Thursday, March 11, 2010

Government IT Contracts for Small Australian Companies

Senator Kate Lundy (ACT) and Senator Kim Carr (Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) announced a Supplier Advocate to Champion IT on 3 March 2010. So far there have been "Supplier Advocates" appointed for rail and steel.

Recently I was asked about support for small business by an ACT Government committee on procurement. I suggested the ACT government should use the same standards and, preferably the same tender system as the Commonwealth. Also simpler tender documents and less onerous insurance conditions were required. Perhaps the ACT government can work with the new advocate on a joint approach to help small ICT businesses.

Australia’s $98 billion IT industry is set to benefit, with an IT Supplier Advocate to be appointed to help secure more major IT contracts.

The IT Supplier Advocate is part of the Rudd Government’s $8.2 million Supplier Advocate Program, which appoints respected industry figures to provide leadership for targeted sectors. Advocates have already been appointed for rail and steel.

Announced by Innovation Minister, Senator Kim Carr, and Senator Kate Lundy, the IT Supplier Advocate will work as a broker and spokesperson, particularly for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the information technology sector.

We want Australian IT firms, particularly SMEs, to have the best chance of getting in the game and the best chance of winning.

It is vital that government has access to the nimble, innovative capacity of IT small businesses and equally, they have access to government.

The IT Supplier Advocate will help small businesses access contracts that may not have been on their radar.

The advocate will also work to ease the often unfounded concerns of risk that may be associated with awarding work to small business.

NICTA’s Australian eGovernment Technology Cluster has offered to work with an IT Supplier Advocate to provide services and facilities to help SMEs field test and prove the scalability of their IT solutions to prospective customers.

The Government canvassed the views of many stakeholders in the Australian IT sector about appointing an advocate.

These consultations suggest that there are significant IT procurement opportunities in the government where the supplier advocate could make a difference.

The Government’s Information Technology Industry Innovation Council will provide advice on the appointment. An announcement on the advocate is expected by the end of March. ...

From: Supplier Advocate to Champion IT, Joint Media Release by Senator Kate Lundy and Senator Kim Carr (Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) 3 March 2010

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Friday, March 05, 2010

Sustaining small ICT business in Canberra

I presented evidence on "Sustainable ICT Procurement" to the ACT Legislative Assembly Public Accounts Committee, 9:30 am yesterday, as part of an Inquiry into ACT Government Procurement.

The hearing started on time, with three MLAs and about five audience members. The ACT Government is more of a town council, that a regional government. The Committee Room 1 of the Legislative assembly was small, but well equipped. There are very sturdy looking native timber desks, with microphones built in (the hearings are recorded and a transcript prepared).

The hearing was chaired by Ms Caroline Le Couteur MLA (Greens). The ACT has a Labour minority government, with support of the Greens. Like Senate hearings I have attended, there was a colleguete atmosphere, without overt politics. As usual, as an "expert" I was treated very respectfully by the committee.

I made a brief opening summary of my submissions and then answered questions. There was considerable interest in the idea of having green standards for procurement and for working with the commonwealth. There was no interest in green education. There was also considerable interest in impediments to small business in the tender process.

I suggested that the federal government would most likely adopt US Energy Star version 4 for computer purchases. It was unlieklt that the EPEAT standard would be made mandatory, as so few products currently comply.

A series of questions I was not prepared for were about the need for professional indemnity insurance for consultants. I suggested that it would be useful if the level of insurance required could be capped. I explained that government contracts generally required me to have $10M insurance. I suggested this would be better capped at $1M and the Australian Computer Society was working on having this introduced first in NSW. However, on checking later, I found the figure for the ACS Limited Liability (NSW) Scheme is $1.5M and came into force in NSW on 1 January 2010. So it would seem sensible for the ACT to match this $1.5M.

