Text Descriptions
Key Recommendations
The image Key Recommendations is a shorter, less specific design of the Implementation Schedule. Read below for a text description of the Implementation Schedule.
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Figure 3.2 Average BAU:Project split
The average BAU to project split is shown for two financial years, 2007-08 and 2006-07. In the 2007-08 period, 77% of the ICT budget was spent on business as usual work, with 23% of the budget spent on project work. In the 2006-07 period; 80% of the ICT budget was spent on BAU, and 20% on projects.
Figure 3.3 – Total FMA Act agency ICT in-house and contractor workforce
The proportion of in-house ICT staff in 2007-08 was 77% of the total agency ICT workforce , with the remaining 23% being made up of contractors. In the 2006-07 period 76% of ICT staff were in-house, and 24% were contractors.
Figure 3.4 – Number of agencies using FMIS
The break-up of the Australian Government market for financial management information systems (FMIS) according to survey responses is as follows: 29 agencies use SAP, 6 QSP, 3 SUN, 5 ACCPAC, 2 Attache, 18 Agencies Finance One, 9 Great Plains, 3 MYOB and 3 Oracle. 4 agencies are using another supplier and 4 agencies did not specify their supplier.
Figure 3.5 – Number of agencies using HRMIS
The break-up of the Australian Government market for human resource management information systems (HRMIS) according to survey responses is as follows: 17 agencies use SAP, 7 Peoplesoft, 3 outsourced systems, 7 other, 7 not specified, 3 MicroPay and 5 CHRIS. The majority of responding agencies, 37, are using Aurion.
Implementation Schedule
The Implementation Schedule outlines Sir Peter’s indicative overview of when the seven recommendations should be implemented, including when each task should move from the enabling activity phase into its ongoing activity phase. It also highlights the priority level of each task.
The Implementation Schedule notes that implementation activities fall into two broad categories – those enabling activities which are one off and need to be undertaken at the beginning of, or early in the implementation phase (e.g. the development of efficiency metrics); and those activities that are ongoing (e.g. the implementation and ongoing use of efficiency metrics). In most cases the ongoing activity is preceded by an enabling activity.
The first recommendation, 1: Strengthen pan-government governance, includes five major tasks. The first two tasks, 5.1.1 Ministerial Committee on ICT and 5.1.2 Secretaries’ ICT Governance Board both begin in November 2008, and move from the enabling phase to the ongoing phase in December 2008. Both are considered high priority.
Another high priority task in the first recommendation is 5.1.3 Whole-of-Government opt-out criteria, which is enabled from December 2008, with completion by March 2009, and then moves into the ongoing phase in April 2009.
The last two tasks for recommendation 1: 5.1.4 Redefine AGIMO’s role, and 5.1.5 Program Board are medium priority, and both begin their enabling phases in November 2008. The task 5.1.5 Program Board will move into its ongoing activity after one month in December 2008. Redefining AGIMO’s role will move into the ongoing phase at the end of January 2009.
The second recommendation, 2: Strengthen agency governance, is to be implemented as three major tasks.
The highest priority task of recommendation 2 is 5.2.1 Improve agency capability assessment, which includes four subtasks. The first three of these subtasks are high priorities: 5.2.1 a) Capability methodology and conduct pilots, commences enabling activities in January 2009, and ceases activity after nine months, in September 2009.
5.2.1 b) Capability methodology implementation across large agencies commences enabling activities in October 2009 and moves into its ongoing phase from October 2010. The last of the high priority subtasks for 5.2.1, subtask c) Large agencies propose target capability and develop capability improvement plan begins enabling activities in January 2010 and moves into its ongoing phase in January 2011. Task 5.2.l has one medium priority subtask, 5.2.1 d) ‘Lite’ methodology for smaller agencies, which commences enabling activities in April 2010 and moves into ongoing activities in July 2010.
The second major task outlined in recommendation 2 is 5.2.2 Strengthen the link between policy formulation and implementation. This task has four subtasks, all of which are medium priority. 5.2.2 a) Agency capability assessment included in the two-pass investment approval process, begins activity substantially later than the remaining tasks; commencing enabling activities in October 2010 and moving to ongoing activities in January 2011. 5.2.2 b) Guidance on relative costs and benefits of COTS/GOTS; and c) Gate 0 Gateway Reviews and integrate Gateway Review outcomes into NPP processes begin enabling activities in January 2009 and commence their ongoing activities in April 2009. 5.2.2 d) Senior Responsible Officer training commences enabling activities in March 2009, and ongoing activities in July 2009.
The last major task of the second recommendation is 5.2.3 Best practice lead agency, this task is low priority; commences enabling activities in December 2008, and moves into its ongoing activity phase from February 2009.
Recommendation 3: Tighten the management of ICT business as usual funding, has three major tasks. The first major task, 5.3.1 BAU ICT budgets, has four subtasks, each rated as high priority.
Task 5.3.1 a) ICT Review Teams methodology and efficiency metrics, is the first activity of all Sir Peter’s recommendations to commence, beginning enabling activities in September 2008 and moving into ongoing activities in November 2008.
