Govt dumps billion-dollar visa platform outsourcing – Strategy – Software

The federal government has ditched its controversial billion-dollar plan to outsource Australia’s visa processing platform immediately after adopting a new coverage that will see it create a reusable enterprise-scale workflow processing capacity.

Performing immigration minister Alan Tudge revealed the conclusion and the “new coverage technique to the acquisition and delivery of workflow processing capability” amid the quick escalating coronavirus pandemic late on Friday.

It comes additional than two years immediately after the Division of Home Affairs to start with went searching for an external service provider to design, develop and operated a ‘global digital platform’ that would substitute the country’s two current visa processing platforms.

The platform, which was predicted to be rolled out in 2021, was envisaged to approach ninety % of all visa programs, and combine with other 3rd-celebration systems to enable persons to implement for visa as the stage of scheduling vacation.

Two consortia of bidders ended up vying for the offer – Australian Visa Processing, which is composed of Ellerston Cash, PwC, Qantas Ventures, NAB and Pacific Blue Cash, and Australia Article and Accenture.

Very last thirty day period, a senate committee consisting of mainly Labor and Greens senators discovered the task did total to privatisation, and suggested that the government scrap the outsourcing and rather develop the method in-residence.

Home Affairs had continuously pressured the tender does not total to outsourcing, as it would have found the office keep “full obligation and accountability for coverage, stability, chance evaluation and visa conclusion-making”.

Tudge mentioned the platform procurement had been terminated in mild of the government’s “broad new coverage technique to the acquisition and delivery of workflow processing capability” in Home Affairs and throughout government additional broadly.

“The Authorities will carry out modern day, quick to obtain, digital services for clientele in line with its response to the Thodey Review of the Australian Community Services,” he mentioned.

“This technique seeks integrated enterprise-scale workflow processing capacity that could be utilised throughout the Commonwealth.

“Key to this is recognising the efficiencies that can be created from significant-scale government investment decision in engineering and the re-use of capacity throughout government.”

Home Affairs is predicted to carry out a industry consultation approach more than the coming months for a “large-scale workflow processing capacity for visa and citizenship programs and also, for Customs capabilities and personnel stability clearances in the Home Affairs portfolio”.

“While existing visa systems carry on to operate, they are out of day, and processing and conclusion creating in several circumstances is still undertaken manually, supported by outdated engineering and minimal chance evaluation capabilities,” Tudge mentioned.

“With this technique, systems and capabilities will be well-positioned to meet up with long run requires, enabling the Authorities to respond to rising world threats and increasing assistance delivery throughout government.”

“The get the job done the Division has carried out in new years to modernise its visa assistance delivery preparations will be utilised and extended to other regions in building and specifying the specifications for this substantially broader capacity, on which visa processing will still be the to start with products sent.”