DTA seeks new ideas on transformation refresh


Denham Sadler
National Affairs Editor

The government has launched a new consultation process for its Digital Transformation Strategy refresh, which aims to embrace the accelerated change of the COVID-19 pandemic response to continue and reach an “unprecedented pace”.

The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) launched the strategy in 2018, with an aim for all government services to be available digitally by 2025. Earlier this month the federal government asked the DTA to refresh the strategy to take into account the rapid adoption of digital services this year.

“We need to keep accelerating the transformation of government, learning from what we have done, maintaining our momentum and working together so that we achieve our goal of being one of the top three digital governments in the world by 2025,” Government Services Minister Stuart Robert said.

DTA chief Randall Brugeaud
Randall Brugeaud: Looking for frech ideas for the digital transformation refresh

“Maintaining this focus on data and digital innovation into the future will be critical to rebuilding our economy and securing Australia’s future.”

The new strategy will take into account the events of 2020, and how the government is tracking against the current objectives, DTA chief executive Randall Brugeaud said.

“At the midpoint of the strategy’s life, it is time to take stock of how far we have come, what has changed both here and internationally and what we still need to do to achieve our goals,” Mr Brugeaud said.

The refreshed strategy will require government to continue this accelerated digital transformation, and ensure it delivers at an “unprecedented change”, the DTA said.

“The next iteration of the strategy will seek to inspire and challenge government to drive transformation beyond the confines and limitations of business as usual approaches, ways of working and technology,” the DTA said in its consultation paper.

“The Digital Transformation Strategy will continue to be a call to action to include transformation in all planned and delivery activities and for innovation to be applied to all aspects of our business, in our approach to identifying problems, generating new ideas, developing solutions and implementing change.

“To be truly innovative in our harnessing of the benefits of transformation, government should have the ability to consider a portfolio-wide, strategic approach to advancing technologies and driving the direction of our investment, rather than simply monitoring the implementation and progress of initiatives.”

The consultation questions posed by the DTA provide some insight into how the refreshed strategy is likely to look.

The agency is asking stakeholders about the potential to reuse more capabilities across government, for best practice co-design approaches, how to further embed innovation in service delivery, better ways to collaborate with industry and academia and on innovative models and approaches to stakeholder engagement that lead to better outcomes.

Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.

1 Comment
  1. Digital Koolaid 3 years ago

    Denham, you’re kidding, right ? Randall Brugeaud is paid a salary over $350K (with allowances on top I think it kicks up near $500K, which seems about right because his mate Peter Woolcott over at the Public Service Commission gets $720,500) and now Randall is searching for new ideas ? He’s paid to have those ideas. He’s paid a lot. And the people around him are paid a lot. But he thinks he’s paid to ask other people how to do his job? That sounds very unfair …. I agree that Stuart Robert needs to keep accelerating the transformation of government – so starting would be good. You have to start the car before you accelerate. I agree that a “focus on data and digital innovation into the future will be critical to rebuilding our economy and securing Australia’s future”, if there was such a focus. But the DTA is only about two things and the rest is just distractions. The first is the Digital ID, a unique number for every Australian for life. And the other is making sure our $10 Billion IT spend ends up on the right P&L and heads off to the right shareholders (outside AUS). An ID code and money off-shored, that’s the real mission statement. And now as a distraction the DTA will ask other people to do its day job ? Some questions posed by the DTA will provide “insight” into how a refreshed strategy is likely to look ??? I would ask Randall to write the strategy. That’s what he’s paid for, and what Scott Cass-Dunbar the Chief Strategy and Investment Officer is paid for. His bio says he is responsible for digital strategy, digital capability and whole-of-government architecture. Don’t people have to do their jobs any more ? Could I be paid to do nothing too please ? I’m totally happy to ask other people how to do my job, then get a huge fortnightly pay packet. Thanks.

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