As I was asked about insurance, I raised the issue of Worker's Compensation insurance. My company is required to have this insurance, even though I am the only employee. The paperwork is onerous, requiring a statutory declaration from myself every six months and a statement from my accountant, as to how much I was paid. It is necessary to wait for the accounts to be finalised and get three signatures on one piece of paper. The forms a routinely late as a result and the insurance company is obliged to threaten me each time that they will inform the ACT Government who will then prosecute me. I explained to the committee that the requirements where not as onerous in NSW. I suggested that these be relaxed for micro businesses and explained to the committee that otherwise I may move my business to NSW (many other ICT professionals may do likewise).

ps: I previously wrote to the ACT Government and opposition requesting the worker's compensation law be changed, but they declined to do so:
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2001 09:26:51 +1000
To: ACT Attorney-General stefaniak(a)act.gov.au
From: Tom Worthington
Subject: Request Change To Workers Compensation Act
Cc: Shadow ACT Attorney-General stanhope(a)act.gov.au

This is to request a change to the Workers' Compensation Act 1951 - SCHEDULE 3 paragraph 10 http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/act/consol_act/wca1951255/sch3.html to remove the requirement for employers to provide a certificate from a registered auditor and a statutory declaration of wages paid. Three people are required to sign a paper form to verify the wages paid by an employer. This is an unnecessary burden, particularly on small bushiness, and precludes the use of electronic commence.

Paragraph 10 currently requires the Employer to supply the insurer with:
(a) a certificate from a registered auditor stating the total amount of wages paid to workers; and
(b) a statutory declaration setting out:
(i) the determined categories of workers employed by the employer; and
(ii) the total amount of wages paid ...
I suggest this be changed by:

1. Omitting sub paragraph (a), and
2. Replacing the words "a statutory declaration" with "an approved form".

This change would allow the Minister to approve a form which simply requires the employer to detail the wages paid. Electronic as well as paper forms could be approved. Electronic signatures would not be needed, as the transaction with the insurer would be sufficient to provide verification at least equal to the current system.

The employer could fill in a paper form or a web form on the insurer's web site. They would later be presented with those details in an invoice for payment. The invoice and payment could be electronic. Paying the invoice would be evidence that the employer received the invoice and considered the figures it was calculated from were correct.

ps: My small business consults to the Federal Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business on e-commerce and its implementation for business: http://www.tomw.net.au/admin/rfo20005.html

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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Sustainable Canberra Government

I will be giving evidence on "Sustainable ICT Procurement" to the ACT Legislative Assembly Public Accounts Committee, 9:30 am, 4 March 2010. This is in Committee Room 1 of the Legislative assembly, London Circuit, Canberra, as part of an Inquiry into ACT Government Procurement. The public are welcome to attend and I would appreciate some moral support.

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Friday, December 18, 2009

Problems with ACT Emergency Services Agency web site

In response to my posting about accessibility problems with the Victorian Government Country Fire Authority Web Site, a commenter has noted similar problems with the ACT Government's bushfire web site. I was unable to access the ACT Emergency Services web site thismorning. However, I was able to see the Google cache copy from 17 Dec 2009 10:04:58 GMT.

An automated (TAW) accessibility test reported zero Priority one, 67 Priority Two and 13 Priority Three problems with the ceched page. The W3C Markup Validation Service reported 42 Errors and 57 warning with this page. The page failed the W3C mobileOK Checker test. Obviously some of these problems may be due to using the cache copy, which is slightly modified from the original. But given the real site is not avialable, this is a valid test.

I suggest the ACT Government fix their web site, before more lives are lost to bushfires in Canberra.

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Friday, August 07, 2009

Sustainable ICT Procurement

The ACT Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Public Accounts is holding an Inquiry into ACT Government Procurement. The deadline for submissions is 31 August 2009. Here is my submission on sustainable ICT procurement, which has been authorised it for publication by the committee:

Submission to the Inquiry into ACT Government Procurement

This is a submission to the ACT Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Public Accounts1 for the Inquiry into ACT Government Procurement2.

The submission addresses the following terms of reference3, largely with respect to the use and procurement of computers and telecommunications (ICT):

...
(2) the integration of sustainability considerations that encompass environmental, economic and social aspects throughout procurement processes
(3) agency approaches to procurement training and development activities
(4) the ability of local suppliers to compete for ACT Government procurement opportunities ...

Integration of sustainability considerations in procurement processes

It is suggested that the ACT Government should work with the federal government and other state and local government on common sustainability standards for procurement of government ICT. The federal departments of Environment and Finance are working on green ICT standards at present.

