The State Digital Strategy steers NSW toward being a leading digital government that serves the diverse needs of its communities and businesses. To stay at the forefront of digital government and remain a great place to live and work, the existing strategy, Beyond Digital, is set for a reboot.
On the 31st of January the Digital Strategy, Investment and Assurance (DSIA) team in Digital NSW organised a State Digital Strategy roundtable at Sydney Startup Hub. The event brought together leaders in the Digital and ICT fields across industry and academia, including Indigenous-led companies, start-ups, not-for-profits and industry groups to facilitate inclusive discussions to shape the strategy.
The roundtable was facilitated by Minister Jihad Dib (Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government) and Mark Howard (Executive Director of Digital Strategy, Investment and Assurance).
Keeping pace in the fast-moving world of digital
“In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, the NSW Government recognises the need to rethink its engagement with communities. It’s important for the state to adapt and change with the fast-moving digital world, which includes the responsible use of emerging technologies such as Generative AI,” says Mark Howard.
Priorities of the State Digital Strategy include enhancing digital inclusion and resilience, accessibility, and using technology for better outcomes in frontline services, housing and the environment. Digital NSW is collaborating closely with Minister Dib to research and build this new strategy.
Collaboration between government, industry and academia
The roundtable included a diverse mix of participants to help set the strategy. This included participants from enterprise companies such as Google, SAP, Telstra, Dell, HP, ServiceNow, AWS, Oracle and Databricks.
Participants also joined from Indigenous-owned companies Yirigaa, Ethan Indigenous and Land on Heart. Academics from UTS, UNSW and Sydney University contributed on the day as well, along with advocacy groups such as Australian Information Industry Association and Disability Council NSW.
This collaboration ensures a broad range of voices are heard and speaks to the NSW Government’s commitment to continual learning and evolution in the digital space.
The five Missions informing the State Digital Strategy
Attendees discussed each of the five Missions in the State Digital Strategy:
- Providing services for all NSW communities
- Realising the value and potential of digital
- Cultivating trust through transparent data sharing and control
- Keeping NSW safe and prepared, online and in-person
- Supporting frontline workforce through digital enablement
The insights from the day will play a crucial role in shaping the new State Digital Strategy.
Conducting global research to inform the strategy
Digital NSW conducted extensive research, identifying 160 digital themes across NSW Departments and Agencies, engaging 90 stakeholders in research across NSW departments and conducting surveys with over 400 people across academia and industry for artificial intelligence.
There were also four global research deep-dives and interviews with UK, Denmark, Estonia and South Korea. The State Digital Strategy will be enriched with evidence from this global research.
Next steps for the State Digital Strategy reset
The main goals of the State Digital Strategy reset are to align with the new government priorities and ensure that the digital journey in NSW is inclusive of all, contributing to the best outcomes for the people of NSW.
The insights and actions captured from the roundtable are currently being synthesised and the release of the State Digital Strategy is expected in mid-2024.
For more information on the State Digital Strategy, email the SDS team at sds@customerservice.nsw.gov.au
Check out the Beyond Digital Strategy for insights into the ongoing digital transformation journey.