The Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) is undergoing a leadership transition in its technology division after the resignation of chief information officer James Lawson.
Lawson, who had been with the department for over 11 years and served as CIO for the past two years, announced via LinkedIn that he had been on leave since March and has now officially stepped down.
The department confirmed his departure, noting that the CIO role is currently being managed through interim backfilling arrangements.
“The department expects to make a formal announcement on the role of CIO before the end of August,” a spokesperson added.
Announcing his move on LinkedIn, Lawson credited the “brilliant Information Services Division (ISD) team” for proving “what happens when you stop doing things ‘the way they’ve always been done’ and start backing evidence, good business science and a modern approach.”
According to Lawson, key milestones achieved by the team included an 85 percent reduction in virtual machines through cloud transformation; an 18 percent reduction in operating costs; progress towards implementing zero-trust across government; and securing $90 million in new funding for parliament’s ICT initiatives.
One of Lawson’s early projects as CIO, launched in January 2023, included a proposal to streamline visitor access to Parliament with a club-style entry system designed to enhance both security and speed.
Before becoming CIO, Lawson held leadership roles across digital customer services, foundation ICT services, and support services within the department.
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