Tassie IT gathers pace with creation of govt CIO role

The Tasmanian government will appoint a state-wide technology leader with a remit to transform the public service’s digital delivery.

The creation of a government CIO role adds to the growing technology momentum in the apple isle, which also turned to the jobs market earlier this year to hire a whole-of-government CISO.

The successful GCIO will be asked the build and deliver an “information and digital services strategy” for Tasmania. The “significant transformation” is set to be partly based around new central policies for information management, IT services, and cyber security.

He or she will need to “exercise innovation and creativity in the development of approaches dealing with highly sensitive problems and resolving difficult issues”.

Both the new CIO and CISO will assume executive spots in Tasmania’s Office of eGovernment, which sits within the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

The new GCIO will score a five-year stint leading the office, which is currently managed in an interim capacity by long-time public servant John Willson.

The candidate will secure an annual salary of between $145,950 and $160,544, and will answer to DPAC deputy secretary Ruth McArdle, unlike other state government CIOs who have been handed a direct line to the secretary.

One of the biggest IT jobs currently underway in the government is the replacement of the 25-year-old dispatch system currently used by the state’s emergency services agencies, with a new solution to be installed by Fujitsu as part of a $15 million project.

The state government employs roughly 28,000 staff.