Corporate plan 2017⁠–⁠21

This page shows our Corporate Plan 2017⁠–⁠21.

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CEO's statement

In 2016, the Australian Government set out its digital transformation agenda. The agenda is focused on delivering better and more accessible digital services to individuals and businesses.

Responsibility for realising the digital transformation agenda is owned by all agencies who are accountable for delivering services to individuals and businesses.

For digital transformation across government to work, we need successful coordination and collaboration between the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) and other agencies.

I am committed to a DTA that performs effectively and meets the expectations of government, government agencies, industry stakeholders and the public.

I have established a performance reporting framework to make sure that we are able to identify and address performance issues, and meet the requirements of the Public Governance Performance and Accountability Act (PGPA Act).

As the accountable authority for the DTA, I am pleased to present a variation to our 2017–18 Corporate Plan. This varied Corporate Plan covers the period 2017–18 to 2020–21, as required under paragraph 35 (1)(b) of the PGPA Act.

Gavin Slater — Chief Executive Officer

Environment

Australians are more mobile, more connected and more reliant on technology than ever before. People expect services to be online.

Our user research has consistently shown that people want to interact with government as a whole, and not with individual agencies.

It’s our role to work in partnership with government agencies to improve how we buy and deliver digital services.

There are a number of environmental factors that influence how we work and how successful we are.

User expectations

People expect government services to be as easy to access, simple to use and as reliable as services provided by the private sector. They want the flexibility to access services through the channel that suits them.

These expectations are increasing as a gap in quality between government and non-government services widens. We need to work with agencies to reduce this gap for users.

Return on investment

In August 2017, the ICT Procurement Taskforce Report was released. To implement these recommendations, we are working across agencies to transform how government manages its ICT procurement by implementing a series of reforms.

The government’s spend on ICT is substantial — spending about $6 billion on ICT goods and services every year.

A more coordinated and collaborative approach to investment can deliver efficiencies and value for money — with opportunities to build platforms that can be reused across government.

Coordination and strategic oversight will improve risk identification, mitigation and ensure products deliver real benefits to users.

Service and innovative technology

The complexity of policy and regulation directly impacts service delivery and innovation. It is important to design services that reflect user needs, and apply smart, efficient technologies to reduce the gap between government and non-government services. These innovative ways of working can help to address previously unsolvable problems.

Collaboration between agencies and with industry can help to focus services around real-life events, rather than government structures to better meet user needs.

Improved data collection and analytics will also help to improve services.

APS capability

Skilled staff are crucial to delivering effective digital services. But, as technology advances, so do the kinds of skills and capabilities that are needed to transform services.

To keep up with user expectations, government agencies need to:

• attract, retain and develop staff with specialist digital skills
• improve the digital literacy of senior leaders
• make sure existing staff have access to the tools and resources they need to deliver better digital services.

Highly skilled digital teams can design the best digital experiences for users and champion the adoption of digital service delivery.

An Australian Public Service that is innovative, curious and digitally savvy will help the government to transform digital services.

Design and delivery process

The mandated Digital Service Standard includes a four-step service design and delivery process. This helps teams to learn fast, create services that meet users’ needs and to save money.

We also support agencies across government to use this process in the design and delivery of their own services. The four steps are:

• Discovery

  The broader service landscape is mapped, the needs of users are researched, and the policy intent and technology constraints are understood.

• Alpha

  Teams test hypotheses by building prototypes in code to explore different ways to meet user needs.

• Beta

  Agencies define a minimum viable product from the successful prototype in Alpha and build this as an accessible and secure service. The prototype is trialled alongside the existing service and user feedback is collected. ‘Private beta’ is a trial with select group of users. ‘Public beta’ is a trial with the public.

• Live

  The platform is available for use by users. The service team continue to improve the service based on user feedback.

Our purpose and priorities

We are committed to improving the user experience of government services by working with other agencies and putting users at the centre of government service delivery.

Priorities

We have five priorities to help us achieve our purpose. Our deliverables map to these priorities.

Develop a digital transformation roadmap

The roadmap will allow the government to identify and fund the digital transformation initiatives that will have the greatest impact on user experiences.

Most digital services are designed to address the needs of a single portfolio or agency, but for many people, they will have to contact many different agencies to get one thing done.

By tracking user journeys across government, we can assess what digital initiatives to invest in to improve users experience of government.

Deliverables:

• digital transformation priorities
• digital transformation roadmap
• digital content and rationalisation strategy

See performance metrics

Deliver and improve digital platforms

A digital platform is a system that multiple agencies can use to deliver services to users. By reusing and sharing digital platforms, agencies can reduce duplication of effort and assets.

This approach will save money, improve the experience of government services and increase familiarity with government digital systems.

Deliverables:

• Digital Identity
• myGov
• Pilot platforms (Notifications, Tell Us Once, Payments In and Data Exchange)
• Secure cloud strategy
• Performance Dashboard
• data.gov.au and National Map

See performance metrics

Oversee and advise on ICT and digital investment

The DTA has oversight of all significant government ICT and digital investments. This gives us the opportunity to:

• consider potential risks
• assess whether projects are cost effective and delivering their intended benefits
• find opportunities to share platforms
• coordinate procurement so the government can make the most of its buying power.

