Prioritisation is a critical aspect of any organisation’s success. It is a balancing act between maximising return on investment (ROI) and making sure that the most important initiatives are given priority.

IT plays a significant role in this process, as the technology and systems that an organisation uses impact its overall performance.

However, prioritisation is not solely an IT responsibility, and it is crucial to involve different departments and stakeholders in the process.

Damon Rees, former CEO at ServiceNSW, highlights the importance of IT in prioritisation. IT should not be subservient, but rather, it should be an equal partner in the conversation.

IT should bring its technical expertise to the table and collaborate with other departments to ensure that the organisation’s priorities align with its strategic goals and customer needs.

Building trust between IT and other departments is essential for successful prioritisation.

This can be achieved by ensuring that everyone shares the same aspirations, appreciating the critical aspects of enabling the mission, and engaging in informed discussions. It is also important to avoid being prescriptive and instead be descriptive.

IT should focus on proof points and quantifying the value delivered to the business, customers, and partners.

An example of successful prioritisation is the digital driver’s licence pilot in Dubbo. The pilot allowed for feedback from a diverse group of users, which was used to improve the overall experience. This pilot demonstrated the value of prioritisation and the importance of involving customers in the process.

As Damon will share at CIO Edge Melbourne, prioritisation is a collaborative effort that requires involvement from different departments and stakeholders. IT has a crucial role to play, but it is not the only responsibility.

Building trust and respect, deprioritising under-resourced missions, and quantifying the value delivered are crucial components of successful prioritisation.

Contributors
Peter Hind Principal Research Analyst at ADAPT
Peter Hind has spent the last 25 years as an analyst and commentator on the ICT industry. ​ His primary areas of interest... More

Peter Hind has spent the last 25 years as an analyst and commentator on the ICT industry. ​

His primary areas of interest are the potential of technology to transform the way organisations operate, the change management obstacles executives encounter in realising this potential, as well as the tactics and techniques leaders have deployed to overcome these difficulties.​

Peter now takes on multiple roles within ADAPT including the moderation of private events and roundtables, interviewing business executives about the strategies they are pursuing and assisting with the structuring of delegate surveys.​

He also interrogates and analyses ADAPT’s treasure trove of end-user and C-suite data.​

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Damon Rees Former CEO of ServiceNSW
Damon Rees is a business leader focused on customer centricity, culture, digital enablement, and innovation, with more than twenty years of experience... More

Damon Rees is a business leader focused on customer centricity, culture, digital enablement, and innovation, with more than twenty years of experience driving transformational change, organisational performance, and better customer outcomes.

He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Service NSW, an independent Director at GP Synergy, Australia’s largest training organisation for GPs, and Founder of Better As Usual Pty Ltd, a practitioner-led professional services organisation committed to customer success and positive social impact.

Damon’s experience spans the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors including as the inaugural Government Chief Information and Digital Officer for NSW Government, the Chief Digital Officer for Macquarie Group, the Chief Technology and Interim Chief Information Officer for Woolworths, and the Head of Integrated Delivery for Westpac. He has served as an independent Director of GP Synergy for the last eight years including three years as Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk committee, and six years as Chair of the Digital and ICT committee.

Damon was awarded the Sir James Wolfhenson scholarship to study at the Harvard Kennedy School in 2018, completed a Global Executive MBA with the University of Sydney in 2011, and holds a Bachelor of Information Technology from the University of Technology, Sydney.

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Leadership Transformation