From noon on Wednesday until the same time this Saturday, IBM is facilitating an online dialogue between members of the National Planning Commission (NPC) and ordinary South Africans.

Called the “NPC Jam”, the 72-hour event is intended to allow anyone who wants to express views on what government policy should look like in future to do so — anyone, that is, who can get online or to a telephone or fax machine.

The NPC Jam is a “managed discussion, unlike the free-for-all of the blogosphere”, says commission chairman and minister in the presidency Trevor Manuel.

Manuel says the website being used to facilitate the discussion witnessed almost 2 500 logins between going live at noon on Wednesday and 5pm on the same day.

The hope is that South Africans will raise a broad range of issues, including the economy, public service performance, education and training, jobs, crime and corruption, health and wellness, and infrastructure.

Another of the key topics under review is what the commission calls “Vision 2030”, a roadmap for SA that includes the goals of eradicating poverty and reducing inequality in less than two decades’ time.

Manuel says the value of the project is it will take the views of members of the public and present them to government. The NPC has no intention of sugarcoating the findings because its mandate is to do quite the reverse, he says.

There is “great value” in discussing pressing issues in a “public domain like this and setting a benchmark against which government performance can be measured”, Manuel adds.

He concedes that because it’s online, there are many South Africans who will be excluded from the discussion. However, the initiative includes a dial-in number so that people can leave messages. There’s also a fax line.

“In an attempt to ensure as wide a participation as possible — and being fully aware of the digital divide — the commission has worked with the National Youth Development Agency, LoveLife and government-owned Thusong centres to ensure that even those who don’t have computers or Internet connectivity can participate in this online discussion.”

Manuel says the outcome of the discussion should begin to be made available from as early as next week. The final report will be delivered on 11 November, but Manuel warns the commission “would be wrong to think it has the last word come 11 November”.

He adds there will have to be a “lot of interaction” with the public, and the NPC Jam is just the first step of that process. — Craig Wilson, TechCentral