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Updates to the Digital Service Standard 2.0

Transition Approach

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Services covered by the Digital Service Standard

The Digital Service Standard is mandatory and applies to digital services that are:

owned by non-corporate Commonwealth entities
informational or transactional
new or existing public facing
new staff facing.

This includes services provided through a website, mobile app or other digital platform.

Version 2.0 of the Digital Service Standard will be assessed and enforced in 2 phases. Refer to the Transition approach section for details about the 2 phases.

Informational services

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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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.

Services not covered by the Digital Service Standard

Agencies are recommended to apply the Digital Service Standard to existing staff facing services, though these services are not mandated.

The Digital Service Standard does not apply to:

state, territory or local government services
personal ministerial websites that contain material on a minister’s political activities or views on issues not related to their ministerial role.

State, territory or local government and third parties may choose to apply the Digital Service Standard to improve access and discoverability of their digital services.

Some services may request an exemption from the Digital Service Standard. See the Exemptions section below.

Exemptions

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.

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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.

Criterion 1 - Embrace diversity

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

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Criterion 2 - Motivate digital use

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

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Criterion 3 - Protect users

Establish and maintain a safe digital environment that counters scams and misinformation, and provides transparency, and a feedback mechanism.

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Criterion 4 - Make it accessible

Comply with all current legislation and standards relating to accessibility, and ensure from the outset that your service is accessible.

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Criterion 5 - Provide flexibility and choice

Create seamless experiences between service delivery channels, and provide flexibility and choice for how users engage with digital services.

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Guidance and resources

Inclusive design embraces broad diversity to meet the varied needs and perspectives of a wide range of user groups.

Transition Approach

Services covered by the Digital Service Standard

Services not covered by the Digital Service Standard

Guidance and resources

Connect with the digital community