Information Management for Defence Procurement

David Cochrane, Director General Corporate Services, DMO, Department of Defence, will talk on "Information Management Challenges in a Large and Complex Public Sector Agency - the Defence Materiel Organisation", 7 June 2011, at the Austrlaian Computer Society meeting in Canberra. One of my previous jobs was as Manager of the Defence Information Management Architecture at the Department of Defence. It will be interesting to see how this has progressed.

Effective and efficient information management is essential to successful decision making in a complex public sector agency such as the Defence Matreriel Organisation (DMO)

In achieving its mission "To Equip and Sustain the Australian Defence Force", the DMO comprises over 7,500 employees in 70 locations across the world managing an annual budget of over $11 billion. This complex organisation relies heavily on information streams relating to a wide range of disciplines; from engineering, logistics and project management, through to finance, human resource management and other supporting disciplines

This session explores the key elements of DMO's information management programme and some of the many challenges faced in providing accurate, comprehensive and timely information.

Biography:

David Cochrane

Mr David Cochrane has been with the Australian Defence Organisation since joining the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1974. He is currently Director General Corporate Services in the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO), based in Canberra.

David’s RAAF career centred mainly on aircraft engineering and maintenance, working predominately with F/A-18 Hornet aircraft in Australia and overseas. His areas of primary interest being aircraft instrumentation, flight controls and electronic warfare systems, as well computer-based avionics test equipment.

Since leaving the RAAF in 2003, David has worked in various roles in the DMO, initially in the acquisition and sustainment of electronic warfare and sensor systems, and more recently in the management of DMO’s Corporate Service Branch. Among other responsibilities, he is the DMO Information Manager. As the DMO Information Manager, David is responsible for coordinating DMO’s information systems, driving reform in information management and providing advice on a wide range of issues relevant to DMO’s information management capabilities.

David holds qualifications in engineering, business, and project management. He is a graduate of Monash University, the RAAF Staff College and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is recognised by the Australian Institute of Project Management as a Certified Practicing Project Director.