Enabling Public Sector Cloud Procurement: Appropriate Procurement Processes are Crucial, says the Asia Cloud Computing Association

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Media OutReach – 27 May 2019 – The Asia Cloud Computing Association (ACCA) has published a white paper which on best practice recommendations to help government agencies overcome hurdles in purchasing cloud and position themselves to modernise the delivery of government services. The report From Vision to Procurement: Principles for Adopting Cloud Computing in the Public Sector, outlines a set of principles for government purchase of cloud products. Each principle is accompanied by concrete and actionable recommendations for policymakers and procuring agencies to follow.

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About the Asia Cloud Computing Association (ACCA)

“While governments recognise the value addition of cloud computing and have adopted Cloud First policies, procurement challenges continue to hinder actual adoption of cloud services. Thus, more flexible and agile procurement processes must be adopted”, said Ms Lim May-Ann, Executive Director of the ACCA.

“Cloud-based technologies will drive much of the public sector’s future transformation by presenting a secure and cost-efficient model for delivering citizen-centric services”, said Mr Jarom Britton, Chair of the ACCA’s Public Sector Special Interest Group, ACCA. “Cloud products differ in some meaningful ways from traditional IT resources, which presents governments the ability to drive better outcomes but also requires thoughtful policies and processes to ensure they can capitalise on the potential”.

“Adopting cloud and cloud services will help government agencies to achieve greater efficiency and enhanced citizen inclusion “, added Ms Lim May-Ann, Executive Director of the ACCA. “The ACCA believes that there is a clear need for a forward-looking cloud procurement strategy to create a trusted environment for the public sector to utilise such services.”

Mr Eric Hui, Chair, ACCA, echoed these views, saying that “the ACCA’s seven principles for public sector cloud procurement will help address government concerns regarding the inherent ability of cloud technologies to safeguard their data and operations, align local regulations with global compliance standards, and enable government agencies to utilise cloud to achieve objectives such as environmental sustainability and improved access to government services.”

The report may be downloaded at the ACCA website, https://www.asiacloudcomputing.org

Principles for Adopting Cloud Computing in the Public Sector
Part 1: Protecting Government with the Cloud	Principle 1: Security	Information management systems security is fundamental for the public sector.
	Principle 2: Privacy and Personal Information	Governments need to ensure that privacy rights are respected.
	Principle 3: Availability, Integrity and Resilience	Governments need information and technology to be reliable.
Part 2: Facilitating a Move to the Cloud	Principle 4: Regulatory Compliance and Global Standards	Technology solutions must be measured to clear, verifiable benchmarks for quality and service reliability.
Part 2: Facilitating a Move to the Cloud	Principle 5: Accountability	Technology procurement must align to agencies’ duty of accountability.
Part 3: Why Cloud for the Public Sector	Principle 6: Accessibility and Inclusion	Technology adoption should support government’s broader societal goals.
Part 3: Why Cloud for the Public Sector	Principle 7: Sustainability	Technology should help improve environmental sustainability.

About the Asia Cloud Computing Association (ACCA)

The ACCA is the apex industry association representing the stakeholders of the cloud and data ecosystem in Asia Pacific. Our mission is to accelerate the adoption of cloud computing in Asia through the creation of a trusted and compelling market environment, supported with a safe and consistent regulatory environment for cloud computing products and services. Drawing on subject-matter expertise from member companies, working groups and special interest groups, the ACCA constantly develops best practice recommendations and other thought leadership materials to achieve our mission. As a vendor-neutral industry association, we welcome engagement with all members and stakeholders in the public policy and government sectors.

To find out more about how to get involved and how to join us as a member, email secretariat@asiacloudcomputing.org, and visit our website at www.asiacloudcomputing.org.