By Eleanor Reader
The Federal Government Secretaries’ ICT Governance Board (SIGB) has outlined a six-point strategic plan to make the Australian Public Service (APS) more efficient and technology-savvy in its use of ICT.
The Australian Public Service Information and Communications Technology Strategy 2012-2015 outlines how the APS will use ICT to create a more efficient, open and engaging government, thereby improving productivity and transforming their operations and services to achieve policy objectives.
Chair of the SIGB and secretary of the Department of Finance and Deregulation, David Tune said the new strategy would deliver a more coordinated approach to developing and using ICT in the APS.
“It outlines how APS agencies will continue to use ICT to drive better service delivery, improve government operations, drive productivity, and to engage with people, the community and business,” Tune said.
“It supports better, more accessible government services for people when, where and how it suits them, so they can be more productive.”
Following the Australian Government’s Declaration of Open Government, which requires agencies to take a step up with all facets of their online and social media interaction, the Strategy unsurprisingly lays a huge focus on increasing engagement.
According to the SIGB, up until now, government use of ICT has been largely agency-focused; however with the recent ICT Reform Program and coordinated ICT procurement arrangements improving integration, cooperation and transparency, communication channels within the APS and between government, people and business can finally flow freely.
The implementation plan, based on six strategic action areas, reveals the government will continue to embrace cloud, and immediately start to explore the market approach for cloud services.
While government agencies have already implemented cloud solutions where appropriate, in 2013-2014 they are planning to consider the development of a government community cloud approach.
The government will also immediately develop a whole-of-government mobile strategy in an aim to deliver better services.
The six strategic actions outlined in the APS ICT strategy are:
Building capability: Improve use of existing technology capability; integrate technology with policy development and delivery; build ICT capability across the APS and its partners so they can effectively manage ICT-based programs; and develop the digital literacy and skills of the ICT workforce.
Improving services: Deliver simple and easy to use online services; deliver more personalised services; simplify government websites; automate processes to improve interactions between people, communities, business and government.
Investing optimally: Increase the visibility of agency ICT activities, investments and plans, to reduce duplication; develop a whole-of-government approach to strategic ICT investments; extend coordinated ICT procurement; and share computing resources and services.
Encouraging innovation: Foster ICT development innovation by generating ideas through challenges and competitions; deliver new and better ICT enabled services; increase awareness and early take-up of new ICT; and examine and adopt new and emerging technologies more rapidly.
Creating knowledge: Build business intelligence; use location-aware information; develop tools and platforms to analyse data; and continue the Gov 2.0 public release of government data for wider use.
Collaborating effectively: Use a variety on online platforms and tools to engage with people and business; create online communities of expertise based around common business approaches; build mechanisms so APS employees can communicate with each other and the community; and build partnerships and channels needed for government to collaborate.
The Australian Public Service Information and Communications Technology Strategy 2012 – 2015 can be accessed here.
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