It is suggested that the ACT should propose to work with the Commonwealth and other jurisdictions. It is suggested that this be done by using the federal finance department's GovDex system4. This will allow federal, state and local government officials to participate in joint working parties without the need for face-to-face meetings. It is suggested that there be also participation by industry representatives. The aim should be to release green ICT guidelines by the end of 2009.

Agency approaches to procurement training and development activities

It is suggested that ACT government agencies should make use of flexible and e-learning for procurement training, using nationally accredited courses. The Canberra Institute of Technology5 (CIT) is a leader in the field of the development and delivery of such courses and could provide for the ACT Government's needs. In addition other organisations run specialised courses, as an example I have designed a course in Green ICT, including ICT procurement, versions of which are delivered via the web by the Australian National University6 and the Australian Computer Society7.

Ability of local suppliers to compete for ACT Government procurement opportunities

It is suggested that the ACT Government's online tender system8 be upgraded to provide similar facilities to the Australian Government AusTender9 and NZ Government GETS10 Systems. In particular the system should allow a small business to register for a particular category of tender and automatically receive an email message advising of tenders in that category. Also once registered, the business should be able to obtain details of a specific tender via the ACT Government's web site without needing to reenter all their contact details.

At present the ACT Government display tenders online and sends a weekly message advising new tenders are available. However, the message does not indicate if there are any tenders the particular business might be interested in. The business has to look through all the new tenders. In contrast the Australian and NZ systems allow a particular category to be registered for, such as computer related tenders. The business then can look at that specific tender.

At present the business has to reenter all its contact details in order to download a tender from the ACT tender web site. In contrast the Australian and NZ systems only requiring registering this information once.

Tom Worthington
24 July 2009

PO Box 13
Belconnen ACT 2617

http://www.tomw.net.au/

1 Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Legislative Assembly for the ACT, 2009: http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/committees/index1.asp?committee=116

2 Inquiry into ACT Government Procurement, Legislative Assembly for the ACT, 7/05/2009: http://www.legassembly.act.gov.au/committees/index1.asp?committee=116&inquiry=812&category=13

3Terms of reference, Inquiry into ACT Government Procurement, Legislative Assembly for the ACT, 2009: http://www.legassembly.act.gov.au/downloads/terms-of-reference/ToR%20Government%20Procurement.pdf

4 Welcome to GovDex, Department of Finance and Deregulation, 2009: https://www.govdex.gov.au/user/index.do

5 Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT), 2009: http://www.cit.act.edu.au/

6 COMP7310: Green ICT Strategies, ANU, 2009: http://cs.anu.edu.au/students/comp7310/

7 Green ICT Strategies, ACS, 2009P: http://www.acs.org.au/cpeprogram/index.cfm?action=show&conID=greenict

8 Open tenders, ACT Procurement Solutions, 2009: http://www.procurement.act.gov.au/tenders_advertised/open_tenders

9 AusTender Homepage, Department of Finance and Deregulation , 2009: https://www.tenders.gov.au/

10 New Zealand Government Electronic Tenders Service, Government Procurement Development Group (GPDG) of the NZ Ministry of Economic Development, 2009: http://www.gets.govt.nz/default.aspx?show=HomePage

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Submission to the Inquiry into ACT Government Procurement

The ACT Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Public Accounts is holding an Inquiry into ACT Government Procurement. An Invitation for Public Submissions was issued and closes 31 July 2009. Below is an outline I what I am thinking of submitting. Suggestions and comments are welcome:

Submission to the Inquiry into ACT Government Procurement - Draft for comment

From: Tom Worthington
PO Box 13
Belconnen ACT 2617

To: Secretary, Standing Committee on Public Accounts
ACT Legislative Assembly, Canberra ACT 2601

This is a submission to the ACT Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Public Accounts for the Inquiry into ACT Government Procurement.

The submission addresses the following terms of reference, largely with respect to the use and procurement of computers and telecommunications (ICT):
...
(2) the integration of sustainability considerations that encompass environmental, economic and social aspects throughout procurement processes
(3) agency approaches to procurement training and development activities
(4) the ability of local suppliers to compete for ACT Government procurement opportunities ...

Integration of sustainability considerations in procurement processes

It is suggested that the ACT Government should work with the federal government and other state and local government on common sustainability standards for procurement of government ICT. The federal departments of Environment and Finance are working on green ICT standards at present.

