[LINK] Non-IT outsourcing continues - including library services

[Tom Worthington]

While there is controversy over Commonwealth Government IT outsourcing, 
other areas of contracting out appear to be proceeding.

The Office of Asset Sales and IT Outsourcing (OASITO) has advertised (see 
appended) half-day Industry Seminars in February on the Commonwealth 
Government's corporate services market testing program. This includes: 
Human Resources, Financial Services, Property Services, Office Services and 
other services (including library, communications, legal, audit and 
ministerial and parliamentary).

Rather than outsource the support of computer equipment a public servant 
uses, it may be more cost effective and simpler to outsource some of these 
functions they carry out. In some cases the contractor's staff could 
provide the service remotely using their own equipment in their own 
offices. A minor complication would be that they would need a secure 
connection to some of the Department's internal databases. I have suggested 
this in a couple of conference presentations:

* The Network Becomes the Library: The need for Supportability, Australian 
Library and Information Association 6th Biennial Conference, Canberra, 25 
October 2000: http://www.tomw.net.au/2000/isup.html
* Outsourcing the management of information systems and utilising industry 
expertise, Developing and Implementing Profitable Government Strategies for 
Trading on the Internet Conference, 16 June 1999, 
Canberra:  http://www.tomw.net.au/papers/outint.html

However, it would still be better to look at simplifying the function 
before outsourcing. As an example if electronic procurement and payment 
were implemented 
<http://www.anu.edu.au/mail-archives/link/link0101/0263.html> this might 
save a lot more than contracting out an inefficient, largely manual system.

Below is the text of OASITO's invitation 
<http://www.oasito.gov.au/MTACO/MTACO-Industry-Seminar.doc>. It is only 
2kbytes of text, but the file has a 24kbyte copy of the Commonwealth Arms 
in it. I hope this 1,000 percent overhead isn't an indication of the 
efficiency of the next round of outsourcing. ;-)

>Office of Asset Sales & IT Outsourcing
>
>COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT MARKET TESTING PROGRAM
>INDUSTRY SEMINARS
>
>Canberra · Sydney · Melbourne · Adelaide
>
>
>The Office of Asset Sales and IT Outsourcing (OASITO) is sponsoring 
>half-day Industry Seminars on the Commonwealth Government's corporate 
>services market testing program.  The Seminars will provide information to 
>industry on the types of corporate services being market tested by 
>Commonwealth agencies, their strategies and proposed timings for 
>approaching the market.
>
>We invite organisations interested in delivering corporate services to 
>attend the Seminars.  Small and Medium Enterprises are particularly 
>encouraged to participate.
>
>Corporate Services may include, but are not limited to, the following 
>categories:
>
>· Human Resources activities, including payroll processing, OH&S 
>management, recruitment, strategic planning, remuneration/personnel 
>administration and HR systems services;
>· Financial Services including accounts receivable, accounts payable, 
>asset management, purchasing services and contracting administration;
>· Property Services including lease administration, accommodation 
>management, building security, property management and maintenance;
>· Office Services including records management, stationery and office 
>supplies, office machine services, distribution, printing, copying and 
>publishing and press clippings; and
>· Other services including, library, communications, legal, audit and 
>ministerial and parliamentary services.
>
>
>Time:  9.30 am to 12.30pm (all Seminars)
>Dates & Venues:
>· CANBERRA  Monday, 12 February 2001
>Australian War Memorial, Telstra Theatre, Anzac Parade, Campbell, ACT
>· SYDNEY  Wednesday, 14 February 2001
>The Powerhouse Museum, Coles Theatre, 500 Harris Street, Ultimo, NSW
>· MELBOURNE  Thursday, 15 February 2001
>RMIT Storey Hall, Lecture Theatre, Level 1, 342 Swanston Street, 
>Melbourne, VIC
>· ADELAIDE  Friday, 16 February 2001
>Stamford Plaza, Boulevard Room, 150 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA
>*Morning tea will be provided at all Seminars
>
>Please RSVP or direct inquiries to Kathy Laurence on (02) 6208 9136 or 
>email: market.testing@oasito.gov.au.


Tom Worthington FACS tom.worthington@tomw.net.au Ph: 0419 496150
Director, Tomw Communications Pty Ltd ABN: 17 088 714 309
http://www.tomw.net.au PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617
Visiting Fellow, Computer Science, Australian National University
Publications Director & Past President, Australian Computer Society
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Wireless Web Seminar, 21 Feb: http://www.tomw.net.au/2000/scsp.html