UK digital specialist Paul Shetler has been named the inaugural CEO of the federal government's new Digital Transformation Office (DTO).
The DTO is part of the Australian Government Digital Transition that requires it agencies to move to digital records and information management. It aims to implement a shift from printed records and communications to digital. It will cost the printing industry millions of dollars. It continues a Government campaign to not only reduce the use of printed material but to make printing into black & white, with limited design or illustration input where possible to reduce the cost.
“Paul was the outstanding candidate following an extensive executive search and competitive recruitment process, and has been appointed to the DTO for a period of five years,” said communications minister Malcolm Turnbull in a statement.
The 2015-16 federal budget included $95.4 million to set up the DTO as part of a $254.7 million ‘Digital Transformation Agenda’. The office was established as a standalone executive agency within the communications portfolio on 1 July 2015 and will be staffed by teams of designers, researchers and content specialists. "Digital transactions are so much cheaper than over the phone transactions, postal transactions or over the counter transactions," Turnbull told a recent CeBIT conference.
“The Digital Transformation Office will transform the way public services are designed and delivered, making them simpler and easier to use,” according to the DTO website. “All new and redesigned services will be digital by default. This means that everyone will be able to access public services digitally from start to finish on their mobile device or PC. The DTO will set digital design standards for all public services, improve the way government information is presented, better link digital, face-to-face and telephone delivery channels, and develop and expand common IT platforms such as myGov.”
Shelter has 20 years’ experience leading IT and business transformation projects, most recently as an executive at the UK’s Government Digital Service (GDS) and as Chief Digital Officer for the UK Ministry of Justice. Under his leadership, the Ministry of Justice delivered four of the UK Government’s 25 redesigned digital transformation exemplars: applications for civil claims, prison visit booking, lasting power of attorney applications and applying to an employment tribunal.
Shetler said he increased the department's digital team from 75 to 165 during that time. "We wanted very skilled product managers, delivery managers and people with a very strong background in user research because we don't operate in the market so we don't have customers,” he told UK-based computing magazine.
Shetler has also worked at Microsoft, Oracle and the Republic National Bank of New York, as well as on several technology start-ups. He’s also a social activist and in 2011 organised a kiss-in protest after a London pub ejected two men who were kissing. He will start his new role by the end of July 2015.