Mr Aubrey Mochela: Pioneering Urban Digital Transformation

Mr Aubrey Mochela

Share on :

Facebook
X
LinkedIn
Pinterest
WhatsApp
Email

Catalyzing Technological Evolution!

The digital landscape is rapidly evolving, reshaping industries and redefining traditional approaches to governance and service delivery. At the forefront of this transformation is the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, where innovative initiatives are driving digital evolution and ICT innovation. Within this dynamic environment, the role of technology leadership is paramount in steering the municipality towards efficiency, transparency, and progress.

Leading the charge in this endeavor is Mr. Aubrey Mochela, serving as the Executive Director: Group Chief Technology Officer. With a rich background spanning both public and private sectors, Mr. Mochela brings a wealth of experience to his role. His vision centers on leveraging technology to enhance service delivery, streamline operations, and foster innovation across the municipality.

Under Mr. Mochela’s guidance, the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is embracing digital transformation on multiple fronts. From implementing cutting-edge ICT solutions to spearheading initiatives for smart city development, his leadership is driving tangible change. By prioritizing collaboration, innovation, and community engagement, Mr. Mochela is paving the way for a more connected and resilient urban environment.

Let’s delve in to learn more:

Driving Digital Transformation and ICT Innovation

Mr. Aubrey Mochela holds the position of Executive Director, Group Chief Technology Officer at the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. His tenure with the City commenced in 2014 when he assumed the role of General Manager: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at City Power, an entity of the City of Johannesburg municipality.

Prior to joining the public sector, Mr. Mochela amassed experience in the private sector, specializing in providing ICT and digital solutions to government and private businesses aimed at fostering innovation, cost-saving, and efficiency improvement.

In his current capacity as Group Chief Technology Officer (GCTO), Mr. Mochela is entrusted with overseeing the planning, design, implementation, and management of ICT solutions and driving digital transformation initiatives within the City. His focus lies in implementing business platforms geared towards enhancing service delivery, revenue management, governance, and facilitating smart city initiatives.

Furthermore, he bears the responsibility of guiding the strategic direction, alignment, and integration of all systems and infrastructure across the City, encompassing its 13 entities and all departments.

Driving Transformation through ICT Leadership

In his role, Mr. Aubrey demonstrates effective leadership in driving transformation, emphasizing a collaborative approach and teamwork. He embraces a transformational leadership style, recognizing the importance of collective effort for meaningful organizational change. Mr. Mochela underscores the critical role of ICT as an instrument of transformation, advocating for highly motivated teams equipped with SMART KPIs and recognition mechanisms to drive innovation and digital advancement.

Throughout his 30-year ICT career, Mr. Mochela has achieved significant milestones across government, private sector, and community-based organizations. Noteworthy accomplishments include leading the implementation of the first VDI (Virtual Desktop) platform at the Department of Mineral Resources in 2010 and spearheading the adoption of public and private cloud platforms, including the automated Operations Centre for a prominent service provider in South Africa circa 2012.

He played a pivotal role in overcoming resistance to cloud adoption in the City of Johannesburg and introduced Microsoft Teams at City Power before the onset of COVID-19, subsequently proposing its implementation city-wide as part of a business continuity and disaster management strategy during the pandemic. Mr. Mochela’s innovative projects extend beyond South Africa, with deployments of network management solutions in Kenya and Zambia.

ICT Leadership: Driving Digital Stability and Efficiency

In the realm of business investment, there has been a notable lack of focus on programs or projects that may not directly impact communities, including critical ICT initiatives such as Cybersecurity, IT Service Management, and Infrastructure Management. However, as government services increasingly transition to digital platforms, these three programs play a fundamental role.

Communities engaging with the City rely on digital services underpinned by infrastructure management, facilitated through service management, and safeguarded by cybersecurity measures. Unfortunately, these ICT programs are not always perceived as essential for service delivery and revenue management by the business sector that invests in technology.

The consequences of inadequate investment in these programs became apparent when both City Power and the City of Johannesburg CORE were affected by ransomware attacks. Other repercussions included application failures stemming from outdated infrastructure that had not been replaced. Compounded by challenges in procurement governance, implementing sustainable solutions became arduous.

To address these issues, Mr. Aubrey Mochela spearheaded the continuation of the CSIR Cybersecurity program and advocated for the adoption of cloud solutions for infrastructure and software as a Service, leveraging Microsoft Azure Marketplace and related services. This strategic approach has yielded stability in the environment and enhanced efficiencies across various sectors.

