The department’s two information technology (IT) groups — the Employment Systems Group and the Technology and Services Group — provide and support the IT functions and services that enable the department to deliver its programs and achieve its strategic goals and outcomes.

User-centred design and experience techniques are key components of ensuring the department’s IT equipment and systems meet the needs of staff and stakeholders.

The department provides corporate IT services to a range of other Australian Government agencies, the largest of which is the Department of Education. The department’s IT service offerings are detailed in its service catalogue. They include desktop and mobile computing support for approximately 7,000 users, and application and website hosting services through data centres leased and operated by the department, or through cloud computing providers.

The security and integrity of the department’s IT systems and data holdings continue to be a key priority. This includes delivering ongoing improvements to reduce the risk of cyber intrusion through the implementation of the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s eight essential mitigation strategies to prevent cyber security incidents. The department has delivered a range of enhancements to its cyber security capability, including enhancing its information security framework and associated documentation.

Key projects in 2018–19

Important IT projects for the department in 2018–19 included:

• supporting implementation of new policies and programs, including the New Employment Services Trial
• enhancing the range of digital services available to job seekers and employers, including the online employment services trials
• improving reporting and data analytics capability, including enhancing the Qlik Sense enterprise-wide data visualisation solution
• enabling business process improvement and red tape reduction across a range of employment and workplace relations programs
• expanding and enhancing our end user computing platform based on Windows 10 and Office 365 to provide staff in the department and client agencies with the latest technologies and tools to support workplace mobility
• implementing a significant program of asset replacement and platform standardisation.