• Services covered by the Digital Access Standard

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

    The Digital Access Standard will be introduced and enforced in 2 phases. Refer to the Transition approach section for details about the 2 phases.

  • Next page: Transition approach

    Transition approach
  • 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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  • 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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  • Access points

    Access points are the online entry points or ‘front doors’ where users go to find and interact with government digital services. Access points for digital services typically take the form of:

    • informational websites
    • web applications accessed from a web browser
    • online portals
    • mobile apps
    • digital wallets.

    People and business do not only access government services online. While this standard applies to online access points, agencies should also consider the non-digital access of their services for users to ensure that government services are more accessible and inclusive for all. Non-digital services are out of scope of this standard.

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  • Services not covered by the Digital Access Standard

    The Digital Access Standard does not apply to:  

    • state, territory or local government services  
    • personal ministerial websites that contain a minister’s political activities or views on issues not related to their ministerial role  
    • existing public-facing digital services
    • Australian Public Service (APS) staff-facing services. 

    State, territory or local government, third parties and APS staff-facing systems may choose to apply the Digital Access Standard to improve access and discoverability of their digital services.

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

  • Transition approach

    The Digital Access Standard will be implemented in phases to target the requirements for agencies to connect new services for individuals to myGov. This will be followed by further decision-making principles that will consider digital service access more broadly.

    • Phase 1: 1 January 2025 – New and replacement digital services for individuals suitable for myGov
    • Phase 2: 1 January 2026 – All other new and replacement public-facing digital services for individuals as well as those for businesses and providers.

    The DTA will regularly review the Digital Access Standard and make improvements as government service delivery and digital services mature. Improvements will be made in line with agency application and feedback.

    Phase 1 – Services for individuals suitable for myGov

    From 1 January 2025, services that meet the following criteria will be required to meet the Digital Access Standard.

    • owned by non-corporate Commonwealth entities
    • informational or transactional
    • authenticated or unauthenticated
    • new or replacement services
    • public-facing digital services for individuals suitable for myGov.

  • Next page: Meeting the Digital Access Standard

    How to meet the DAS
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  • Meeting the Digital Access Standard

    The Digital Access Standard is made up of 5 criteria agencies must follow to determine if they need to reuse an existing access point or if they can create a new one.

    To successfully apply it, agencies must meet all the criteria and be able to demonstrate:

    • it is understood where the users of a new service already go to access existing digital government services 
    • capabilities needed to support the new service are well defined 
    • that the Australian Government Architecture (AGA) has been used to identify the tools, capabilities, policies and standards relevant to the new service 
    • the decision-making framework has been applied 
    • service delivery partners (where relevant) have been engaged to reuse existing access points and capabilities.

    Alignment with the Investment Oversight Framework

    Agencies are expected to consider how their proposal aligns to the Digital Access Standard throughout all states of the Digital and ICT Investment Oversight Framework.

    During the design phase, agencies should consider how to apply the Digital Access Standard during the Strategic Planning and Prioritisation states to ensure alignment with the strategic outcomes of government.

    From 1 January 2025, proposals for new digital services will be assessed through the IOF, at the following states:

    • Prioritisation state: The Digital Access Standard will be assessed as part of the existing Digital Investment Overview (DIO). Where the proposal has a public-facing digital service, agencies will be required to demonstrate they have considered the criteria of the Digital Access Standard, and suitability of either integration with an existing, or development of a new access point.
    • Contestability state: The Digital Access 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 Access 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 state: The Digital Access Standard will be assessed through the Assurance Framework. Agencies will be required to demonstrate to the DTA how they applied the Digital Access Standard and provide supporting evidence.

    For new services, agencies should consider obligations under the Digital Access Standard throughout the Sourcing and Operations states.

    The Digital Access Standard will not apply to existing services in the first instance. Agencies will be consulted to determine if a process for the assessment of existing services will be applied in future.

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

  • Next page: Measuring success of the Digital Access Standard

    Measuring success of the DAS

  • Measuring success of the Digital Access Standard

    The DTA will measure success by reporting on agencies’ compliance with the Digital Access Standard.

    The DTA will provide oversight of adherence to the Digital Access Standard by collecting data from agencies through existing DTA data collection mechanisms, such as the digital and ICT Approved Programs Collection (referred to as Wave).

    Agencies will be required to report outcomes to the DTA to maintain a Digital Register to track the digital landscape across the Australian Government. The DTA will require agencies to report when new access points are created, and where changes to existing access points are made, including how these access points interact with digital services. Reporting for the Digital Access Standard will be required:

    • for digital services for individuals suitable for myGov from 1 January 2025
    • for all other public-facing digital services from 1 January 2026.

    This register will allow the DTA to track the landscape of entry points and front doors across government to manage the performance of the Digital Access Standard and provide advice to government on refining the digital landscape of service experiences. New access point updates to the register will be informed by data provided through IOF reporting processes and will support reuse of government systems through the Australian Government Architecture.

  • Next page: Criterion 1 – Understand how your users access services

    Criterion 1

  • Criterion 1 – Understand how your users access services

  • Make the most of existing access points by understanding where users already go to access digital government services.

  • Know where your users already go to access government services online

    Understand your users’ interactions: Do research to understand where users already go to access similar digital services across government. Map the user’s journey to create a deeper understanding of how they engage with digital platforms. Take stock of the platforms or capabilities that could be used to support a better digital experience (see Criterion 3).  

    For replacement services, while the existing access point may be assessed as the best option, there may be instances where the replacement service could be consolidated with an alternative access point such as an agency website. When designing replacement services, consider if there is an opportunity to use another existing access point, for example a replacement service for individuals accessed through myGov.

    Increase discoverability: Consider how to increase the visibility of the service by understanding where users access government information and services. Understand the navigation pathways users take and use these to maximise discoverability of the service.

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  • Evaluate if any existing access points are fit for purpose

    Assess existing access points: Identify existing access points that users interact with (also see Criterion 3). Determine if any existing access point will be fit for purpose for users of the digital service (see also Criterion 4).

    Know the context: Consider if the context is appropriate and if reusing an existing access point is the sensible approach. Determine whether incorporating the service as part of an existing platform enhances user experience.

    Understand the requirements: Consider factors such as the capabilities and requirements for the digital service and how existing access points might meet these requirements. Understand if there are specific requirements that stand out for the users.

    Assess the investment: Consider if an investment is required to provide access to the new service through an existing platform, either to uplift an existing access point, or further investment in the new service itself. Investigate cost-effectiveness to determine if reuse would be cost-prohibitive.

    Share learnings: Collaborate with other agencies to consider lessons learned and user insights to help inform continuous improvement of digital experiences across whole-of-government.

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  • Questions for consideration
    • Who are the target users of the new service?
    • How are the intended users of the new service currently accessing government services online?
    • Is there an existing access point already familiar to the users?
    • Have you explored ways to overcome current blockers for your users when they are accessing digital services?
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  • Guidance to understand how your users access services

  • Criterion 2 – Define your service offering

    Next page

  • Criterion 2 – Define your service offering

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