A whole of government ICT strategy from the Victorian Government will begin to address costing waste.

The Victorian Information and Communications Technology Advisory Committee (VICTAC) was established earlier in June to provide advice on the strategy’s development.

According to the Auditor-General, whole of government frameworks have not kept pace with the increasingly central role of ICT in service delivery.

Assistant Treasurer Gordon Rich-Phillips said a “peacemeal approach” to ICT had previously been adopted leading to at least $1.44 billion “wasted in cost blowouts”.

Mr Rich-Phillips listed HeathSMART, myki and the LEAP database as among these projects.

He said the money “frittered away” by mismanaging ICT projects could have funded the development of vital infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and roads.

“The committee will provide a practical, forward-looking approach to the development and use of ICT by government,” Mr Rich-Phillips said.

This follows the Victorian Government's plans to change the way its ICT services are procured.

According to Mr Rich-Phillips, the whole of government ICT strategy being developed will help to align processes across departments and set the clear lines of governance, accountability and direction.

“The strategy will focus on delivering better services, reducing waste, encouraging innovation and improving ICT procurement across government.

“We have also established high value, high risk guidelines to improve the scrutiny of all ICT projects and we are overhauling the way government procures ICT services,” Mr Rich-Phillips said.

He said these changes will help prevent “major cost blowouts and bungles” in ICT.

“The committee will provide a practical, forward-looking approach to the development and use of ICT by government,” Mr Rich-Phillips said.

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