Tassie Health dept searches for identity
Tasmania's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has flagged plans to rollout a comprehensive identity and access management solution to its 12,000 staff next year.
DHHS is the state's largest government agency, and provides a wide range of health and community services such as hospitals and other health facilities, housing, drug and alcohol outreach clinics and even youth corrective services.
"DHHS is seeking to standardise and formalise its approach to identity and access management (IAM) and has identified the procurement of an electronic IAM system as a key element," the department said in tender documents recently released.
The department will choose a supplier for the solution in March next year, with the implementation of initial functionality expected to take place from July 2007 and to be completed within six months.
DHHS will use staff data contained in its Empower human resources management software as a source of identity information for its employees.
"The IAM system will synchronise with Empower-HR to ensure that staff role changes are reflected in the identity repository," the tender documents said.
"The identity repository will form the foundation for implementing functionality including automatic role-based user provisioning, authentication and access management, reduced sign-on and password policy and self-service management."
The IAM system will also manage staff accounts in DHHS's Microsoft Active Directory (directory) and Exchange (collaboration) systems.
DHHS is planning for its initial IAM implementation to have limited functionality, but is also looking at how the solution can be extended in future.
"The initial implementation will synchronise the identity repository with the authoritative identity information source and allow DHHS to automatically create a user name, create network and e-mail accounts and provide network and printer access for new staff," the tender documents said.
"It will also enable standardised user names and provide some password management and directory services functionality. In future stages, functionality to be implemented may include managing access to new DHHS systems, managing access to existing systems where value can be gained, implementing multi-factor authentication and deploying reduced sign-on."
The revelation of DHHS's plans come as several other large government ID management initiatives are beginning.
For example, the Northern Territory has begun replacing its existing home-grown, Lotus Notes/Domino-based whole of government identity management system with a Sun Microsystems solution, while welfare agency Centrelink last week went to market for services relating to its new planned smartcard for staff authentication.