It is suggested that the ACT should propose to work with the Commonwealth and other jurisdictions. It is suggested that this be done by using the federal finance department's GovDex system. This will allow federal, state and local government officials to participate in joint working parties without the need for face-to-face meetings. It is suggested that there be also participation by industry representatives. The aim should be to release green ICT guidelines by the end of 2009.

Agency approaches to procurement training and development activities

It is suggested that ACT government agencies should make use of flexible and e-learning for procurement training, using nationally accredited courses. The Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) is a leader in the field of the development and delivery of such courses and could provide for the ACT Government's needs. In addition other organisations run specialised courses, as an example I have designed a course in Green ICT, including ICT procurement, versions of which are delivered via the web by the Australian National University and the Australian Computer Society.

Ability of local suppliers to compete for ACT Government procurement opportunities

It is suggested that the ACT Government's online tender system be upgraded to provide similar facilities to the Australian Government AusTender and NZ Government GETS. Systems. In particular the system should allow a small business to register for a particular category of tender and automatically receive an email message advising of tenders in that category. Also once registered, the business should be able to obtain details of a specific tender via the ACT Government's web site without needing to reenter all their contact details.

At present the ACT Government display tenders online and sends a weekly message advising new tenders are available. However, the message does not indicate if there are any tenders the particular business might be interested in. The business has to look through all the new tenders. In contrast the Australian and NZ systems allow a particular category to be registered for, such as computer related tenders. The business then can look at that specific tender.

At present the business has to reenter all its contact details in order to download a tender from the ACT tender web site. In contrast the Australian and NZ systems only requiring registering this information once.

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Thursday, July 09, 2009

ACT Library Self Check Problems

The ACT Government has installed new Self Check Out machines in the ACT Library at Belconnen. While the machines work well mechanically, the printed instructions on the units do not match the actual operation. I asked the library staff member on duty and they explained that they were not permitted to change the instructions without permission from senior management. I suggest the senior management needs to visit the Belconnen Library, be briefed by the staff, authorise a change and have it done promptly. If the management can't do this, then Jon Stanhope, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services needs to replace the management.

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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

ACT Strategic Public Transport Network Plan

The ACT Government has issued for a request for tender for a "Cost Benefit Analysis - ACT Strategic Public Transport Network Plan" (29 June 2009). There is a 35 page (109.5 kb PDF) tender document which outlines the ACT's public transport strategy and triple bottom line approach to cost benefit analysis. Unfortunately, apart from the tender documents, I was unable to find any reference online to any work being undertaken for the plan. The ACT government appears to be starting from scratch very late in developing a public transport plan.
3.0 BACKGROUND
The ACT Government has been working on an integrated transport plan that will help create a more sustainable transport environment in the ACT. The Plan will help respond to climate change, and provide benefits to the whole community by making the transport system more efficient, effective, sustainable, and accessible. The key components of this integrated transport plan are strategies for public transport, parking, cycling, walking and transport infrastructure supplemented by detailed implementation plans for the next several years.

As part of developing a strategy for public transport, the ACT Department of Territory and Municipal Services (TAMS) has undertaken a study entitled the ACT Strategic Public Transport Network Plan (PT Plan). This PT Plan has focused on a study year of 2031, with improvements identified over the twenty-two years in the future.

The key elements of the PT Plan are the identification of:
  • a “back-bone” network structure for public transport operation. This is called the frequent network in the PT Plan;
  • an express network structure to meet commuter needs during peak periods; and
  • a coverage network to meet social goals and accessibility needs.
The frequent network has two components: frequent rapid services and frequent local services. The frequent network refers to services that run frequently offering reliable public transport at intervals which negate reliance on a timetable. In the long term this is designed to run every 15 minutes.

Further, the frequent network runs for a long service day, usually a span of at least 15 hours per day, 7 days per week.

The service characteristics of this network have been identified in the PT Plan. The PT Plan has also identified the infrastructures that support the operation of the proposed network structure and service design.

The PT Plan has recognised that there is a direct trade off between the resources devoted on the “back-bone” network and the “coverage” network. The recommended service design in the study estimates that there is a potential to achieve more than 16% mode split towards public transport by 2031.

