Only a week into his new job, DIMIA's new Deputy Secretary and CIO Bob Correll has immediately embarked on a A$600 million (US$461 million) IT systems overhaul in an effort to put his house in order.

A mix of new and previously approved programs, the push appears to be the first tangible roadsign from the new regime at DIMIA that it intends to substantially build its IT capability to drive reforms in the department rather than use it as a whipping boy for its woes.

However just how urgently an immediate reinvestment in IT systems is needed has been underscored by the fact that much of the $600 million worth of systems work is being tendered out prior to the findings of a major review of IT systems in the wake of the Palmer Report.

Conducted by former Federal Police Commissioner Mick Palmer, the report inquired into the wrongful detention and deportation of Australian citizens by DIMIA and found widespread systemic failures in the organization and called for an urgent review of DIMIA's IT and case management systems.

However DIMIA CIO Bob Correll is not waiting for the findings of the IT review; Correll says "the full procurement program needs to go ahead as soon as possible," and that "reviews to address IT issues will be factored into the overall procurement program."