Agencies should ensure that the requirements of this Information Standard are applied within the general context of the due diligence, accountability and probity outlined in:

• Public Sector Ethics Act 1994;
• Public Sector Ethics Regulation 1999;
• Financial Management Standard 1997 (FMS);
• State Purchasing Policy 2000;
• Public Records Act 2002;
• current Information Standards; and
• any other legislation that the individual agency operates under.

Effective and efficient planning for ICT procurement provides an agency with the strategies to advance the State Purchasing Policy objectives. In terms of planning for ICT procurement, the agency should consider and plan its strategies for ICT total cost of ownership, value for money, risk management, training, supply market analysis and the review of existing ICT supply arrangements.

In an integrated approach to ICT planning and procurement, well established links should exist between the:

• State Purchasing Policy objectives;
• Agency ICT Strategic Resources Plan; Agency Business Plans;
• The Government's Local Industry Policy;
• Government priorities;
• Whole-of-Government procurement arrangements;
• Government ICT priorities and directions in ICT and service delivery; and
• Shared service initiatives.

The Industry/Government ICT Group was established by the Premier in October 2005 to provide a forum where the Government and the ICT industry could work together to identify opportunities and respond to issues affecting the productivity and effectiveness of the ICT industry in Queensland.

As a result, agencies are required to contact the Industry Liaison Group, Queensland Government Chief Information Office who will review:

. all proposed ICT product and service purchases and
. proposals to establish standing offer or other panel supply arrangements.

Supply market analysis enables the agency to get to know and understand how the market works, the direction in which it is heading, the key suppliers and the value they place on the agency as a customer.

To ensure that existing arrangements continue to meet the ICT requirements of the agency and provide value for money, these issues should be addressed in the agency ICT Procurement Plan. Further information can be sourced through Queensland Purchasing Better Purchasing Guides.

To ensure effective ICT procurement management, appropriate and regular training should be provided to staff involved in procuring ICT products and/or services. The Queensland Purchasing Training and Development unit assists departments/agencies to develop and train officers involved in a variety of procurement disciplines. Further information can be sourced through Queensland Purchasing Better Purchasing Guides.

ICT Resources Planning (IS2)

ICT Resources Maintenance & Disposal (IS19)

Queensland Cabinet has endorsed the use of GITC contractual terms and conditions for all ICT procurement including upgrades and enhancements of ICT products and services by Government. All procurement of ICT products and services is to be made through suppliers who have signed a Government Information Technology Conditions (GITC) Agreement with the State of Queensland.

ICT products and/or services generally cover all types of technology (data, voice, video, etc.) and associated resources, which relate to the capture, storage, retrieval, transfer, communication or dissemination of information through the use of electronic media. All resources required for the implementation of ICT are encompassed, namely equipment, software, facilities and services, including telecommunications products and services that carry voice and/or data. All enquiries regarding the eligibility of ICT products and services under GITC should be directed to the GITC services area.

The GITC framework provides significant benefits, not only to Government agencies, but also to ICT suppliers and to Government industry development objectives. The GITC is managed by GITC Services. For further information refer to the GITC website. GITC Services should be informed of any agency ICT contracts and acquisitions.

Purchasing from a non-GITC supplier could expose the agency to risk. Where ICT products and/or services are only available from a sole supplier that is not, or, refuses to become, a signatory to the terms and conditions of GITC, the agency should seek advice from GITC Services and/or local agency risk management instructions before proceeding.

Agency procurement procedures need to provide documented processes to direct how the agency will undertake and manage its procurement activities. The framework and procedures will vary across agencies, however, at a minimum, procedures should cover:

• Risk management;
• Roles and responsibilities;
• Evaluation processes;
• De-briefing processes;
• Handling enquiries; and
• Complaint management.

The approach to the ICT market will depend on the objectives, demand requirements and the supply market, and the agency strategy to purchase and should be considered on a case by case basis. For further information and guidance on the types of offers which need to be considered refer to Queensland Purchasing's Better Purchasing Guides - Analysing Supply Markets and the ICT Procurement (IS13) Best Practice Guide.

To streamline the procurement of ICT products and/or services by reducing the time and costs involved, a range of facilities for electronic procurement is currently being developed.

The Queensland Government Marketplace eTender is a web-based electronic tender system, which provides a site through which Queensland Government departments and agencies advertise current business opportunities for ICT products and/or services supply. Agencies should contact Queensland Purchasing for further information.

Agencies should assess on a case-by-case basis how security and privacy issues need to be addressed in contracts and offers. For further information on security in relation to dealing with third parties, agencies should refer to Information Standard Security (IS18) and Information Standard Privacy (IS42).

Agency Corporate Procurement planning allows agencies to provide notice of significant ICT purchases to the industry. By publishing advance notice through Forward Procurement Schedules of significant ICT purchases, agencies can increase industry awareness and improve the preparation of responses to invitations, producing a better result for all parties involved.

Following the budget allocation process, agencies are required to announce to industry their Forward Procurement Schedules for significant ICT purchases. This is to take the form of a presentation to industry facilitated by the Information Industries Bureau (IIB) and through the publishing of these. Agencies should contact the IIB for further information on this. Additional information can also be found in the ICT Procurement (IS13) Best Practice Guide.

Under the State Purchasing Policy, each agency must devolve to the lowest practical geographical level decision-making and associated budgets for purchases that the agency assesses are of low relative expenditure and for which supply is easy to secure.

When an agency with regional offices is establishing an arrangement for the supply and support of ICT equipment, it is to include a requirement for the preferred supplier(s) to channel products and/or services through companies based in the region, which are capable of meeting the requirement.

The SME Participation Scheme (the Scheme) is a new requirement for Queensland Government procurement of ICT products and services and has a specific intent of assisting ICT SMEs to access the Queensland Government market.

When planning for ICT Procurement agencies should ensure that they are consistent with the requirements of the Scheme.

Additional information on specific aspects of the SME Participation Scheme can be obtained from the Information Industries Bureau SME Participation Scheme website.

• Security (IS18); and
• Privacy IS42 and IS42A.