Parbery is up for the challenge to help realise the Defence ICT Strategy
Parbery Partner, Kim Moeller recently attended the launch of the 2022 Defence Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Strategy, a strategy Parbery helped to develop. Assistant Minister for Defence Matt Thistlethwaite also launched the Defence Cyber Security Strategy at the Defence ICT industry forum.
In a rapidly changing environment where the volume and type of data is increasing exponentially, with increasing pressure to deliver capability faster and increasing competition for industry expertise, Defence ICT has its work cut out to realise these strategies!
The Defence ICT Strategy outlines four key goals:
- to empower Defence decision makers with access to information and insights for faster, better decisions in the modern battlespace
- ensure Defence is connected to communicate and collaborate through mission capable ICT, when and where it’s needed
- Defence embraces advanced, adaptable and responsive ICT with a skilled and capable workforce ready for the digital age
- to drive strong ICT partnerships across whole of government, where industry, academia, allies and international partners contribute to Australia’s security, resilience and sovereignty.
There is subtlety and shift in this strategy and its four key goals – it is not a Chief Information Officer Group (CIOG) strategy, but a holistic Defence ICT strategy. CIOG is not the only deliverer of ICT across Defence, which creates two key challenges with the implementation and realisation of the strategy. One, the monumental shift from an organisation seen to deliver enterprise ICT systems and infrastructure to one that delivers a war fighting capability. And two, the cultural shift needed across Defence, not just in the CIO Group, to enable the Defence ICT Strategy.
The strategy is not necessarily silent on these challenges – it outlines the Defence intention to invest in skills and partnerships across Government and with academia, industry and our coalition and allied partners, and to build a culture of excellence and continuous improvement to become a sought after place where top talent can thrive. This won’t be easy, but if we as industry can turn up with an open mind and a can-do attitude, matched by Defence’s commitment to action to respond to the challenges outlined by the Assistant Minister for Defence, it can be done.
Defence is an extensive customer of Parbery’s PMO, procurement, change management, CFO advisory, costing and business performance services across almost every Domain. As an authentic alternative, Parbery looks forward to the challenge to support the monumental shift required to realise the Defence ICT and Cyber Security Strategies.
Kim Moeller is a Parbery Partner specialising in enterprise transformation, program office level change management, organisation design, business performance improvement and business case development.
Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash
