Most Government services we interact with feel like they were created for the last decade. Thankfully there are some improvements underway.
Digital services and consulting company, Infosys has announced an agreement with the Australian Federal Government’s Services Australia to transform the entitlement calculation engine for the nation’s welfare system.
The project will enable Services Australia to more quickly implement policy changes for the benefit of Australians without disrupting services and deliver operational cost savings.
The Welfare Payment Infrastructure Transformation (WPIT) programme will replace a significant portion of Centrelink’s 30-year-old platform, modernising the way Services Australia calculates entitlements for Australians needing government support.
Infosys was selected by Services Australia following a comprehensive Competitive Dialogue phase which demonstrated a rigorous risk-mitigation strategy to deliver the innovative new solution. The solution will future-proof Australia’s welfare entitlements system through a market-proven, highly agile and configurable Pega platform.
Services Australia have engaged Infosys to assist them in replacing a significant portion of Centrelink’s 30-year-old system to:
- Deliver significant operational cost savings
- Enable quicker implementation of policy changes without disrupting services
- Make it easier for people to interact and enjoy seamless experiences with government
The Phase 1 agreement is for Infosys to create a Proof of Design and is expected to complete mid-2020. Subject to further approval, Phase 2 of the project will encompass the build, implementation, and support for the new ECE.
Andrew Groth, Infosys, Senior Vice President and Region Head Australia and New Zealand, said Infosys is proud to support the WPIT’s goal of creating a flexible welfare service delivery system for the future to better meet the needs of the Australian community.
“A robust, responsive and agile welfare entitlements system is crucial for all Australians, particularly those in need, so Infosys is tremendously proud to support Services Australia on such a transformational project that underpins the Australian community and broader economy.”
Infosys’ 20-year history of supporting Australian organisations to improve customer-centric service delivery and become agile and digital at scale is well aligned to WPIT’s strategic objectives.
With the technology and technical skills of our 5,500 strong team here in Australia, as well as the unique global expertise from similar projects which we can draw upon, Infosys is well placed to add value to Services Australia and enhance the outcomes of the project for all Australians.”
Andrew Groth, Infosys, Senior Vice President and Region Head Australia and New Zealand
The Infosys Australian-based technical team will service the project, led by its expanding Canberra office.
“The Entitlement Calculation Engine is another great example of how Pega is driving outcomes for our customers and impacting daily lives of almost every Australian citizen.
We are proud to contribute to this important initiative and look forward to working with both Services Australia and Infosys on achieving better outcomes for all Australians.”
Luke McCormack, regional vice president at Pegasystems
According to Services Australia, this will be one of the world’s largest social welfare ICT system transformations, designed to:
- Provide customers with faster, and more connected digital services
- Give staff a modern ICT platform that makes it easier for them to do their jobs, and
- Position the Department to meet future policy needs of government
The ECE platform will enable Services Australia to respond in a more efficient and agile manner to changes in policies and regulations.
Infosys will also establish as a physical space in the Canberra office to enable Services Australia and its policy partners to collaborate and develop innovative ways to improve decision making and speed up time to market for policy implementation.
You’ve fallen in to the trap of referring to payments covered under Social Security legislation as welfare. This is simply promoting the governments ‘dole bludger’ agenda – probably not the best idea in an IT rag.