In late June, a delegation from the government of Indonesia visited the Digital Transformation Agency in Canberra. It marked a significant leap in how we share knowledge with our international peers. Read on to discover why.
Indonesia is a leader within our region. Predicted to be one of the world's 10 largest economies by the mid-2030s, the government of Indonesia (like Australia) has prioritised digital transformation to deliver for people and business.
As close neighbours with a shared maritime border, Australia and Indonesia already benefit from a mature partnership reinforced by growing economic ties and inter-governmental cooperation. It was only natural that this cooperation would extend to understanding how government can make best use of digital technologies.
After the DTA visited Jakarta earlier in 2024, the time came to welcome a delegation of Indonesia's own leaders in digital government to Canberra.
With the support of staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Economic Development (Prospera) and many other government agencies, the DTA provided a comprehensive and specific exploration of how the Australian Government approaches its strategies, policies and standards for digital and ICT investments.
The way Australia does digital government
Nine visitors from the Government of Indonesia arrived in the middle of the Canberra winter, a far cry from the humid heat of Jakarta.
Over the course of the week, the delegation were provided a front-row seat to the Australian Government's Digital and ICT Investment Oversight Framework with case studies demonstrating how investments progress through the framework.
The Australian Taxation Office, Department of Finance, Services Australia and Home Affairs all delivered presentations spanning cross-agency planning, collaboration and digital service delivery.
The final day turned attentions to artificial intelligence, with a visit to CSIRO followed by a presentation on lessons from the AI in Government Taskforce, jointly presented by the DTA and Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
Same, but different
With a population 10 times greater than Australia, spread across an archipelago of some 17,000 islands, you could be forgiven for assuming our countries are facing radically different digital challenges. Digging beneath the surface revealed many similarities.
The Australian and Indonesian governments are both grappling with digital workforce planning and emerging technologies, including new types of artificial intelligence, amidst pressure to decarbonise and reduce emissions.
We also learnt about Indonesia's ambitions to create a national digital government platform that would create new links between its traditionally independent arms of government - a model bearing striking resemblance to myGov and Digital ID, services that Australian citizens and businesses use every day.
The DTA's engagements with the Government of Indonesia have allowed us to showcase our expertise and identify areas for ongoing mutually beneficial collaboration, enhancing our own capabilities while elevating Australia's global reputation in digital leadership.
