Preview: Any IT dollars in a 'tough love' budget?

A HR SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC SERVANTS?

One insider has also tipped that the Government might invest in a centralised Human Resources system for the public service.

Canberra insiders expect such a register to be developed as a response to the Moran Public Service review and the ICT Workforce Plan released by The Australian Public Service Commission last week.

The system - which would be within the oversight of Prime Minister and Cabinet - would provide a Government wide view of the "human assets" of the public service - recording the skills and performance of officials on a whole-of-Government basis.

DEFENCE DETAILS

While Defence's IT strategy has been costed in last year's Defence ICT Strategy paper [PDF], expect tonight's budget to provide some greater detail. How exactly will the $940 million be spent?     

How much will be spent on new payroll systems? Network consolidation projects? Document handling and identity systems? Look for greater detail tonight.

CONCLUSION

The Federal Government's response to the NBN Implementation Study is likely to be some months off yet, so don't expect a lot of numbers on the national broadband network that you haven't read on iTnews already.

This is a penny-pinchers budget - more a budget for Tanner and Bowen's concern than Conroy.

Stay tuned to iTnews to see if our predictions were on target.