Fostering Governance and Partnerships in City Operations

In government institutions, adherence to legislation is paramount, with laws like the Municipal Systems Act and MFMA serving as guiding principles for compliance within the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. These laws are translated into by-laws and policies to ensure governance practices that promote collaboration and legitimate partnerships.

Furthermore, various forums are actively driven and participated in to facilitate knowledge exchange, drive change management, and streamline the adoption of advanced technologies. These include the CoJ CIO Forum, Smart City Forum, eGov CIO Council, and GCR Forum, among others.

Additionally, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) are established between government departments to foster inter-governmental relations within the province, country, and other metropolitan municipalities internationally. The City of Johannesburg also engages in international forums such as URAIA, focusing on engineering, ICT, and Smart City initiatives.

Partnerships with the private sector are established through mechanisms like Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and traditional tender processes. In terms of civil society engagement and corporate social responsibility, the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) process facilitates public and civil society involvement. Furthermore, MOUs are signed to achieve common goals, such as enhancing security through CCTV coverage, organizing cleaning campaigns, or ensuring the operation of traffic lights.

Driving Technological Transformation for Urban Progress

In recent years, Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) and Chief Information Officers (CIOs) have faced increasing pressure to adopt a business-oriented approach, focusing on transformative projects that enhance the viability, sustainability, and profitability of organizations.

This imperative extends to the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, where Mr. Aubrey Mochela, as the Group Chief Technology Officer, is entrusted with spearheading the city’s transformation beyond mere municipal administration to include value to communities and businesses.

At the core of the Group Information Communications Technology & Information Management department lies a commitment to innovation. This ethos drives programs aimed at enhancing customer engagement, improving service delivery, optimizing revenue collection, and empowering businesses, particularly Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), thereby enhancing the city’s reputation.

Among the technologies deployed in the city are interactive and online Call Centre systems, Service Management systems, Town Planning and Plan Submission systems, automated Meter Reading systems, Bill Presentation & Payment systems, and Surveillance systems, among others.

Furthermore, the department is embracing emerging technologies, including camera systems for monitoring traffic, potholes, cleanliness, crime, and other municipal services. These initiatives are supported by the Integrated Intelligent Operations Centre, which is equipped with AI and BI platforms.

Currently, the department is engaged in a project to integrate AI and machine learning (ML) technologies into call center operations, aiming to automate resolution processes for customer queries. Drones and robotics are being explored for various applications within the engineering and Operational Technology domains, while Virtual Reality is being considered for engineer training, initially focusing on electricity and water plant operations before expanding to other services such as bus operations.

Navigating Municipal Governance and Service Delivery

In the context of government regulation, municipal operations, particularly within the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, are subject to rigorous oversight. Unlike the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) governing national and provincial government entities, the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) imposes even stricter regulations, delineating precise protocols for citizen engagement and mandate execution.

Aligned with the strategic direction outlined in the GDS2040 plan, municipal administrations are mandated to engage with communities periodically, typically every five years following elections, through a process known as the Integrated Development Plan (IDP). This process facilitates citizen input to identify needs and allocate budgetary resources accordingly. Service standards are established collaboratively during these engagements and formalized into Service Delivery Agreements, ensuring accountability among delivering entities and departments.

In response to these regulatory imperatives, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) department plays a critical role in enabling governance and facilitating service delivery, billing, and payment processes. Presently, the municipality is in the process of implementing the municipal standard chart of accounts (mSCOA), a National Treasury initiative, to streamline demand management, budgeting, planning, procurement, payment, and public account reporting. This initiative involves the deployment of SAP and SAGE technologies to achieve operational efficiencies.

Additionally, the municipality has embarked on initiatives such as the Central Service Delivery App, leveraging SIAM and ServiceNow tools for customer management, service requests, incident management, problem management, and change management to enhance service delivery processes.

Addressing Challenges in Municipal Digital Transformation

Mr. Aubrey addresses various challenges within the organization that affect the digitalization of the City. These challenges primarily stem from senior executives focus on territorial protection and the struggle for the political mandate, leading to silo mentalities, budgetary conflicts, empire-building, and procurement of non-interoperable solutions not aligned with common standards or best practices.

