Chapter 5: Optimising the single seller arrangements SSAs for the future
How to get the most from these arrangements moving forward.
Chapter overview
While the review considers SSAs remain fit-for-purpose for supporting the Australian Government’s digital transformation agenda, the review identified numerous ways to extract further value by strengthening their design, management and impact.
In terms of engaging with the market, there is opportunity to:
- Better leverage existing whole of Australian Government planning processes, such as the Australian Government digital investment planning process, to inform emerging large-scale technology and sourcing requirements.
- Publish a framework articulating the SSA model, its life cycle and expectations, to drive transparency of who the Australian Government want SSAs with.
In terms of maximising negotiation outcomes:
- Simplify head agreements, to be achieved in part by consistently adopting the Australian Government's terms and conditions as the basis for negotiation, rather than as is currently the case, sometimes adopting the seller’s terms as that basis. This in turn, makes it easier for both the buyers and sellers, as contracts are entered with many agencies across the Australian Government.
- In order to deliver the value that buyers want, ensure SSAs continue to deliver great discounts, terms and conditions that align to policy, and meet the buyers' requirements. Failure to do so will undermine the usage of the SSAs.
- To optimise outcomes for the Australian Government, prioritise flexibility across products and services, keeping the arrangements simple and agreeing an exit plan to enable buyers' freedom of technology choice into the future.
- Further strengthen the DTA’s centralised negotiation capability by incorporating the well-established technology procurement capability of the biggest buying agencies; this is also seen an opportunity to further help align deals with needs.
Other observations include the need to: set clearer expectations for what constitutes a strategic partnership with the Australian Government to further enhance the national digital agenda; uplift information, education and reporting; and review existing SSAs to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose and strategically aligned.