A strategic direction for Information and Communications Technology in the Government of South Australia

SOUTH AUSTRALIA CONNECTEDReady for the Future

Open Data

Improving Delivery

Working Together

Innovating Now

Serving People

Securing Resilience

Digital by Default

2 South Australia Connected

Government is in the connections business. Everything we do ultimately comes down to better connecting the people of South Australia with the things they want and need.

Whether we are connecting a car owner with a self-serve registration renewal, a pensioner with a concession, or a sick person with medical care, we are serving the people of South Australia.

Our goal is to better serve South Australians by making, improving, and enabling connections. Information and Communications Technology [ICT] is critical to our capability to achieve this goal because it amplifies our ability to connect.

ICT is part of our lives more than ever before, and government, like the rest of the modern economy, is reliant on the smooth, uninterrupted operation of its ICT. Though government continues to make great progress using ICT to improve service delivery, South Australia is in the midst of a period of digital disruption that presents new opportunities beyond those offered by traditional ICT. We are now seeing the emergence of increasingly sophisticated digital technologies – and are achieving more than simply placing forms online.

At the core is business model innovation based on customer preferences. Digital disruption is being driven not just by new technologies, but by changing citizen expectations. Citizens are demonstrating a willingness to use digital services, and government needs to respond to this in a strategic way.

South Australia Connected [SA Connected] is the South Australian Government’s ICT Strategy. It sets the direction to help agencies make the most of ICT. Supported by the Digital by Default Declaration and the SA Government Digital Transformation Strategy, SA Connected has been updated to reflect our renewed focus on digital transformation.

ICT has an enhanced role in the business of government, and we are embracing this to deliver better outcomes for our state.

SA Connected will help government continue to go about its business and work towards objectives in a strategic way. By setting the strategic direction and assisting agencies to align their decisions and activities, SA Connected will help make South Australia connected, ready for the future.

Phil McMahon CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER DEPARTMENT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

IntroductionPurposeThe purpose of SA Connected is to set the strategic direction for the use of ICT in the Government of South Australia, characterised in each section by a number of high-level ‘From To’ statements.

These statements indicate where we want to go, and by aligning our decisions and activities with this strategic direction, we will move the government towards our goal of making South Australia connected, ready for the future.

Goal

Our goal is to better connect the people of South Australia with the things they want and need, when and where they need them.

Perspectives (of our goal)

Overview

These six perspectives of our goal provide a way of looking at the complexity of government. They offer us a means to focus our energies.

Strategic DirectionFor example:

From To

Some services online Digital by default

The ‘From To’ statements set the strategic direction for the government. They move us towards our goal.

Open Data

Improving Delivery

Working Together

Innovating Now

Serving People

Securing Resilience

3South Australia Connected

Available from www.digital.sa.gov.au

Strategic direction

(connecting people with where we are

heading)

Includes: • Overview • 6 perspectives • The strategic direction – articulated as ‘From To’ statements.

Expectations(connecting people

with what they should do)

Includes: • Standard practices • Across-government policies, standards, guidelines.

Delivery(connecting people

with how the strategy works)

Includes: • High-level governance arrangements • Delivery arrangements for SA Connected:

• Agency assistance • Operational management arrangements for SA Connected:

• How things get changed/updated.

Initiatives(connecting people with our activities

and outcomes)

Includes: • Outlines of initiatives and capability developments (across-government and agency level):

• Outcomes • Capabilities delivered • High-level timeframes • Strategic alignment

• Progress of initiatives.

Dialogue(connecting people

with each other)

Includes: • Sharing (e.g. case studies, agency plans) • Agency, industry and community feedback on SA Connected • Provenance and timeline.

A living strategySA Connected is not intended to be static or inflexible. The world we live in is complex and changing (as is the work of government) – our strategy needs to be able to adapt and move as change is required. While the strategic direction is intended to be enduring, how we work to align with it may need to change as we continually improve and discover what works best.

The idea is that we have an active, dynamic, and ‘living’ strategy. The strategic direction is just one part of this overall strategy. The rest of it will not be bound in a static document; it will be digital by default and exist online at www.digital.sa.gov.au so that it can be kept relevant and thoughtfully adjusted as required.

