CSIRO has brought in two Big Four consultancies to overhaul its financial system and develop an overarching health strategy for the science agency. PwC and Deloitte will share in more than $2.5 million for the two separate projects.
PwC will be paid $2.05 million under a nine month “business advisory” contract to lead the transformation of CSIRO’s finance systems, including procurement, invoicing and payments, as part of a government push to adopt eInvoicing across agencies by July.
Separately, giant consultancy Deloitte has been handed a $475,000, three-month contract to help develop an “overarching health strategy” for the agency, with the consultants to work alongside CSIRO staff.
As part of a Digital Business Plan announced by the Coalition in 2020, all Commonwealth agencies are mandated to adopt eInvoicing by 1 July 2022.
Current eInvoicing capabilities vary across Commonwealth government agencies, with many able to receive them but few able to send, according to the ATO. The Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources is currently able to receive eInvoices but not send them.
A spokesperson for CSIRO said the PwC contract was for the “digital transformation” of its finance systems and will see the introduction of “a new technology platform to manage end-to-end procurement, invoicing and payments”.
“This will allow us to streamline and simplify our procurement practices, ensure value-for money through access to better buying platforms, manage compliance and reporting, and create efficiencies to better utilise our resources,” the CSIRO spokesperson told InnovationAus.com.
CSIRO staff will work alongside the consultants, who have been called in for their experience introducing the same technology platform in other organisations, according to the spokesperson.
Fellow Big Four consultancy Deloitte has also won work from the science agency, landing a $475,000 contract running from late January to April.
This work will see Deloitte staff assisting a CSIRO-led team in developing a pandemic-inspired health strategy.
“The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the value to the nation of multidisciplinary science in responding to the current crisis and making Australia more prepared and resilient into the future,” the spokesperson said.
“CSIRO is developing an overarching health strategy, with the aim of consolidating the interconnected domains of human, animal and environmental health to maximise our impact in Australia’s health ecosystem, and deliver benefit to the community.”
Deloitte has won several tenders from CSIRO in the past, including a number of contracts worth around $3 million combined during the current financial year.
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