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Meeting the Digital Service Standard

The Digital Service Standard is made up of 10 criteria to help government agencies design and deliver services that are user-friendly, inclusive, adaptable and measurable.

To successfully apply Digital Service Standard, government agencies must meet all the criteria.

The Digital Service Standard expects that agencies are working in an agile way, based on agile values and principles and using agile tools and techniques. Each criterion links to the most relevant stage/s of the Service design and delivery process. However, agencies are strongly encouraged to consider how the criterion applies across the whole service lifecycle and not just in the single phase identified.

It is recommended that agencies consider the non-digital experience of users to make sure services are inclusive and accessible for all.

Measuring success of the Digital Service Standard

We will measure success by reporting on agencies’ compliance with the Digital Service Standard.

The DTA will provide oversight of adherence to the Digital Service Standard by collecting self-assessed and quantitative data from agencies. The Digital Service Standard will be implemented in line with existing processes, such as the IOF and Wave, where appropriate, to reduce administrative and compliance burden on agencies.

Agencies must report on compliance with the Digital Service Standard to the DTA within specified timeframes and maintain continuous improvement against performance measures.

• For new services, this will apply from 1 July 2024.
• For existing public-facing services, this will apply from 1 July 2025.

We will engage with stakeholders on the implications of compliance and develop a reporting framework before reporting requirements are put in place.

Meeting the Digital Performance Standard

The Digital Performance Standard is made up of 5 criteria to assist government in monitoring, assessing, and reporting digital service performance.

To successfully apply the Digital Performance Standard, agencies must meet all the criteria.

All public-facing services subject to the IOF process that are funded in the 2025-26 Budget or thereafter will need to measure the effectiveness of their new or redeveloped service and report outcomes to the DTA.

To improve the digital experience of services, agencies are also encouraged to:

• consider how the criteria may apply across other digital services within their agency
• consider the non-digital experience of users to make sure services meet user expectations.

Alignment with the Investment Oversight Framework

Agencies must consider how their proposal aligns to the Digital Performance Standard throughout all the Digital and ICT Investment Oversight Framework (IOF) states. 

During the design phase, agencies should consider how to apply the Digital Performance Standard during the Strategic Planning, Prioritisation and Sourcing states, in particular Criterion 1, to align with the strategic outcomes of government. 

For new or replacement services from 1 January 2025, agency compliance with the Digital Performance Standard will be assessed through the IOF at the following states: 

• Contestability: The Digital Performance Standard will be assessed as part of the existing ICT Investment Approval Process. Agencies must demonstrate to the DTA how they have, or will, apply the Digital Performance Standard and provide evidence to support it through the Digital Capability Assessment Process (DCAP). Guidance of what evidence is required will be provided as part of the DCAP Agency Guide. 
• Assurance: The Digital Performance Standard will be assessed through the Assurance Framework. Agencies will be required to demonstrate to the DTA how they applied the Digital Performance Standard and provide supporting evidence.
• Operations: Agencies will be required to demonstrate to the DTA how they have applied the Digital Performance Standard, providing evidence as part of their ongoing reporting requirements. 

For new digital services, agencies should consider obligations under the Digital Performance Standard throughout the Sourcing state.

Additional information on how the DTA will assess compliance with the Digital Inclusion Standard is provided in the Compliance and Reporting Framework. This Framework will continue to be evaluated and is expected to mature over time.

Measuring success of the Digital Performance Standard 

The DTA will oversee adherence to the Digital Performance Standard by collecting self-assessed data from agencies throughout IOF processes and as part of ongoing reporting requirements during operation of their service (post-implementation). As set out in the Digital Performance Standard, agencies are required to report these to the DTA within specified timeframes and maintain continuous improvement against performance measures. Data will be used by the DTA to provide advice on the performance of government services over time. It is not intended to compare services, but to support future prioritisation and investment decisions.