The online strategy will consist of five parts (including the strategic direction). These parts work together to provide the tools and information that agencies and their partners need in order to align their activities and decisions with the strategic direction. This includes details of the standard practices that agencies will be expected to follow, and the other policies that guide decision-making.

4 South Australia Connected

From To

Serving People

An external lens

This is our purpose; it is ‘What we do’. This perspective focuses on services to citizens.

Some services online Digital by default

Some engagement Collaborative democracy

Multiple service channels Integrated customer service

Treating everyone the same Serving diversity

Securing Resilience

A security lens

We live in a changing world; we are ‘Preparing for the unpredictable, but inevitable’. This underpins everything we do.

Robust infrastructure Resilient communities

Basic security awareness We all apply security, all the time

Protecting the perimeter Protecting information

Security as an added job Professionalising security

Improving Delivery

A productivity lens

This provides a lens on our productivity and project execution; this is about ‘Getting more out of what we’ve got’.

Some big ICT projects Big plans, small projects

Robust ICT governance Integrated governance

Buying hardware and software Buying services

Diffuse accountability Clear accountability

Pockets of excellence Digital competency

Working Together

A sharing and collaboration lens

‘Common problems, shared solutions’. Collaboration and sharing makes us better at what we do.

Barriers to collaboration Seamless government

Agencies ‘going it alone’ Agency partnerships

Common problems Sharing solutions

Working within government Working with our partners

Innovating Now

An opportunity lens

We have a sense of urgency, and we know that if we manage the risks ‘Embracing opportunities is rewarded’.

Risk aversion Embracing opportunities

Large-scale solutions Incremental improvements

Technology for its own sake Technology for service benefits

Good deeds done in secret Early and open engagement

An enabling lens

Opening up government-held data assists us to make progress in each of the other perspectives. ‘Enabling us to make better connections’ in order to create shared value.

Ownership Custodianship

Data silos Shared value

Reactive data supply Proactive data streams

The strategic directionThese are directional statements. They show, in overview, the strategic direction for the Government of South Australia.

These statements have been designed to encapsulate the direction that government will go, simply and succinctly. Each ‘From To’ statement has been provided to show what will change by articulating a shift in focus, or the move to an improved level of maturity.

For example, when we say that we are moving from ‘Robust ICT governance’ to ‘Integrated governance’, we do not mean that our ICT governance will no longer be robust, we simply mean that we are making a deliberate choice to move beyond this level of maturity, to improve our governance arrangements.

These statements are designed to be brief and high-level. The detail required for agencies to align with these statements will be developed through the other parts of the strategy, available from www.digital.sa.gov.au.

Open Data

5South Australia Connected

Robust infrastructure Resilient communities

Communities are better equipped to ‘bounce back’ when the unpredictable, but inevitable happens – technology is core to prevention, preparation, response and recovery.

Securing resilience will be in the forefront of our thinking. We must be mindful that even our most basic activities are reliant on the smooth, uninterrupted operation of ICT. We will ensure that we are agile enough to respond to changes effectively.

Basic security awareness We all apply security, all the time

If security is seen as an afterthought, it becomes an obstacle or problem; if it is built in from the start, it is easy. Security isn’t about stopping us from doing things; it’s about enabling us to make informed decisions.

Security is not the sole responsibility of a nominated individual or team; all staff are responsible for ensuring their actions maintain the protection of people, information, and property. We will ensure that security becomes a natural part of our everyday activities.

Protecting the perimeter Protecting information

In this era of openness, protecting does not mean ‘locking away’; it means taking care, and being thoughtful. We no longer just have a ‘perimeter’ to protect – insider and other threats mean we are exposed and vulnerable everywhere, all the time.

While we will continue to maintain solid defence of our systems, protecting the information we hold will be our primary concern. Improved use of document classification and handling will be key to this.

Security as an added job Professionalising security

The bad guys are smart, sophisticated and active; we need to match them, or we will lose.