The implementation of this network structure, therefore, has the benefit of increasing the role of public transport within the ACT and reducing car reliance to some extent.

Emerging Issues
In the past few years, major policy issues such as peak oil, climate change and the social inclusion role of public transport (PT) have come to the fore of transport thinking and planning in the ACT.

An effective public transport system can and should improve the liveability of a city, and a strategically designed PT system would help us adapt and address both sustainable and broader transport planning challenges. This is reflected in the National Capital Plan, and these sentiments have been expanded in policy documents such as the 2004 Canberra Spatial Plan, the 2004 Sustainable Transport Plan, and the Integrated Transport Framework published in August 2008.

Such a system has the potential to support a more compact urban structure, delivering on the principles of integrated land use and transport planning espoused in the National Charter for Land Use and Transport Planning, to which the ACT is a signatory along with all the other jurisdictions. ...

4.2 Description of Work
The consultancy is to be based on a Triple Bottom Line cost-benefit analysis. The cost–benefit analysis should go beyond conventional factors such as travel time, vehicle operating costs and crash costs, and needs to consider other factors such as environmental impacts, potential carbon emission reduction, social benefits through improved accessibility, business opportunities and land use intensification, and municipal service cost reduction from urban consolidation.

In developing the final report, the consultant should identify, and quantify as far as possible, the potential economic, social and environmental benefits of the PT Plan. An effective public transport system provides opportunities for urban consolidation and greater land value capture.

The modelling of the PT Plan was undertaken by McCormick Rankin Cagney (MRC) using the strategic transport model EMME and further detailed modelling was carried out using VISUM.

Specifically, the scope of works includes:

· Modelling and quantitative assessment of economic, environmental and social costs/opportunities;
· Reviewing and determining network scenarios of different frequent network coverage and network balance, based on the PT Plan and by consulting with the client;
· Establishing a base case: “Do Nothing” to benchmark assessment;
· Assessing potential for land value capture, urban consolidation and transit orientated development, particularly at key interchanges and corridors;
· Developing of a comprehensive cost – benefit analysis; and
· Suggesting the most beneficial option for the ACT Government to pursue.

Modelling and assessment of economic, environmental and social factors:
The analysis must include both qualitative and quantitative assessment of opportunities the implementation of the PT Plan would provide for the ACT in the areas of:

· Sustainability and climate change benefits, including greenhouse gas reductions;
· Potential health benefits, for example through reduced vehicle emissions and more active lifestyles;
· Economic opportunities for the ACT and region, including integration of the city's key retail and office precincts, core education and tourism facilities, and greater development in areas bordering the route (see TOD below);
· Social inclusion opportunities, including urban design and amenity, accessibility and affordability; and
· Other benefits/opportunities identified by the consultant.

In addition to quantification of the above benefits, the cost – benefit analysis will need to include implementation life cost estimates based on the resources and infrastructure costs. The analysis should address a range of input variables such as population growth and the cost of petrol, parking
and bus fares. The cost – benefit analysis should also refer to the potential impact of carbon pricing on cost estimates in light of the introduction of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme in 2010.

The analysis can use the Australian Transport Council guidelines – the “National Guidelines for Transport System Management in Australia" at
http://www.atcouncil.gov.au/documents/NGTSM.aspx

From: Cost Benefit Analysis - ACT Strategic Public Transport Network Plan, ACT Government, 29 June 2009

