Digital Transformation in Government

Since February 2016 we’ve been blogging every fortnight, bringing you both more in-depth pieces and shorter blogs on all areas of DTIG. Our aim is to produce a must-read resource, somewhere you can come to find out how specific projects have changed the way government works and/or the way it interacts with citizens.

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Below is a list of our blogs in the series.

• Issue 114 – APS Data Proffesional Stream

  29 September 2020

  The Australian Public Service (APS) recently launched professional streams to create a more integrated public service. The latest appointment is Dr David Gruen as Head of Data.

• Issue 113 – Govlaunch - a wiiko for government innovation

  15 September 2020

  Govlaunch is an online community where local governments from around the world share innovative projects. Govlaunch connects public sector employees and helps them innovate.

• Issue 112 – D9 - pioneers in digital government
  
  1 September 2020
  
  D9 is a group of nine countries that are digital pioneers. Currently, D9 has four focus areas: digital ID, digital rights, artificial intelligence and data 360°.

• Issue 111 – Machine learning for a more open justice system

  18 August 2020

  NSW’s Smart Places Strategy brings together a range of different technology and ‘smart’ solutions with one goal: to benefit NSW citizens.

• Issue 110 – Machine learning for a more open justice system

  04 August 2020

  Austria is using machine learning to anonymise court records and deliver a more open justice and government experience for its citizens.

• Issue 109 – Office of the National Data Commissioner’s Foundational Four for data

  21 July 2020

  The DTA’s whole-of-government architecture strategy focuses on delivering better services to citizens and reducing costs. The new taskforce recently released its beta architectural concepts model, which looks at architectural components.

• Issue 108 – Office of the National Data Commissioner’s Foundational Four for data

  07 July 2020

  The Foundational Four of leadership, strategy, governance and asset discovery will help ensure all Australian government agencies are set up to make the most of open data.

• Issue 107 – Government and vehicle-generated data

  23 June 2020

  The National Transport Commission (NTC) recently released a paper on government access to vehicle-generated data. The report looks at how the data could be used for planning, road safety, network operations and other applications.

• Issue 106 – Tracking wild animals from space

  09 June 2020

  Wild herds damaging Australia’s Top End will now be tracked via satellite to help protect the environment and culturally significant sites, while also providing economic opportunities to Indigenous communities.

• Issue 105 – AI and open data for real-time COVID risk assessment

  25 May 2020

  α-satellite is a website and app that will help people make informed decisions in terms of the COVID risk at specific locations. It uses AI and open data to calculate a risk index, and also gives users relevant information such as population density and real-time traffic.

• Issue 104 – Open science – using the open source model

  12 May 2020

  Open science can help governments around the world tackle a host of scientific and medical problems – Covid19 is just one of them.

• Issue 103 – Australia’s API design standard

  28 April 2020

  Australia’s National API Design Standards provide a standardised framework to make it easier for APIs to connect websites, databases and other software across governments. This will help deliver service unification.

• Issue 102 – Singapore’s open source contact tracing for COVID-19

  07 April 2020

  Singapore’s TraceTogether uses BlueTooth to enable easier and more accurate contact tracing as part of Singapore’s fight against COVID-19.

• Issue 101 – Civic tech and COVID-19

  24 March 2020

  With many civic tech initiatives coming out of the current coronavirus pandemic, it’s comforting to know while people are staying apart, they're also coming together.

• Issue 100 – Open data — 2016 to 2020

  10 March 2020

  To celebrate our 100th blog in this series, we wanted to look at an issue from the past and see how it’s progressed. We chose something close to our heart — open data. The Productivity Commission released its draft report on data just over two years ago. So what’s changed since then?

• Issue 99 – AI reviews state laws in the US

  25 February 2020

  Ohio is using artificial intelligence (AI) to review the roughly 240,000 state laws and regulations amassed over the past 200 years. The end goal is to significantly streamline its regulations, with proposed changes expected before June.

• Issue 98 – Social media and AI for early disease identification

  11 February 2020

  A new Data61 tool provides early disease detection using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse keywords in Tweets. The tool will help improve management and healthcare responses. Similar tools are being used around the world to monitor the spread of the coronavirus.

