Western Australia is set to appoint its first government CIO as part of a $25 million reform program to cut costs and deliver better services to the community. WA premier Colin Barnett and finance minister, Bill Marmion said on Wednesday that the new role would guide ICT reform across the WA government, which is looking for savings and efficiencies. The ICT Renewal and Reform Fund will establish support for agencies with specific ICT reforms and encourage more efficient and effective arrangements. It will be funded from targeted reductions in general government agencies’ IT spend, to generate estimated net savings of $85 million, the government said. The new CIO will initially focus on cutting the cost of ICT across government and enhancing transparency in the delivery of major ICT projects. The officer will create an ICT reform plan over 12 months to support the new direction, the government said. “With a spend of at least $1 billion a year on ICT, there needs to be better co-ordination, consolidation and prioritisation of these resources across state government,” said Barnett. “The delivery of ICT services in government has not always been as efficient and effective as it might have been. Information communications technology reform will drive innovation, improve the way we deliver services to the community and deliver better value for the taxpayer,” he said. Finance minister, Bill Marmion, said WA is well positioned to learn from the experience of other states and from overseas, which have shown that the strongest ICT reform comes from having a broad approach right across government. He said benchmarking of ICT spend compared to other jurisdictions would identify areas of excellence and opportunities to enhance agency decision-making, rationalise investment, and remove duplication. Follow CIO Australia on Twitter and Like us on Facebook… Twitter: @CIO_Australia, Facebook: CIO Australia, or take part in the CIO conversation on LinkedIn: CIO Australia Follow Byron Connolly on Twitter:@ByronConnolly Related content BrandPost Leadership superpower: Succeeding sustainably As today's great leaders recognize, true success is not solely measured by the bottom line but also by the impact a business has on its stakeholders, including employees, partners, and the environment. By Marie Kalliney, Practice Leader, Digital Transformation Services, Broadcom Mar 28, 2023 5 mins IT Leadership BrandPost Helping the C-suite leverage their network as a business-boosting asset By Tanya O'Hara Mar 28, 2023 3 mins IT Leadership Opinion 5 hard questions every IT leader must answer Strong leadership is vital to IT success — and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Continual self-reflection is essential for knowing whether it’s time to restructure your approach to leading IT. By Thornton May Mar 28, 2023 5 mins Business IT Alignment IT Leadership Feature CIOs address the impact of hybrid work Assessing how some of the most progressive CIOs strive to provide both technological and emotional support for a dispersed workforce. By Pat Brans Mar 28, 2023 8 mins CIO Remote Work Employee Experience Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe