Terrific news from Australia: the government there has announced a new Digital Transformation Office and tasked it with "using technology to make services simpler, clearer and faster for Australian families and businesses."
The emphasis there is on transformation, this is about changing the government to better serve citizens.
One of the first items on the DTO's todo list will be a Verify-style identity service "to ensure people no longer have to complete separate log on processes for each government service."
It will be a multi-disciplinary of designers, developers, researchers and content specialists.
It all sounds familiar, doesn't it?
Huge congratulations to all involved. Needless to say, you have our heartfelt support. If you need input from us, we'll be happy to provide it. And if any of your team find yourselves visiting the UK, you'll be made welcome at our office in Holborn. It will be the least we can do to repay the hospitality shown to Ben Terrett and Liam Maxwell when they visited Australia last summer at the invitation of Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull.
Digital transformation is fast becoming an international effort, something we saw clearly at the D5 summit we hosted in London last December. The Australian team joins others in Mexico, Israel, the USA, Estonia, Singapore, South Korea and New Zealand - together, we're building an amazing community of knowledge and experience. The pace of momentum is striking.
Just over a week ago, the Prime Minister and President Obama announced a digital government partnership between the US and the UK. Then Mikey Dickerson of the USDS asked technologists there to join his new team:
I don’t blame you if you are skeptical that we can fix the biggest problems in government. I used to be, too. But every day, I am reminded of a quote by President Kennedy that is sewn into the Oval Office rug: “No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings.” We have found the problems. We need the human beings.
This is exciting stuff. Onwards indeed.
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4 comments
Comment by Diwakar Saraswat posted on
That's an awesome news! Good to know that Aussie government is stepping up using DOT. I just hope that it would turn out awesome. Fingers crossed!
Comment by Simon posted on
Maybe the D5 will become the D6 soon? I thought the Aussies would want a version of GDS, especially if the Kiwi's are ahead of them!
Comment by Hoque posted on
if you are skeptical that we can fix the biggest problems in government. I used to be, too. But every day, I am reminded of a quote by President Kennedy that is sewn into the Oval Office rug: “No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings.” We have found the problems. We need the human beings.
Comment by George posted on
Fantastic news! I'm not overly patriotic or anything but it makes you proud to be British when organisations like the GDS are leading the way internationally. Welcome Australia!