ICT-PR-003: Use and allocation of departmental funded mobile devices and services

• Public Sector Ethics Act 1994 (Qld) Part 3 http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/P/PublicSecEthA94.pdf
• Public Service Act 1996 (Qld) Part 3 http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/P/PublicServA08.pdf
• Transport Operations (Road Use Management - Road Rules) Regulation 2009 (Qld) Section 300 http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/T/TrantOpRURR09.pdf

• Information Standard 38: Use of ICT Facilities and Devices http://www.qgcio.qld.gov.au/qgcio/architectureandstandards/informationstandards/current/Pages/Use%20of%20ICT%20facilities%20and%20devices.aspx
• Code of Conduct for the Queensland Public Service http://www.psc.qld.gov.au/library/document/catalogue/equity-ethics-grievance/qps-code-conduct.pdf
• Code of Conduct Standard of Practice http://education.qld.gov.au/corporate/codeofconduct/pdfs/det-code-of-conduct-standard-of-practice.pdf
• Use of Internet and Electronic Mail Policy and Principles Statement http://www.psc.qld.gov.au/library/document/policy/internet-and-electronic-mail.pdf

• ESM-PR-003: Equipment Management for Business Units /strategic/eppr/equipment/esmpr003/
• ESM-PR-002: Equipment Management for Schools /strategic/eppr/equipment/esmpr002/
• FNM-PR-014: Purchasing and Procurement /strategic/eppr/finance/fnmpr014/
• ICT-PR-004: Using the department's corporate ICT network /strategic/eppr/ict/ictpr004/

Statement of intent

Policy position
The Department of Education and Training recognises mobiles devices and related services are important communication tools and are allocated to employees based on the requirements of their role. This may be either the need to be mobile and contactable by phone and/or email; and/or have access to networked data in order to conduct work-related business.

Purpose
A Principal/Director or higher approves allocation based on an employee's need for the mobile device and service. Service allocation may include capability (i.e. voice only, or voice and data, or data only). Data usage is usually filtered and monitored through the department's network.

Departmental funded mobile devices, voice, email and data access are provided for officially approved purposes, that is, departmental business and limited personal use . Departmental officers' mobile usage is to be conducted in a cost-effective, lawful, safe and ethical manner and be able to withstand public scrutiny and/or disclosure in accord with the governments' Code of Conduct for the Queensland Public Service , the department's Code of Conduct Standard of Practice and the Mobile Devices and Services Condition of Use 50k. The Conditions of Use is provided to each employee who uses a mobile device and service supplied by the department.

The department reserves the right to audit any, or all, usage of mobile services, where the services including data downloads and Internet access, are funded by the department.

Departmental officers may be called upon to explain their use and be required to reimburse expenses that occur outside this procedure.

The department acquires mobile services under a whole of government Mobile Panel Arrangement (Qld Government employees only). Services that have data requirements, e.g. email and Internet access, are placed on an approved data plan. Data plans are negotiated regularly and service provision changed where cost and service benefits can be achieved for the department.

Acquisition of the departmental funded service is managed centrally for schools and corporate business units. For state schools, the number of funded mobile services for administrative purposes is based on school population. Allocation in other educational facilities, corporate business units and TAFE institutes is based on an allocated grant or business need.

TAFE institutes manage acquisition through a telecommunications specified service level agreement.
The department receives schools' and corporate business units' monthly accounts for mobile services from the carriers and processes centrally. TAFEs manage their accounts within each institute.

Scope
This procedure applies to the use of departmental funded mobile devices and services used for administrative purposes only. It does not apply to mobile devices and services used for curriculum and online learning.
It applies to all departmental business units, including TAFEs, Schools, corporate and regional offices. TAFEs that are statutory authorities may adapt this procedure for their internal processes.