• Issue 97 – New app helps QLD farmers protect The Great Barrier Reef

  28 January 2020

  A new CSIRO app helps sugarcane growers see the effects of nitrogen runoff from their farms into Queensland’s waterways. Nitrogen runoff poses a serious threat to The Great Barrier Reef.

• Issue 96 – The best of 2019

  24 December 2019

  It’s been another great year for digital transformation in government. For our final DTIG blog this year, we wanted to highlight some of our favourite examples of DTIG in action this year.

• Issue 95 – Digital Earth Australia

  10 December 2019

  Digital Earth Australia brings together satellite imagery, cloud computing, open source and open data to create a platform where analysis-ready earth images and data are available for re-use by anyone.

• Issue 94 - Emerging tech and government in the US

  12 November 2019

  Emerging tech was one of many discussion points at this year’s National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) conference in the US, with CIOs citing AI as the most significant emerging tech.

• Issue 93 - Australia's elite in digital government

  29 October 2019

  Two Aussies made the cut in apolicitical’s World’s 100 Most Influential People in Digital Government for 2019. In this issue of Digital Transformation in Government we’ll be celebrating the contributions of Pia Andrews and Randall Brugeaud to digital government in Australia.

• Issue 92 – Australian Government Digital Awards

  15 October 2019

  On 3 October digital transformation in government was celebrated at the 2019 Australian Government Digital Awards. Congratulations to all the winners, including the two websites built using the whole-of-government digital platform, GovCMS.

• Issue 91 – AI catching drivers on phone

  01 October 2019

  Digital transformation in government, and specifically artificial intelligence, is making NSW’s roads safer and saving lives by detecting drivers using their phones while driving.

• Issue 90 – State of the Data and Digital Nation report

  17 September 2019

  The Australian Digital Council’s State of the Data and Digital Nation provides a summary of data and digital transformation policies, products, services and other initiatives around Australia, covering both federal and state/territory programs.

• Issue 89 – Digital twins — delivering government and citizen benefits

  03 September 2019

  Digital twins provide an exact replica of an object, process or system and they’re currently being used by the public sector in Australia and around the world to deliver benefits to government and citizens.

• Issue 88 – Australia takes top score in Digital Quality of Life Index

  20 August 2019

  A recent study of 65 countries has ranked Australia number one for digital quality of life and seventh for e-government availability.

• Issue 87 – MetroLab Network

  06 August 2019

  The MetroLab Network is a US-based network of cities, counties and universities focused on how data and technology can transform cities. One of its initiatives is Innovation of the Month, which highlights an innovative project. Two recent projects are using real-time data to reduce traffic fatalities and how data analysis can improve emergency response.

• Issue 86 – IoT helps fight bushfires, floods and drought

  23 July 2019

  Victoria’s LaTrobe Valley has a new, real-time Internet of Things (IoT) system that monitors bushfire ignition, flood levels, rain, windspeed and air quality to deliver a range of benefits. This award-winning IoT project is a great case study for digital transformation in government.

• Issue 85 – What will 2030 look like for the APS?

  09 July 2019

  The Scenarios for 2030 report predicts what 2030 could look like, presenting four scenarios of the future. It’s based on significant research around megatrends and delivers eight recommendations for how the Australian Public Service can prepare for all four possible scenarios.

• Issue 84 – Community-driven 'trashbot'

  25 June 2019

  Chicago’s new trashbot will clean up the city’s river, and is a great example of both digital transformation and civic technology. Plus, the design and learnings are open-sourced!

• Issue 83 – Victorian Government APIs

  11 June 2019

  The Victorian Government recently launched its API portal for developers, following on from the release of Victorian Government API standards last year. These two API developments are important milestones for open data and open government, and APIs in general hold significant power for digital transformation in government.

• Issue 82 – Controlling traffic flow with cloud and edge computing

  28 May 2019

  Traffic management is an area of digital transformation in government that can deliver many benefits to citizens. In the case study below, motorists, cyclists and pedestrians are all benefiting from the use of transformative technology.

• Issue 81 – Embracing Innovation in Government — OECD report

  14 May 2019

  The OECD report Embracing Innovation in Government contains key information around digital transformation in government for all public sector employees. The report identifies three trends — making the invisible visible, opening doors and a machine-readable world.

• Issue 80 – Tech reduces high speed police chases

  30 April 2019

  Tech that helps prevent dangerous car chases is a great example of digital transformation in government (in this case law enforcement) changing and saving lives.

• Issue 79 – New platform - notify.gov.au

  16 April 2019

  The DTA has released a Beta version of Notify, an open source, whole-of-government digital platform that allows agencies to send emails and text messages. Agencies can try the service for free until 30 June 2019.

• Issue 78 – The APS review — what it means for digital transformation

  2 April 2019

  The independent review of the APS recently released its Priorities for Change report. It highlights four priorities that will help the Australian public sector (APS) be ‘fit-for-purpose’ in the future, including many digital transformation strategies.

• Issue 77 – Are blockchain-powered payments in our future?

  19 March 2019

  Blockchain is still in the news and on the agenda for government. A recent Data61 pilot project for NDIS payments was successful, and has longer-term implications for Australia.

• Issue 76 – Smart cities in Australia

  05 March 2019

  A recent smart cities report shows the current status of smart city rollout across Australia. It also looks at current and future projects, obstacles, open data and elements beyond technology that will enable smart cities, including collaboration. Smart cities are an important part of digital transformation in government..

• Issue 75 – Anti-doping app integrated with GovCMS

  19 February 2019

  Last year the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) developed a new app to help prevent inadvertent doping for Australian athletes. The app allows athletes to look up supplements and check for banned substances, as well as providing other tools such as a way for ASADA to send targeted communications to athletes.

• Issue 74 – Singapore – Building innovation within the public sector

  05 February 2019

  Singapore is a digital leader, with some far-reaching digital initiatives. At the core of its program is an innovation culture, with some practices that could be adopted by other governments.

• Issue 73 – The Australian Digital Council

  22 January 2019

  The Australian Digital Council (ADC) is a late-2018 initiative that brings together federal and state governments to align and progress public data and digital transformation in Australia. They met twice last year (September and December) and have already set up some cross-jurisdictional pilot projects.

• Issue 72 - The best of 2018

  11 December 2018

  It’s been another great year for digital transformation in government. For our final DTIG blog this year, we wanted to highlight some of our favourite examples of DTIG in action this year.

• Issue 71 - DTA roadmap

  27 November 2018

  The DTA’s roadmap covers a range of specific deliverables to meet the strategic goals for 2025. Read some of the key highlights of the roadmap and how they fit into the three strategic priority areas.

• Issue 70 - MyVictoria launch

  13 November 2018

  New data-driven Victorian website, MyVictoria, allows Victorians to see a range of local information — from a suburb’s population to planned government projects in the area.

• Issue 69 - Data and technology transforming roads

  30 October 2018

  There are lots of ways in which digital transformation is changing our roads. Today we look at two case studies — one that focuses on road maintenance for a local council in Australia and one that improves road safety in the US.

• Issue 68 - Using data for cleaner cities

  16 October 2018

  Google’s new Environmental Insights Explorer has the power to help cities and governments explore their greenhouse gas emissions and curb climate change.

• Issue 67 - A quick look at the GDPR

  2 October 2018

  In May this year the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect. These new regulations bring stricter personal data regulations into play for organisations who have an operation in the EU or deal with EU residents’ personal data.

• Issue 66 - Most influential people in digital government

  18 September 2018

  Apolotical recently released its top 100 influential people in digital government across the world.

• Issue 65 - The Australian Government Design System

  04 September 2018

  In April the DTA released the Australian Government Design System to help Australian government agencies deliver citizen-centric websites quickly and easily.

• Issue 64 - Singapore's Digital Blueprint

  21 August 2018

  Singapore recently launched its Digital Blueprint, which focuses on six key strategies to deliver a better digital experience to citizens and businesses.

• Issue 63 - Adelaide’s IoT smart water network

  6 August 2018

  SA Water’s smart water network is delivering big benefits...and it was named the Best IoT Project of the Year.

• Issue 62 - New generation GovCMS

  24 July 2018

  On Thursday the Department of Finance announced the winning contractor for the GovCMS platform and shared technical details of the next generation GovCMS. With the future GovCMS platform soon to be entirely open source, it’s an exciting milestone for the open source movement.

• Issue 61 - Bushfire monitoring moves to the cloud

  10 July 2018

  A move to the cloud for Geoscience Australia’s Sentinel Hotspots, a bushfire mapping service, sees it up for a Public Innovation Award this year.

• Issue 60 - Biking apps helping out government

  26 June 2018

  Data from biking apps is helping transport planning departments around the world make infrastructure and policy decisions.

• Issue 59 - DTA's Secure Cloud Strategy

  12 June 2018

  Earlier this year the DTA released the Secure Cloud Strategy, which aims to help government agencies make the most out of cloud services.

• Issue 58 - Unauthenticated data personalisation

  29 May 18

  Unauthenticated data personalisation (using data gathered from unknown users to personalise content) represents a great opportunity for the Australian public sector.

• Issue 57 - The GovCX Awards

  15 May 2018

  The GovCX Awards are the first global awards that recognise great digital experiences for citizens. Congratulations to the winner, Denver’s pocketgov, and to the two finalists - Victoria’s Department of Premier and Cabinet and Portugal’s Administrative Modernisation Agency.

• Issue 56 - Ask Georgia.gov

  1 May 2018

  Last year the state of Georgia in the US launched Ask Georgia.gov. The voice user interface uses Amazon’s Alexa to connect with the state government’s website through voice commands.

• Issue 55 - Digital transformation goes rural

  17 Apr 2018

  Southern Grampians Shire Council is trialling and investigating many digital transformation projects as part of its ‘Digital Transformation of a Rural Community’ strategy – from moisture sensors for gardens and ovals to water-quality sensors in local swimming pools.

• Issue 54 - IoT in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden

  3 Apr 2018

  Last month, Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden and Domain launched their new Internet of Things (IoT) smart poles, and the Garden launched a new app.

• Issue 53 - Growth mindset and digital transformation

  20 Mar 18

  We came across an article recently on growth mindset and digital transformation and decided the concept was worth exploring...could a growth mindset help your agency?

• Issue 52 - Digital identity — first component released

  06 Mar 18

  The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) recently released the first component of Australia’s Trusted Digital Identity Framework (TDIF).

• Issue 51 - Chatbots and the public sector

  20 Feb 18

  Chatbots (also known by a host of other names) are saving companies and governments big bucks...so what are they and could they help you?

• Issue 50 - Australia 2030: Prosperity through Innovation

  6 Feb 18

  Late last year Innovation and Science Australia (ISA) released its strategic plan for the Australian innovation, science and research system.

• Issue 49 - Transformation for family violence intervention

  23 Jan 18

  Digital transformation is alive and well in court services…the Neighbourhood Justice Centre’s online Family Violence Intervention Order (FVIO) is a great example.

• Issue 48 - A year of digital transformation in government (DTIG)

  12 Dec 17

  For our final DTIG blog of 2017, we wanted to highlight some of our favourite blogs in the series this year.

• Issue 47 - BlueConnect — digital transformation for Victoria Police

  28 Nov 17

  Victoria Police is in the process of major technology changes as part of its BlueConnect initiative.

• Issue 46 - Bringing government and industry together

  14 Nov 17

  New York City’s new NYCx program brings together government, technology experts and local communities to use technology to solve some of the city’s problems.

• Issue 45 - Australia's digital identity

  31 Oct 17

  It's been some time in the making, but digital identity is on its way. GovPass is currently in beta and expected to be rolled out next year.

• Issue 44 - Artificial intelligence in government

  17 Oct 17

  Artificial intelligence (AI) has been coming out of science fiction and into the real world for some time now. In fact, many forms of AI are active in our society. But how can/does government use and benefit from AI?

• Issue 43 - Driverless cars in Australia?

  3 Oct 17

  A recent federal inquiry into driverless cars has put forward a host of recommendations so Australia can make the most of the many benefits of this innovative technology. Automated vehicles also have many repercussions for government — at all levels.

• Issue 42 - Drones at work in Australia

  19 Sep 17

  Drones are being used across a variety of industries and have some excellent government applications, including emergency services and monitoring parks, wildlife and buildings.

• Issue 41 - The digital pioneers

  5 Sep 17

  It seems in most things digital transformation Estonia keeps popping up. So what exactly is Estonia’s digital ‘system’ and how transformative is it?

• Issue 40 - Smart parking in Hobart

  22 Aug 17

  Hobart street parking is set to go smart, with a new parking system that includes parking sensors.

• Issue 39 - Public Sector Innovation Awards

  8 Aug 17

  Congratulations to the winners of the Public Sector Innovation Awards, especially the projects focused on digital transformation from the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Department of Finance.

• Issue 38 - The 311 portal in the US

  25 Jul 17

  North America’s 311 system started off as a telephone hotline but is now being transformed into a digital portal.

• Issue 37 - Rubbish goes underground

  11 Jul 17

  Maroochydore’s new city centre in the Sunshine Coast is going high-tech with an underground waste system.

• Issue 36 - Digital drivers’ licences

  27 Jun 17

  Four US jurisdictions are piloting digital drivers’ licences and Australia is also on the road to digital transformation in licences.

• Issue 35 - Government standouts at the IoT Awards

  13 Jun 17

  Australia’s IoT Hub announced the winners of the inaugural Australian IoT Awards. We thought we’d take a look at the government finalists and the winner.

• Issue 34 - Innovation in WA’s Department of Transport

  30 May 17

  WA’s Department of Transport (DoT) has undergone several recent changes that have delivered tangible benefits to WA citizens.

• Issue 33 - The Blockchain Revolution

  16 May 17

  Blockchain technology was originally invented to create digital cash — BitCoin. Nowadays much broader applications are being investigated, including a myriad of government applications.

• Issue 32 - Digital Transformation in Health

  01 May 17

  While ‘e-health’ can encompass many things, centralised healthcare records is a key component at the government level. Where is Australia at with centralised healthcare records, what are the pros and cons, and what’s the rest of the world doing?

• Issue 31 - Australia’s National Map - Open Data In Action

  11 Apr 17

  The National Map plots a huge variety of data across a map of Australia—from native vegetation and caves to bridges, road crashes and local Council boundaries.

• Issue 30 - E-voting in Australia?

  28 Mar17

  E-voting typically refers to both electronic voting at the polls and online voting. While some countries already use e-voting, there are many pros and cons to electronic voting, especially online voting.

• Issue 29 - Stats on the go with the ABS

  14 Mar 17

  Government apps are a great example of digital transformation in government...check out these two from the ABS.

• Issue 28 - The UK’s digital strategy to 2020

  28 Feb 17

  The UK’s new Government Transformation Strategy charts the transformation strategy up to 2020…and beyond.

• Issue 27 - WA’s GovNext-ICT

  14 Feb 17

  WA’s GovNext-ICT was recently in the news when the WA Government signed three new contracts expected to deliver cost savings of $65 to $80 million annually.

• Issue 26 - BOM delivers free app

  31 Jan 17

  In October last year the Bureau of Meteorology launched BOM, delivering a weather app directly from the source. What’s more, the app was developed using the DTA’s Digital Service Standard.

• Issue 25 - Global innovators since the 1990s

  16 Jan 17

  Did you know wireless local area network (the technology WiFi uses) was invented in Australia? Through this CSIRO invention, the Australian Government delivered digital transformation that changed the world. Our first instance of digital transformation in government (DTIG)?

• Issue 24 - A year of digital transformation in government (DTIG)

  19 Dec 16

  For our final DTIG blog of 2016, we wanted to highlight some of our favourite blogs in the series this year.

• Issue 23 - Smart cities…coming to a town near you?

  05 Dec 16

  Smart cities use technology to create a better citizen experience. Many cities are on the road to becoming ‘smart’ — including quite a few Aussie cities.

• Issue 22 - The power of open data

  21 Nov 16

  A recent draft report on data makes recommendations that will revolutionise the way Australia uses data.

• Issue 21 - Adelaide first Aussie GigCity

  07 Nov 16

  Adelaide has joined the US Smart Gigabit Communities Program and will offer innovation hubs with ultrafast internet speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second (100x the national average).

