The Australian Public Service Commission (ASPC) has outlined the "enterprise approach" it will take for developing and investing in future IT and digital systems as part of its APS Digital Professional Stream Strategy.
"The board envisages, easy to use, reliable services tailored to the needs of citizens and businesses, supported by effective digital tools that enable the APS to work flexibly and productively together," APS commissioner Peter Woolcott said, speaking during the Digital Transformation Agency's (DTA) virtual 2020 Digital Summit on Tuesday.
Woolcott said taking a single approach to digital would address the "frustration caused by incompatible and inconsistent systems, platforms, and security requirements". He pointed out that, for instance, the agency discovered a few weeks ago something as simple as sharing large video files "can be fraught with difficulty".
"These are not simple problems to solve but my view is that the era of bespoke agency level digital systems and platforms has come to an end," Woolcott said. "We must take greater advantage of economies of scale, presented by an APS-wide approach to digital investment."
Woolcott outlined how the new approach to digital would be supported by "sensible prioritisation of new investments", which entails building and reusing common digital platforms where possible. He said this would be informed by a review of the current digital and IT assets, capabilities, and risks of the country's public sector.
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Further, a secretary digital committee would be established under the plan, with Woolcott touting that it would help "strengthen governance and accelerate progress towards a digitally transformed Australian public service".
The Digital Professional Stream Strategy was launched in April[2], following a review[3] in December 2019 that found