The Department of Finance has published its corporate plan for the next four years, setting out the approach and priorities it intends to adopt and the measures by which it will be held to account.
Secretary of the Department, Rosemary Huxtable (pictured) said that as a central Agency Finance had a privileged position from which to look to the interests of all citizens.
“Leadership is vital for successful transformation,” Ms Huxtable said.
“We aim to lead by adopting new and beneficial technology and business processes and to undertake earlier more structured and outcomes-based collaboration with clients and partners,” she said.
“Equally, we are embracing risk and enhancing the Department’s risk management settings, improving the capacity of our teams to engage with risk in a structured and considered way.”
She said that as a champion of Australian Public Service (APS) modernisation, Finance looked for opportunities to improve how it operated.
“We need to be efficient and make use of new technology and opportunities for reforming our processes,” she said.
“We are investing in digital capability and process automation to streamline transactional business processes.
“This enables the Department to focus even more on strategic and operational priorities.”
She said Finance was implementing shared services recognising the benefits of operating at scale and continuing to work with other Government Agencies to do the same with them.
“The program is currently focusing its efforts on delivering a fit for purpose shared services solution for small Agencies and taking a coordinated investment approach in common technology,” Ms Huxtable said.
She said Finance’s work was both cyclical and unpredictable.
“As well as managing the scheduled Budget cycle, we must also respond at short notice to developing issues and unexpected events — both nationally and globally — and provide independent advice to support the Government’s fiscal strategy.
“Citizens and businesses expect high-quality and easily accessible Government services, delivered in real time and at low cost.”
Ms Huxtable said that to provide the best value for taxpayers’ money, Finance and the entire public sector must meet those expectations in the most effective and efficient way.
Finance’s 45-page corporate plan can be accessed at this PS News link.
