PwC to run APS digital skills comms campaign


Denham Sadler
Senior Reporter

Accounting giant PwC has won a contract to run a communications campaign to improve awareness and membership of the federal government’s public sector digital skills scheme.

The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) awarded PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) a small contract worth $200,000 over six months for a communications campaign, to “develop an overarching and identifiable brand, communications strategy and plan”.

The contract relates to the DTA’s digital profession, a program running across the public service aimed at attracting tech-savvy professionals and lifting digital skills in the APS. The program aims to provide a more formalised public service career pathways for tech-focused individuals.

The communications campaign will try to increase the member base of the digital profession to include more public sector staff, and oversee the rollout of engagement programs and events to improve the awareness of it.

digital people consultants
PwC will run a comms campaign for the govt’s APS digital skills program

PwC will be developing an “identifiable and recognisable” brand for the digital profession, and be identifying “opportunities to cross-promote initiatives and engagement activities” run by the digital profession team.

The overall communications and campaign plan to be provided by PwC to the DTA will include implementation tactics across different media and recommendations and actions for implementation including future staffing media, marketing and “collateral opportunities for cross-promotion across the DTA”.

It’s a relatively small contract for PwC, which saw the dollar value of its work for the federal Health department double last year during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The value of PwC’s work with the health department increased from $6.6 million in 2019 to more than $14.1 million last year, according to analysis of tenders by InnovationAus.

PwC’s health contracts included an $800,000 job for the provision of IT audit services, a portfolio review of project and program management practices worth $3.5 million and for governance and project management maturity services for $1 million.

The firm’s work with the defence department also nearly doubled in the 2020 calendar year.

PwC was also recently awarded a $16,000, one-month contract to produce a report and publication for the Australian Signals Directorate.

The consulting giant hasn’t extensively worked with the DTA previously. It was awarded a $1.7 million contract late last year as a “business case advisor”, running until mid-May this year.

PwC is one of the three shortlisted bidders for the federal government’s new “permissions capability” platform, which will initially handle visa processing, and is being run by the DTA. PwC teamed up with US tech firm Oracle and Sayers for the bid, with the government expected to select a contractor this month.

Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.

Leave a Comment

Related stories