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Alignment with government-wide policies

Better Practice results: Proposals are consistent with government program delivery and ICT strategies prior to submission to government – helping project approval and, after implementation helping improve the overall service experience of citizens.

Citizens and business expect continued improvements in program delivery, and increasing access to government information and programs using such mechanisms as online and electronic communications. To help address these expectations, the Government has developed policies for program delivery and the use of ICT, such as the Australian Government Architecture, the National Government Information Sharing Strategy, the National e-Authentication Framework, and policies on the use of off the shelf software. The Government has also adopted assurance processes such as the ICT Investment Principles, the ICT Two Pass Review process, the Gateway Review process, and the requirements for implementation plans administered by the Cabinet Implementation Unit. A summary of these is provided in the appendices at page 102.

Better practices for entities to achieve alignment with these requirements are:

• Entities keep themselves well-informed about government-wide program delivery and ICT developments.
• Entity guidelines and processes for the planning and approval of projects include checks for conformance with government-wide policies and strategies. If a potential difficulty with conformance with a new policy is identified, for example due to a large prior investment in another technology, better practice is that the entity document and discuss this with the relevant central agency, with a view to reaching an agreed approach.
• Entity processes include checks for the application of government-wide assurance and approval processes, such as the financial and risk thresholds for the application of the ICT Two Pass Review process and the Gateway Review process.
• Entities promote an understanding in executives and staff involved in project planning about the practical implications for the entity of government-wide policies. Possible actions are periodic briefings to executives, and including a plain-English explanation in the entity’s program delivery and ICT strategy documents of their linkages with whole-of-government policies.
• Entities being actively involved with central agencies in the development of government wide strategies. This helps assure that strategies can be readily conformed to, or central agencies are aware of potential implementation issues for entities.

There are also a wider range of policies and guidelines relevant to the planning and implementation of projects. A few illustrative examples are:

• the Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines, which provide the framework for undertaking the procurement activities associated with many projects;
• Financial Management Guidance No.23 Commonwealth Grant Guidelines, which will be relevant to projects associated with implementing grants programs; and
• Financial Management Guidance No.17 Public Private Partnerships: Business Case Development.

As part of their broader management arrangements, entities should maintain an awareness of these policies and associated guidance, and their potential application to individual projects.

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