The document discusses four thematic groups - Governance, Open Data and Digitization, Smart People, and Wethecity3. The Governance group focuses on outcomes, standards, innovation, and new funding models. The Open Data group focuses on creating an ecosystem, harnessing open data benefits, and security. The Smart People group focuses on education, reskilling workers, and attracting talent. The Wethecity3 section makes five recommendations: developing a Smart Sydney strategy; creating a Smart City Commissioner; establishing an Office of City Performance; operating a Smart City accelerator; and piloting Smart City impact bonds.

1. SMART CITIES TASKFORCE
THEMATIC GROUPS
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2. GOVERNANCE
• No more BAU
• Focus on outcomes/benefits
• Principles and standards
• Interoperability
• Remove unnecessary barriers
• Revisit regulation
• Structural issues
• Focus on procurement process to unleash innovation
• New funding models
• Increased engagement

3. OPEN DATA AND DIGITISATION
• Creating a vibrant ecosystem
• Creating the right commissioning structures
• Challenges around the types of data
• Harnessing the benefits of open data
• Engaging smart citizens
• Engaging over Government
• Economic benefits of open data
• Security concerns
• Best practise model

4. SMART PEOPLE
• Educating a smart generation
• Reskilling existing workforce
• Sydney: A smart destination
• Smart citizens
• Smart connections
• Moving talent around the ‘smart city’
• Smart leaders
• Safe is smart
• Smart ecosystems
• A home for tech

5. #WETHECITY3
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
MICHAEL COMNINOS
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6. RECOMMENDATION 1
Smart Sydney – strategy
The NSW government should produce a Smart
Sydney Strategy to complement the suite of strategic
documents that plans and delivers infrastructure and
services in the city. The document should be co-
designed by the Greater Sydney commission and the
Department of Finance Services and Innovation.

7. RECOMMENDATION 2
Smart City Commissioner - accountability
A new position of the Smart City commissioner should be
created and be the representative of the Department of
Finance and Services on the Greater Sydney commission.
The Commissioner should work with the GSC to identify
and prioritise challenges suited to smart city style
solutions and broker funding agreements across
government. The position holder should work closely
with the customer service commissioner and the privacy
commissioner.

8. RECOMMENDATION 3
Office of City Performance – capability
A new office of city performance should be created
to monitor and manage improvements in key city
metrics. The office should support the Smart City
Commissioner and be tasked with driving innovation,
improving efficiency and increasing value for the
millions of people who interact in our cities every
day.

9. RECOMMENDATION 4
Government backed Smart City accelerator –
capability
The Smart City Commissioner together with private
sector, community sector and government
stakeholders, should operate a Smart City
accelerator that dissolves the barriers to innovation
across all three sectors to improve the investment
environment for firms and attractiveness for talent.

10. RECOMMENDATION 5
Smart City impact bonds – investment
The Office of City Performance in conjunction with
NSW Treasury should pilot Smart City Impact Bonds,
a financial instrument that offers commercial returns
for economic or financial dividends that can’t
currently be monetised by the market.