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Monday, January 19, 2009

Clinical Information System Request for Comment

The ACT Government has issued a request for comment for a draft "Clinical Information System: Intensive Care Unit" for Canberra hospitals. Having had recent first had experience of being in the system and attended a talk on ICT in Health Delivery in the 21st Century I found this of interest. One aspect of the requirements is the use of a web interface:
Functionality unique to the ICU environment (representing well over 80% of clinical care delivered in the ICU):
• Real time interfacing to unique bedside devices and equipment
• Flow-sheet and decision support assisting clinical decision making using unique parameters with unique clinical interrelationships
• ICU specific medication management with a superset of medications prescribed in a unique environment
• Maintain the patient’s medical record for the duration of their ICU stay in accordance with legislated requirements for record keeping and contribute to the centralised hospital clinical record.
• Retain records of all interactions and interventions applied to the patient.
• Manage the large volume of data obtained from the regular and frequent downloads from monitors and ventilators, with the ability to drill down to the smallest time interval captured from each device
• Assist in the reduction of errors associated with patient records relating to legibility and calculations.
• Assist in the reduction of errors associated with the prescribing and administration of medication.
• ICU specific terminology for clinical notes and pathways tightly integrated to the decision module
• Have the ability to take information stored about one intervention or modality and populate it through related clinical flowcharts / forms
• Assist in the medical/nursing care of the patient by facilitating the tracking and recording of medical/nursing tasks.
• Remove the need for unnecessary duplication or reproduction of patient data
• Provide query and reporting capabilities including standard and ad hoc reports to meet the requirements of - Commonwealth, Territory, Facility, ICU, Research, ANZICS, ANZPIC
• Provide ad hoc and standardised reporting functionality for quality improvement activities and improved clinical management
• Provide the ability to perform timely audits including the provision of a clear audit trail.

Functionality provided by interfacing with other Clinical Systems:
• PAS (ACTPAS at TCH, and IBA at Calvary)
o Obtaining Patient Identifier and Demographic information, to do the following:
• Patient registration
• Patient admission and discharge
o Episodic Information
• Patient bed movement within and outside the ICU, for example, whilst in
Radiology
• RIS/PACS
o Viewing of medical images / reports
• Pathology Information System
o Importing a subset of available atomic pathology results, to allow intelligent decision rules to be used, for example, low potassium level and alert would flag the user to this situation and suggest a predefined course of action; and the viewing of all pathology results and medical imaging reports via a web-browser interface
• CRIS
o Export of data to centralised TCH Clinical record
• Future Scope
o Ordering of diagnostic imaging and pathology requests
o Pharmacy (Medication and Infusion Management).
o Provide Pharmacy electronic ordering and bar-coding capability.
o System to integrate with Clinical Portal application
o All environments to be integrated into one environment
The solution should be suitable for use in an acute clinical environment by providing the following general features:
• Easily navigable
• Facilitating the recording of clinical data in a structured (e.g. selection from reference table, numeric), and unstructured (free text) format.
• Intuitive (e.g. requiring minimal training for use).
• Presentation of patient data in clear and informative manner.
• Easily and extensively configurable ...

From: Clinical Information System: Intensive Care Unit, Statement of Requirements, ACT Health, January 2009

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Sunday, November 16, 2008

Canberra Health System First hand Experience

Last week I attended a talk on ICT in Health Delivery in the 21st Century by Ian Bull from ACT Health. Less than forty eight hours later I was experiencing that system first hand having been taken by ambulance to Canberra Hospital. This is a brief note to thank those involved with my treatment, reassure all that I am reasonably well and describe the experience for others.

At about 11:30 am on Thursday 13 November I started to feel unwell. I was due to attend a second video conference with ACS Green ICT in the Canberra CBD . However, as I bent down to unlock my bicycle to ride it to the video conference room I felt dizzy. I relocked the bicycle and walked back to my office at ANU. Some time later I was found by the Department of Computer Science staff in an incoherent state and an ambulance was called.

After treatment on site, the staff helped move me down to the ground floor to the ambulance. This was a slightly undignified exit as, due to the small size of the lift, it was easier to have me sit on my office chair and be pushed along backwards. I helped propel myself with one foot, but had to be told to stop doing this when we got into the lift.

The ambulance ride was surprisingly uncomfortable: I seemed to feel every small bump in the road and my dizziness made every corner seem very sharp. During this time I could hear the staff communicating by two way radio with the Canberra Hospital emergency department. I was given an aspirin to thin my blood (it tasted like lemon, which worried me until I was told it was lemon flavoured aspirin).

At the hospital I was checked by a triage nurse just inside the door and within what seemed less than a minute pushed through to the intensive care section of the causality department. I was helped from the stretcher to a bed in a small one bed room.

At this point numerous people when through a well rehearsed routine asking me questions, reporting to each other what was known, recording details. My body was covered with what appeared to be dozens of sticky electrodes for an ECG (the staff apologising that the electrodes already attached in the ambulance where not compatible with the hospital system). After a time I was hooked up to a machine which beeped annoyingly and left for what seemed a few minutes.

