Criterion 1. Have a clear intent

Criterion 1 – Have a clear intent

A clear, high-level definition of the user problem being solved balances their needs with government priorities and requirements.

Your responsibilities

To successfully meet this criterion, agencies need to:

develop a business case for change
survey the policy and service landscape
understand the service’s lifecycle
adopt an agile methodology.

When to apply this criterion

Apply Criterion 1 during the Discovery phase to gain a deep understanding of the problem, the service’s business case and the policy and strategic landscape.

Revisit this criterion across the Service design and delivery process to ensure the service remains fit for purpose as government evolves.

Questions for consideration

What problem exists?
What is happening in the policy and service landscape?
What government priorities and initiatives align to the problem space?
What might success look like?

How to apply criterion 1

Be outcomes focused: Consider what problems the service needs to solve and why they are important. Share early-stage assumptions, gather diverse perspectives from stakeholders and take advantage of pre-existing data and resources. Clearly state the risks of action and inaction, who might be impacted, potential barriers to success and any knowledge gaps.
Frame the problem: Form a simple, clear problem statement from the evidence that’s already available. Use it as the basis of further research and validation, and to identify the users agencies need to engage with.
Don’t jump to solutions: Don’t anticipate a technical or design solution before validating the problems identified. Evaluate the rest of the Digital Service Standard criteria to understand what else could drive the problem. Consider if a new solution is required or if an existing platform or service might achieve the best outcome.
Align stakeholders to a vision: Engage key stakeholders to establish a shared vision for success. Set clear expectations for the project and make sure everyone knows why change is necessary.
See the bigger picture: Assess how the problems identified play out in the broader policy and government service ecosystems. Use resources such as the Australian Government Architecture and Delivering Great Policy Toolkit to understand the landscape and the intentions of different policies.
Align to government priorities: Have a clear understanding of how the service will contribute to government priorities, including the achievement of the Data and Digital Government Strategy 2030 vision.
Invest for the future: Consider whole-of-life investment costs, including maintenance and upgrades, to ensure proper investment across short, medium and long-term horizons. Make sure the team are familiar with the Investment Oversight Framework and its thresholds. Get in touch with the Digital Transformation Agency for questions about the ICT Investment Approval Process and work with the relevant area of the Department of Finance to understand ongoing costs.

Guidance to have a clear intent

Understand your current digital landscape and the problems or gaps your service will solve:
- Conduct needs assessments and collect qualitative and quantitative data through surveys, interviews and focus groups to understand user experiences and challenges.
- Clarify the problem that needs to be addressed by creating user journey maps to visualise the user experience. Include pain points, problems that slow or halt progress and areas of confusion.
- Gather insights into challenges by engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders, including users, staff and community organisations.
- Periodically review and analyse trends in user behaviour and service performance to identify recurring problems and new challenges.
Research and identify existing programs or initiatives that address the problem. Leverage these initiatives to enhance service delivery or fill the gaps. Use methods or tools such as:
- Review government policies and existing initiatives and map the problem to relevant strategic objectives and priorities.
- Collaborate with other government agencies and departments with similar issues to facilitate resource sharing, knowledge exchange and coordinate efforts.
- Engage with stakeholders involved in related government initiatives to gain insights into government approaches and successes.
- Periodically review and update strategic objectives, ensure plans are flexible in response to new information, the changing landscape and user needs.
Document your findings and recommendations to apply criterion 1:
- Develop clear problem statements that articulate the issues identified. This will communicate the problem to stakeholders and set a focused direction for efforts.
- Make sure the data is collected and documented in a centralised knowledge repository.

Digital Service Standard