Frankly I have come to the conclusion that I am leading
a first rate department with second rate infrastructure support.
There needs to be a substantial capital investment in our communications
capabilities.
Dr Shergold in his address to staff on 14 May 2003
Information infrastructure
The outsourcing contract with Telstra Enterprise Services Proprietary
Limited for the provision of information technology and telecommunications
(IT&T) services to Group 5 government agencies expires on 30 June
2004. (The Departments of the Prime Minister and Cabinet; Communications,
Information Technology and the Arts; Industry, Tourism and Resources;
and Transport and Regional Services; with the Australian Competition
and Consumer Commission, make up Group 5.) The contract includes
an option to extend the contract for an additional two years. The
department will not exercise that option.
In late 2002, the department considered options for future IT&T
service delivery. Acumen Alliance was engaged to develop a strategy
for IT&T outsourcing appropriate to the department’s
future business needs. The strategy recommended that the department
seek outsourced IT&T services as a single agency rather than
in a cluster arrangement, under a selective sourcing model.
A request for registrations of interest in the provision of IT&T
services was issued in May 2003. Although not finalised at the
time of reporting, this process indicated that there were a number
of providers who could effectively deliver the required services.
As part of the ongoing process of making improvements to the department’s
IT&T infrastructure support systems, measures implemented during
the year included:
- developing a technology plan that establishes the department’s
technical architecture expectations for the next three years
- revising the department’s information technology security
policy and developing security plans for major information technology
systems
- managing the transfer of the HIH and building and construction
industry royal commission websites to the department, and the
websites’ subsequent archiving
- upgrading the department’s local area network infrastructure
to improve the performance, security and reliability of the network
- managing the development of the new CABNET Standard Operating
Environment (SOE) and the rollout of new CABNET workstations
and SOE and biometric authentication hardware to the department,
the Prime Minister’s Office, Cabinet ministers’ offices
and 21 Australian Government departments and agencies
- replacing the water based fire suppression system in the department’s
computer room with a gas based system
- upgrading the library management system (Horizon) to include
a web enabled front end for the library catalogue.
The department also contributed to the eGovernment Benefits study
commissioned by the National Office of the Information Economy
(NOIE), participated in eGovernment Week - held at Parliament
House between 11 and 14 November 2002 - and contributed
to NOIE’s survey on future options for promoting eGovernment
initiatives.
The Information Management Strategic Advisory Committee, referred
to above, will provide an important forum for generating advice
to the departmental Executive on strategies and policy for the
effective use of information resources and on the development of
information infrastructure and services that support the department’s
business outcomes.
The Library
The Library provided a comprehensive reference and research service
and developed, managed and maintained appropriate resources to
support the information needs of the department.
The Library’s major achievements included:
- providing clients with desktop web based access to the Library’s
online catalogue
- providing clients with desktop access to AAP NewsCentre,
a customised media monitoring service provided by Australian
Associated Press
- contributing holdings records to the National Library of Australia’s
National Bibliographic Database, to reciprocally share the Library’s
resources with other Australian libraries and achieve a measure
of cost-recovery for the department.
The department completed an in-house study, involving 13 Australian
Government libraries, on trends in the delivery and management
of library services, and subsequently engaged a consultant to undertake
a strategic review of the Library. The purpose of the review was
to identify the department’s information requirements and
to assess the relevance and effectiveness of the Library’s
services in meeting those needs. The review is being conducted
in close consultation with library staff, departmental employees
and senior managers, and will be completed by August 2003.
Records management
Following its review of the internal audit of procedures relating
to records management in 2001-02, the department continued
with the process of improving its compliance with relevant legislation
and the requirements of the National Archives of Australia.
The department’s key achievements in records management
during the year included:
- establishing the requirements for upgrading the records management
system (known as TRIM)
- developing a records sentencing programme under a new National
Archives of Australia Records Disposal Authority
- transferring the custody of files from the HIH and building
and construction industry royal commissions to the department
- completing the biannual file census of the department’s
Top Secret files
- coordinating the list of departmental files required to be
produced in accordance with Senate Continuing Order No. 5.
The department also commenced developing records management guidelines
for inclusion in the CEIs and reviewing records management policy
and procedures.
Ministerial correspondence
The Ministerial Correspondence Unit (MCU) registered, coordinated,
quality checked and despatched VIP, organisational, and general
ministerial correspondence and briefings. It also provided advice,
assistance and training to others in the processing of ministerial
correspondence and the use of the ministerial correspondence management
system.
The Parliamentary Correspondence Management System was upgraded
to provide a more efficient system during the year. A significant
improvement was the introduction of a capability to electronically
refer email addressed to the Prime Minister to other relevant ministers.
The enhancement reduced the time taken to refer this type of correspondence,
from up to ten days to a maximum of three days from the date of
its receipt in the department.
As noted in the Performance Overview of this report, the MCU processed
approximately 159,000 pieces of correspondence (an average of 636
per day) addressed to the Prime Minister or ministers assisting
the Prime Minister.
Nearly 3,900 briefings (in the form of minutes) were provided
to the Prime Minister, parliamentary secretaries and ministers
assisting the Prime Minister, covering all four output groups and
the department’s various corporate service functions.
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