[LINK] Australian Government abandons CIO role

[Tom Worthington]

On 07/05/14 16:51, Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:
> ... Recommendation 62 b from the National Commission of Audit ...
> "... chief digital officer ... private sector leader ... report
> directly to the Minister for Communications."
>
> What's a "chief digital officer" ...

The Chief Digital Officer might look like "Lord Business" in the Lego 
Movie: http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/Lord_Business ;-)

More seriously the Wikipedia entry for a CDO reads much like a CIO or 
CTO: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_digital_officer

New terms keep getting invented because such roles require people with 
technical expertise, as well as exceptional organisational ones. There 
are plenty more letters in the alphabet: CGO: Chief Gadget Officer.

> What's a "major digital transition process" ...

Not sure what a "major digital transition process" is. I could not find 
any use of the term before the National Commission of Audit (NCA). The 
closest was "digital television transition" for the switch from analogue 
to digital TV. I assume the NCA is referring to someone with experience 
implementing a major IT implementation. But I can't see any reason to 
limit the job to those with private sector experience.

> Why report to the Minister for Communications ...

The current Minister has an interest in IT and some experience. However, 
their department is mainly a policy one.


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Tom Worthington FACS CP, TomW Communications Pty Ltd. t: 0419496150
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