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From 1 July 2024, services that meet the following criteria will be required to meet Version 2.0 of the Digital Service Standard:

• public or staff-facing
• owned by non-corporate Commonwealth entities 
• new informational and transactional services.

Example – new services designed or redesigned from 1 July 2024

Any new digital or ICT-enabled proposals coming forward in the 2024-25 MYEFO context will need to meet the requirements of the Digital Service Standard Version 2.0, as per the Investment Oversight Framework. 

From 1 July 2025, services that meet the following criteria will be required to meet Version 2.0 of the Digital Service Standard: 

• public-facing
• owned by non-corporate Commonwealth entities 
• all existing informational and transactional services.

Note: existing staff-facing services are excluded.

Example – existing public-facing services 

Public-facing services in existence prior to 1 July 2024 will be required to update their services to meet the requirements under Version 2.0 of the Digital Service Standard from 1 July 2025 or seek an exemption from the DTA. 

As government service delivery and digital services mature, the DTA will review the Digital Service Standard and make improvements in line with agency application and feedback.

From 1 July 2025, services that meet the following criteria, will be required to meet Version 2.0 of the Standard: 

• public-facing:and
• owned by non-corporate Commonwealth entities; and 
• all existing information and transactional services
• note: existing staff facing services are excluded

 Example – existing public-facing services

Public-facing services in existence prior to 1 July 2024, will be required to update their services to meet the requirements under Version 2.0 of the Standard from 1 July 2025 or seek an exemption from the DTA.  

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Informational services provide users with information, such as reports, fact sheets or videos. They may include:

• government agency websites
• smart answers and virtual assistants
• e-learning
• publications
• multimedia.

Staff-facing services provide information to government employees or support employee transactions. They may include:

• intranets
• learning management systems
• records management systems
• case/client management systems
• decision-making systems.

Transactional services lead to a change in government-held records, typically involving an exchange of information, money, licences or goods.

Examples of transactional services include:

• submitting a claim
• registering a business
• updating contact details
• lodging a tax return.

The DTA acknowledge that some agencies may be unable to meet one or more of the criteria set out by the Digital Service Standard due to a range of circumstances. These circumstances may include but are not limited to:

• legacy technology barriers that the agency cannot reasonably overcome
• substantial financial burden caused by changing a service to meet criteria.

Exemptions may be granted for one or more of the criteria set out by the Digital Service Standard. This will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Exemptions must be applied for through the DTA.

Further information can be found in the Digital Experience Policy Exemption Guide.

Note: Even if a service or website is not covered by the Digital Service Standard, or an exemption is received, obligations may still apply under relevant Australian legislation, for example accessibility requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.

Design for diverse needs from the outset, exercising co-design, and applying cohort specific considerations.

Understand the motivations of your audience, communicate the benefits of adopting a digital channel, and ensure that said channel is easy to use.