Some stakeholders have asked us if DFSI is updating Procure IT 3.2, and whether a 'Procure IT 4.0' is still on the cards.
Well, first things first; we're on a journey to transform ICT procurement across NSW Government. Our goal is big - it's about building ICT procurement for the digital age, so it includes many exciting initiatives for which a fresh and collaborative approach is needed.
Since NSW Government is now moving rapidly into the cloud, we have been looking at ways of simplifying and digitising existing processes, as well as providing new, digital procurement pathways for cloud products.
Also, since Procure IT was developed at a time when ICT solutions were largely 'on premise' - we needed to build a new contracting framework that's fit for purpose in the digital environment, is simple and easy to use, and that has the right protections for government. Clearly, iterative updates to Procure IT won't get us there.
The journey so far
Since the program began in November 2017, we've been making good progress.
In May this year, we launched a new procurement platform
buy.nsw is Australia's first government marketplace for cloud. Sellers can create a detailed corporate profile online and offer products for sale. Buyers can browse, search and filter cloud sellers and their products, identify sellers for social procurement programs and accelerate their cloud purchases using 89 points of comparable data to expedite the RFx process.
In August, we launched the Core & Agreement
Core & Agreement (Low Risk) is a short, simple agreement to replace the old ICT Short Form Contract. It takes a 'pick and mix' approach, enabling buyers to combine standard core terms with the appropriate solution requirements:
We have made improvements to critical parts of the agreement addressing data, privacy, security and cybersecurity that help make it suitable for the digital environment. This also enabled us to increase the threshold for low risk ICT procurement from $150,000 to $500,000. We're confident this is going to make it faster and simpler for buyers to contract for low risk ICT procurement.
What about Procure IT 3.2?
Our next step was contracting for cloud services. This is the NSW Government's fastest growing area of ICT procurement, and it calls for an entirely fresh approach to contracting. We're developing a new Cloud Agreement, taking learnings from the Core& Agreement (Low Risk). We're designing the Cloud Agreement to work in conjunction with the buy.nsw digital platform. We've completed the first draft which is now open for consultation.
The road ahead
buy.nsw is agile, which means it's evolving all the time in response to user feedback.
Soon, cloud sellers will be able to update their profile and product details. Buyers will also be able to shortlist, compare and evaluate products within the platform.
In terms of our contracting framework, we'll fine-tune the Cloud Agreement, taking your feedback into account. At the same time, we'll be working on:
- checklists and guidelines around best practice security requirements for cloud services
- refining the end-to-end procurement processes for cloud services, leveraging our buy.nsw digital platform where it makes sense.
After that, we'll move on to areas such as professional and consulting services, managed services and as-a-service. Down the track, these initiatives will all be woven into a single, coherent contracting and procurement framework. In the meantime, we'll continue to work in an agile way, delivering value and improvements as fast as we can.
Be part of our journey
We're keen to hear your thoughts on our transformation journey for ICT procurement. Let us know your feedback by emailing ICTServices@finance.nsw.gov.au