Managing the Government’s adoption of cloud computing

1 noted that, under the direction of the (former) Ministerial Committee on Government Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the ICT Council, officials have been considering the adoption of the cloud computing business model for the delivery of government ICT, including preparing business cases to explore approaches for its adoption and to implement office productivity services as the first set of cloud-based services;

2 noted that the New Zealand Cloud Programme Business Case confirms that:

3 noted that, as cloud computing is a rapidly-developing business model:

4 agreed that:

5 agreed that, until the all-of-government approach is implemented, all State service agencies should obtain guidance from the Department of Internal Affairs before making decisions to adopt cloud-based services;

6 noted that the adoption of cloud services, whether hosted onshore or offshore, involves potential risks to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of government-held information;

7 directed the Department of Internal Affairs, working collaboratively with other relevant agencies, to:

8 noted that the work referred to in paragraph 7 above will involve the Department of Internal Affairs, working with the National Cyber Policy Office and the Government Communications Security Bureau, to update guidance on government use of offshore ICT service providers to reflect cloud technology, and to identify any additional mechanisms to sufficiently address the issues of information control, security, and availability inherent particularly in the use of offshore cloud services;

9 noted that the adoption of cloud computing will raise a range of commercial issues, including specific issues with regard to procurement processes and thresholds due to the demand aggregation involved and the commercial dynamics of the cloud model;

10 directed the Department of Internal Affairs, in consultation with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, to develop cloud-specific procurement guidelines that address the issues outlined in paragraph 9 above;

11 noted that the Minister of Internal Affairs will report to Cabinet as required, as part of his regular reporting on the wider IT work programme, to seek decisions about significant issues relating to the deployment of cloud services, and to report on progress;

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13 noted that the Office Productivity Detailed Business Case confirms significant financial and non-financial benefits of the migration of office productivity services to a cloud service model on an all-of-government basis;

14 agreed that office productivity services be the appropriate first set of services deployed, as their deployment would [redacted content] provide widespread benefit reflecting the common nature of these services across government agencies;

15 agreed that, given the significant nature and extent of government-held information that is supported by office productivity services, and the nature of the risks for data misuse and loss of control, it is appropriate that any cloud-based office productivity services selected for deployment across government agencies be hosted onshore for the time being;

16 directed the Department of Internal Affairs to select, procure, and accredit cloud-based office productivity services for deployment across government agencies, subject to the condition outlined in paragraph 15 above;

17 noted that the deployment of cloud-based office productivity services will involve an initial implementation with a small number of agencies, with subsequent deployment across the State services and the wider State and public sectors;

18 noted that:

Financial implications

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26 invited the Minister of Internal Affairs to release communications, which may include the proactive release of the paper under EGI (12) 157, outlining the government’s strategy for the use of cloud services, at the appropriate time to align with relevant market engagements.