Criterion 3. Use the AGA to find reusable platforms and capabilities

Criterion 3 – Use the AGA to find reusable platforms and capabilities

Use the AGA to discover existing capabilities available for reuse and requirements that apply to new and redesigned services.

Your responsibilities

To successfully meet this criterion, agencies need to:

understand available capabilities and services available for reuse
identify and apply any relevant whole-of-government requirements and policies
document how reuse has been considered in an agency's decisions.

When to apply

Apply Criterion 3 during the Discovery phase to help consider capabilities and services available to improve user experience and promote reuse.

Question for consideration

Has the Australian Government Architecture (AGA) been used to determine what capabilities can be reused?
Have you explored existing platforms that offer similar capabilities before considering a new one?
Have considerations been made towards whole-of-government identification and authentication?

How to apply criterion 3

- Use the AGA: Review the AGA early in the design of the service to understand what is available to you.
- Avoid unnecessary investment: Consider the capabilities available through existing portals and leverage existing government investment. Use existing whole-of-government resources and guidance to help build an understanding of what platforms and capabilities are available.
- Connect and assess: Assess how well the existing capabilities align with the service’s requirements and objectives (Criterion 1). Engage other agencies to gain insights on ways to promote, use or plan for future reuse.
- Know what’s required: Use the AGA to determine what requirements and policies apply to the service. Consider how to apply these across the service to enhance the user’s experience and support compliance.
- Compare your needs with existing capabilities: Clearly demonstrate how reuse has been applied in the decision-making process by documenting how the needs of the service compare with what existing platforms offer in terms of user experience, cost and efficiency.

Guidance to use the AGA to find reusable platforms and capabilities

Review the AGA website and familiarise yourself with the capabilities, services, policies and standards that are relevant to your new digital service:
- use the AGA to identify existing platforms and capabilities that can support your service offering and meet your user needs. For example, you can search for capabilities related to identity and authentication, content management, or data analytics
- contact the owners or managers of the platforms and capabilities that you are interested in reusing, and ask them about the availability, suitability, interoperability, costs, and onboarding process for their solutions.
Compare the benefits and drawbacks of reusing existing platforms and capabilities across government versus developing new ones. Consider factors such as:
- user experience
- functionality
- security
- compliance
- scalability
- maintainability.
When reusing existing platforms and capabilities, work closely with the delivery partners to establish a collaborative and trusted relationship.
To explore potential synergies or dependencies, engage with other agencies or delivery partners (criterion 5) that are responsible for or involved in these:
- services
- platforms
- capabilities.
Document your findings and recommendations on how to apply criterion 3.
- provide evidence to support your decisions and show how you have used the AGA to find reusable platforms and capabilities for your service offering
- evidence such as user research, cost-benefit analysis, or risk assessment can be used
- use the Digital Investment Overview (DIO) Data Collection form to report on how you have met the criterion.
- use the Digital Capability Assessment Process (DCAP) template to report on how you have met the criterion.

Digital Access Standard

Criterion 3 – Use the AGA to find reusable platforms and capabilities

Your responsibilities

When to apply

Question for consideration

How to apply criterion 3

Guidance to use the AGA to find reusable platforms and capabilities

Criterion 4 – Follow the decision-making framework

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