Turnbull's Digital Transformation Office seeks CEO

The government has engaged executive recruitment business Russell Reynolds Associates to run its search for a head of the recently created Digital Transformation Office.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced in January the creation of the DTO. The agency, which sits within the Department of Communications, is intended to oversee the development and co-ordination of digitally delivered government services.

The government has said the agency will operate more like a startup than a traditional agency.

One of the initial tasks of the DTO is developing a single sign-on for government services.

An advertisement for a DTO CEO posted late last week invites applications from candidates in government, industry, international and multinational organisations.

"Under your leadership, government services will be simpler, clearer, faster and easier to use. All new and redesigned services will be digital by default, benefiting everybody," the advertisement states.

"The CEO of the newly created DTO will lead this transformation, supported by a dedicated team working across government to deliver services that are seamless and focused on the end user – individuals and businesses."

The CEO will report directly to Turnbull.

Currently David Hazlehurst is acting as CEO of the DTO, which will become an executive agency from 1 July this year.

"The DTO has been created to lead a new approach to the government delivering information and services to Australians," Hazlehurst said in an introductory video posted earlier this week.

"We know that Australians expect the same kind of easy interaction that they get when they're doing their online banking or shopping on their mobile device when they deal with government," the acting CEO said.

"We also know that people don't want to be smothered with forms or have to queue up in a government office to interact with government. So we'll be working across government to drive a relentless focus on the needs of the user.

"We will be taking an agile and open approach to the way in which services and information are developed... We also want to create an ecosystem in which the best ideas, methods and the best people from the private sector can be blended with the best of the public sector in order to deliver great results for the public."

In addition to a website and social media presence, the major public work of the DTO so far has been the (alpha) release of a Digital Service Standard for government agencies.

The alpha sets out the minimum standards new or redesigned digital government services must meet before launch. It applies to services that process or are likely to process more than 50,000 transactions every year.