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Final Report of the ICT SME Joint Industry Government Working Party - 3
In May 2003, the Working Party reported to Senator Alston on its progress. On 18 September and 4 December 2003 industry members again met Senator Alston and the then Minister,
the Hon Daryl Williams MP QC AO, respectively.
The following sections 2.1 to 2.10 below detail main outcomes overseen by the Working Party.
In addition, the industry members of the Working Party have identified a further range of activities and initiatives to promote SME participation in Government ICT procurement which the industry members believe should be considered by Government (refer www.acs.org.au). However, while these issues were discussed within the Working Party it was considered, in view of their policy implications, that it would be more appropriate to include them as an industry report which has been provided separately to the Minister.
The Working Party identified that many SMEs had limited knowledge about current Government purchasing practices, including policy provisions, and limited expertise and experience in how generally to sell ICT to Government agencies. Accordingly, business workshops were tailored to address the current environment in which SMEs operate, including practical tips on selling to Government, agency business opportunities and alliances with multinationals, as well as promoting SME capabilities to purchasing officials.
Five workshops were organised jointly by DCITA and the AIIA:
- alliance formation ( Canberra, August 2002—80 participants)
- alliance formation ( Sydney, November 2002—50 participants)
- selling to Government ( Canberra, February 2003—100 participants)
- selling to Government ( Canberra, July 2003—120 participants)
- selling to Government ( Canberra, November 2004—90 participants)
These briefings complemented a range of other briefings on these matters provided by government and industry. For example, the theme of ‘Selling to Government’ was included in the Showcasing Innovation Workshops, which were delivered nationally by a number of Australian Government agencies in April to June 2004 and were well attended. The AIIA also holds regular industry briefings by Australian Government chief information officers.
It is expected that future workshops and seminars will be undertaken in conjunction with industry associations and state and territory governments depending on industry demand.
To supplement the briefings, the Working Party proposed, and oversaw the preparation of, a publication, Selling ICT to Government: A guide for SMEs. This publication is aimed primarily at new players entering the Australian Government market and those who are currently operating on a small scale. The guide provides both factual information, such as key elements of the Australian Government procurement framework, and practical information and tips and advice for companies such as on how to sell, vendor’s responsibilities and day-to-day issues involved in dealing with the Australian Government market.
he guide was launched in July 2003 and 3000 hard copies have been distributed throughout industry and government. The guide is also available on the DCITA website <link www.dcita.gov.au/ictsme > and has received more than 3300 website hits. DCITA proposes to revise and reprint the guide in response to continuing industry demand and the changes to Australian Government procurement brought about by the implementation of the Australian United States Free Trade Agreement.