Digital Access Standard

The Digital Access Standard is not mandating one login for users or a single front door for government digital services, but careful consideration into the creation of new access points and investigation into the benefits of the consolidation of multiple access points. 

Australian Government digital services are currently dispersed across multiple agency websites, portals and apps. This means that people need to understand how government works to find the support and services they need, leaving them to navigate a fragmented and decentralised digital government landscape. The myGov User Audit called for a consolidation of digital services across government to stop this situation from worsening. A coordinated approach moving government agencies towards a more centralised digital landscape is needed to support people in navigating government services.

The Digital Access Standard is part of a suite of standards and guidance that sits within the Digital Experience Policy. The Digital Experience Policy supports a whole-of-government focus on improving the experience for people and business interacting digitally with government information and services. The Digital Experience Policy includes a suite of standards and guidance that supports agencies to deliver cohesive and consistent digital experiences, including the Digital Service Standard, the Digital Inclusion Standard and the Digital Performance Standard.

To support a common experience for users, the Digital Access Standard extends on Criterion 4 ‘Connect services’ and Criterion 6 ‘Don’t re-invent the wheel’ of the Digital Service Standard. The Digital Access Standard sets criteria that agencies must meet to determine where their new digital service fits into the whole-of-government digital service landscape. The criteria will help agencies assess if a new access point is required or if they can reuse existing platforms and capabilities.

This policy will ensure agencies design and deliver digital services in consideration of the broader government landscape, including the Data and Digital Government Strategy, the Digital Service Standard and the Digital and ICT Reuse Policy. 

The Digital Access Standard supports the Data and Digital Government Strategy and Digital Service Standard by promoting consistency across digital services and making sure services:

• are accessible
• are secure
• are transparent
• meet the needs of people and business.

The Digital Experience Policy mandates 4 standards to put people and business at the centre of government through our digital services. The Digital Access Standard is one of them. 

When we design and deliver digital services, we can ensure that people easily discover and use them by meeting the Standard's 5 criteria.

1. Understand how users already access government services to make the most of existing access points.
2. Understand what capabilities you need to support your new service. 
3. Explore and discover reusable capabilities and platforms on the Australian Government architecture. 
4. Use the relevant decision-making framework to decide if you need to create a new access point or reuse an existing one. 
5. Build a trusted, collaborative partnership with your stakeholders, service providers and other government agencies.

As the Australian Government continuously improves its digital services, these criteria ensure it's easy for people to discover, access and move between the services important to them. So, ready to design, deliver and set the standard? Search 'Digital Access Standard' on digital.gov.au.