2 and below that are our programmers. One of the thrusts of our budget proposal is to upgrade the plantilla positions because as soon as our contract with the company who did the project expires, the next thing to do would be to turn over the technical knowledge or technology transfer. The difference between Pasay and Mandaluyong is that, under our contract, it is the obligation and duty of the end-user to build up the database. At the MITS (Management Information Technology Service) office, the contractor only provides assistance and we have to oversee how they do the data build-up. It is the function of the assessor’s office to build up the data. We constantly follow this up and those are some of the things we do in addition to solving the other problems we encounter. Right now, the COA (Commission on Audit) is conducting a systems audit of the Pasay GEMS project.

Umali: Plantilla-wise, we have 30 items occupied. There are people who handle hardware and others for system development and maintenance. As for people in the GIS, what we do in the implementation is, we form our end first then we turn over things to the users. Usually, the offices concerned are not really into it. So what we do is build up the database then turn over the system and everything else to them. During the database build-up, we ask the concerned offices to send a representative so they could give us feedback.

CWP: Are the maintenance and the implementation of these projects done in-house or do you outsource them?

Umali: We’ve had several systems already and we started by outsourcing our systems development. The problem was we became so dependent on the developer. We started with standalones, and so when we upgraded our computers, we had to pay the developer again to re-develop the whole thing. And every time we had to make changes in the tax rates, we had to run back to them. So, finally, we decided to do an in-house system.

CWP: How does the NThC Web site works?

Aujero: The NThC Web site is like an e-mail that you have to log-in because we have issues in security and confidentiality regarding patients records that’s why there’s only limited access. We had on-site trainings since 2005 and so once in a while we go there. We decided to expand the E-medicine project to help those really in need because we found out that those centers in Capiz and EVRMC are regional centers themselves. They have a few specialists in there too. So we expanded this using text medicine to help doctors to the barrios because most of the time these doctors are the newly graduates. They don’t know anyone in the area and the only doctors they know are probably their professors or even some of their relatives. They don’t know how to connect, so we branched out with them. From four provinces, we are now all over the country. Actually there’s even one up there in Batanes, so from north to south there are doctors to the barrios that we are helping. So this included all equipment, all available infrastructure there is, because initially, we just use the Internet for the BuddyWorks project, even SMS, e-mail, and landline if they want to.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Moving Through the Supply Chain
• Mitigating the Risks
• Greening the Workplace
• Philippine BPO industry hails Senate’s passage of cybercrime bill
• The Pros and Cons of ERP Systems

 Print This Post

Pages: