NSW picks first two RM providers
NSW picks first two RM providers
The New South Wales Department of Public Works and Services has chosen Objective and Tower Software as the first two in its suite of five records management software providers for NSW state agencies.
The two vendors were approved under the Records and Information Management Systems tender, known as ITS 2323, which was issued last year under the broader Government Selected Application Systems (GSAS) program. The tender was intended to replace ITS 2017, which included only GMB Research's RecFIND and Tower Software's TRIM products.
Rob Stone, GSAS contract officer at the New South Wales Department of Public Works and Services (DPW&S), said there were three other providers who were in final negotiations to join the program. ITS 2323 is being overseen by the NSW State Contracts Control Board.
"2017 was the original contract, but it expired in March this year. ITS 232e is the replacement for 2017," he said. "The new contract is expected to have five suppliers on it. We are negotiating still with three other companies. They have been approved by the Board, but we have not signed agreements with them."
The names of the three other vendors have not been officially released yet, although Mr Stone said he would disclose them to records managers at government agencies who contacted him on (02) 9372 7612. Mr Stone said the negotiations had gone on for several months, and there were "different reasons" why talks with the remaining three had not concluded before those with Objective and Tower Software.Tony Walls, CEO of Objective, said his company would use its 10 years of experience installing records management applications in public sector agencies like the Australian Defence Organisation and IP Australia.
"We have the largest team of specialist records and information management business and technical consultants in the country," said Mr Walls. "Additionally, with our head office and research and development centre based in Sydney, NSW Government agencies have a unique opportunity to take advantage of the easy access to this expertise should they have specialised needs."
The number of vendors in the new contract is significantly higher than the previous ITS 2017 list of two, although it does put NSW at the same level as the last similar records management contract put out at federal level.
"In the GSAS program, the general guidelines are that it is meant to be a select group of companies that tender, and agencies select from those that tender. There was no fixed number that needed to be appointed," said Mr Stone. "We normally pick several vendors for competitive reasons. The group that is approved by the State Contracts Control Board is meant to be a small group, so that the software can be standardised across the whole of government. The actual number is not predetermined."
Mr Stone said he had received a lot of feedback from ITS 2017, and the scope of the ITS 2323 contract had had to be extended several times to accommodate user requests. However, the core of the program was still records management, he said.
One of the main thrusts of the program is to bring NSW government agencies in line with the State Records Act, which mandated much more strict recordkeeping of electronic communication, and laid the groundwork for an initiative called Government Online which would make records Web-accessible, amongst other reforms.
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