<div dir="auto">Thanks<div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">However we should also get assurance from SITA to not prescribe ESRI but rather allow the choices of software to be more transparent that also goes for the prescribed SAP choice.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Kashmira </div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr">On Fri, 03 Aug 2018, 4:48 PM Sindile Bidla, <<a href="mailto:sindile.bidla@geoilocate.co.za">sindile.bidla@geoilocate.co.za</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><u></u><div><div style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#000000"><div>Dear List,<br></div><div><br></div><div>The Department of Home Affairs has canceled the geographical accessibility study tender. Hopefully the new tender will not unfairly disadvantage other players in the sector.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Regards,<br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div id="m_6244440521931085794Zm-_Id_-Sgn"><div><span><span class="m_6244440521931085794colour" style="color:rgb(136,136,136)">Sindile XJ Bidla</span></span><br></div><span><span class="m_6244440521931085794colour" style="color:rgb(136,136,136)"><table style="background:none;border-width:0px;border:0px;margin:0;padding:0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:14px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" colspan="2"><div><br></div><div><b><span class="m_6244440521931085794size" style="font-size:16px">Geoilocate</span></b><br></div></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></div><div><br></div><div class="m_6244440521931085794zmail_extra"><div id="m_6244440521931085794Zm-_Id_-Sgn1"><div><br></div><div>---- On Mon, 30 Jul 2018 10:08:39 +0200 <b>Sindile Bidla <<a href="mailto:sindile.bidla@geoilocate.co.za" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">sindile.bidla@geoilocate.co.za</a>></b> wrote ----<br></div></div><div><br></div><blockquote style="border-left:1px solid #cccccc;padding-left:6px;margin:0 0 0 5px"><div class="m_6244440521931085794zm_2654896286865458857_parse_-9130648483097092900"><div style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><div>Dear List<br></div><div><br></div><div>Those who are concerned by this issue could perhaps raise it with the CFO (I have sent him an email and spoke to him on the phone). <br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><img src="cid:0.28869202910.7089401229416902221.1650042541b__inline__img__src" width="313" height="117"><br></div><div>This creates a defacto monopoly with regards to GIS services in Government and does not encourage the emergence of other players.<br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div><span><span class="m_6244440521931085794colour" style="color:rgb(136,136,136)">Sindile XJ Bidla</span></span><br></div><div><span><span class="m_6244440521931085794colour" style="color:rgb(136,136,136)"></span></span><br></div></div><div class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249zmail_extra"><div><div><br></div><div>---- On Mon, 30 Jul 2018 08:30:45 +0200 <b>Zoltan <<a href="mailto:zoltans@geograph.co.za" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">zoltans@geograph.co.za</a>></b> wrote ----<br></div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></div><blockquote style="border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:6px;margin:0 0 0 5px"><div class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249 m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249zm_-2645960227891075044_parse_-2213469142568754741"><div>Hi List,<br></div><div>To me, this is exactly the problem bodies like GISSA and SAGI need tackle.<br></div><div>These Institutes/Societies are "there for their members", whereas the Professional bodies (SAGC) are their for their "Members' clients" (very broadly speaking).<br></div><div>GISSA charges a pittance for its membership fees. <br></div><div>SAGI doesn't (charge a pittance), but SAGI gets things done - more for their surveyors at this stage, but as their professional approach swings more to the GISc side, that is where things will start to happen for us (GISc types).<br></div><div>Join one, and become an evangelist/rabble-rouser or whatever you need to be in order to start swinging the tide.<br></div><div><br></div><div>It is ludicrous that in this age of technology we are told that a hand-brush is needed to maintain the data, so now use a hand-brush to capture it all.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Perhaps start by looking hard at the import/export options on ESRI products, and finding a way in through those methodologies.<br></div><div>Once the users see that data flows easily in and out of Arc, the next step can be taken.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Hope this thought helps.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Regards,<br></div><div>Zoltan<br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826moz-cite-prefix">On 2018/07/30 07:37, Angie Atkinson wrote:<br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><pre class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826moz-signature">--
=============================================
Zoltan Szecsei GPrGISc 0031
Geograph (Pty) Ltd.
GIS and Photogrammetric Services
P.O. Box 7, Muizenberg 7950, South Africa.