Just as there are many criminals who are dedicated to accessing the government’s assets, we need to be dedicated to protecting those assets. Security will not simply be an added function to an existing role; dedicated security professionals will provide agencies with the expert knowledge and processes needed to protect our assets.

Serving People

Serving PeopleWhat we do

Strategic Direction

Some services online Digital by default

The evidence is clear – our customers prefer online services, and increasingly, mobile-ready services. Introducing new services, improving old services – whenever possible, our approach will be ‘digital by default’.

This does not mean that services will only be provided in a digital format; the focus will be on providing the best range of services to our customers – giving them choice. Some services cannot be made digital, and some probably shouldn’t; however, we will consider whether they can and should – from the start.

Some engagement Collaborative democracy

Every agency will determine how best to collaborate with the community to better understand their perspectives and create public value. Tools like social media are no longer simply interesting, they are essential – and we will make it easier for agencies to use them.

We will move to embed community participation and engagement into ‘business as usual’, building South Australia’s collaborative capacity, and reaching public judgement on big issues.

Multiple service channels Integrated customer service

The relationships we have with our customers are largely formed by the service delivery that we and our partners provide. Face-to-face transactions may well be many times more expensive than digitally-delivered services, but to ensure that our customer relationships remain strong, and our service delivery is both efficient and responsive, we will understand our customers and our services holistically.

Treating everyone the same Serving diversity

We are not all the same – some of us face greater challenges than others. As we move more into the digital space, we will make sure we don’t leave anyone behind.

We will always consider the challenges that our customers may face and commit to providing greater accessibility to our services.

We recognise that individuals want to choose the mix of services they receive and how they connect with them. This will not be the same for everybody. We will not ignore this; we will embrace diversity.

Securing Resilience

Securing ResiliencePreparing for the unpredictable, but inevitable

Strategic Direction

6 South Australia Connected Improving Delivery

Improving DeliveryGetting more out of what we’ve got

Some big ICT projects Big plans, small projects

From now on, we’re not going to start up any more big ‘ICT’ projects. We’re only going to have business change initiatives.

We know that large projects run a higher risk of failure. We will break these down into smaller segments, with well-defined exit strategies that ensure that we’re not locked into spending more time and money to continue projects that aren’t working. We’ll still have big plans, but projects will be shorter, and they will be planned and delivered by multi-disciplinary teams, not just IT.

Robust ICT governance Integrated governance

We’ve done a lot to improve ICT governance, but now it is time to go further; we are going to progressively integrate ICT and corporate governance, and link up governance structures right across government.

We won’t be creating more levels of governance; we’ll be using the governance structures we already have more effectively. The business needs of an organisation will drive their ICT needs, and business leaders will be critical to ICT governance.

Buying hardware and software Buying services

We continue to re-invest in our hardware and software – just to keep the lights on; but it is the services we buy, especially locally-sourced, that we value the most.

We won’t be buying more boxes and wires than we need to, we’ll be buying services , such as cloud services, that may be delivered through any number of mechanisms – whatever provides the best value for the state.

Diffuse accountability Clear accountability

Committees are great for many things, but it is hard to hold a committee to account for its actions. We will hold our executives to account for project successes and failures.

From the outset, project documentation will clearly define who is responsible for getting the project done (and how) and who is ultimately accountable for the success (or failure) of a project. This is communicated to, and agreed to by, all involved.

Pockets of excellence Digital competency

ICT is now part of everyone’s job, not just technical support. All of us need to develop new competencies to meet the challenges brought about by digital technologies.

We will better understand the digital literacy of all staff and equip them with modern skills needed to operate in an increasingly digital workplace.

Strategic Direction Strategic Direction

Working TogetherCommon problems, shared solutions

Barriers to collaboration Seamless government

Lack of technology is no longer a valid excuse for not working together – for the most part, we already have the tools and technology to connect.

To work together effectively, we need more than technology. To support both the informal and formal networks that we use to connect, we will establish standard processes and ways of working, so that people know what they need to do to take part in effective collaboration.

Agencies ‘going it alone’ Agency partnerships

Our budget processes often make it easier for agencies to do things alone instead of working together. Going onwards, we will see increasing numbers of multi-agency approaches. From now on, we form partnerships and share first.

We will put in place across-government support to make it easier for agencies to work together. Central agencies and expert groups will provide leadership to coordinate agencies and ‘show the way’.

Common problems Sharing solutions

Often, different parts of government do the same things – differently. Instead of re-inventing what already exists, we are going to re-use and share capabilities and solutions across government. To enable this, our approaches will be open by design.

Sharing is not only possible, it is necessary. We need to unlock as much of the latent capacity we have across government as possible. All agencies will make a genuine effort to identify and use existing solutions before new initiatives are approved.

Working within government Working with our partners

Government does not exist separate to society. We are just one part among many, making up our dynamic and diverse community. By further leveraging our partnerships with organisations outside of government, we can work together to tackle common problems and deliver better services.

We will develop new and improved service supply chains so that our services can be delivered through partnerships whenever appropriate. Local councils, not-for-profit organisations, industry, community groups, other governments, and tertiary institutions will extend and enhance our connections with the community.

Working Together

7South Australia ConnectedInnovating Now

Innovating NowEmbracing opportunities is rewarded

Strategic Direction

Risk aversion Embracing opportunities

‘Risk’ is already on most of our meeting agendas; soon, ‘innovation’ will be as well.

It is much easier to avoid risk than to accept and manage it. Avoiding risk reduces uncertainty, but it also limits us to the status quo. Managing a risk requires us to understand the effects it may have and take precautions to minimise them.

To gain the benefits of innovation, we need to embrace opportunities, inform our choices, and manage the risk to reduce its effect. We will move forward by making innovation a priority, not for its own sake, but because it will help us do our job.

Large‑scale solutions Incremental improvements

We will tackle problems through iterative development, breaking them into planned, bite-sized chunks. Then we’ll test solutions through prototyping, and where prototypes work, scale them up.

Even when ideas seem big, innovation does not need to be. Small, steady steps can lead to incremental improvements. Tried and tested developments are easier to expand across agencies.

Technology for its own sake

Technology for service benefits

Technology is interesting, but it isn’t everything; we will look at things from a 360° perspective.

When flash, new technology becomes available, it is natural to want it, even when it may not be needed. Even when everyone else seems to be using the ‘hot new toy’, this will only be one consideration, not the only consideration. Technology will not drive our business; our business will be informed by new possibilities and our technology choices will be driven by the benefits our customers will receive.

Good deeds done in secret

Early and open engagement

We will find new ways to work with the ICT industry, academia, and other sectors, so that we can innovate together.

Exposing challenges and problems to a wider audience will invite better solutions. We won’t just be working with our government colleagues when searching for solutions that affect all parts of society.

We will clearly distinguish between procurement and engagement to allow industry stakeholders to be involved in innovative developments early on, while allowing us to maintain rigorous procurement processes later on, when they’re needed.

Strategic Direction

Ownership Custodianship

Agencies do not own data, we are custodians. As custodians, our job is to improve access – improving access means moving government away from just using data ourselves in order to provide services to the community; it also means providing data to the community so they can use it. We will make more government-held data publicly available.

Data silos Shared value

Every day, agencies create and use all sorts of data in the course of doing business. This data, if shared more widely, could generate immense value for our state. The challenge is where to make a start?

We will work with our partners to identify those potential high-value data sets and make them widely available so that experts and entrepreneurs can work together to explore the potential for creating new services and unleash the economic value of the data we hold.

Reactive data supply Proactive data streams

In order to generate sustainable value from our open data, the community needs to have confidence in its quality and supply; so that is where we will focus our efforts.

We know that it is much easier to release data when the decision to do so is made up front, before the data is collected. That is why we will put in place across-government support to make it easier for agencies to classify, license and release data in sustainable ways as part of their day-to-day business.

We will favour approaches that securely automate the release of ‘live’ open data direct from government systems.

Open DataEnabling us to make better connections

OpenData

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ To attribute this material, cite the Office for Digital Government, Government of South Australia, 2016.