POLOKWANE – The MyPolokwane Citizen App that was recently launched by Polokwane Municipality was received by residents with high expectations, however, it appears that this tool that was developed to enhance service delivery and smoother communication with residents, experiences teething problems, resulting in a very low participation by end users.

Residents complain that although complaints are promptly accepted by the system, it is usually where it ends.

Residents are advised that the complaints have been recorded and that a technician has been assigned, but after two weeks most of the problems still exist.

In some instances, residents were advised that the technician was assigned while the problem had already been resolved.

It seems that the municipality does not have the capacity to respond to the issues or that there is still a lack of communication between the system and the municipality’s departments.

Spokesperson for the municipality, Thipa Selala admitted that there are concerns raised by residents regarding the responsiveness of the MyPolokwane Citizen App and that the municipality understands the importance of timely resolution of reported issues and is actively working to improve the system’s effectiveness.

“Firstly, we are pleased to report that since the launch, over 2 500 citizens have downloaded the app and we are actively working to launch it on the Apple App Store within March. This indicates a strong interest in utilising the app for citizen engagement, however, like any new technological implementation, we are experiencing some initial challenges. We recognise that there are ‘teething challenges and adoption-related matters’ that need to be addressed,” Selala stated.

According to Selala, the municipality is taking steps to improve responsiveness, which include continuous training and support.

“We have trained technicians, stakeholders, and call centre staff and we are committed to ongoing training and reinforcement to ensure the effective utilisation of the app. We have deployed a dedicated training team to provide hands-on assistance and support,” he explained.

The municipality holds weekly meetings to identify and resolve any process, system or personnel-related challenges and is actively analysing the more than 1 000 calls received to understand and address the root causes of delays.

In terms of change management and communication, the municipality implemented change management strategies and maintains constant communication with staff to encourage adoption and effective use of the app.

The municipality is tracking the resolution rate of issues submitted through the app.

“While 30% resolution through the app so far is a starting point, we are actively working to increase this percentage. We are aiming for the app to be the predominant communication tool within three months,” Selala said.

To enhance accountability, the municipality has stressed that managers in respective Service Business Units (SBUs) have a responsibility to ensure the system is properly utilised by both call centre staff and technicians.

“We recognise that some residents still prefer to use older methods of communication, such as Whatsapp, therefore we continue to support those channels while encouraging the use of the app. We understand that residents expect prompt responses, and we are committed to making the MyPolokwane Citizen App a valuable tool for effective communication and service delivery.
“We are actively working to resolve the current challenges and ensure that all reported issues are addressed efficiently,” Selala concluded.