I must have dozed off and when I awoke it was late in the afternoon and I felt completely better. It was a little embarrassing to find myself awake, apparently completely well and occupying what was clearly a very expensive medical facility. I was reassured that was okay as they needed to assess me (my first inclination was to get up and walk out).

For the next twelve hours I would be asked repeatedly my name, date of birth and if I knew where I was. This was annoying, but I realised after a time it was to check if I was mentally okay. Before being allowed to stand up I first had my blood pressure checked sitting and standing. Then I was asked to close my eyes and move my limbs various ways to check I had balance. Several times I had all joints tapped with a rubber hammer and reflexes noted, poked with a blunt pin to check for sensitivity, had my eyes checked for responses.

Fully conscious, I seemed to be the least unwell person in any of the sixteen or so beds (which were occupied most of the time). I even seemed to be healthier than some of the staff. My bed faced the nursing station in the centre of the room (arranged so the staff there could observer every bed. What first got my attention was that there were two large computer screens which they consulted over ever now and then.

There was a confusing array of different uniforms worn. I was asked if I had been seen by a doctor and realised I had no idea which were the doctors (almost everyone had a stethoscope). The general rule seemed to be that the more uniform-like the clothing worn, the lower status of the staff, with the consultant doctors on the top of the pecking order having no uniform.

Everyone there seemed to know what to do except me. However, just when I question would occur to me, such as "do I get something to eat?", someone would appear and ask if I was hungry. Some aspects seemed less organised. Several times someone would say something was going to happen, then leave, someone else would then come in and ask what was happening, whereupon I would explain I was being sent for some treatment. At one point I had difficulty convincing a nurse (by this point I had worked out the people in bright red tops were the emergency nurses) that I had just had my blood taken and there was no need to do it again. Most of this questioning was genuine, but I suspect some was to check on my mental state without the tedium of asking where I was again.

After a few hours, a couple of visitors, and some phone calls to reassure people I was okay, the novelty started to wear off. While I was in a room of my own I could still hear the discussions around me and of the same questions I had been asked being asked to new arrivals. There were also cries of pain and coughing indicating people in a far worse state than my own. Feeling completely well, it was frustrating to be tethered to a bed by heart rate and blood pressure monitors. I had to be unplugged by someone each time I wanted to get up.

Having a
Computed tomography (CT) scan turned out to be a much less scary experience than I was expecting. Laid on a motorised bed, my head was moved into a doughnut shaped device. This was like like putting your head into a large front loading washing machine (I could see part of the mechanism rotating trough a transparent window).

The ultrasound scan of my neck turned out to be less pleasant than I expected. This was used on my neck to check blood flow. The device is pressed on and an image displays on screen, with blood flow in colour. At the same time there is the sound of the blood flowing (something like a special effect from a low budget science fiction movie). The device had to be pressed uncomfortably, but not painfully, hard to my neck to get a clear image.

What was surprising was the speed with which tests were done. I expected to be moved to another building or at least another floor, but was instead quickly whisked around a corner, tested and then back again. One disconcerting part was the TV show in the imaging waiting area, which had advertisements for life insurance, will kits and funeral funds. I was well enough to see the humour in this, but it might might be disturbing for someone less well. Another unusual sight was the ceiling of the imaging area covered with black fingermarks, while every other surface was antiseptically clean. The staff explained that this marks were left by the electricians changing cabling.

Several times the staff would collect around the large computer screen with one operating a keyboard to scroll through a list, presumably reviewing the status of each patient. During one of these sessions, someone in a slightly scruffy suit (looking like the forensic pathologist out of an Inspector Morse episode) glanced over at me said something like "he looks well enough". I was then whisked out of the room and two beds down to a curtained area, it being explained that the room was needed for a suspected infectious patient. The next person to check my blood pressure looked a little confused as the chart for that bed said I was eleven months old.

As I had attended a talk on the
$165M project to produce integrated e-health standards for Australia, I took a particular interest in the computer systems used. Apart from the large screen used to manage patents there was a lot of ICT evident. Several of the staff were equipped with walkie talkies.

