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What happens at this state

The Prioritisation state provides a structure and process for prioritisation of digital and ICT-enabled investments across the Australian Government. Through the Digital Investment Overview (DIO), the DTA provides early visibility of investments and advice to government on prioritised major digital proposals. An Integrated view of Digital Investment Plans will support prioritisation of present proposals within the context of pressures tomorrow.

Why is it important

The DIO provides whole-of-government visibility and advice to government on major digital proposals early in the Budget and MYEFO processes to help identify and prioritise investments that best align with the Data and Digital Government Strategy.

What agencies need to do

Agencies must engage with the DTA prior to the beginning of the Budget Process to identify proposed digital investments.

Agencies must engage early, including on early drafts or thinking. Early engagement from agencies in the DIO process is critical to investment outcomes as it ensures proposals are fully developed and the DTA’s recommendations for improvement are addressed prior to Cabinet consideration.

What the DTA will do

As part of the prioritisation process, the DTA works with government agencies to:

• collect data on digital proposals
• assess proposals based on a multi-criteria analysis aligned to the Data and Digital Government Strategy
• moderate proposals through peer reviews, internal and external moderation
• analyse proposals and provide recommendations for improvement
• create a consolidated thematic view of individual agency digital plans (Integrated Digital Investment Plan or DIPs) for consideration by the Secretaries’ Digital and Data Committee
• maintain visibility of short, medium and longer-term data of proposed digital investments
• provide early visibility of planned investments across government to help identify capability gaps and promote reuse and shared benefit.

What happens at this state

Digital projects are often challenging to deliver. The DTA works from the centre of government to ensure digital projects receive the expert advice they need to stay on track. The DTA also draws on lessons learned to identify and drive the reforms needed to ensure all projects have the best chance of success.

Why it’s important

The DTA ensures digital projects make best use of assurance to support successful delivery. Our work ensures that across all digital projects, assurance occurs at the right times, on the right areas, and by specialists independent of the project.

We also ensure assurance drives action and accountability for performance. We do this by facilitating the flow of assurance information including Delivery Confidence Assessments to Ministers as well as to Australians through the public annual Major Digital Projects Report. Digital projects won’t always go smoothly and our work driving transparency and accountability is key to ensuring agencies stay focussed on what must go right to succeed. 

As a result of the DTA’s work, project learnings are not just identified but actively addressed through targeted reforms. This incremental improvement creates the conditions for projects to succeed both now and into the future. Our current reform priorities include putting benefits to Australians at the centre of project decision-making and upskilling senior leaders of digital projects.

What agencies need to do

Agencies leading digital projects will be supported by the DTA to meet the requirements in the Assurance Framework. This Framework is organised around five principles: plan for assurance, drive good decisions, expert-led and independent, focus on risks and outcomes, and culture and tone at the top. The requirements in the Framework are calibrated to project size and complexity with the overall goal of supporting good decision through good assurance. In order to set up projects for success before delivery commences, Benefits Management Planning and Assurance Plans are required to be completed in the Contestability state.

What the DTA will do

The DTA works to ensure all the Australian Government’s digital projects succeed. Success means that they deliver promised benefits for Australians on time and on budget. To achieve this, the DTA manages the ‘system of assurance’ for digital projects. This system is designed to provide confidence that digital projects are on-track and if they aren’t, to support agencies in timely and effective course corrections. It also improves the quality of decisions across digital projects and ensures that the success rate improves over time through targeted reforms.

What happens at this state

The DTA is responsible for whole-of-government digital and ICT procurement. We manage several marketplaces (panels) and Single Seller Arrangements (contracting frameworks) that aim to reduce costs, improve protections and promote innovative solutions for government buyers. 

These marketplaces and Single Seller Arrangements are brought together on BuyICT, our easy-to-use online platform that streamlines the procurement process for government buyers and industry sellers. Our aim is to make procurement simple, clear and fast.

Through BuyICT, users can access useful information regarding the digital sourcing lifecycle, templated digital sourcing contracts and information on policy requirements. 

What happens at this state

Through quarterly data collection and analysis, the Operations state provides intelligence on the size, health and maturity of government digital and ICT investments.                    

Why it is important

The information collected helps informs all states of the IOF, from planning and policy development, through the Budget process and subsequently the DTA’s assurance activities. Using data from across the entire digital estate, the DTA can use this evidence to provide advice to the Australian Government and it’s decision-making bodies and processes, including the Secretaries Digital and Data Committee (SDDC) and Digital Leadership Committee (DLC). 

It informs the Australian Government Architecture to validate current direction based on the effectiveness of its application and inform future guardrails for best technology implementation. 

The information we collect includes:

• adoption of emerging technology and trends
• reuse and shared capabilities
• personnel allocation, skills demand and workforce pressures
• lead and lag indicators of delivery confidence and project success
• profile balance between innovation, growth and maintenance investment.

What agencies need to do

Agencies need to provide the DTA with data about their digital and ICT investments throughout their lifecycle. 

This data is collected through the Approved Programs Collection process, also known as ‘Wave’. Forms are pre-populated by the DTA with known information to assist agencies. This data collection process includes requests about projects, as well as the BAU Digital and ICT operations of an agency. 

Business as usual collection (BAU)

Business as usual collection occurs twice a year, generally between late-July to mid-August and late-January to mid-February.

This collection captures insights on: 

• digital and ICT expenditure, including cybersecurity
• resourcing
• skill gaps 
• key risks 
• uptake of emerging technology.

Project data collection 

Project data collection applies to all Digital and ICT investments subject to the ICT Investment Approval Process. Depending on the size or complexity of the investment, data collection can take place quarterly.

It captures insights about: 

• strategic alignment
• reuse and collaboration
• project scope and performance
• resourcing and financials
• cyber security investment 
• benefit realisation and key risks
• use of emerging technology.

A publicly available annual view of digital project performance for Australians is made in the Major Digital Projects Report.

All forms must be submitted to data@dta.gov.au by the required date. 

This central mailbox can receive material up to a classification of PROTECTED. 

What the DTA will do

The information we collect is an important evidence base for strategic advice on digital and ICT.

The insights generated from the data is provided to Australian Government’s decision-making bodies, such as the SSDC and DLC.

The data supports and informs:

• the Australian Government Architecture's current direction based on the effectiveness of its application and future guardrails for best technology implementation
• all states of the IOF from planning and policy development, through to Budget processes and assurance activities
• ad hoc analysis for government agencies including digital and ICT investment decisions and policymaking.