Government Refocus on IT Office
26 April 2004 at 1:04 pm
As of this month the National Office for the Information Economy, NOIE is no more; its information and communications technology (ICT) services being divided between two government departments.
The Australian Government says it has refocussed its efforts to maximise the benefits of NOIE.
Since the establishment of NOIE in 1997, the Government says it has acted to ensure that administrative arrangements in this area are adapted when necessary to reflect changes in the ICT and online environments and to address the needs of stakeholders.
As a result it has created an Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) to focus on promoting and coordinating the use of new information and communications technology to the delivery of Australian Government programs and services.
AGIMO will be headed by the Australian Government Chief Information Officer, a new position created to reflect the what the Government says is a determination to promote excellence in the way that ICT is used to develop and deliver Government policies, information, programs and services.
The current acting chief executive officer of NOIE, John Grant, will operate as acting head of the AGIMO until a permanent appointment is made.
NOIE functions relating to broader policy, research and programs will be transferred to the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA) and an Office for the Information Economy (OIE) will be set up within the Department.
The Government says the new arrangements reflect NOIE’s success in raising awareness of the importance of the information economy to Australia’s broader economic growth.
