​Defence restructures ICT function

Defence has restructured its ICT function, renaming it as the Defence Digital Group (DDG) and establishing six divisions.

The restructure was first revealed in a job advertisement at the start of the week which iTnews filed questions about.

The department did not respond to specific questions but instead made a general announcement today confirming the change.

“The establishment of the Defence Digital Group within Defence represents increased focus on delivering ICT capability that will ensure Defence is ready to fight and win in the digital age,” it said. 

“The Group, previously known as Chief Information Officer Group (CIOG), has transformed to take a strategy-led approach to shaping, delivering and sustaining Defence’s ICT landscape in a faster, more agile way.”

Chief Information Officer Chris Crozier said the restructure is aligned to recommendations in the Defence Strategic Review.

Most of the ICT-related parts of the review appeared to have been redacted from the public version.

One key change in the structure appears to be a move (back) to dual-domain treatment of ICT.

A hallmark of the CIOG structure was that it was intended to support Defence`s Single Information Environment (SIE) - and military and business operations jointly. 

From the job advertisement, however, military and business ICT will now have their own divisions, suggesting that Defence may disassemble the combined way of viewing ICT internally.

Defence is looking for first assistant secretaries - senior executives - to lead a military systems division and an enterprise systems division under DDG.

On the military side, the executive will need to “deliver quality integrated ICT effects directly supporting our military on the Defence SECRET enterprise and infrastructure in support of Defence’s strategic direction” and lead works under the strategic review.

The business side is similarly worded but is “focused on the Defence PROTECTED enterprise and infrastructure in support of Defence’s strategic direction” and implementing the review recommendations.

A third division has been created for "digital capability management", with chief technology officer Justin Keefe announcing this morning on LinkedIn that he has taken a similar first assistant secretary role to lead it.

Defence has also now published details of three other divisions: strategy and architecture, enterprise resource planning and group operations.

The restructure is the first major change under Crozier, who was made Defence’s CIO in August.

Updated November 9: The story was updated with details of three divisions under DDG that were unknown when the story was first published.