The Western Australian government has released its first service delivery roadmap under its five-year Digital Strategy 2021-2025.
Detailed in the roadmap are 21 initiatives across 12 state agencies, all aimed at improving service delivery to citizens and businesses, tightened cybersecurity, and an update for legacy ICT systems. This includes some projects funded through the $500 million Digital Capability Fund announced in September 2021.
Western Australia’s Minister for Innovation and ICT Stephen Dawson said the strategic roadmap would help the state future proof its service delivery.
“The McGowan government is committed to delivering modern digital services that all Western Australians deserve now and into the future,” Mr Dawson said. “This new roadmap offers WA industry and community an exciting preview into some of the convenient, smart and secure digital projects that are on track to be delivered by 2025.”
“The roadmap lays out how we will action our Digital Strategy by drawing down on the Digital Capability Fund over the coming years.”
The fund was to speed up the digital transformation of the public sector. As of the mid-year review of the state budget last December, almost $277 million had been committed to 13 projects over the 2021-25 period.
Some $200 million of the fund is being spent updating WA Health’s legacy human resources and payroll system, rostering system and nurse placement service with a centralised, cloud-based Human Resources Management Information System (HMRIS).
On February 3, the state handed a $166.5 million contract to global consultant Deloitte to provide the HRMIS by June 2025. It also signed a $53.3 million licensing agreement with German enterprise software vendor SAP.
Another of the roadmap highlighted initiatives is the expansion of the WA Office of Digital Government’s Cyber Security Operations Centre. The aim is to connect 30 agencies to the centre by the middle of the year.
Already delivered in January is ServiceWA, a digital identification app that can also carry proof of COVID-19 vaccination, the G2G pass for interstate travellers and a check-in function to assist contact tracers.
Investment assessments and prioritisation for the Digital Capability Fund is undertaken by the DGOV, which is an office of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.
A new roadmap will be published every financial year up to and including 2024-25. Twice a year, the state government will report on Digital Strategy projects and make roadmap updates.
Better services, informed decisions, safe and secure, digitally inclusive, and supporting digital foundations are the five strategic priorities guiding the digital strategy, which was released in June 2021.
At the time of release, then-Minister for Innovation and ICT Don Punch said that under the plan, government services and regulatory processes would mould to the needs of people and businesses.
“The new Digital Strategy will change the way government works and make it easier for people and businesses to interact with the State Government,” Minister Punch said.
“The Digital Strategy will expand our existing cyber resilience and capability to manage critical cyber security risks, which are occurring worldwide in both unprecedented frequency and magnitude.
“The McGowan government is ensuring no one is left behind as our services become more digital, and the Digital Strategy will remove barriers to inclusion so all Western Australians can access and use the internet and digital technology.”
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