A seasoned professional with extensive experience in both consultancy and government roles, Mr. Mochela recognizes the obstacles hindering digital transformation efforts. Drawing from his comprehensive understanding of governmental operations, he advocates for collaborative approaches involving the private sector, communities, and government to develop solutions aligned with public needs through a design-thinking framework.

Embracing partnerships with the private sector, the City leverages platforms like the Microsoft Azure Market Place for solution procurement, enhancing collaboration and solution resilience against vandalism or theft often exacerbated by societal issues, business sabotage, and, in some cases, political rivalries. The city’s digitalization strategic programs, such as the SAP Business Transformation Programme, established in 2017, strive to disseminate digital transformation initiatives, albeit facing challenges from silo mentalities and territorial protectionism.

Recognizing the efficacy of private sector solutions, how they perfect marketing and customer engagement, and the need for improved communication, the City invests in radio stations to engage internal and external stakeholders. Standardization of ICT practices serves as a mechanism for technology consolidation and adoption enforcement, achieved through partnerships with government entities like CSIR and eGov, as well as the private sector.

Mr. Mochela spearheaded the SMME Reseller program in 2017, empowering communities to market City services through a dedicated portal. This initiative, currently focusing on telecommunications, aims to expand into energy, water, and other municipal services, facilitated by the Special Rates Areas by-law and associated policies.

Efforts are underway to enhance change management and public outreach through media assessments targeting both internal stakeholders and the general public. Through strategic partnerships and innovative approaches, Mr. Mochela aims to overcome challenges and drive digital transformation within the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.

Driving Digital Evolution for Transparent Governance

The vision entails transitioning the City from outdated manual systems to digital solutions. The traditional approach of automating processes has often expedited inefficiencies, merely converting manual processes into electronic ones. The City’s transformation into a digital smart city is rooted in design thinking, aiming to digitalize systems for enhanced efficiency, effectiveness, security, and availability. Technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and 3D printing will drive this evolution.

The SMME Reseller program is perceived as pivotal for future municipal service delivery, particularly amid growing mistrust between communities and the government. Additionally, initiatives to promote electronic payments, facilitated by the Zenzele electronic bill presentation and payment portal, signify a progressive step.

Plans are underway to transition towards digital currency, streamlining financial transactions within a closed-loop money system. This shift aims to improve service delivery through co-production with communities and businesses, combat corruption, reduce financial overheads, and foster collaboration among government entities.

By embracing digital wallets for transactions with government service providers, transparency regarding locally produced goods and services, as well as profit margins, will be enhanced, ultimately mitigating corruption risks. This digital transformation initiative seeks to address corruption prevalent in Africa’s public sector, which is comprised of both business people and government officials or politicians, by establishing transparent audit trails, heralding a new era of governance across the continent.

Navigating Challenges

When confronted with challenges, forward-thinking experts view them as opportunities awaiting proper analysis. Mr. Aubrey Mochela perceives challenges through the lens of opportunity, emphasizing the need to mitigate associated risks rather than merely solving problems. He identifies three critical areas brimming with opportunities: Good Governance, aimed at restoring trust between investors, citizens, and the government; Citizen-Centric engagement to elevate bad service experiences; and Environmental Protection and Sustainability to ensure long-term viability.

Revenue Management and collection play a pivotal role in sustaining essential services. Mr. Mochela emphasizes the significance of Good Governance in rebuilding trust and confidence among stakeholders. Currently, governmental integrity is marred by perceptions of corruption and incompetence, with governance processes susceptible to manipulation.

The Group ICT is actively engaged in automating governance processes and facilitating seamless integration between service delivery, monitoring tools, and reporting mechanisms. Failure to address governance issues may precipitate a shift in governmental administration and political dynamics, potentially ceding ground to community-driven NGOs focused on service delivery.

Fostering Servant Leadership for Lasting Impact

Encouraging prospective leaders to cultivate servant leadership qualities from a young age, Mr. Aubrey underscores the importance of collaboration and passion for community development, innovation, and environmental sustainability. He emphasizes the need for aspiring leaders to prioritize simple yet sustainable solutions that ensure the continuity of life on Earth for future generations.

Navigating the challenges of governance requires resilience and a commitment to maintaining moral integrity. Mr. Mochela advises aspiring leaders to remain steadfast in their dedication to serving society rather than succumbing to the temptations of personal gain. True transformational leadership, he asserts, stems from a genuine desire to serve others and leave behind a positive legacy that uplifts society and improves living standards.

Related Articles: