Qld outs terms for shared-services review

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and Minister for Public Works Robert Schwarten have announced terms of reference for the overhaul of the government's shared IT services provider CorpTech.

Late last month, in response to the Queensland auditor-general's report into the problems in the implementation of the new payroll system in Queensland Health, the Queensland Government announced it would be abandoning its shared services model for IT and would review its shared services provider, CorpTech, to determine whether it should be changed to be more suited to meet the needs of each individual government agency.

Roger McComiskie from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) was appointed to conduct the review.

"The work being undertaken by PwC will ensure responsibilities for whole-of-government shared systems are clearer going forward," Schwarten said in a statement, highlighting why the one-size-fits-all approach to services had not worked.

"Queensland government agencies have separate and distinct service delivery responsibilities but they are part of the one organisation — the Queensland Government," he said. "To be effective, the Queensland Government needs to operate a range of services on a whole-of-government basis to allow for efficient service delivery and governance."

"In the future, we need to ensure fit for purpose systems to support service delivery at an agency level."

The troubles with implementing the payroll system in Queensland Health highlighted the need for a different system for each agency, according to Bligh.

"We want larger agencies with complex payroll requirements to be able to use the payroll system which suits them," Bligh said. "At the same time, smaller agencies should have the ability to cluster with similar agencies and utilise the one payroll system."

"We need the structural arrangements in place which support this approach."

The review will require each agency and shared services provider to have a clearly identified role with the organisation and governance of these providers to be closely examined. The report will ultimately make recommendations on what these providers will be under in a future shared services model.

McComiskie's review will be handed to the government at the end of September and will determine how the government's "Corporate Solutions Program" is rolled out.

(Front page image credit: Anna Bligh – 070507 image by David Jackmanson, CC2.0)