Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills and Family Business Stuart Robert outlined the Morrison Government’s plan to become a globally leading digital government in an address to the Australian Information Industry Association releasing the Digital Government Strategy.
To coordinate this effort Minister Robert announced a range of new initiatives and a refocus for the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA). The Government has moved the DTA to the central portfolio of Prime Minister and Cabinet and has significantly refocused its mandate to provide government with the best strategic advice, oversight and assurance across the breadth of government’s entire digital estate.
Minister Robert said he would drive digital acceleration to ensure it is relentlessly focussed on people, organising services around their needs instead of the structures of Government.
‘The Digital Government Strategy is a bold strategy that sets the vision for Australia to be one of the top three digital governments in the world by 2025 and will have the foundations to retain this position into the future.’
To achieve this vision, Minister Robert stated that all Australian Government departments and agencies must work together.
‘We must be pulling in the same direction, it will be our laser-like focus to make sure that happens.’
One of the initiatives being led by the DTA is the newly created Whole of Government Digital and ICT Oversight Framework, allowing the DTA to provide oversight of digital and ICT investments across the entire project lifecycle through increased strategic planning, prioritisation, contestability and delivery assurance.
Equally, another critical body of work is the Whole of Government Architecture, which will provide the standards, guidance, products and tools necessary to support Australian Public Service agencies in designing end to end digital capability.
The government continues to invest in digital platforms that make it easier for people to discover, access and manage government services such as the revamped myGov and Digital Identity which can already be used to access over 80 government services.
Next week the Government will invite businesses to register their interest in accreditation under the Trusted Digital Identity Framework or to participate in the Digital Identity System. By registering their interest, businesses will be able to find out how the system might benefit their business and customers, how and when they can participate in the system, and how they can contribute to the governance and operation of the system.
