The Federal Department of Finance and Deregulation has published the draft of Strategic Vision for the Australian Government’s use of information and communications technology.

 

The document, developed by the Australian Government Information Management Office, focuses on how the public sector can use ICT to deliver better government services, engage openly with stakeholders and improve government operations.

 

It sets out directions for ICT investments, capability development, and transformation to support and enhance government operations for the next five years.

 

The draft Strategic Vision follows the release last November of the independent review of the Australian Government’s ICT Reform Program undertaken by Dr Ian Reinecke, former head of the National E-Health Transition Authority. The review examined the government’s implementation of reforms recommended by Sir Peter Gershon in his 2008 Review of the Australian Government’s use of ICT. 

 

The ICT Reform Program delivered improved agency capability to manage large ICT enabled programs, $1 billion in efficiencies from agency ICT business as usual operations, and will avoid $1 billion in costs through a coordinated approach to data centres. There areplans to  adopt new approaches, such as cloud computing and sharing technology capabilities across agencies

 

The document highlights the need to improve productivity of government operations through ICT innovation and making better use of existing and new ICT capability investments. It focuses on how government service delivery can be improved using a range of consultation approaches, including Web 2.0 tools, to gather views on how policy will best be delivered.

 

“Complex policies are often difficult to deliver simply – this is why ICT needs to be considered as an integral part of policy reform, capability development and investment planning.”

 

The National Broadband Network was identified  as “a critical enabling platform for further improving the delivery of both current and future government services.”

 

Amongst strategic actions identified in the draft vision are:

  • The Secretaries ICT Governance Board (SIGB) will continue to support the Government and agencies on whole-of-government ICT priorities, investments, and arrangements.
  • The Department of Finance and Deregulation will continue to play a leadership role in identifying, and building whole-of-government ICT capability.
  • Where Government has invested in an ICT capability, this capability will be made available to other agencies to avoid duplication and re-work.
  • Cloud computing will be used where appropriate, consistent with privacy and security considerations, to add new capability and capacity, as well as drive down costs.
  • To improve service delivery, services will be made available through fewer websites, with Australia.gov.au providing the primary entry point. Under a system of voluntary data sharing, service delivery will gradually be integrated across Australian, State and Territory, and Local government jurisdictions.
  • Accessibility of information and knowledge resources through data.gov.au.
  • Targeted consultations with people, communities and businesses using tools such as blogs, wikis, social networking sites and micro blogging.
  • Use of Web 2.0 and other tools in a targeted way to engage with people and business to improve policy development and service delivery.
  • Generate ideas through challenges and competitions, such as GovHack and MashupAustralia, to create opportunities for external and internal ICT innovation.
  • Explore partnerships with industry, academics, the community and third sector, and with agents and brokers to inform policy and deliver services.
  • Increase the visibility of agency ICT activities, investments and plans to reduce duplication.
  • Develop a portfolio approach to strategic ICT investments
  • Use Technology Demonstration Hubs, in partnership with industry, to seek and share information about new technologies.

 

The draft Strategic Vision for the Australian Government’s use of ICT is at

http://agimo.govspace.gov.au/2011/04/13/ict-strategic-vision/