First announced in November last year, the SAP Institute for Digital Government officially launched this week with five foundation partners.
SAP has established the Canberra-headquartered Institute to work with government agencies, universities and partner organisations to “facilitate innovation through digital technology for deeper policy insight and improved service delivery”, a statement by the company said.
The Institute’s foundation partners are the National Disability insurance Agency (NDIA), the European Social Network (ESN), the International Social Security Association, the Learning Sciences Institute Australia at Australian Catholic University (ACU), and the College of Business and Economics at the Australian National University.
Brian Lee-Archer of the SAP Institute for Digital Government said the Institute has concentrated on developing its social protection capability during 2015, and will expand to cover other areas of government such as future cities and national security in 2016.
“Social protection is one of the highest touch points for a government with its citizens and innovation through digital transformation will contribute to improved social and economic outcomes. The Institute looks forward to working with client organisations such as the National Disability Insurance Agency and our partners around the world,” he said.
The Institute was launched at a function in conjunction with the NDIA’s conference in Brisbane this week. The NDIA is the agency charged with implementing the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and NDIA head of technology authority, Marie Johnson, said technology is an important foundation of what will be the most significant social reform in Australia since the introduction of Medicare.
“The Scheme is grounded in technology innovation as the catalyst for driving the contextual participant experience; delivering on the principles of choice and control, and ensuring financial sustainability. The NDIA recognises that the SAP Institute for Digital Government will stimulate cross-sectoral collaboration that will yield insights and thought leadership into the spectrum of opportunities and challenges that arise in the digital era,” Johnson said.
With its partners, the Institute is developing programs of collaboration activity in areas such as innovation using predictive analytics in real-time decision-making and policy development.
Professor Shirley Gregor, Associate Dean (Research), the ANU College of Business and Economics, said, ”We have depth of expertise in data analytics, digital support for decision-making and complex service delivery that we will harness for this collaboration with SAP as it works to support the development of digital government processes relating to social protection.”
The Institute also released a discussion paper at the launch, Social Investment in the Digital Era – Improving Social Outcomes through Predictive Analytics and Managing the Emerging Moral Hazard and Ethical Challenges, which aims to promote discussion and encourage research on the challenge of moral hazard and ethical issues from the use of predictive analytics in decision making in social protection policy making and administration.
SAP has invested $150 million in the establishment of the Institute.
Organisations sharing a passion for digital transformation enabling the creation of public value can contact the Institute to explore partnering and collaboration opportunities: digitalgovernment@sap.com.
