National Y2K Awareness Day NATIONAL YEAR 2000 DECISION SUPORT CENTRE ______________________________________________________ 19 August 1998 DESCRIPTION OF PLANNED EVENTS & ACTIVITIES Introduction The Year 2000 Computer Phenomenon is a global issue that needs to be taken care of at a local level, everywhere. The problem arises from the fact that computer-driven processes will not be able to continue as usual, since many computers, software applications and embedded system are unable to correctly process the year 2000, since, in abbreviated form, it reads as "00". South Africa, like any other country, is at risk that services and the normal course of business may be disrupted as a result of this problem. That is why Cabinet decided to assign a special Ministerial Task Team, headed by Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, to address the Year 2000. A National Year 2000 Decision Support Centre was established, under the supervision of the Minister of Posts, Telecommunications & Broadcasting, Jay Naidoo, to act as a monitor and coordinator of Y2K activities nationwide. Objective National Y2K Awareness Day aims at increasing Public Awareness of the Year 2000 issue and encouraging everyone to take the necessary action to maximize compliance and minimize the risk associated with the Year 2000 computer- based problem. Plan of Action The intention is to arrange for some key events at a national level, but mainly to lobby the public and private sector to initiate awareness activities in their own spheres of work. Sponsorships are sought for all national events, while individual companies and organisations will be requested to commit resources to their own awareness activities. National Awareness Events SADC Conference A two-day conference will be hosted by the National Year 2000 Decision Support Centre in cooperation with the Department of Communications with the aim to increase Y2K awareness and discuss issues of transversal concern in countries of the SADC region. The conference will open on 19 August, and close on 20 August 1998. This will be the main focal event of the National Y2K Awareness Day. An exhibition of Y2K vendor software and service provided is also envisaged. Contact: Thandi Bhengu, Tel. 083-679 2914 500 Day Countdown Calendar In cooperation with the Independent Newspaper Group, an A2- size calendar counting the 500 days to the Year 2000 will be distributed through all newspapers of the Group, as well as the two main newspapers in the Free State and Northern Cape. Advertising around the calendar is being sold to co-sponsor this promotion. Other public awareness activities in conjunction with Independent Newspapers will also form part of this initiative. Contact: Gaby Gildea, Tel. 083-379 6861 Radio Promotion One radio station will be invited to participate in a two- week nationwide radio promotion, with a competition linked to it. Sponsorships for prizes will be sought in order to launch a nationwide radio-based competition. Contact: Sipho Matsheke, Tel. 082-501 6768 Public Awareness Campaign A comprehensive advertising campaign in all major and community publications, as well as on radio stations is envisaged in the two-week period running up to the 19th of August. Newspapers, magazines and technical journals, as well as all broadcasters will be lobbied to sponsor free placement or flighting of Y2K advertisements on the 19th itself. SABC Television will be asked to cover the National Y2K Awareness Activities. Y2K Character A television logo (animated character) sponsored by Orbicom will also be launched during the period prior to the 19th, while airtime of the Parliamentary Channel will be accessed as soon as possible, also before the 19th. Sponsorships are sought for the installation of two cameras and a life link between the National Year 2000 Decision Support Centre and Orbicom to facilitate production of material for broadcasting directly from the Centre. Contact: Reinhild Niebuhr, Tel. 082-852 0970 Poster distribution Y2K Awareness Posters are to be printed for distribution in all Public Service Buildings, as well as in the Post Office, Telkom and Local Governments. Sponsorships are required for these posters. A total of one million A3 type posters is the target. Basic lay-out of such awareness posters, allowing space for sponsor logo's, will be made available in electronic format for use by the private sector. These posters will be download-able from the Y2K website for reproduction - either by laser printer or suitable for general print-processes. Contact: Thandi Bhengu, Tel. 083-679 2914 T-shirt distribution Y2K T-shirts to be produced and distributed