The Australian National Audit Office is gauging private sector interest in providing a B2B gateway the office would use to receive data from government agencies.
The exchange portal will collect the data ANAO uses to decide whether to audit an agency, freeing up time spent requesting, standardising and securing datasets before they become subject to audit obligations.
The self-service interface will issue automated data request questionnaires, and return reports to agencies on their submissions’ compatibility with predefined data validation rules.
It would also detect duplicate data, send reminders, and help agencies monitor their timeliness by viewing records of the time and date files are lodged.
The portal will be hosted in what the tender calls a "public cloud hub virtual network" that supports up to Protected level data exchange, with identity management to maintain the Protected level.
Other functional requirements include the ability to transfer both structured and unstructured data, including metadata; facilitate intelligent monitoring and recording of data across media platforms; and integrate data with ANAO’s data asset management system.
The solution must also be able to integrate with both ANAO’s current technology environment and its ‘future-state architecture’, six initiatives for modernising its technology and communication strategy.
According to ANAO’s 2021-22 annual report, “these initiatives are infrastructure as a service in the cloud, enhanced network design, data storage and processing, a DevOps pipeline, a data exchange portal, and self-service analytics.”
The request for expressions of interest, specifies that “to date, this program has been predominantly built and developed using” Microsoft Azure, including Logic Apps, Azure API Management, App Services and Function Apps and supporting technologies for Azure IaaS migrations.
The request for expressions of interest closes on 24 February 2023.
