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Policy ideation is the initial phase where broad ideas and potential solutions are identified.

It is a creative and exploratory phase, focusing on understanding the problem space and considering innovative approaches.

The ideation process allows stakeholders to contribute ideas, ensuring that diverse perspectives are considered early.

Actions to ideate potential solutions

Consider the findings from the discovery phase

Revisit your research into the problem, the users’ needs and the broader landscape to familiarise yourself with what you are trying to achieve in the project and what solutions exist elsewhere.

Explore issues to address

Conduct an exercise to explore what issues could be addressed, for example a ‘how might we’ exercise.

Generate ideas

Generate ideas for potential solutions – at this stage don’t worry about feasibility or practicality, it’s all about getting lots of ideas!

Prioritise ideas

Evaluate and prioritise ideas based on feasibility, impact and alignment with broader objectives.

Shortlist ideas

Select a shortlist of ideas that you will develop into prototypes in step 3.

Prototyping is an early version or model of a potential solution, created to test and refine. Prototypes are developed before a solution is determined and build out in more detail. 

Prototyping includes testing ideas with users and refining based on feedback (also called iterating). This process reduces risks, ensures the solution is user-centered, and increases the likelihood of success in later stages. 

Prototypes may include draft policy options, a draft policy outline, a consultation paper or a framework for implementation.  

Create prototypes

Confirm ideas to prototype

Confirm which ideas from step 2 you want to build into prototypes.  

Develop the prototype

Create an initial version of the prototype. 

Ensure it is simple and focused enough to test the critical components, avoiding unnecessary complexity at this stage.

Define test objectives and measures

Clearly outline what you aim to learn from testing the prototype, focusing on key questions or risks to be validated. Develop any criteria or metrics needed to evaluate the prototype effectiveness. 

These may be similar or different to the success measures established in Step 1.  

Identify test participants

Select a group of stakeholders that represent the target audience who can provide diverse and valuable feedback.

Test with users

Gather both qualitative and quantitative data from users through direct observation, surveys, or interviews. This will help identify usability issues and improvement areas. 

You may like to design realistic scenarios or tasks for participants to interact with the prototype and observe how it performs in a simulated environment.

Refine the prototypes

Use insights from testing to make iterative improvements to the prototype. You may also decide not to pursue prototypes that are not working.   

Based on the results of the testing step, identify the preferred prototype(s) to build out in the next phase. Once complete, draft an alpha report to close out this phase.

An alpha report is a key deliverable in this phase of the policy development process. It summarises the outcomes of testing prototypes, key insights, and recommendations for further development.

The report provides stakeholders with clear information about what was learned during the alpha and it lays the groundwork for moving into the beta phase. To ensure informed decision-making, the report captures evidence from user testing, challenges encountered and proposed next steps.

Create the alpha report  

Objectives

A clear articulation of the goals of the alpha phase and what was intended to be tested or validated.

Overview of the prototype(s)

A description of the prototype(s) developed and tested, including core features and design decisions.

Testing methodology

An explanation of the approach taken for testing, including test participants, scenarios and data collection methods.

Key findings

Insights and feedback gathered from users, including any identified issues, risks and areas for improvement.

Performance against objectives

Include an evaluation of how well the prototypes met the alpha phase objectives.

Identification of preferred prototypes

Identify the preferred prototype(s) to build out further in the next phase.

Resources

• Generating ideas (United Kingdom Government, 2017)
• How might we (Queensland government, 2023)
• Ideation (Queensland government, 2023)
• Prototyping and improving ideas (Open Policy Making Toolkit, United Kingdom Government, 2017)
• Prototyping framework (Nesta 2025)
• Prototype testing plan (Nesta 2025)

When developing your solution, it is important to understand how it will integrate with the existing structures. 

This is essential for consistency and a unified strategic direction and alignment with government-wide standards and frameworks. 

Understanding existing structures and how your proposed solution fits with them will help you build a solution.

Integrate solution with existing structures  

Understand existing frameworks

To understand existing frameworks and their objectives, structures, and how they influence the instrument you are developing, familiarise yourself with:

• the Digital and ICT Investment Oversight Framework (IOF)
• Data and Digital Government Strategy
• Australian Government Architecture (AGA).

Understand objectives

Determine how the solution objectives are aligned with the missions of your agency and whole-of-government digital priorities.

If there is any misalignment or gaps, consider any action that may need to be taken to ensure alignment.

The following questions may assist when working through this step:

• Which states of the IOF will the proposed solution interact with?
• What policies exist within those states of the IOF?
• Will the proposed solution conflict with existing policy?
• Can I re-use existing mechanisms to achieve the outcomes?
• Does resolving the problem help achieve the Australian Government’s Data and Digital Government Strategy missions?
• Do any aspects of the solution conflict with achieving the Australian Government’s Data and Digital Government Strategy missions?
• Will the solution have any unintended outcomes that may conflict with the Australian Government’s Data and Digital Government Strategy missions? If so how can I address them?
• Will the metrics used to measure success align with the Australian Government’s Data and Digital Government Strategy?
• Where would the solution sit on the AGA within the Domain Capability Model?
• Does the solution align with existing standards and policies on the AGA?