Our oversight helps to make sure investments are delivering value for the users and for the government.

Deliverables:

• Oversee major initiatives in progress
• Cyber-security advice
• Review critical infrastructure risks
• Review internet gateway reduction program

See performance metrics

Transform ICT procurement

The DTA develops and provides guidance to agencies on applying ICT procurement policy. Our ICT procurement team is working to support best practice procurement, inclusive markets and good working relationships between buyers and sellers.

This will mean that agencies can embrace modern, streamlined ways of doing business now and into the future.

Deliverables:

• Coordinated procurement
• ICT procurement transformation review
• Digital Marketplace

See performance metrics

Build Australian Public Service ICT and digital capability

We’re partnering with agencies across government to raise the level of digital skills in the Australian Public Service. Skilled digital workers can design the best digital experiences for users and champion the adoption of digital service delivery.

Building internal digital capability makes the public service less exposed to increasing market rates for contractors, reduces design and delivery risk, and will encourage innovative thinking.

Deliverables:

• Digital Service Standard review
• Building digital capability program
• Establish the Co-Lab program
• ICT skills program

See performance metrics

Deliverables and performance measurement

The success measures and targets outlined below explain how we will measure our performance against our priorities and purpose.

We have identified where baseline data will be collected in 2017–18 to enable performance reporting in 2018–19 and beyond.

The performance criteria in this Corporate Plan and the portfolio budget statements will be reported on through our annual performance statement. We will also track our performance internally.

Appendix A maps our portfolio budget statement outcomes and programs to our purpose and activities.

Develop a digital transformation roadmap

Deliver and improve digital platforms

Oversee and advise on ICT and digital investment

Transform ICT procurement

Build Australian Public Service ICT and digital capability

Growing our capabilities

The DTA will focus on growing our capability across a number areas over the next four years. This will put us in a better position to achieve our purpose and to build our influence.

We will do this by:

• developing the skills of our people and our digital leaders
• developing a shared vision of the DTA’s culture and values
• communicating and engaging effectively
• encouraging innovation
• creating a positive risk-management culture
• evaluating our performance
• committing to diversity and inclusion.

Culture and values

We support our staff to build their capabilities and encourage them to work towards their career goals. By doing this, we are improving the capability of the public service and supporting the government now and into the future.

As Australian public servants, we follow the Australian Public Service’s ICARE values.

Our people:

• are collaborative, consultative and committed to common success
• provide expert advice and work in partnership to deliver strategic, creative and future-focused products, policy and services
• are optimistic, proactive and resilient in finding ways to innovate
• seek to understand our users and our partners, their ambitions, constraints and capabilities.

Risk management

The DTA’s Enterprise Risk Management Policy and Framework helps articulate our risk appetite and behaviours. It is administered in line with the requirements of the Commonwealth Risk Management Policy and the PGPA Act, and is compliant with the Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 31000:2009: Risk management — Principles and Guidelines.

Our framework covers the systems, structures, policies, processes, people and practices within the DTA that have a risk oversight or management role. It helps to manage the sources of risk that may impact our ability to deliver our purpose.

We take a risk-based approach to policy and program development, and integrate risk management with our governance, planning and performance management processes.

The DTA’s risk oversight and management over the four years of the Corporate Plan includes:

Systems and structures

• The CEO ensures appropriate frameworks are in place to manage risk
• The executive committee makes decisions in relation to risk management and escalated issues
• The audit committee provides the CEO with assurance related to the management of risk
• We will identify, document, analyse and evaluate the risks to achieving our purpose, including risk response strategies

Policies and procedures

• We will operate within our Risk Management Policy and Framework
• We will set out our risk management responsibilities and communicate our risk appetite and tolerance
• We will operate according to the Accountable Authority Instructions that govern our agency

People

• We will foster a positive risk management culture that is built into business-as-usual practices
• Our people are risk aware in their day-to-day activities
• Our people will engage with reasonable levels of risk
• As an agency we will proactively manage risks

Practice

• Our people will be trained regularly in risk management
• Our business streams and significant products and procurements will assess their risks and have in place risk management plans
• We will maintain an enterprise risk register

Compliance

The DTA actively manages compliance with the requirements of the PGPA framework.

The DTA achieves compliance by committing to:

• preventive measures to ensure compliance
• detective measures to ensure identification of non-compliance
• corrective measures to prevent recurrence of non-compliance.

The DTA has key controls in place to ensure compliance with the PGPA framework. These include:

• clear and concise policies detailing compliance requirements
• compliance reviews of corporate business processes
• internal audits of key risk areas conducted by independent auditors
• an audit committee that provides advice to the CEO on compliance
• Accountable Authority Instructions (AAIs) — an overview of financial management principles and requirements
• training for staff delivered on a regular basis
• a formal compliance quality assurance program comprised of internal audits, and compliance review activities to test compliance with the financial management framework.

Appendix A – Portfolio Budget Statements 2017-2018 mapped to the Corporate Plan