One quick change the hospital could make would be to turn on the power saving features of the large screen displays at the nursing station. These display a screen saver message after a few minutes which wastes power and is annoying to look at. The station has two displays side by side facing opposite directions. Due to the need for cooling, there was a sign on the back saying not to place notices there. This wastes a large area of the most important part of the room. A notice board could be bolted to the back of the display, leaving sufficient space for cooling. I noticed one doctor using the LCD screen as a lightbox, to examine x-rays. Perhaps the software needs a function which, at the push of a button, displays a blank white screen for this purpose.

The blood pressure and heart monitors were computer operated (it was disconcerting to have my arm constricted by an automatic blood pressure cuff every hour). But the various systems were standalone. While the devices at the end of the bed would record a sequence of readings from me over time, someone came with a paper chart to transcribe the readings.

The CT and ultrasound machines are computer controlled and produce digital images within a few minutes, but the output is turned into x-ray like transparency photographs which took an hour or so to get to the doctor (presumably this would be quicker or an urgent case).

My details had to be re-entered into each computerised device and checked. From the time I was first seen by the paramedic, my details were verbally relayed by radio, telephone, paper and face-to-face between numerous staff. ACT Health are to spend about $300M integrating these systems over the next few years (the ultrasound operator was looking forward to a new film less system arriving shortly). Apart from reducing the risk of errors, linking the systems up will reduce the cost of the processes and allow the staff to spend more time on the patients. However, linking up these systems reliably is a major undertaking.

While using the computerised equipment the staff also understood its limitations. Rather than just look at the machines, they would first look at the patent and see how they looked. This became comical at times, such as when the most important consultant was examining me but the pulse monitor was in the way. After some hesitation he unclipped it, then realised that it would sound an alarm within a few seconds if there was no pulse recorded. He handed it to his assistant who wondered what to do with it (considering handing it to the next person down in the pecking order). The consultant suggested he clip it to his own finger so the system would get a reading, but I suggested this would not be a good idea as the record of my heart rate recorded would suddenly change which might confuse someone checking readings later.

After about twelve hours in the hospital I was told I could go home. This was somewhat of a surprising anti-climax. I was handed a copy of a letter sent to my GP, with instructions on when to come back for an Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and what medicine to take and not to drive a car for a month (riding a bicycle is okay for some reason). There were no forms to sign and no mention of money (the cost of the treatment must have been significant).

Within a few minutes I was out the door. It was a bit difficult finding my way out as I had not walked in and I had never seen the outside of the building. I called a taxi and returned to the university where the last session of the Green ICT Symposium 2008, I had organised was taking place. As I entered I was greeted by a round of applause by the audience, who had obviously been told of my illness. This was heartening. I stayed for lunch with them and then went home to rest.

My thanks to the staff of the Department of Computer Science at ANU for coming to my aid, the ACT Ambulance Service and the Canberra Hospital. Also thanks to Senator Lundy, who chaired the symposium in my absence.

ps: Some might like to carry out a word analysis in postings to this blog, before and after 11:30am last Thursday, to see if I have recovered. ;-)

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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

ACT Government online tenders service

The ACT Government has created an online service to advise of requests for tender and similar business opportunities. There is an option to select ACT Government Active Tenders and download the tender documents for free. At present the service seems to be limited, compared to the Australian government system. As an example there is no categorisation of the products being tendered for, so it is not possible just to list ICT products, for example. It is possible to register to receive announced new tenders by email, but not select the types of tender to receive.

There is currently no provision to submit a tender online, with them having to be physically placed in a tender box in Canberra. Having to print out a document and put it in a box seems a quaint activity from another age and hopefully the ACT Government will catch up to late 20th Century practice and introduce electronic tender lodgement soon.

A typical tender listing is:

T071067T071067Download Available Closing 09-Sep-2008
Information Communication Technology (ICT) Consulting & Related Business Services - Panel Arrangement
Clicking on the link in the tender listing then provides the documents:
T071067 RFT Draft (429kb) pdf
T071067 Consultation Paper (186kb) pdf
T071067 Questions&Answers Industry Briefing (113kb) pdf T071067 Panel Services Agreement (220kb) pdf
T071067 Attachment 2 ICT (339kb) pdf
T071067 PreTender Briefing (75kb) pdf

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