AIIA Gershon Engagement Team

Working collaboratively with Government to ensure positive outcomes for the industry through the implementation of the Gershon Recommendations is a priority for AIIA and many members; AIIA’s Gershon Engagement Team was established in December 2008 to address this priority. 

The Team will be headed by AIIA National Board member Kee Wong, of e-Centric Innovations. Members of the Gershon Engagement Team are being drawn from the AIIA Board and a wide variety of members, following an overwhelming expression of interest from industry in these issues.

Although implementation will be the most important aspect of securing the right outcomes from this review, industry remains concerned about some of the short term recommendations made in the report.

AIIA is particularly concerned to ensure that Government fully understands the impact that proposed spending cuts may have on the ICT industry’s ability to service government requirements, particularly at a time of severe economic downturn. Specifically, the 50 percent reduction in the number of ICT contractors, and the planned reduction of $400M annually of agency ‘business as usual’ ICT budgets.

While industry recognises the importance of eliminating duplication and creating efficiencies across ICT usage, concerns remain about the potential for a focus on generating savings at the expense of making a considered investment in the outcomes being sought.

Appropriate investment will be essential to improving the management, control and skills associated with the government use of ICT, particularly given the productivity benefits offered by ICT.

The Gershon Engagement Team will address these issues throughout the implementation process. More information about the Gershon Review and AIIA's response is available through the Gershon Review pages on this site.

AGIMO restructure - January 2009

AGIMO defines its role in the implementation program as a ‘catalyst for change’; it will be pivotal to both implementation strategy and engagement with industry.

AGIMO’s revised structure was announced on Friday January 30 by Australian Government Chief Information Officer Ann Steward at the ICT Industry Reform Program Briefing in Canberra, and accommodates both the current reform initiatives as well as ongoing work. The three established divisions within AGIMO will remain: the Business Improvement Division, the Policy and Planning Division and the Agency Services Division.

The Business Improvement Division will now undertake responsibility for the implementation of the Gershon Recommendations. The Division Manager of Business Improvement Division, previously vacant, has been announced as John Sheridan.

In this role he will oversee major components of the reform through the Operations Review Branch and the associated ICT Review Teams. Mr Sheridan was previously Branch Manager, Strategic Sourcing within the Agency Services Division, and will now become a primary point of contact for the ICT industry’s collaborative work with Government across the implementation.

AGIMO have also announced the Branch Heads who will assume primary responsibility for each of the major recommendations arising out of the report. Members can find full details in the AIIA Gershon Engagement Wiki - more information below.

Industry/government communication

Minister Lindsay Tanner also attended the AGIMO briefing in Canberra and he stressed in his comments to the audience the Government’s desired approach for meaningful and extensive dialogue with industry around the Gershon review recommendations to achieve “optimal outcomes”.

The restructure of AGIMO is the trigger for AIIA to begin negotiating the implementation of the Gershon recommendations in earnest.

The Gershon Engagement Team has been created to provide a direct avenue of communication between Government and industry to and ensure that industry expertise and priorities are a core component of the process.

The Team is led by selected members of AIIA’s National Board of Directors and headed by Kee Wong, Managing Director of e-Centric Innovations. 

The Gershon Engagement Team is supported by focus groups that reflect the categories of the Gershon Review’s major recommendations, summarised below. Each group will work closely with the nominated AGIMO Branch Head responsible for the associated Recommendation.

In addition to groups focusing on the major recommendations arising from the review, AIIA Directors agreed that one of the key priorities for the Team will be to carefully analyse the benefits and adverse impacts the Gershon measures may have on existing and potential SME suppliers to the Federal Government. A sixth focus group has been set up concentrate on these issues.

1. Governance Focus Group

AIIA Chair: TBA
This Group will include seeking to establish an industry ‘seat at the table’, wherever appropriate, in the high-level governance arrangements.

2. Agency ICT BAU and Efficiency and Effectiveness Focus Group

AIIA Chair: Tracey Fellows, Managing Director, Microsoft Australia
BAU and efficiency recommendations arising from the review will be examined by a single focus group due to the close relationship between these measures. The Group will focus not only on the $400 million savings in agency BAU expenditure, but also the establishment of ‘effectiveness’ metrics, procurement reforms, codes of conduct and integration of the Government’s ICT and SME policies.

3. APS Skills Base Focus Group

AIIA Chair: Tom Stianos, CEO, SMS Management & Technology
This Group focuses on the enhancement of the government’s ICT workforce (and the proposed reduction by 50% of the government’s use of contractors).

4. Infrastructure Focus Group
AIIA Chair: Rod Vawdrey, CEO, Fujitsu Australia
The Group will initially focus on data centres but also potentially encompass future architecture concepts such as the ‘government cloud’.

5. ICT Sustainability Focus Group

AIIA Chair: Bob Hayward, Director, Risk Advisory Services, KPMG
Examining ICT energy efficiency and Green ICT procurement.

6. SME Focus Group

AIIA Chair: Kee Wong, Managing Director, e-Centric Innovations
AIIA’s SME Focus Group will look specifically at the impact of the recommendations on small to medium enterprises and represent their interests through the implementation process.

The Gershon wiki

The Gershon Engagement Team will conduct a significant amount of its work online, to allow the AIIA members immediate access to the latest information and the opportunity to respond to emerging issues.

Consultation on the Gershon implementation and future submissions to government will be through the Gershon Engagement Wiki.

More information about the AIIA Gershon wiki is available on our website.

Contact

Jack Radik
AIIA Gershon Review Project Manager
(02) 6281 9400.