The Australian Government & Technology

Transcription

1 The Australian Government & Technology OmniChannel Media, July 2014

2 The numbers: Number of Australian Government departments and agencies 160k - Amount of employees in the Australian Public Service Amount, in billions, of government spend on cloud computing by % increase in spend on technology in the government budget 5 - Amount, in billions, the government is expecting to save by putting all low-risk information in the cloud % of IT contracts the government issued to SMEs in Copyright OminChannel Media PTY. LTD.

3 The Australian Government & Technology Overview The Australian Government must adhere to technological evolution or it will waste the resources of the Australian community. The task of the Government is to effectively manage services. As these services are provided by the Australian taxpayer, they need to do this in the most efficient way possible. Like the private sector, the challenges of managing such a large budget and workforce and amount of silos, forces the government to be proactive towards identifying technologies that create greater levels of business enablement and efficiencies. As the IT industry continues to penetrate different areas of our economy with technology solutions, the Australian Government needs to ensure it is capturing the operational benefits of these whilst maintaining a quality of service in its governance. The benefits of the government responding to technology? Apart from the cost savings for the Australian taxpayer, the government itself believes that technology will play a key role in transforming Australia s social and economic landscape. In ensuring the efficiencies in critical services such as infrastructure, communications and information management, the government feels this will create a springboard for future Australian enterprise and growth. 3 Copyright OminChannel Media PTY. LTD.

4 Make Up & Priorities: The Australian Government is made up of over 220 government agencies and institutions, employing over 160,000 people Australia wide. From a technology perspective, the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO), incorporated into the Department of Finance, oversees the principles and strategy of the government s technology framework. Over the course of recent reviews and strategy workshops, the following are considered to be key priorities for the Australian Government with regards to technology: Engagement: The major priority for all Government Agencies is to engage with the Australian community and provide critical services. With the advent of digital communications, this engagement is now required in a variety of forms depending on the service being provided. It is key to remain relevant to the constituents being served - bad engagement means poor service. Data Centres: The government has rolled out a Data Centre Strategy that commenced in 2010 and concludes in The objective of this strategy is to develop an investment approach to avoid $1 billion in data centre costs over the next 10 to 15 years. The aim is to have agencies develop efficient ways in which to store, manage and analyse data. In the short term, this has seen the government invest heavily in data centre sites as well as virtualisation tools. 4 Copyright OminChannel Media PTY. LTD.

5 Legacy systems become an important part of this discussion, as the Data Centre Strategy is designed to save on future infrastructure costs of maintaining old and fragmented systems. Gov 2.0: Gov 2.0 is based around the Australian Government s belief that departments and agencies can forge greater communication channels within the community using digital innovations. Creating open communication networks touches upon the concept of having an open Government. Since 2010 the government has promoted the use of social media and online portals to turn communication into interactive dialogue with the Australian people. Big Data: Developed in August 2013, the Government has created a Big Data Strategy. This strategy outlines the benefits of Big Data to the Australian Government. A Big Data Working Group, working in conjunction with the Australian Tax Office, Data Analytics Centre of Excellence (DACoE), is set to deliver guidelines and initiatives to assist government agencies to take advantage of Big Data. Key interests for the government include being able to forecast the success of certain policies, as well as finding out more about the plethora of data being held in order to create operational efficiencies. Cloud Computing: Cloud computing is a major priority for the Australian Government. The QLD Government has already taken a cloud first approach to their IT, and it is believed the Australian Government will also be drawing on the 5 Copyright OminChannel Media PTY. LTD.

6 policy. It has been suggested that over $5billion could be saved if the government moved all of its non-sensitive information to the cloud. Security: Government institutions are seen as a major target for criminals who digitally penetrate organisations. As the sophistication of government systems increase, so does the level of threat imposed upon them. For agencies which hold sensitive information, information security spending is critical, with best practise being absolutely paramount. Mobile: In 2013 the Australian Government released a Mobile Roadmap for the public sector. It identified that mobile technology provides key benefits for Australian Government agencies and should be pursued. The key benefits outlined were: greater access to services, improved operational efficiency, improved staff mobility and broader levels of engagement. Much like the commercial world, there is a dual sword with mobile enablement for both the customer and worker. The government stands to benefit a great deal from these increased levels of connectivity. Key Considerations when Working with Government: The Customer: The concept of customer-centricity has become a key priority for the private sector. Looking at your business from the outside-in and ensuring the customer experience works is the key to building revenue. For the public sector, the idea of customer centric design means they are 6 Copyright OminChannel Media PTY. LTD.

7 delivering to the community. The customer is the Australian public and servicing the community is the key objective. Appreciating this approach has the ability to transform the way technology companies engage with the sector. Instead of using solutions as a starting point, the conversation should always begin with understanding how the agency services the community. Collaboration: Many government initiatives are driven by working groups that incorporate key executives from a variety of agencies. The premise behind this collaborative approach is to identify best practise and save resources by drawing on an economy of scale. It is key to appreciate the collaborative environment in which government agencies work. There are major benefits for both out-of-thebox as well and bespoke product selling in this environment, as all the information from strategy and working groups are open for public viewing. Saving Money vs Avoiding Costs AGCTO/Procurement Coordinator John Sheridan once noted that: a billion dollars worth of avoided costs and $3.50 will get a cappuccino. It is important to discuss how agencies can avoid costs as opposed to saving on costs. This is a critical concept as money avoided is money which the government does not allocate. 7 Copyright OminChannel Media PTY. LTD.

8 Conclusion: The Australian Government and Australia s technology industry has much to gain from joint projects aimed at improving efficiency and avoiding investment. As technology changes the way government agencies look from the outside in, the hope will be that these new foundations are agile enough to take on new innovations as they are discovered. The OmniChannel Media Editorial Team. 8 Copyright OminChannel Media PTY. LTD.

9 About OmniChannel Media: OmniChannel Media is an ICT media company. We assist technology firms with the conceptualisation, production and execution of high-level strategic engagement with their target market. We are C-Suite engagement specialists. We do this via custom-built, face-to-face events and digital marketing initiatives. Put simply, we streamline the go-to-market process and provide you with a platform to build relationships with decision makers. Contact Us: w: omnichannelmedia.com.au e: info@omnichannelmedia.com.au 9 Copyright OminChannel Media PTY. LTD.