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ICT professionals must connect globally, help drive collaboration

Kumar Parakala, Information Age

19/02/2008 15:02:41

The key issues I plan to pursue in the public arena include globalisation, the skills gap, ICT higher education, our environmental responsibility, industry collaboration and professional accreditation.

The ACS will drive debate on these and other issues that arise, ensuring that ICT professionals have a strong voice and play an active role in developing solutions to the challenges facing our profession and society.

I was elected on a platform of "Relationship, Relevance and Reputation" and am working on a range of initiatives aimed at progressing the ACS in each of these key areas.

In terms of relationships, I believe the ACS must reach out beyond itself to form new links, both with other professions and particularly with stakeholders in other nations to ensure that we are staying in touch with the latest new approaches and technology developments.

Australian ICT professionals risk becoming irrelevant because of their lack of interaction with other stakeholders around the globe, which limits access to emerging trends and innovations. This must change and soon, if we are to play any major role in the global information economy.

I want to make the ACS much more relevant, not only to ICT professionals, but also to professionals in other fields who work in positions requiring them to make extensive use of ICT. I'm talking about healthcare workers, public servants, teachers and academics, librarians, designers and others who need to be as proficient with ICT as they are in their original area of specialisation.

The ACS has an important role in supporting these professionals with the education, support and networking opportunities they need to stay at the top of their game. I'm planning to establish special focus groups that cater for different kinds of professionals who are using ICT in a specialised way. We want to bring them into the fold of the ACS and represent their interests in relation to ICT to ensure that the ACS is aligned across all those professions which are making extensive use of technology.

Even though we're looking to broaden our focus, that doesn't mean we'll be paying less attention to our core membership. On the contrary, I want to know how you, our members, feel we are doing in terms of our relevance and usefulness to you in your profession. We need your feedback and ideas on how we can improve services, add more value and help you to continually progress in your career.

I want us to be more proactive in seeking member input and connecting those members who do have great ideas with the relevant Board Director empowered to progress them and bring them to fruition.

With the recent governance changes, we can now operate more responsively than ever before in addressing member concerns and aligning ourselves to your needs by creating new initiatives designed to enhance the quality and breadth of our services.

I've already taken steps to establish focus groups on important topics relevant to ICT professionals. This approach will enable us to better target our efforts by leveraging the specialised expertise of our members without making extensive demands on their valuable time.

I'm also putting in place a President's Advisory Committee, drawn both from the membership and other stakeholders within the industry, to help me stay connected with the big issues affecting our sector and our professionals. I want to ensure that we are the first industry body to be consulted by government, employers and other stakeholders seeking to understand and work with our industry.

The ACS already enjoys a position of significant credibility and authority, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our immediate past president, Philip Argy, and his team, as well as those who served before them. I am keen to see us build on this point of strength by expanding the role we play as a thought leader and objective expert in all matters relating to ICT.

If you would like to play a more active role in driving the future of your professional association by offering your expertise, ideas or other constructive feedback, please contact me at president@acs.org.au

It will take all of us working together to truly fulfil the potential of the ACS to help drive industry collaboration and development, inform government policy, expand our ??????? and effectively serve our diverse array of members.

I welcome your involvement.