An investigation into the implementation of open source software within the SA government: an emerging expansion model

Open source software (OSS) is increasingly becoming an alternative for proprietary software (PS), particularly in the government sector globally. The adoption and implementation of OSS by the government sector is cited as one of the enablers for the adoption of OSS by the private sector. It is also apparent that in the government sector internationally, OSS is seen as a viable technology for reasons such as lowering software costs, growing local software development industry, and bridging the digital divide. In South Africa (SA), an OSS policy that mandates OSS usage within ministries is in place. But according to various open source advocates, little has happened with regards to OSS implementation in the SA government. This paper reports on the current status of OSS usage within the SA government by surveying forty (40) national departments, targeting Information Technology (IT) directors and managers. The results indicate that OSS usage within the ministries is not yet extensive as required by the OSS policy. Various challenges and obstacles are hampering full OSS implementation within the ministries. The contribution of this research paper is an OSS expansion model, which is proposed as a possible solution to improve the current status of OSS usage within the SA government departments. The model proposed is in line with SA government's implementation strategy as outlined in the OSS policy.