Leveraging technology to build an effective ICT strategy IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Commonwealth Ombudsman
DIGITAL REPORT 2020
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Leveraging technology to build an effective ICT strategy
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C O M M O N W E A LT H O M B U D S M A N
Jade Carson, CIO for the Office of the Australian Commonwealth Ombudsman reveals how the COVID-19 pandemic has brought clarity to its ICT strategy 04
W
hen Jade Carson was propelled into the role of Chief Information Officer – a first CIO role for both her and the
Ombudsman – her brief was to shape up the next stage of its strategic technology journey. Four months later, with the public service facing one of the most disruptive events in its history, she found herself playing a central role in the Ombudsman’s pandemic response. “It meant shifting from a long-term mindset to dealing with a sudden burst of tactical questions needing answers right away,” says Carson, sitting in her lounge room that due to social distancing was transformed into her office, meeting room and her four year old’s schoolhouse. “The challenge was making sure that as we put in place the enablers to get people out of the office without a break in our service, we stayed connected to the long term vision.”
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“ COVID hasn’t necessarily changed our focus for the next 18 months, but it has brought clarity to our business needs” — Jade Carson, CIO for the Office of the Australian Commonwealth
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C O M M O N W E A LT H O M B U D S M A N
“ The ICT area of the Commonwealth Ombudsman delivers exactly what the business areas need now but we need to be future ready for whatever we get thrown next”
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— Jade Carson, CIO for the Office of the Australian Commonwealth
The Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman is a portfolio agency of the Attorney-General’s Department. It has a wide gambit, dealing with community complaints about Australian Commonwealth agencies, ACT government agencies and some private sector industries. An independent investigator on both unclassified and classified information, it investigates and resolves some 500,000 annual complaints about actions and decisions of government agencies to ensure the government delivers fair and
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07 accountable services to the community. But throw in an international pandemic,
changed our focus for the next 18 months, however it has brought a lot of
a population of 25+ million in forced iso-
clarity to what the business needs in
lation, an estimated one million people
the longer term,” says Carson.
losing jobs – and countless businesses
The Ombudsman is dedicated to
imploding – and barely six months later,
exploring and improving different
Australia went into a tailspin.
technologies to draw out insights from
The ICT team was responsive to the
information it already holds but, accord-
emerging crisis. “We started ramping
ing to Carson, the challenge is that the
up in late February, to shift people to
crucial information is often buried.
working from home. We had to think
“The Ombudsman as an organisa-
about toolsets, collaboration, a whole
tion is about fairness and making
new paradigm of information security.
sure that no member of society is
Luckily, the strategy process was in
disadvantaged, or disproportionately
full swing. COVID hasn’t necessarily
disadvantaged. An important part of w w w.o mbudsma n . g ov. a u
C O M M O N W E A LT H O M B U D S M A N
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our work is not just resolving each indi-
need to be held for longevity so it’s
vidual complaint for every member of
essential we manage them well.”
society that asks for our help, but being
The Ombudsman develops best
able to identify the systemic issues,”
practice guides. Its “bread and butter”
she says. “We’ve always got to be able
is best practise in complaints manage-
to provide a touch point for communi-
ment and resolving complaints, but it
ties to be able to approach us. Data
also provides guidance on automated
and digital ethics, security and privacy,
decision making. It published its first
are key to that.
best practice guide on automating
“We need to provide those insights
decision-making back in 2007 and
back to the government organisations
has just released an updated guide for
we deal with in order to stop those
2020 to assist government agencies.
issues in the first place. Our data needs to be accurate and our records
“I think that’s really interesting and shows that the Ombudsman is thinking
about the future, focusing not only on how we deliver our services, but also on how to help other institutions improve how they deliver as well,� adds Carson. As a part of the CIO role, Carson has been tasked with reviewing the strategic business systems, which support complaints management and recording keeping. She is also currently piloting various technologies to meet various business needs. One recent pilot success is Kojensi. The information collaboration and communication tool from archTIS Ltd enables the Ombudsman to securely conduct investigations with agencies and share information without having to invest in a full protected environment. It also allows the chance to
E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :
Jade Carson Title: CIO
Company: Australian Commonwealth Industry: Government Location: Australia Experienced professional public servant able to build business capabilities and challenge status quo to drive business outcomes. Demonstrated ability to improve public services through good design and process improvement. She has a strong focus on achieving business outcomes in government digital projects.
scale up if necessary – ideal for the Ombudsman, which sometimes runs programmes for only 12 to 18 months until the issue is resolved. In March, the Ombudsman purchased 50 Kojensi licences on a 12-month deal worth $35,454 in annual recurring revenue. “Kojensi has proved to be handy tool during coronavirus when information needed to be shared and meeting people face-to-face w w w.o mbudsma n . g ov. a u
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“ It’s not about pilot method is definitely something I technology driving advocate, and we are looking for more the business, it’s opportunities to support our business about the business through technology.” need and leveraging The Ombudsman, like everyone else at the moment, is also exploring collabtechnology that’s oration tools and video conferencing for already out there to efficiency, and Carson jokes she’s “used help solve those every video conferencing tool that’s out problems” there over the last few months”. wasn’t an option,” adds Carson. “The
Like most working parents, she has found combining work with home-schooling over recent months challenging, revealing she taught her
— Jade Carson, CIO for the Office of the Australian Commonwealth
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C O M M O N W E A LT H O M B U D S M A N
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four-year-old daughter “how to book
providing women with dedicated
time into my diary so she feels like she
executive mentors drawn from
has some control of when she gets to
the current industry leaders.
talk to me. I figure it will serve her well now and into the future,” she laughs. Taking control is something Carson
She found the experience so invaluable that she recently became a mentor on the program. “It’s impor-
is passionate about, especially as
tant to participate in these programs
a woman in business, let alone IT.
and utilise techniques to support
In 2017 she was chosen to be a men-
you through your career and with
tee on the Dell Women IT Executive
your self-belief,” she says. “We all
Mentoring program (DellWITEM),
get impostor syndrome sometimes,
which aims to address the low num-
not believing we are enough, or have
bers of women in the IT industry by
enough skills for the job.”
CO MPAN Y FACT S
• More than 500,000 complaints are made to the public sector in Australia each year • The Office is located in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney • The ICT Strategic Plan is currently under review, with the aim of delivering a new five-year strategic plan for the period 2020–2025
“Everybody has those thoughts, but
“What impresses me is she’s able to
having self-belief is recognising that
cut through the noise authentically,”
you do have something worthwhile to
surmises Carson. “She’s inspiring gen-
offer. The skills and the ideas you have
erations of women coming through that
brings diversity to any group, and hav-
you can have a baby, a family, and lead
ing diversity makes that group stronger
the country through a pandemic,
and us stronger as a whole.”
a volcano eruption, and everything else
When it comes to positive role models, she cites New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for “leading
we’ve been through.” “It’s fantastic to see a female leader (or any leader), leading in such a way.”
with empathy and compassion in a way we haven’t really seen from other world leaders”. w w w.o mbudsma n . g ov. a u
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COMMONWEALTH OMBUDSMAN 2 /580 GEORGE ST SYDNEY NSW 2000 T + 1300 362 072
www.ombudsman.gov.au
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