Delivering better digital government services means investing with purpose. The Investment Oversight Framework (IOF) guides Government agencies through the investment life cycle for more effective delivery.
Making smart digital investments is key to delivering services that meet the needs of people and businesses across Australia. Laying a foundation that prioritises the delivery strategic investments helps build an effective and efficient government.
Led by the DTA, the Digital and ICT Investment Oversight Framework (IOF) is a highly collaborative life cycle approach ensuring comprehensive planning of digital solutions. Working through the IOF establishes a high standard for transparency, consistency, and strategic investment decision making across Government.
This helps agencies deliver digital proposals with greater impact through six states across the digital and ICT investment life cycle.
By transferring the IOF to digital.gov.au, the framework will sit alongside whole-of-government policies, standards, and strategies.
"Shifting the Investment Oversight Framework makes it easier for us to maintain it as a living, breathing resource," explains Chris Fechner, CEO of the DTA. "This is the first step in an ongoing series of improvements to continue building the effectiveness of the framework."
This continues to make digital.gov.au a centralised home for all things digital government. The site delivers efficient access for the Australian Public Service to pull together important resources, and assist readers make connections between digital projects.
A collaborative model for better investment
The IOF provides a consistent, whole-of-government view of the digital investment life cycle. It's designed to help agencies align proposals with government priorities, improve delivery readiness, and ensure public value from digital and ICT-enabled initiatives.
Improvements to the framework will encompass annual reviews of existing materials and building out additional resources to assist agencies across the six states.
The Six States
1. Strategic Planning
Strategic Planning takes a proactive, system-wide view. It supports early coordination of digital investments against government's digital delivery and future objectives. This state focuses on identifying shared capability needs, reuse opportunities and future demand, as well as setting the foundation for government to invest in the right things at the right time.
"The strategic planning state gives agencies the opportunity to look at the bigger picture of the investments potential," outlines Mr Fechner. "Not just for individual agency goals, but broader government outcomes"
2. Prioritisation
Prioritisation aids government in deciding which proposals progress and in what sequence. It considers delivery capacity, sequencing, government priorities and the momentum of digital reform.
This is guided by the 10-year digital pipeline and informs a Multi-Year Investment Plan that helps central agencies and government coordinate timing, dependencies and strategic fit.
Proposals are assessed against consistent criteria, including alignment with the five missions of the Data and Digital Government Strategy.
3. Contestability
Contestability ensures large-scale digital and ICT proposals are aligned with policy, well-prepared and investment ready.
The DTA works alongside agencies through the ICT Investment Approval Process. This process is designed for high-cost and high-risk proposals, helping agencies develop solid business cases and effectively implement digital and ICT-enabled projects.
This state also includes meeting relevant requirements such as the Digital Service Standard and Digital and ICT Reuse Policy. In all, the Contestability improves proposal quality and supports confident, evidence-based investment decisions.
4. Assurance
Once an investment is approved, strong governance and visibility are critical for successful delivery.
The Assurance state helps agencies establish tailored assurance arrangements and delivery monitoring. The DTA works with project teams to track progress, manage risks and provide updates to central agencies and Ministers where appropriate.
"Assurance builds trust and confidence," said Mr Fechner. "It is more important than ever to have transparency and provide stakeholders with greater visibility throughout the investment life cycle."
"Clear oversight and assurance support confident delivery. It gives the government a clearer picture of what's working and where support might be needed."
5. Sourcing
Sourcing supports agencies to engage suppliers through coordinated and transparent procurement pathways.
Through BuyICT.gov.au, agencies can access whole-of-government panels, marketplaces and standing offers designed for digital and ICT-enabled projects. These arrangements promote value for money and simplify procurement across government.
6. Operations
Operations, the sixth and final state, underpins effective decision making by providing information and analysis on the operations of the Australian Government's digital and ICT landscape. Through quarterly data collection and analysis, the Operations state provides intelligence on the size, health and maturity of government digital and ICT investments.
The information collected helps inform all states of the IOF; from planning and policy development, through the Budget process, and subsequently the DTA's assurance activities.
"The data collected across the entire digital estate establishes a positive feedback loop of best practice," states Mr Fechner. "These insights allow agencies and the DTA to provide advice to the Australian Government and it's decision-making bodies."
The Australian Government provides simple, secure, and connected public services through top-notch data and digital capabilities. The Investment Oversight Framework and the Data and Digital Government Strategy form the pillars that uphold the shape and direction of Australia's digital uplift.
