FST Government Western Australia spotlights smart procurement choices at the 16th March conference in Perth.
Smart ICT procurement choices come under the spotlight at FST Government Western Australia being held Wednesday 16th March in Perth. This strategic gathering features senior government officials representing key organisations across Western Australia, NSW, South Australia, and New Zealand, among other destinations.
With an annual $1 billion ICT spending program, the WA government seeks to be “smart” around future technologies-of-choice. With a focus on “consolidation and simplification,” the 16th March forum features practical case studies. These are drawn nationally from major organisations that are investing in smarter procurement choices, together with consolidating and simplifying services.
The March conference is supported by leading solutions providers. These include Fujitsu, Integranet, Interactive Intelligence, ServiceNow, Sitecore and Velrada, among other stakeholders.
Tech-savvy government
Among the highlights, Phil McMahon, the Adelaide-based chief operating officer with the South Australian Department of Premier and Cabinet offers insights into stabilising ICT costs. This department has oversight of the state’s high-profile Office for Digital Government. This agency is spearheading an online, mobile and tech-savvy administration.
The blueprint for digitisation is shared by Jordan Hatch, the Canberra-based development strategy advisor with the Digital Transformation Office (DTO) representing the Australian government. He examines ways to tackle the “anywhere, anytime” information access dilemma.
Omni-channel service transformation is clarified by Dr Rachna Ghandi, the Sydney-based head of the front-line service delivery agency, Service NSW. She examines the “two-speed technology model,” and NSW’s one-stop shop service delivery effort.
Tackling the enemy within
New Zealand’s award-winning “RealMe” initiative is showcased by Wellington-based David Philp, general manager, Identity and Passports Services at the Department of Internal Affairs. This case study clarifies ways to identify the “enemy within” when developing identity and access management projects. The focus is to build highly-secure checkpoints and parameters that fend off insider threats.
In other news, WA’s ICT procurement reforms are examined by Glen Clarke, deputy auditor-general with the Office of the Auditor-General. He examines robust contract management arrangements, together with clarity around buyer and supplier needs.
Among the practitioner case studies, WA Police clarifies the blueprint for cyber-security awareness. This agency is taking a lead with grassroots engagement and field services across a dispersed state.
An open and candid panel discussion examines whether Western Australia’s IT spending should be viewed as a cost or an investment. This panel galvanises Jane Larke from the Department of Corrective Services, the Department of Planning’s Jack Hondros, and Arthur Nastos, formerly with the Department of Culture and the Arts.
What’s next for the GCloud?
Building an integrated and cost-effective cloud infrastructure comes under scrutiny during a panel. This conversation features Jon Gray from Data61, the Commonwealth’s peak digital and data innovation body. This discussion is joined by Edith Cowan University’s lead for IT operations, Louise Hayes, and Alex Evans, formerly with the Department of Local Government and Communities.
FST Government features highly-interactive peer-to-peer panels that are co-hosted by government and industry stakeholders. These examine digitisation, security, outsourcing, identity and access management, cloud deployment, data centre integration, as well as big data and analytics.
Apart from the peer-to-peer discussions, a dedicated exhibition showcases core technologies supporting the business of government. For updates, visit FST Government Western Australia.
The WA Public Accounts Committee is due to hand down its finding around ICT procurement. Details at the FST Government site.
