Government officials unclear on digital strategy

Most Australian government officials don’t think their organisation has a clear or coherent digital strategy, according to a survey.

Only 35 per cent of respondents to Deloitte’s Delivering on Digital report thought their agency did so, compared to 46 per cent globally.

Little more than a quarter (27 per cent) expressed confidence in their organisation’s readiness to respond to digital trends.

Jason Hutchinson, Deloitte Digital Partner, said governments didn’t yet have capability to deliver the kind of online self-service Australian consumers expect of their banks and retailers.

“The good news is we are now seeing governments prioritising their customers, not only recognising them as such, but putting them at the centre of service delivery,” he said.

Hutchinson the establishment of ‘one-stop-shops’ were a step in the right direction.

Service NSW has been building a whole-of-government payment services platform, while $81.1 million has been set aside by the Victorian state government for Service VIC.

“We can see a clear focus on improving, digitising and centralising transactions and, above all, making it simpler for citizens,” Hutchinson said.

“One of the most significant digitalisations of a government transactional service, the introduction of the electronic tax system, is also being built on, with the Digital Transformation Office (DTO) looking to embed this customer-centric approach across all government agencies.”

A 2015 report from Deloitte estimated that each year, of the 811 million federal and state transactions, approximately 40 were still completed using traditional channels.

“There is definitely still a long way to go,” said Frank Farrall, Deloitte’s digital Asia Pacific lead.

“The report also estimates that reducing this figure to 20 per cent over a ten-year period could generate efficiency and other benefits to government worth around $17.9 billion (in real terms), along with savings in time, convenience and out-of-pocket costs to citizens worth a further $8.7 billion,”

“Digital transformation within the Australian government is a key focus for senior government leaders, including the prime minister,” he said.