Ensuring digital projects deliver expected benefits for Australians requires robust benefits management practices. Two new courses to upskill the public service in this area have now been launched.
The Benefits Management Policy for Digital and ICT Investments was launched last year following about 12 months of piloting and testing. The policy - mandatory for all digital projects brought forward for funding - requires agencies to follow best practice, including by identifying specific and measurable benefits to enable project leads and Ministers to monitor for success throughout delivery.
Many of the Australian Government's digital projects are complex and challenging to deliver. Benefits management is key to ensuring teams stay focused on what must go right to make sure these projects deliver expected benefits for Australians. To support building capability across the public service in this area, 2 new training options have been developed:
- the Benefits Realisation Management e-learning course (developed jointly between Services Australia and the DTA)
- a course on applying the benefits management policy, specifically designed for public servants involved in preparing a proposal for a new digital project.
Robust benefits management ensures the expected improvements for Australians flowing from digital projects are clearly defined and understood. This makes sure clear measures of success and clear ownership of each benefit is in place for accountability.
The policy also requires that benefits management remains a key focus throughout implementation. It does this by encouraging tight integration of benefits management into project decision-making and governance. This tight integration means that key decisions are always taken with a view on how each decision impacts the realisation of expected improvements for Australians from each project.
'When the government funds digital projects, they do so with a clear understanding of the benefits they want to achieve', outlines Wayne Poels, General Manager of Investment Advice and Sourcing at the Digital Transformation Agency. 'These benefits must then act as a north star during delivery.'
'When challenges arise, decision makers can make choices with a clear understanding of their effect on benefits. Robust benefits management goes to the heart of ensuring successful project delivery. These new training options will help build capability in this area across the public service.'
Benefits realisation management e-learning course
The first training option is an e-learning course on Benefits Realisation Management, developed as a collaboration between Services Australia and the DTA.
This e-learning course, funded as part of the APS Capability Reinvestment Fund is now available to all public servants through the APS Academy. This course introduces APS staff to benefits realisation management, providing practical examples of its application.
The DTA's training program for Senior Responsible Officials (SROs) of digital projects will be launched through the APS Academy in early 2025 and will include best practice benefits management.
Applying the Benefits Management Policy to Digital and ICT-Enabled Projects - Online Learning Experience
The second training option is the benefits management course developed by the DTA.
This course is specifically designed for public servants preparing proposals for new digital projects. The course is targeted for this group as we know that 'front-loading' investment in robust benefits management pays dividends, ensuring projects are initiated in the right way, giving them the best chance of success.
This training course is specifically focussed on familiarising public servants with best practice benefits management for digital projects. It will run regularly throughout the year with the first courses commencing in September through to October.
