The Turnbull government's digital innovation guru has quit after fewer than six weeks in his new job.
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The Digital Transformation Agency announced Paul Shetler's resignation on Wednesday.
Mr Shetler was hired in July 2015, to great fanfare, as the head of the Digital Transformation Office, the Prime Minister's pet public service project that was supposed to use technology to transform government service delivery.
But the office's work soon became bogged down in the complexities of the Canberra bureaucracy and the project was relaunched in October with a new name, the Digital Transformation Agency, boosted status and with Mr Shelter replaced at the helm with career public servant Nerida O'Loughlin.
The reboot was a tacit admission of the deep trouble the digital transformation project was in. The fledgling office had been unable to make much headway against the entrenched power structure of public service bosses determined to resist interference in their operations.
Mr Shetler, a former chief digital officer for the British Justice Ministry, who raised eyebrows in Australian Public Service by wearing sneakers to work, was given a new role, chief digital officer.
But after fewer than 40 days in the job, he is walking away.
Ms O'Loughlin tried to stay upbeat on Wednesday, saying Mr Shetler had played an instrumental role in establishing the government's agenda to transform its digital presence and service delivery.
"Pauls wealth of knowledge and international experience in the field of digital services has been invaluable to the government's digital ambitions," Ms O'Loughlin said in a statement.
"His creativity and vision have been a great inspiration and have been crucial in helping the government to deliver the first phase of its digital transformation agenda.
"This has included the delivery of six transformed, exemplar services and the establishment of the highly successful digital marketplace."
