[PR-3] Reliability description Information and information systems are reliable, accurate, relevant and timely. Rationale The take-up and use of lower cost channels will depend on users of government services trusting the ability of the government to provide reliable, accurate, relevant and timely information to consumers. Reliable services that provide consistent outcomes [PR-2] will help to reduce complaints, reviews and appeals from consumers. Implications Agencies will need to deliver information which customers can rely upon. Good processes create good data. Processes will need to be the focus of ongoing continuous improvement (which in turn will improve reliability, accuracy, relevancy and timeliness). The Australian Government will need to provide a trusted service to individuals, businesses and other organisations. The outcome will be a strengthened trust in the Australian Government and its agencies. Agencies will need to devote significantly greater effort towards data quality, business continuity, and business process design to ensure reliable information and information systems. Agencies will also need to devote more effort towards cross-agency collaboration on data and information management. [PR-4] Value description Government business initiatives and investments must represent for money and return a business benefit. Rationale The value and cost of investments need to be measurable in objective terms. A government service that does not have an understood return on investment (ROI) is unlikely to receive the on-going support and commitment that will make it sustainable.
Service delivery can create complicated cost/benefit models, particularly there are cross-jurisdictional boundaries. The benefits realised through a service may not be recorded by the agency and/or agencies that are required to invest. A thorough understanding of the costs and benefits is required to establish an appropriate investment model to support the creation and on-going management of the service. It is mandatory for agencies to meet the Commonwealth Procurement for: value for money, encouraging competition, efficient, effective and ethical use of resources, and accountability and transparency. Implications Business initiatives will need to be fit for purpose and deliver and benefit. Business initiatives will need to be prioritised in terms of their relation to the Australian Government’s vision, policies, strategies and plans. Agencies will need to assess the ROI for each business initiative. Public ROI should be based on agencies taking a rewards-based approach to ROI measurement and encompass the following three areas: Financial ROI Social ROI Political ROI Traditional or “classic” measurement of financial gains with quantifiable results Impact of government services on a societal level Impacts the system of governing and policy decision making Direct, measureable benefits and costs Indirect and difficult to measure public good benefits and Motivational feasibility of the project, or the benefits of interested parties (champions, opponents, decision makers) e.g., reduced transaction costs (such as in procurement by reducing the cost creating a purchase order from $28 to $21) or fewer steps in the workflow of approving a budget request e.g., are citizens safer? Are children in a particular jurisdiction receiving adequate medical services? Are the vulnerable receiving sufficient support? e.g., are we delivering government programs that match policies, legislation and mandates? Are we delivering on the promises of our politicians? In addition to assessing the public ROI for each business initiative, a total cost of ownership (TCO) approach will be required. The TCO will need to assess the investment against other priorities, as well as balancing the costs of development, support, security, risk mitigation, disaster recovery and retirement against the costs of government’s requirements for flexibility, scalability, ease of use and reduction of integration complexity. There will need to be improved whole-of-government usage of business benefit management and benchmarking, e.g. P3M3, MSP approaches.