The Western Australian state government has begun its search for a chief information officer to lead a wide-ranging ICT reform program.
The newly created role will report directly to the WA finance minister and be tasked with developing a whole-of-government ICT plan.
As part of the WA budget handed down in May, the government detailed moves to cut ICT spending across a range of departments and agencies.
“The initial focus of the GCIO will be on reducing the cost of ICT across government and enhancing transparency in the delivery of major projects,” budget documents stated.
“The GCIO will develop a whole-of-government ICT plan, which will focus on establishing benchmarks, smarter procurement and more innovative service delivery models.”
“The GCIO will develop a whole-of-government ICT plan, which will focus on establishing benchmarks, smarter procurement and more innovative service delivery models,” budget documents stated.
The government revealed in March its plan to create the new CIO role and establish a $25 million ICT Renewal and Reform fund. The GCIO will lead decision-making on the new fund.
The job ad for the CIO role indicates the WA government is offering an initial three-year contract for the position.
The objective of the new Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) is to collaborate with government agencies to “stabilise cost, increase value-for-money and minimise risk in the delivery of [ICT] across the Western Australian Government by,” the advertisement states.
The CIO will function as CEO of the OGCIO.
A position description (PDF) of the CIO role states that key functions of the OGCIO will include specific efforts to improve ICT project planning, specification, implementation, evaluation and governance arrangements; fostering a cooperative WA public sector outlook in order to reduce costs and to promote better collaboration involving resource sharing; driving ICT reform across the state's public sector; and establishing a whole-of-government ICT strategy and services to assist agencies capitalise on the potential of ICT-enabled service delivery transformation.