Better use of information technology will transform the way government departments and agencies do business, ensuring the Government is ready to lead the way in Australia's IT future, according to the Minister for Finance, Mr Kim Beazley.
Mr Beazley said that as part of the national strategy for the development of IT, announced by the Prime Minister today, a Chief Government Information Officer would be appointed to the Finance portfolio to develop a co-ordinated approach to IT use across the public sector.
"A whole-of-government approach will ensure that we have better planned, more efficient use of information technology in the Commonwealth,"
Mr Beazley said.
"It marks a new era in the Government's approach to information technology.
"It means that in the long term, Australians will be able to access a range of government services from the one location, at a reduced cost to the taxpayer."
The Federal Government is Australia's single largest purchaser and user of IT, spending about $2 billion a year on IT products and services. It has a critical role to role to play in Australia's IT future, according to Mr Beazley.
The Chief Government Information Officer will be appointed at secretary level and supported by a new Office of Government Information Technology. The CGIO and the office will be located within the Finance portfolio, external to the Department of Finance, reporting directly to the Minister.
The Office of Government Information Technology will take over the functions of the Government's telecommunications unit, CommTel, now located in the Department of Administrative Services.
Mr Beazley said the CGIO would develop a blueprint for the efficient use of IT across the public sector, focusing clearly on the needs of clients and adopting a common approach across government.
"The Chief Government Information Officer will ensure we have a cross-government architecture for information technology in the Commonwealth, placing the Government at the leading edge of IT planning and use."
The proposal for the Chief Government Information Officer and a whole-of-government approach to IT use and planning arose from a report by the Information Technology Review Group, Clients First: the challenge for Government information technology.
Mr Beazley set up the review group last year to identify ways to take the Commonwealth from its current situation where department have their own independent IT systems, into the networking age. Its 100-page report, released last month, formed the basis of his submission to Cabinet.
The charter for the Office of Government Information Technology is attached.
Carmel McCauley, Media Adviser
Telephone: (06) 2777400
The CGIO to be supported by a high quality staff with consideration to be given to the rotation of staff from particular agencies.