Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts
The Honourable Ros Bates
ICT audit to help deliver savings
The Queensland Government has begun a comprehensive audit into information and communication technology systems used across the public service to identify savings and efficiencies.
The Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts, Ros Bates, said this first audit of its type in Queensland’s history will leave no stone unturned to find where duplication and waste can be eliminated.
“Previous Labor Governments allowed information and communication technologies to grow in an unmanaged and inconsistent way across Queensland departments, and there’s no way of knowing what technology is being used where,” Ms Bates said.
“On the patchy information we do have it appears Queensland taxpayers are paying for many out-dated and duplicate systems and many more licences than are necessary.
“We are also sure that every Department was buying the same few products at a higher price than they would if Government-wide purchases had been m ade.”
Cabinet has designated the Queensland Government Chief Information Office to lead the ICT audit which will focus on identifying opportunities to:
• reduce duplicate ICT investments;
• consider how the government’s buying power could be better used; and
• simplify telecommunications to deliver savings.
The audit will be completed by the end of October 2012, and will identify wasteful processes and high-risk initiatives requiring proactive intervention.
