ICT Reform Program
Finance’s 2007-08 Annual Report noted that on 11 April 2008 the Minister for Finance and Deregulation had, on behalf of the Australian Government, engaged Sir Peter Gershon to lead an independent review of the Australian Government's use of ICT. Sir Peter provided the Minister with his report on 28 August 2008. The report provided a comprehensive and detailed analysis of a wide range of issues affecting the government’s use and management of ICT and outlined a staged plan to implement the recommendations.
On 24 November 2008, the government endorsed the recommendations of the review and initiated the ICT Reform Program. The program includes initiatives that will: improve ICT governance both across the government and within agencies; enhance the efficiency, effectiveness and environmental sustainability of government ICT programs; develop a skilled ICT workforce for government; and ensure a more effective interaction between government and industry. Finance consulted extensively with government agencies and industry as part of the program.
Major achievements in 2008-09 included:
- completing a first phase review of ‘business-as-usual’ ICT expenditure across 53 government agencies. This process returned $570 million of savings to the Budget over the forward estimates, without impairing service delivery to citizens or business;
- evaluating 11 ICT capability self-assessment methodologies to determine their suitability for use in government agencies. Finance selected the UK Government’s Portfolio, Programme and Project Management Maturity Model and will pilot this in four government agencies between July and October 2009;
- implementing a process to assess major and high-risk government ICT projects using the Gateway Review process at the ‘Business Need’ stage (Gate 0); and
- implementing an ICT Two Pass Review process, which ensures that major ICT-enabled spending proposals are based on sound business cases supported by thorough analysis.
ICT Governance Committees
Finance restructured whole-of-government ICT governance arrangements as part of the ICT Reform Program. The Secretaries’ ICT Governance Board (SIGB) was established, replacing the former Secretaries’ Committee on Information and Communication Technology. The SIGB oversees the implementation of the ICT Reform Program and sets whole-of-government strategies that support the government’s ICT agenda. It focuses on business rather than technical issues. The board includes the secretaries of key government agencies and is chaired by the Secretary of Finance.
The Business Process Transformation Committee (BPTC) and the Chief Information Officer Committee (CIOC) support the SIGB. The BPTC is responsible for coordinating the redesign and reform of agency business processes across government and comprises deputy secretaries from selected agencies. The CIOC provides technical advice and identifies ICT emerging trends and solutions that can be applied across government. It comprises the Chief Information Officers of 12 major agencies together with a representative from small to medium agencies. The Australian Government Chief Information Officer from Finance chairs both committees.
The SIGB has also established an ICT Reform Program Board to oversee the implementation and report on the progress of the ICT Reform Program. It comprises senior officials from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Finance.