Criterion 4. Follow the decision-making framework

Criterion 4 – Follow the decision-making framework

Apply decision-making criteria to determine if a new access point is required.

Your responsibilities

To successfully meet this criterion, agencies need to apply the relevant decision-making framework.

When to apply

Apply Criterion 4 during the Discovery phase to help consider capabilities and services available to improve user experience and promote reuse.

This criterion requires agencies to apply and follow a set of decision-making principles to determine where a new service is best placed within the existing landscape of government digital services. The decision-making framework will apply based on the users of the new digital service:

citizen-facing services (for individuals)
business and provider-facing services.

Question for consideration

Are users accessing the new service as a private individual, as a representative of a business, as a representative of a service provider, or a combination of these roles?

How to apply criterion 4

Use the decision-making framework relevant to the service: Assess the service against the decision-making framework to understand if reusing existing platforms and capabilities is beneficial to users.
Know your user context: Understand if users are accessing the new service as a private individual, as a representative of a business, as a representative of a service provider, or a combination of these.
Understand if it is cost effective: Determine if using an existing access point is not prohibitive on the basis of investment required, and if the cost of using the existing portal is outweighed by the benefits. For example, Investment to uplift an existing portal is outweighed by a significantly better experience for users.
Consider how to overcome barriers: Consider if there are any challenges making the new service available through an existing point. For example, could there be technical issues interfacing with legacy internal systems or legal barriers such as data sharing. Consider, where appropriate, using mechanisms such as the Data Availability and Transparency Act (DATA) scheme to support ethical data sharing.

The myGov decision-making framework

Guidance to follow the decision-making framework

Determine the type of users for your new digital service.
Are they:
- individuals
- businesses
- providers
- or a combination of these.
Select the relevant decision-making framework based on the user type.
- use the relevant framework based on the users of the new digital service (citizen, business or provider facing)
- apply the framework to assess if you can reuse an existing access point or if you need to create a new one
- consider factors such as user needs, context, cost, feasibility, and compliance.
If you decide to reuse an existing access point, work closely with the delivery partners to establish a collaborative and trusted relationship.
- engage with other agencies or delivery partners (criterion 5) that are responsible for or involved in these services, platforms, or capabilities
- explore potential synergies or dependencies and explore the future pipeline of capabilities.
Document your findings and recommendations on how to apply criterion 4, to do this:
- make sure your proposal supports your decisions and shows how you have followed the decision-making framework to determine the best access point for your service offering
- use evidence such as user research, cost-benefit analysis, or risk assessments
- 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