Responsibilities

• approve allocation of a departmental funded mobile device and service, including satellite phones and PDAs, to employees according to their business need to:
  • be mobile and contactable by phone and/or by email
  • have a device that has the service capability for data transmission when the employee requires voice or data plan only
• purchase mobile devices in accord with FNM-PR-014: Purchasing and Procurement and
  • instructions on ICT Service Catalogue - Mobiles, PDAs, BlackBerry devices (schools and corporate business units)
  • each TAFE Institute's internal telecommunications arrangements
• ensure mobile services used for data transmission are connected to a departmental approved data plan. For schools and corporate business units, connection ensures data transmission is filtered through the IP WAN
• ensure all users are provided with a copy of the Mobile Communication Devices & Services Conditions of Use 50k and that they understand their obligations
• identify, and inform, what limited personal use is acceptable for mobile services under Queensland Government policy
• approve overseas use of a departmental funded mobile device and/or service for an officer undertaking approved international travel. Should the use of mobile services whilst overseas be approved, an International Roaming Data Plan will be enabled for duration of the travel. This requires disabling the original data plan which will be reinstated after the trip when the international service is removed
• initiate investigative action where a mobile device and services usage contravenes the procedure.

• ensure allocation of a departmental funded mobile device and service to employees has been approved by a Director or higher and record this approval. Allocation is according to the employee's need to be mobile and contactable by phone and/or by email, and/or to have a device that has capability for data transmission when voice or data only may be all that is required
• provide all users of a departmental funded mobile device with a copy of the Mobile Communication Devices & Services Conditions of Use 50k and ensure they understand their obligations and what limited personal use is acceptable for mobile devices and services
• advise users that:
  • mobile devices used for data are connected to a departmental approved data plan and that there may be additional costs incurred for usage in excess of the plan's limit
  • data transmission is usually filtered and monitored, i.e. emails and Internet use
  • they are responsible for monitoring their own usage under Queensland Government policy
• record all mobile devices (model/serial numbers) on the appropriate assets register according to ESM-PR-003: Equipment Management for Business Units or ESM-PR-002: Equipment Management for Schools
• record the mobile device's unique IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number at the time of purchase to facilitate identification should the device be lost or stolen
• when a funded mobile device and service is used by a number of persons, maintain a local register of individual assignments for security and reporting reasons
• validate monthly mobile call costs against cost centres for area of responsibility
  • for schools and corporate business units, guidance and information on how to arrange access to TAMS - Telecommunications Asset Management Solutions is available through ICT Service Catalogue - Telecommunications billing
  • for TAFEs, through the institute's internal telecommunications arrangements
• recover any mobile device and SIM card allocated to an officer who is leaving the department or moving to another agency to avoid liability for costs.

• use mobile devices and services in accordance with the Mobile Devices and Services Conditions of Use 50k

• ensure use of the mobile device and service for voice and/or data while overseas has been approved by a Director or higher. Should use of the mobile services for data access while overseas be approved, an International Roaming Data Plan will be enabled for duration of the travel. This requires disabling the original data plan which will be reinstated after the trip when the international service is removed
• contact the respective telecommunications services officer at least three weeks prior to departure to determine mobile coverage in the overseas location and, if required, initiate international roaming
  • for schools and corporate business units, through the Service Centre
  • for TAFEs, through each TAFE institute's telecommunications services officer
• ensure that funded mobile devices and services are used for business only when overseas.
  

• monitor usage and expenditure patterns for funded mobile services and advise ADG, Information and Technologies, and business unit managers as appropriate
• manage the inventory and validate carrier charges for funded mobile services
• negotiate usage rates for the department's services with carrier(s) and port services to another carrier if able to secure savings for the department on mobile calls and data plan services.

• validate monthly telecommunications billing using the TAMS Web Billing
• advise and assist managers and supervisors to validate telecommunications billing
• generate and review quarterly reports for mobile data plans
• maintain an accurate consolidated register for the purpose of reconciling mobile account payments (TAFE institutes only)
• ensure usage rates with carrier are in accordance with relevant service level agreement (TAFE institutes only).

• approve this procedure and any subsequent reviews, amendments, related documents or associated departmental guidelines developed for operations of this procedure.

Forms

• Not Applicable

• Not Applicable

Other relevant documents

• Definitions/strategic/eppr/ict/ictpr003/definitions.html
• Mobile Devices and Services Conditions of Use 50k/strategic/eppr/ict/ictpr003/conditions.pdf
• Mobile Panel Arrangement (Qld Government employees only) http://qgcio.govnet.qld.gov.au/govnet/projectsandservices/panelsandcontracts/MobileProductsandServices/Pages/MobileProductsandServices.aspx

Contacts

Click here for contact information.

• ICT-PR-003: Acquiring and Using Mobile Phones - Version: 1.0, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5