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About the Department

Information and Technology Improvement

Wide-ranging information, technology and record-keeping reforms are at the heart of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs' response to the Palmer and Comrie reports. The following reviews will help the department map the way forward in this area.

Business Information Needs Review (BINR)
APIS Consulting Group
January 2006

BINR Final Report (690KB PDF file)

As a result of the findings of the Palmer and Comrie reviews the department commissioned an independent review of its information needs and system requirements.

In October 2005 Apis Consulting Group was engaged to examine information needs, identify information gaps and recommend the way forward.

Overall, the review found that there were significant information gaps, that it was not easy to find all the information on a client, that reporting systems needed improvement and that data quality could be improved.


Technology Reviews
Computer Sciences Corporation
January 2006

Executive Summary - Health Check of IT Governance, Project Management and 90 Day Release Management (181KB PDF file)
Health Check of IT Governance, Project Management and 90 Day Release Management (1MB PDF file)
Executive Summary - Health Check of DIMA IT Platform (213KB PDF file)

The Health Check of DIMA IT Platform report has been split into separate files to assist with downloading.

Health Check of DIMA IT Platform - Project Objectives and Approach and High Level Findings (117KB PDF file)
Health Check of DIMA IT Platform - Current State Analysis, Part 1 (1.3MB PDF file)
Health Check of DIMA IT Platform - Current State Analysis, Part 2 (2.03MB PDF file)
Health Check of DIMA IT Platform - Current State Analysis, Part 3 (629KB PDF file)
Health Check of DIMA IT Platform - Recommendations and Future Initiatives and Appendix (801KB PDF file)

As a result of the findings of the Palmer and Comrie reviews the department sought independent advice as to the health of DIMA Information Technology (IT) platforms and governance mechanisms.

In September 2005 Computer Sciences Corporation was engaged to provide health checks in regard to:

  1. The overall appropriateness of the mix and deployment of the department's technical platform to support current and future business needs.
  2. IT Governance, portfolio management, program and project management and delivery mechanisms.

Overall, the Health Check of DIMA IT Platform found that IT Infrastructure platforms are unlikely to support the proposed future development program.

Findings in the Health Check of IT Governance, Project Management and 90 Day Release Management suggest that progress is being made to strengthen IT governance but pain points exist particularly in the department's ability to manage demand against supply, IT investment and prioritisation, architecture and standards, organisational change and issues/dependencies.


Recordkeeping in DIMIA: A Strategic Review
National Archives of Australia
February 2006

Recordkeeping in DIMIA: A Strategic Review (631KB PDF file)

As a result of the findings of the Palmer and Comrie reviews, the department sought the National Archives of Australia assistance in reviewing its current recordkeeping systems and practices.

In November 2005 National Archives of Australia was engaged to undertake a strategic review of recordkeeping to enable the scoping of a holistic plan for improving recordkeeping as well as identifying priority areas for attention.

In the report, the National Archives acknowledges that the department, like all Australian Government agencies, struggles with the enormous recordkeeping challenges of today's digital environment. Overall, the review found that recordkeeping in the department has not adequately supported its business needs or legislative obligations.

In response, the department is reviewing the National Archives recommendations in detail and preparing an implementation plan to improve its recordkeeping.