The digital mystic, the CIO and sticky transformations

There is a lot of talk about disruptive digital transformation in the government sector, and even suggestions that it should be an explicit goal with dedicated executive leaders like Chief Digital (disruptor) Officers. The Commonwealth government even has an agency dedicated to disrupting other agencies with the magic of digital transformation.

Most ICT leaders, however, would prefer to see themselves as purveyors of disruption rather than consumers. It is thus no surprise that most digital disruptors are themselves disrupted. Elvis, as they say, has left the building. Why is it so?

My view is that the focus on disruptive digital transformation is actually an unsustainable distraction. The main game is using information and communications technology (ICT) to drive and enable sustainable policy and service delivery innovation.

I was the Victorian Government’s Director eGovernment Strategy & Policy in the early 2000s, and led the establishment of a whole-of-government Office of the CIO. In some ways the eGovernment era had similar aspirations to what we now call digital government. I recall Terry Moran, then Secretary of the Department of Premier & Cabinet, deriding what he called “digital mystics” – people who advocated the wonders of technology but had little practical grasp of the practicalities of how to make real and sustainable improvements in public services.

I didn’t really understand what he was talking about at the time … probably because I was a digital mystic myself. Surely it is self-evident that implementing new technology solutions will improve service delivery, boost productivity and improve citizen engagement?

Mysticism refers to a kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. Mystics believe that their spiritual truths are beyond rational challenge.

I see now, in 2017, what Terry Moran was referring to 15 years ago. While some projects in the eGovernment era created sustainable improvements, many (perhaps most) did not. Many projects failed outright or never really gained the traction that was hoped for. Remember the discussions about “lipstick on the pig”? Perhaps the lesson is to be sceptical of digital mystics and their altered realities.

Of course contemporary technologies create many opportunities to do things differently and make new things possible. Digital is actually not new in this regard. There is a big difference, however, between opportunity and its realisation. The key challenge in the public sector is implementing technology innovation that ‘sticks’ – that actually enables better ways of working and is adaptive and sustainable over the years. Chief Information Officers know what sticks … we manage the sticky stuff every day … but do digital mystics? Today’s ‘shiny new digital thing’ can too easily either fade without trace or become tomorrow’s costly legacy system.

Digital mystics are caught up in enthusiasm for technology like Toad of Toad Hall was for cars, “When I'm messing around in cars, the world is apple pie. When I'm messing around in cars, I'm quite another guy.” It is easy to get caught up in the passion of imposing your brand of digital innovation on others. Easy to believe that your digital solutions will make the world a better place. Maybe. Sometimes. If done well …

But what does ‘done well’ mean in public sector technology? What is quality in digital transformation?

Done well means that a digital innovation is functional (duh!), is easy to use, is an enabler of new or renewed process or services, is quickly delivered, is secure, is integrated with other systems, is adaptable to changing user needs, is scalable and extensible, is financially, operationally and contractually sustainable, is created and supported by trustworthy and reliable in-house people or suppliers … and is generally a ‘proper’ ICT system. Digital innovations, like puppies, are for life not just Christmas. Done well has longevity.

Paradoxically, digital technologies done well turn out to be pretty much the same as boring old ICT. The thrill of the gov hack and the rapidly executed digital innovation quickly palls when the digital prototype needs to grow up to become a reliable, secure, sustainable business application.

Projects delivered on enterprise-grade platforms, in the Platform+Agile style, reveal their power and elegance vs. systems created DIY by digital mystics using the technology du jour. A platform automates the boring ICT stuff, delivers it as a service attribute, and enables innovative digital solutions to be done well from the get go.

The key role that CIOs play in the digital disruption game is to provide platforms that enable digital mystics to create innovations that stick … and perhaps to survive in their roles more than 12-18 months.