Qld govt cuts IT workforce by a quarter

More than 1300 ICT jobs have been cut from the Queensland public service in the 15 months between September 2012 and the end of December 2013.

Queensland’s Public Service Commission this week released its latest workforce profile for the quarter ending December 2013, which broke out technology staffing for the first time.

It shows 4315 full-time equivalent ICT roles were filled at the end of the last calendar year - 1355 less FTEs than were reported by the Queensland ICT Audit as being employed in September 2012, marking a reduction of roughly 24 percent.

Over this same period, Public Service Commission figures show the full state government workforce fell by about five percent, reflecting a reduction of 10,565 full time equivalent roles or 11,588 discrete staff members.

When it was written – six months after the election of the Newman LNP government – the Audit had reported an 18 percent reduction in ICT staff numbers since the March 2012 election (however no raw figures were supplied).

It attributed the losses to machinery of government changes, and a targeted reduction in contract, temporary and permanent staff.

The report, authored by then Government CIO Peter Grant, complained that too great a proportion of the technology workforce was tied up in “day to day” operational roles, such as supporting and maintaining applications.

“The profile of the ICT workforce is currently not equipped to sufficiently promote or influence innovation,” it advised.

“Insufficient resourcing in the areas of architecture, business and ICT strategy and planning and business analysis will inhibit the speed at which significant change can be planned and implemented.”

The state’s public service has also seen a significant redistribution of IT resources following the implementation of recommendations stemming from the September 2013 Keelty review of emergency services.

Keelty recommended the establishment of a common back office support unit to deliver shared services to the new Department of Fire and Emergency Services and the Queensland Police Service.

The Public Safety Business Agency (PSBA) has since been established, and is now home to 575 FTEs, including IT staff transitioned in from both of the client departments.

Roles continue to be cut from the Department of Science, IT, Innovation and the Arts. In October iTnews reported it had shed nearly 600 staff during 2012-13. In the quarter ending December 2013 it reduced its workforce by another 42 FTE roles, bringing its staffing level down to 2985 FTEs.