NSW government names CIO

The NSW Minister for Commerce, John Della Bosca, has appointed the state Department of Education and Training's chief information officer, Paul Edgecumbe, the first government-wide CIO.

In a statement this afternoon, Della Bosca said Edgecumbe would be responsible for working with agencies on their plans to improve the delivery of government services. "He will be responsible for assessing agencies' ICT plans and, if necessary, adjusting them before agencies develop business cases for specific IT investments," the Minister said.

"The new position will also be the central point of contact between the public sector and the ICT industry," Della Bosca said. Edgecumbe will report to the director-general of the Department of Commerce.

The appointment comes after a restructuring of ICT roles and responsibilities within the Department of Commerce to separate the management of major ICT projects from strategic planning.

Edgecumbe is expected to start his new role towards the end of March. He replaces the deputy director-general of the NSW Department of Commerce, Robert Wheeler, who has been acting in the post.

Before becoming the Department of Education and Training's CIO in NSW, Edgecumbe held the role of Group IT&T director at News Ltd for six years.