Silvia Pfeiffer wrote: <snip>
I do however agree that innovation should lead towards the development of new products. Helping the government decide how to direct money towards achieving that goal is what this review is all about, so let's be nice and constructive about it.
<snip> Sylvia,
I share David's skepticism and would even venture he is being extremely polite given the reality. Perhaps a change of government could improve things. I would guess the responses received to the review would reflect two things - those who felt they needed to respond and a gap reflecting those who felt it a pointless exercise. The biggest and most useful source of government funding is it's contracts. There used to be a local content/industry development component but that is gone and maybe it didn't work. However, given the size of the Australian market if these contracts/customers are denied to local companies (to not just develop technical but leadership experience) then anything else the government does is just whitewash. Though having also been on the other side it isn't an easy task. Innovation requires good risk management and leadership skills in the customer organisation. Reward without risk? Innovation in PFI, Matthew Tulley, Winter 2001 <http://www.publicservice.co.uk/pdf/pfi/winter2001/p152.pdf> There are lots of reports around about innovation, particularly through ICT, which might make useful background reading. Report to Senator the Hon Hlen Coonan, Minisgter for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts introducting the PRAGMATIC Programe (Procurement Reform of Australian Government Major Acquisition from Telecommunications and IT Companies developed by Industry Members of the ICT SME Joint Industry Government Working Party, sponsored by the Australian Computer Society, February 2005 <http://www.acs.org.au/publication/docs/ICTSMEJWP-IndustryReportFINAL.pdf> Achieving value from ICT: key management strategies <http://www.dcita.gov.au/ie/publications/2005> Digital Factories: the Hidden Revolution in Australian Manufacturing, 2005 <http://www.dbcde.gov.au/communications_for_business/industry_development/ict_in_australian_manufacturing/digital_factories_the_hidden_revolution_in_australian_manufacturing> ...and for good measure one I drafted in 1998. Submission on Ministerial Council Statement - Towards an Australian Strategy for the Information Economy <http://www.ramin.com.au/marg/acssub.html> There are a good number of successful non primary industry companies in Australia, but I suggest that this is despite the government not because of its programs. The challenge is getting the right framework in place. Co-incidentally I have been looking at this from a governance/ethical perspective and would welcome comments [on or off list] on this paper I have prepared [for a book chapter]. <http://ramin.com.au/itgovernance/nodutyofcare-the-governance-of-ict.html> Marghanita -- Marghanita da Cruz http://www.ramin.com.au Phone: (+61)0414 869202 -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
