The Director-General of the Office of National Intelligence, Andrew Shearer, has warned that government procurement rules potentially impede the adoption of technological innovation from the private sector. However, he puts forward an example of how interoperability can remedy such concerns.
Speaking at an event organised by America's Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Shearer emphasised the critical need for collaboration between government and the private sector. He highlighted Australia’s intelligence agencies’ long-running top-secret cloud project as an instance where a focus on interoperability with Australia’s two AUKUS partners, the US and the UK, is being incorporated into the design.
Successful interoperability is just one of the project’s goals, intending to transform agency work and create a shared collaborative space. The significance of the ability to share vast amounts of data and work collaboratively can only be achieved by integrating interoperability with the US and UK systems from the beginning. Shearer said, "As we thought about that project, we were designing in interoperability with our most important partners right from the start."
The focus on interoperability is an effort to mitigate the stifling effect of arcane rules within procurement. Shearer said, “We tend to have systems that are frankly pretty risk-averse.” While acknowledging the importance of “robust procurement” rules, he warned, “If we don’t reassess our risk appetite … I think we’re going to fail.”
Designing boutique procurement processes that foster collaboration is what we do best at Procurement Australia. Whether it’s incorporating stakeholder inclusion or agile methods of working, when partnering with our members, we outline clear goals from the start, and put in the hard yards to ensure a successful outcome. If you would like to set procurement goals or have a procurement project in mind, reach out to one of our experts to learn about becoming a Procurement Australia member.
Source: https://www.itnews.com.au/news/procurement-rules-can-stifle-innovation-oni-chief-warns-603211
