Beyond Technology: Human-Centered Transformation in Government

At Akkodis, our participation in Public Sector Network Australia Government Innovation Week WA & QLD 2025 - across both the Digital Leadership Day and the Government Innovation Showcases - reinforced a truth we see in every transformation: technology alone doesn’t transform government - people do. 

Leadership as the Catalyst 

The WA Government Digital Leadership Day, on Wednesday 20 August, was chaired by Akkodis Vice President Marketing Lisa Collins , and set the stage for a powerful conversation on how government can navigate the pace of technological change.  

One of the highlights of the day was a keynote ‘Navigating the Digital Era’ by Assistant Under Treasurer - Advisory Services, Department of Treasury WA, Amanda Jalleh.  

She shared her pragmatic view around the importance of good change management to drive effective digital transformations, and her optimistic view of how the WA public sector can continue to build on strong digital foundations to create a holistic, value-driven approach to modernisation, with inspiration and lessons learned from Singapore. 

Lisa hosted panel discussions throughout the day with tech leaders, exploring many themes including authentic leadership, multi-generational workforces, and the role of strategic partners to help accelerate innovation.  

These lively discussions also examined how to cultivate a culture of innovation while navigating bureaucracy and regulation and also examined the challenges of managing security in an “always on” threat environment. 

One of the highlights of the day was an interactive roundtable hosted by Daniel Roberts , Head of Akkodis Advisory. The roundtable explored the topic ‘AI & Technology Don’t Transform Government – People Do’. It prompted a robust discussion on leadership, culture and the role of technology to help deliver meaningful outcomes to citizens and communities. 

Innovation as a Shared Responsibility 

On Thursday 21 August the Government Innovation Showcase expanded the conversation, and highlighted WA’s digital vision, which is focused on providing convenient, smart and secure services that respond to everyday needs.  

Lisa O'Malley MLA, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Regional Development; Ports; Science and Innovation; and Medical Research, delivered the keynote ‘New, Now, Next: WA's Digital Vision’ on behalf of Minister Stephen Dawson MLC. 

Greg Italiano, Government Chief Information Officer, Department of Premier and Cabinet WA, and Laura Christie, Deputy Secretary, Digital NSW, NSW Department of Customer Service, shared their respective “Digital Strategy, Roadmaps, and Digital for Purpose | Insights from WA and NSW’s Journeys” 

Shaun Walsh, acting executive director of digital health at WA Health spoke to a packed final audience on the importance of Data sharing across agencies for better Health outcomes.  

He shared the enablers of good legislation: policy, collaboration and technology of HealthConnect (Australia’s health information exchange). He listed Industry innovation, demand management, AI capability and improved decision-making as strong positive benefits.  

He also noted the attendance of Akkodis Healthcare Vice President Professor Prof. Warren Harding, AM as the Western Australian member on the Board of the Australian Digital Health Agency.   

It was inspiring to see leaders emphasize privacy, trust, and transparency as central to building citizen confidence in digital government. 

The Queensland events reflected the themes discussed in Western Australia, with Akkodis again hosting a roundtable and attending the Innovation Showcase. 

Shaping the Future Together 

The real value of Government Innovation Week lies in the connections made across agencies, industries, and communities.  

The challenges of citizen-centric service delivery, building modern resilient systems, responding to rapid change are too complex for any one organisation to solve alone. Collaboration - grounded in trust and shared purpose - is the pathway to progress. 

At Akkodis, we believe the future of government is citizen-first, insight-driven, and technology-enabled. We believe in making a social impact. We are proud to work alongside leaders who are not only modernizing operations but also transforming outcomes for the citizens and communities of Western Australia. 

Thanks to Parijat Roychowdhury (Roy) , Michael McKenna & Janine Hird for their support at the events. 

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