Archived document - Public Sector Commission - The Western ...

e-Government Strategy for the Western Australian Public Sector
Effecting Change: The Key Enablers of e-Government
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2. Culture Change – Thinking ‘Corporate WA’
As has been discussed throughout this Strategy, one of the biggest
challenges to e-government development is the ‘silo’ or agency-centric
approach of the Western Australian Public Sector. This extends from an
organisational level down to the working patterns of individual public
servants.
For e-government transformation to succeed, a fundamental cultural shift
will need to take place at every level of government. The public sector
should not be perceived as a collection of disparate agencies delivering
services to citizens engaged on agency terms. Rather, the public sector
should be viewed as a coordinated entity delivering services to the
community in ways that best suit citizens’ needs.
In short, the public sector needs to start thinking of itself as ‘corporate
Western Australia’. Without this sense of corporate identity, agencies will
always remain limited to the possibilities available within their individual
organisations and not be open to the opportunities for sharing and
capitalising on the wealth of information, skills, knowledge and support
that resides in the public sector as a whole.
The Role of OeG
OeG’s role in relation to this enabler is very much one of supporting
agencies. Agencies themselves must make this shift in their thinking and
mode of operation. OeG can help break down some of the ‘silo’
constraints by championing collaboration mechanisms and by developing
channels for cross-agency communication. OeG will also identify and
remove inhibitors to cross-government cultural change and will lead and
facilitate whole-of-government initiatives that will effect cultural change.
However, this challenge is grounded in traditional public sector ideology
and is more about agencies learning to think and act differently, rather
than implementing discrete policies or initiating particular projects.
OeG will continue to reinforce the need for the transition to a more
corporate way of thinking for e-government to succeed.