CeBIT 08: Rudd Government looks to rectify Howard’s past ICT mistakes

The Minister said the Howard government failed to install important risk and project management systems and to encourage collaboration between government agencies in the area of ICT.

“We’ve inherited from the previous government a poor track record in managing the risks surrounding major ICT upgrades,” Tanner said.

“The proliferation of wasteful individual contract arrangements has meant there has been significant functional duplication and lack of system coordination across agencies.”

Tanner has commissioned an independent review of useful ICT procurement policies and practices in order for the Government to better understand the best way to move forward and improve upon the past.

Sir Peter Gershon, an expert on public sector ICT from the UK, will conduct the review and is scheduled to share his findings with the Minister in September.

“By examining the climate and recommending new ways for agencies to collaborate and improve services, the Rudd Government hopes to improve some of the inefficient practices of the past,” Tanner said.

“The review is really the first step in a much larger project which involves changing the culture of Government agencies who are still conditioned to look inward and not recognize the advantages of working together.”

“We need to change that mindset. We have to demonstrate to agencies that collaboration and cooperation underpin the effective application of ICT services.”