Government releases new data and digital strategy

The Australian Government has released a new unifying strategy aimed at setting the groundwork for an overhaul of its digital government efforts.

The new 2030 Data and Digital Government Strategy is designed to act as a unified blueprint for how the government will deliver simple, secure and connected public services to people and businesses through world-class data and digital capabilities.

The strategy is aligned around five core objectives, including that data and digital transformation initiatives across the Australian Public Service deliver for all people and businesses, enable the delivery of simple and seamless services, be suitable for the government of the future, remain trusted and secure, and be based on solid data and digital foundations.

It has been designed to address issues and concerns ranging from cybersecurity and privacy to improving workforce capability.

Digital Transformation Agency CEO Chris Fechner said the new strategy is accompanied by an implementation plan which establishes transparent, whole-of-government scorecards for tracking progress adopting it.

“This strategy represents the maturing of the Australian Government’s digital transformation and the recognition of data and digital as vital to delivering for people and business,” he said. “Going forward, the Strategy provides a blueprint for government investments in data and digital to be coordinated, driving greater impact and effectiveness, and revealing where future efforts should be focused.”

Specific goals of the strategy include ensuring that government services are safe, inclusive, accessible and digital by design, that government ICT architecture is interoperable, and that greater value is being derived from public and private sector data.

In her minister’s forward to the new strategy, Minister for the Public Service Katy Gallagher said the government aims to ensure that the public service puts people and business at the centre of its data and digital transformation.

“The Strategy sets out the Australian Government’s vision to deliver simple, secure and connected public services for all people and business, through world-class data and digital capabilities. It is supported by an implementation plan which sets out how we will achieve this,” she said. “This Strategy and the Plan is a call to action for the Australian Public Service (APS). As Minister responsible for the APS and whole-of-government data and digital policy, I am committed to putting people and business at the centre of our efforts, ensuring everyone’s experience with the Australian Government is inclusive, accessible, responsive to their needs and meets expectations.”

The release of the new strategy follows a report from the Australian National Audit Office last year which was highly critical of the DTA’s procurement processes.

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