Engage with stakeholders

Collaborate with relevant teams and stakeholders managing stages of the IOF and AGA to identify integration points.

The beta phase of the process is where the solution begins to take shape, moving from concept to implementation. 

In this step, you build out the preferred prototype into a full solution for further testing. For example, you might take a prototype policy outline and develop it into full draft of a policy.

Actions to build out a beta solution  

Build out the prototype(s) into a beta solution  

Use insights and data from the alpha phase to build out and fine-tune the solution. For example, you may build out a draft policy. 

Ensure that you incorporate performance metrics.

Develop accompanying materials

If the solution is a policy or another instrument that requires guidance, create practical guidelines and tools for using it. 

Test these guidelines with stakeholders to make sure they are easy to understand and follow.

Pilot the solution

Where appropriate, roll out the beta solution in selected environments or with specific stakeholders to observe how it works in practice.

Collect and analyse feedback

Engage with stakeholders to gather feedback on the effectiveness, usability, and any areas of concern.

Refine the beta based on feedback

Make iterative adjustments to the beta solution based on the results from the pilot phase and feedback received from stakeholders.

Develop an implementation plan

Plan the implementation that will be carried out once the beta phase is complete. 

This may include seeking endorsement, publishing the solution, communications and marketing. 

Beta testing ensures the solution works effectively in the real-world before full implementation. 

Testing helps you identify gaps, issues and unforeseen impacts. This gives you an opportunity to refine the solution based on practical insights. 

The feedback and data gathered during this phase is crucial for ensuring the policy is fit for broader application.

During this step a beta solution, for example a policy, is tested to see how it works in practice. This allows you to adjust it based on real-world feedback before full-scale rollout. 

The beta solution can be piloted in selected environments to ensure that it is feasible, effective and aligned with stakeholder needs. This phase is crucial for refining the solution and making any necessary changes to optimise outcomes.

Conduct beta testing  

Pilot the solution

Where appropriate, roll out the beta solution in selected environments or with specific stakeholders to observe how it works in practice.

Collect and analyse feedback

Engage with stakeholders to gather feedback on the effectiveness, usability, and any areas of concern.

Refine the beta based on feedback

Make iterative adjustments to the beta solution based on the results from the pilot phase and feedback received from stakeholders.

Repeat as needed

You may need to repeat these actions several times until the solution is fit for implementation.

Resources

• Data and Digital Government Strategy (Digital Transformation Agency, 2023)
• Australian Government Architecture (Digital Transformation Agency, 2025)
• Policy template (Digital Transformation Agency, 2025)
• Policy implementation plan (Digital Transformation Agency, 2025)
• Usability testing (Queensland Government, 2023)

The Digital Inclusion Standard does not apply to:

• corporate commonwealth entities
• state, territory or local government services
• personal ministerial websites that contain material on a minister’s political activities
• existing staff-facing services

Services not covered by the Digital Inclusion Standard, such as existing staff facing services, may choose to apply the Digital Inclusion Standard to improve their digital services.

Effective policy development does not end with its implementation. Ensuring that an instrument remains current, fit for purpose and aligned with its original intent requires ongoing maintenance and evaluation.  

As the social, economic and technological landscapes evolve, our instruments must adapt to remain relevant and effective. Without regular evaluation, an instrument can become outdated, fail to address emerging challenges, or drift from its intended goals. Regular review or evaluation is essential to measure performance, identify areas for improvement and ensure that the instrument continues to deliver value.

By embedding regular evaluation into the lifecycle, we can ensure that the instruments created are not only maintained but continuously improved to meet the evolving needs of government, industry, and the public.

Review and evaluate

There are multiple ways you can conduct a review or evaluation. You can approach it similar to the alpha and beta phases, conducting usability testing and engaging with stakeholders. You can also follow guidance from the Commonwealth Evaluation Policy.

The Commonwealth Evaluation Policy and associated Commonwealth Evaluation Toolkit provide a best-practice framework for conducting evaluations. The policy aims to embed a culture of evaluation and learning from experience to underpin evidence based policy and delivery. It applies to all Commonwealth entities and companies subject to the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability (PGPA) Act 2013. The toolkit provides an overview of evaluation concepts and approaches. It also provides guidance on how to conduct different kinds of evaluations, both formal and informal. Many of the tools in the toolkit can also be used to evaluate other instruments in addition to policies.  

Develop a plan to monitor  

You should develop a plan to monitor and review your solution regularly.

Conduct a policy impact assessment

A policy impact assessment will help you understand and analyse the solution’s performance.

Resources

• Commonwealth Policy Evaluation Process (Department of Treasury 2023)