[LINK] OT: Robodebt: The Definitive Case Study

[Roger Clarke]

A case study on the Robodebt project, which has been in development 
since 2018, was published earlier this week.

Declaration:  It's a bit much really, when an author declares as 
definitive a paper of which he's a co-author.  However, that's its 
original purpose.

The scope of the paper was affected (a sceptic about the nature of 
academic standards might even say 'compromised') by the need to provide 
convincing theoretical grounding for the approach adopted.  (Thank 
heavens for my co-authors, who are a lot better than me at such things).

The citation, and the (open-access-licensed) paper are as follows:

Clarke R., Michael K. & Abbas R. (2024)  'Robodebt: A Socio-Technical 
Case Study of Public Sector Information Systems Failure'
Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 28 (September 2024), at 
https://journal.acs.org.au/index.php/ajis/article/view/4681/1481


The earlier Working Paper, from which the refereed paper was developed, 
contains somewhat more detail:

Clarke R., Michael K. & Abbas R. (2023)  'Robodebt: An Exemplary Case 
Study of a Failed Transformative IT Project in the Public Sector'  Xamax 
Consultancy Pty Ltd, August 2023, at http://rogerclarke.com/DV/RDCS.html


By chance, the APSC's Statement appeared yesterday.

The media reports are highly superficial, in many cases simply 
reproducing near-quotations from the public service documents.

The Report itself is pure bureaucracy, designed to have no content:
https://www.apsc.gov.au/working-aps/integrity/robodebt-code-conduct-process/inquiry-taskforce-final-report
https://www.apsc.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-09/Centralised%20Code%20of%20Conduct%20Inquiry%20Taskforce%20-%20Final%20Report_0.pdf

There's better value in the 'Statement', at:
https://www.apsc.gov.au/working-aps/integrity/robodebt-code-conduct-process/statement-commissioner-centralised-code-conduct-inquiry-final-report

In a posting to the privacy list, I castigated the APSC, because it 
names only the two Secretaries, and fails to name any of the other 10 
found to have committed serious breaches of the APS Code of Conduct.

I posted to the privacy list a commentary, together with the identities 
of 5 additional senior executives who the APSC failed to name.

One of them, amazingly, is still registered with the ACT Law Society.

So both the APSC and the ACT Law Society prioritise the protection of 
their members above the public interest.

If any linker would like a copy of the detailed posting, drop me a note.


-- 
Roger Clarke                            mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au
T: +61 2 6288 6916   http://www.xamax.com.au  http://www.rogerclarke.com

Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
Visiting Professorial Fellow                          UNSW Law & Justice
Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National University