Subtask 5.3.1 b) ICT Review Teams in Agencies Phase 1 commences in November 2008 and ceases in March 2009. 5.3.1 c) ICT Review Teams in Agencies Phase 2 commences in April 2009 and ceases in September 2009. Subtask 5.3.1 d) Smaller agencies to achieve target savings commences enabling activities in July 2009 and ceases in December 2009.
The second major task of recommendation 3 is 5.3.2 a. Effectiveness metrics, is of medium priority. This activity commences enabling activities in April 2009 and moves into its ongoing phase from July 2009.
The last major task of recommendation 3 is 5.3.2 b. Annual benchmarking exercise. This task is also a medium priority, and has ongoing activities assigned in two discrete time periods: from October 2009 to January 2010, and at the same time the following year, from October 2010 to January 2011, and will be undertaken on an annual basis.
Recommendation 4: Enhance the management of the APS ICT skills base, has seven major tasks, of which all but one, 5.4.3, are included in the Implementation Schedule.
Task 5.4.1 ICT skills, is considered high priority, and has two subtasks running in parallel to each other 5.4.1.a) Whole-of-government ICT career structure, and 5.4.1 b) Whole-of-government ICT workforce plan. These subtasks commence enabling activities in April 2009, and move into their ongoing phase together, from April 2010.
5.4.2 Reduce total APS contractors and increase the number of APS ICT staff is high priority, begins enabling activities in November 2008 and moves into its ongoing activity phase in November 2010. Task 5.4.3 Larger agencies to demonstrate how they will develop/increase their capability to manage ICT work remote from Canberra and develop 5-10 strategic plans to reduce the Canberra-centricity of existing ICT activities, appears in the body of the report but is not included in the Implementation Schedule. Sir Peter notes in the body of the report that this task should be implemented “in due course”, hence, is not included in the Implementation Schedule.
5.4.4 Examine current security vetting processes and identify best practice, is a high priority task, commences enabling activities in January 2009 and in October 2009 moves into ongoing activity. 5.4.5 Organisational leader program, is low priority, begins enabling activity in April 2009 and commences ongoing activity in July 2009. Task 5.4.6 Whole-of-government ICT tele-working policy, is low priority, commences enabling activity in July 2009 and moves into ongoing activity from October 2009.
The last major task of recommendation 4 appears on the Implementation Schedule as 5.4.7 Sponsorship of annual ICT awards, is also designated a low priority, commences enabling activity in July 2009 and ongoing activity in October 2009.
Recommendation 5: Whole-of-government data centre strategy, comprises only one high priority task: 5.5.1 Whole-of-government data centre strategy. This activity commences enabling activity in January 2009 and after nine months, ceases in September 2009.
Recommendation 6: Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the ICT marketplace, has five major subtasks of medium and low priority.
Major task 5.6.1 Make better use of the Government’s collective buying power, has three subtasks, all of medium priority. 5.6.1 a) Optimise the number of panel arrangements, including the procurement arrangement for commodity products, begins enabling activities in January 2009, and moves into its ongoing activity phase from October 2009. Subtask 5.6.1 b) e-auctions begins enabling activity in July 2009, and moves into ongoing activity from January 2010. The final subtask, 5.6.1 c) The strategic management of key ICT suppliers, begins enabling activity in April 2009 and moves into its ongoing activity phase from October 2009.
Task 5.6.2 Client and supplier codes of conduct, is allocated a low priority, will commence enabling activity in January 2009 and a year later, in January 2010, moves into ongoing activity.
5.6.3 Reassess IP policy, and 5.6.4 Integrate ICT and SME policies are both low priorities. These tasks commence enabling activities together in April 2009 - task 5.6.3 Reassess IP Policy, moves into its ongoing activity in July 2009, while task 5.6.4, Integrate ICT and SME policies, moves into ongoing activity from October 2009.
The last task associated with the implementation of recommendation 6 is task 5.6.5 Consider the net benefit of the Free Trade Agreement. This task is assigned a low priority, does not commence until October 2009 and after a year of enabling activity, is scheduled to cease in September 2010.
Recommendation 7: Sustainability of ICT, is comprised of two major subtasks. The first major task, 5.7.1 Whole-of-government ICT sustainability plan, is of medium priority, begins enabling activity in April 2009, and then moves into its ongoing phase from January 2010. Task 5.7.1 is to be supported by implementation of two subtasks. 5.7.1 a) Large agencies ICT energy efficiency plan, is a subtask of medium priority but does not begin enabling activity until January 2010, and after three months moves into its ongoing phase (from April 2010 onwards). Subtask 5.7.1 b) Green ICT procurement kit, is low priority, will commence enabling activity in July 2009 and ongoing activity in January 2010.
Task 5.7.2 Identify quick wins, is the last task on the Implementation Schedule. A low priority, it is scheduled to begin enabling activities in January 2009, and after three months, moves into ongoing activity from April 2009.
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