• Issue 20 - The Internet of Things

  24 Oct 16

  The Internet of Things (IoT) has a huge economic potential here in Australia and can deliver real benefits to citizens.

• Issue 19 - Apps4NSW...open data for transformation

  10 Oct 16

  Started in 2010, Apps4NSW is an open data initiative with one goal: to create innovative apps for NSW citizens.

• Issue 18 - iAwards for Government

  27 Sep 16

  Earlier this month the iAwards were held in Melbourne, with several government winners taking home awards. These projects are great examples of digital transformation in government.

• Issue 17 - Digital innovation in public transport fares

  12 Sep 16

  The future of public transport smartcards in Australia is uncertain with newer technology indicating a different future may be on the horizon.

• Issue 16 - Census: DDoS attack unlikely

  29 Aug 16

  Despite the government’s claim that the 2016 Census website was pulled down in response to several distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, Salsa Digital believes the problems lie elsewhere.

• Issue 15 - GovHack 2016

  15 Aug 16

  GovHack 2016 is an annual event (competition) that uses open data. An innovative way to innovate, it lets people loose on government data to come up with solutions that will hopefully be good examples of digital transformation.

• Issue 14 - Big Data Analytics

  01 Aug 16

  Big data analytics is a growing area that can save your agency time and money, while also helping provide more targeted services to your citizens.

• Issue 13 - Citizen-centric approaches in government

  18 Jul 16

  “Citizen-centric” is a term that’s being used a lot by government departments around the world. What exactly does citizen-centric mean and how does it look in the digital space?

• Issue 12 - Australia’s Digital Marketplace

  04 Jul 16

  The Digital Transformation Office (DTO) is in the process of setting up the Digital Marketplace, which will transform the way government (at all levels) procures IT services.

• Issue 11 - Noosa selects cloud-based process-management software

  20 Jun 16

  Noosa Council has gone for the cloud and knowledge sharing, selecting ProMapp process-management software as part of its digital transformation strategy.

• Issue 10 - Five tech enablers for digital transformation

  06 Jun 16

  In April Huawei, a worldwide information and communications technology (ICT) company, released its annual Global Connectivity Index, which analyses the ICT performance and progress of 50 countries.

• Issue 9 - Digital innovation in Mackay

  23 May 16

  Mackay Council has taken home the Digital Innovation in Local Government category at the 2016 National Awards for Local Government for a project titled Transforming a Water Business.

• Issue 8 - The future of digital identity

  09 May 16

  Australia is currently working towards a single digital identity solution that can be used for a range of online transactions within all levels of government.

• Issue 7 - GOV.AU — the new kid on the block

  22 Apr 16

  Currently at Alpha stage (with a prototype available), GOV.AU will bring together content from hundreds of government websites. The Beta version is scheduled for later this year and will be integrated with govCMS.

• Issue 6 - One-stop services ‘shop’ in NSW

  11 Apr 16

  The Service NSW website was launched in 1 July 2013 and now brings together over 800 ‘transactions’ for NSW residents and businesses.

• Issue 5 - Transforming Medicare

  24 Mar 16

  Medicare’s Express Plus app is a great example of a digital transformation initiative that aims to change the way citizens interact with government…in this case Medicare.

• Issue 4 - Tom Burton Talks Digital

  09 Mar 16

  Tom Burton’s discussion of digital transformation during his keynote address at DrupalGov 2016 was frank and enlightening.

• Issue 3 - govCMS - Building Community and Capability

  24 Feb 16

  On 8 February Salsa attended and presented at DrupalGov Canberra 2016. One of the highlights was Sharyn Clarkson’s update on govCMS…and an announcement.

• Issue 2 - Twitter Alerts — Helping to Keep Aussies Safe

  15 Feb 16

  In December 2013, Twitter launched Twitter Alerts in Australia. This service is a great example of digital transformation and how it can change the way government organisations (in this case emergency services) communicate critical information.

• Issue 1 - What is Digital Transformation?

  01 Feb 16

  Digital transformation is a buzz phrase, but what does it actually mean? And how does digital transformation look in government?

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