Mobile: +27-83-6004028
Fax: +27-86-6115323 <a class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.geograph.co.za" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">www.geograph.co.za</a>
=============================================<br></pre></div><div>_______________________________________________<br></div><div>Africa mailing list<br></div><div><a href="mailto:Africa@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Africa@lists.osgeo.org</a><br></div><div>You can UNSUBSCRIBE at <a href="https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/africa" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/africa</a><br></div><blockquote><div class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826WordSection1"><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"><span>Hi Everyone,</span><br></p><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"><span> </span><br></p><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"><span>I have just read all the comments and replies with regards to the requirement that one uses ESRI.</span><br></p><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"><span> </span><br></p><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"><span>Something we have come across and what is a concern for us as well is that in most of the tenders, and will more than likely soon be come all tenders, stipulates that one needs to provide the municipality / government department with an ARC Map Package, no other software is compatible with this except for ARC, so unless the TORs states that one can provide shapefiles compatible with ESRI/ARC you will need to have ARC so that you can comply with the TOR requesting a Map Package.</span><br></p><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"><span> </span><br></p><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"><span>Many of the Government Departments we work with have indicated that the ARC Map Package is the ARC GIS Format they are referring to when asking for data, some have amended the TORs to indicate that the data needs to be provided in ARC Map Package format.</span><br></p><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"><span> </span><br></p><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"><span>Regards</span><br></p><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"><span> </span><br></p><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"><span>Angie</span><br></p><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"><span> </span><br></p><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"><span> </span><br></p><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid rgb(225,225,225) 1pt;padding:3pt 0cm 0cm 0cm"><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"><b><span>From:</span></b><span> Africa <a class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:africa-bounces@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"><africa-bounces@lists.osgeo.org></a> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Gavin Fleming<br> <b>Sent:</b> Thursday, 26 July 2018 10:10<br> <b>To:</b> Africa local chapter discussions <a class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:africa@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"><africa@lists.osgeo.org></a><br> <b>Subject:</b> [OSGeo Africa] ESRI in Government and tender requirements</span></p></div></div><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"> <br></p><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal">Hi all<br></p><div><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"> <br></p></div><div><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal">I attended the briefing session for the Department of Home Affairs geographical accessibility study (Thanks Zoltan for the heads-up).<br></p></div><div><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"> <br></p></div><div><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal">The ToR states that the service provider has to have ArcGIS. I asked for this requirement to be removed since it does not matter what software the service provider uses as long as they deliver the result. The response from DHA was that Govt has a ’transversal ESRI licence’ and that all Govt departments have to use ESRI! Never mind that this is completely contrary to the FOSS policy agreed to by Cabinet in 2007 and against SITA procurement policy, if it even is true that Govt is ‘has to’ use ESRI that does NOT mean service providers have to. Nevertheless I got a vocal support from other attendees as this requirement is ridiculous and exclusionary. <br></p></div><div><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"> <br></p></div><div><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal">DHA went further to say they want service providers to use ArcGIS so they don’t end up with issues using the data that service providers deliver. They are confusing software with data and don’t seem to be aware (or are so brainwashed) that most formats produced by most GIS software these days are completely interoperable. Furthermore they are unaware of and indeed flouting the MIOS (SA Govt Minimum Interoperability Standards).<br></p></div><div><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"> <br></p></div><div><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal">Even worse and quite nonsensical is this formal response from DHA to all attendees of the briefing session:<br></p><ul><li class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:7.95pt;line-height:107%"><span>Relating to SITA circular 1 of 2017/18 and National Treasury SCM circular 3 of 2017/8, it is a requirement that all Government departments make use of ESRI South Africa for software and therefore the format required will be in Arc GIS format.</span><br></li></ul><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal">Firstly there is no such thing as ‘Arc GIS format’. Secondly this is blatantly incorrect (and illegal if it is true). Lastly, can anyone enlighten the list as to the contents of the two circulars mentioned and whether they even support this argument?<br></p></div><div><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"> <br></p></div><div><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal">Your thoughts? Anyone willing to take action?<br></p></div><div><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"> <br></p></div><div><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal">regards<br></p></div><div><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"> <br></p></div><div><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal">Gavin<br></p></div><div><p class="m_6244440521931085794x_1902028249x_-1520971826MsoNormal"> <br></p></div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><pre>_______________________________________________
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