A recent audit has found that Services Australia’s use of ICT contractors has jumped significantly over the ten months to April 2022. It shows there has been almost no change in the ratio of public servants to contractors, despite a ministerial directive to bring expertise in-house.

The number of contractors engaged in ICT and digital roles at Services Australia jumped by 22 per cent from the end of June 2021, to almost 2,800 in April 2022 according to an Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) report.