Queensland’s minister for technology Mr Ian Walker has unveiled a suite of reforms designed to offer more transparency and accountability for the procurement of ICT goods and services. This five-year ICT Strategy 2013-2017 will enable Queensland agencies to become a “more sophisticated user of technology.”

Mr Walker, a keynote speaker at the industry’s flagship FutureGov Forum Queensland being held Tuesday 17th September in Brisbane, is driving reforms that offer a clearer roadmap to accessing technologies-of-choice, while improving accountability and governance.

ICT-as–a-service

Among the reforms, policy architects seek a wider range of ICT solutions and choices – opening up opportunities to a wider range of solutions providers.

This involves adopting wide-ranging procurement solutions, and focusing mainly on procuring ICT-as-a-service. This approach also avoids vendor lock-in.

“While the migration to this approach carries risk, there are significant cost and service delivery benefits to be gained,” the strategy notes.

“Queensland government will increasingly become a purchaser of ICT services from private providers, and will safely but aggressively reduce its ownership and management of ICT assets and non-critical software applications.”

Plans are under-way to engage more widely with industry — seeking opportunities that strengthen Queensland’s digital economy.

Restoring accountability

Evidence suggests that well-publicised past failures of major ICT projects were a direct result of “ineffective governance and poor programme and project management.”

A new strategy addresses previous shortcomings, and high-profile, costly failures. Agencies will have to implement and consistently apply best-practice models of portfolio, programme and project management.

Greater attention is being paid to “change management.” An ICT management framework offers clearer and transparent points of accountability and responsibility.

A future blueprint involves driving costs lower, through “effective partnering” with non-government and industry providers. Resources are being refocused from owning and operating ICT infrastructure to delivering new innovative business solutions.

Governance

Departments keep responsibility for the delivery of ICT programmes and projects. They will manage assets that are identified as “specific line of business, low-risk or low-value initiatives.” However, reporting and assurance is still needed, under governance guidelines.

A “new authorising environment” guides a future use of ICT. This environment supports governance, risk management and reporting arrangements that manage and offer visibility on major, at-risk government projects

Costly past failures

ICT represents significant spending for government. Technology also remains a substantial government asset. But unlike public buildings, or other infrastructure, the life-cycle of ICT assets is short. Upgrades and improvements are routinely needed. If neglected, these can result in high management costs.

As highlighted in a 2012 ICT Audit, the cost to simply maintain systems that are either at, or nearing the end of their useful life, are placing a significant burden on government budgets. The cost of replacing these systems using a conventional approach is prohibitive.