by selling through major retail chain/s or free of charge as part of sponsors or private sector awareness drives. In such instances the sponsor logo's will be printed on the T-shirts as well. As for the posters, basic design and specifications for T-shirts will be made available on request by sponsors. Contact: Ismet Nordien, Tel. 012-427 8277/43 Bumper stickers Sponsorship will be sought for bumper-stickers to be distributed free of charge through supermarket chains, caf‚'s, newsagents and bookstores. A total of 1 million bumper stickers is the target. Again, sponsorship is sought and a basic sticker design will be provided on which sponsors can include their logo's. Bumper stickers to be distributed in the two-week period running up to the Y2K Awareness Day. Contact: Thandi Bhengu, Tel. 083- 679 2914 Millennium Bug Rave A rave event organiser will be approached to facilitate an "official" national Millennium Bug Rave, to be self-funding. Contact: Reinhild Niebuhr, Tel. 082-852 0970 Business Agenda Item Through the media, CEO's will be encouraged to include Y2K as a topic of discussion on the agenda of all their meetings for the 19th. Also, businesses to pledge to use the new ISO- 8601 date and time standard on all correspondence and in software applications as from 1998-08-19. (ccyy-mm-dd and hh- mm-ss). Also, all companies to include references to Y2K and/or the 19th of August on all documentation they print and distribute throughout August - or if possible, even until the end of 1999. This would include mention of Y2K on letterheads, fax copies, invoices, statements, company advertisements, etc. Contact: Reinhild Niebuhr, Tel. 082-852 0970. Schools Programme Schools to be targetted to stage Y2K-related events on Y2K- day on a national basis. Department of Education and Teachers Unions to be approached to help spread the message. Parents and communities to be involved. Contact: Reinhild Niebuhr, Tel. 082-852 0970. Parliamentary Services Coverage Orbicom and the Parliamentary Services Channel have committed "unlimited" airtime on the Parliamentary Services Channel to cover Y2K issues. They are willing to re- broadcast any material already shown by the SABC. A direct live link from the Y2K Ops Room, via Telkom lines, is also being investigated. Sponsorship could make such a live link possible to enable direct broadcasts from the Ops Room Newsdesk. Sponsorships for programming are required. Contact: Reinhild Niebuhr, Tel. 082-852 0970 NOTE: Other activities are also being investigated in cooperation with potential sponsors and will be publicised, once they have been confirmed. Regional Awareness Events Local Government Info Centres All Local Governments are requested to set up a Y2K-info centre on their premises and arrange a mini-exhibition, including Y2K test-centres for stand-alone PC's, of Y2K- service providers in their locality. These info-centres will serve as a regional base for the activities of the National Year 2000 Decision Support Centre. Such mini-exhibitions should preferably be arranged in conjunction with a local newspaper and a major shopping centre in each town. Local Governments are also be encouraged to engage in other activities, such as arranging a Y2K fun-run in their municipalities and work together with their local community newspaper, Rotary and Lions societies to pull these activitities off. Television coverage will be negotiated of the main events of Local Government Authorities. If you have any way to assist in this regard, please do not hesitate to contact your Local Government. Please note, that at this stage (10 July 1998), owing to time constraints no communication has taken place in this regard with Local Government Authorities. If you are in a position to do so, please contact your Local Government's Communication Division and ask them to get in touch with the NYDSC. We will be using other communication structures to communicate to Local Government Authorities within the next two weeks as well, but any help in this regard would be much appreciated. Contact: Reinhild Niebuhr, Tel. 082-852 0970. Point-of-sale promotions IT retailers are encouraged to engage in point-of-sale promotions in their stores in order to alert buyers to Y2K fix-it software products. As part of such a promotion, they will also be encouraged to set up "Y2K test-centre" kiosks in their shops, offering free testing of stand-alone PC's on the 19th of August as a service to their clients. Regional SMME Seminars The private sector is encouraged to facilitate regional Y2K seminars for SMME's on the 19th of August 1998. The NYDSC could assist with arranging speakers for such events.