CALL TO DRAG STATE SERVICE FROM DARK AGES TO DIGITAL

TASMANIA’S State Service could become more decentralised and more digital under a new plan to transform government service delivery.

Premier Peter Gutwein tabled the final report of the independent review of the Tasmanian State Service in parliamentary budget estimates hearings on Monday.

The review, by former secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet Ian Watt, makes 77 recommendations as part of a three- to five-year plan to transform and update the state’s public service.

It aims to strengthen leadership and accountability, improve efficiency and service delivery, and make the public sector more “capable, agile and high-performing”.

“The Tasmanian State Service is held back by its current design,’’ the report says.

“It is too siloed and too rigid in structure.

“It has limited capability in many areas and it finds it difficult to share capability across the service.

“Like most public services, it is often too risk averse and has compounded process and red tape to attempt to manage risk.

“Most of the changes recommended in the final report are not new. Many have been tried, tested and successfully implemented in other jurisdictions.”

Among the reforms recommended is turning Service

Tasmania into a “single agent of digital service delivery in Tasmania” which would provide access to state government services through “a single integrated digital experience”.

And it calls for an end to papershuffling – recommending “that the Tasmanian State Service progressively eliminate ‘manual only’ business processes, and that the government fund a small, centrally funded resource to drive the digitalisation of existing business processes”.

The report also recommends that heads of government agencies provide advice about how to create jobs outside of Hobart.

It notes that one of the advantages of being out-of-date was that the Tasmanian State Sector could learn from how other jurisdictions have been able to do things better.

“The benefit of being a late adopter is the opportunity to implement the best available ideas. That reduces the risk of making important changes.”

Originally due to be handed down in May, the final report of the review was delayed by the Covid pandemic.

Mr Gutwein said the review would be considered carefully.

“Given the significance of the recommendations, we will consult the relevant public sector unions before releasing our final position on the report,” he said.

Public sector unions raised concerns at the time of the interim report in October last year that there had been a lack of meaningful consultation with the public sector workforce.

The Tasmanian State Service is held back by its current design. It is too siloed and too rigid Independent report into government service delivery