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process and figure out the next step on their own. As a result, there is a chance families might experience delays or even lack of crit- ical care due to confusion. The DTA is currently working with the Com- monwealth, states, and territories to identi- fy the key barriers that create friction in life events-focused projects. Mr Fechner describes the process as a way to improve efficiency – for both agencies and users – in this example of ‘Birth of a child’. “Essentially, a parent gives permission for their data to go all the way through the pro- cess – from Medicare to Births, Deaths and

Marriages – on time. Then, the parent can receive relevant documents - like the child’s birth certificates - automatically without having to go through multiple agencies or levels of government.” A major challenge that affects government service delivery right now is making identi- fication and authentication consistent, and the Australian Government is actively pursu- ing this goal. “Most people who are going through a life event – whether it’s a recovery from a disas- ter, having a baby, or looking for work – are feeling more stressed and vulnerable than usual, and their reliance on government ser- vices increases,” adds Fechner. “For those who don’t access these servic- es regularly, it can be hard to know where to start and how to find them.” This way of thinking about life events helps Government address people’s wider needs, without being limited by service, agencies, or jurisdictional boundaries. This focus lets Government see the whole problem and how pain points connect to the policy and ser- vice beyond the transactional level. Making changes based on these findings and recom- mendations will influence the future design of the National Life Events Program. “Instead of just cutting down on red tape, the Life Events program aims to reshape the whole way of providing ser- vices to focus on the customer’s needs.”

THE INFORMATION AGE MEETS THE GOLDEN YEARS 1MG spoke with Peter Fuller, Managing Director of Micro Focus Australia and New Zealand, about what the IT industry is doing in digitalization of Australia’s aged care sector. By Duncan Campbell Avenell W hen the tsunami of COVID-19

how leaders from those cutting-edge fields are increasingly helping to shape a brighter future in which technology will improve old- er Australians’ quality of life. A case in point is MannaCare, a not-for- profit aged care facility headquartered in Doncaster, Melbourne. The largely govern- ment-funded organisation is owned by the Manningham community and steered by a diverse board of seasoned corporate lead- ers, working on a pro bono basis. MannaCare can accommodate around 150 “Getting high-speed, cost-effective, reliable internet into more aged care facilities is crucial to improving residents’ lives, and government is the key player in that area.”

crashed, uninvited, onto Austral- ia’s shores, industries of all stripes were swept up in its destructive wake. But in the subsequent months, few confronted the same life-or-death stakes as the aged care sector, caring for those most vulnerable to the virus. Some providers rose to the challenge better than others. Troubling issues in the for-profit segment are coming to light under the glare of the Royal Commission into Aged Care, forcing an overdue reckoning for those private operators that have not been toeing the line. It’ll be a shame if the ensuing reputation- al damage tarnishes the industry at large, because good-news aged care stories do exist, if you know where to find them. For example, the story of how the technology and IT industries helped aged care facilities through the COVID crisis, and, more broadly,

Chris Fechner, CEO of the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA)

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