Digital Maturity Assessment Guide - The assessment process

Deadline and timing

Non-corporate Commonwealth entities are required to complete the Digital Maturity Assessment every 2 years.

Agencies receive a request in March to submit a Digital Maturity Assessment to the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) by 31 May 2026.

Depending on the size of your agency and the complexity of the digital environment, it may take several weeks to complete the assessment, receive sign off, and submit a response.

Please allocate sufficient time to complete the assessment by the due date.

What's involved

Agencies use the Digital Maturity Assessment to conduct a self-assessment of the digital elements operating in their agency.
Using the online Digital Maturity Assessment (platform version) a single submission per agency is created and sent to the DTA.
Agencies are provided with an offline Digital Maturity Assessment (PDF version) and other resources. These can be used to collect and moderate responses before entering and submitting the assessment through the online platform.
Online platform submissions are completed by an individual (generally an agency coordinator). Due to technical restrictions, there can only be one private URL per agency. Exercise caution before sharing the unique URL within your agency.

Plan your approach

For most Australian Public Service Agencies (APS), a multi-contributor approach is recommended. Testing showed that agencies preferred to seek input from multiple areas around their organisation to complete their assessment.

This approach allowed for contributions from a variety of teams or divisions, all providing subject matter expertise and differing perspectives.

For some very small agencies, it may be practical to have an appropriate individual complete the assessment. In this circumstance, this guide should still be read with only applicable steps followed. For example, completing assessment online and seeking agency head or delegate sign off prior to submission to the DTA.

Agencies should manage their assessment process in a way that best suits their needs.

The staged process outlined below is provided as a suggestion only based on feedback from contributing agencies; however, the final agency submission must be made via the online platform.

Multi-contributor approach

The multi-contributor approach is described in detail in Appendix A: Stages.

Stage 1: Chief Information Officer (CIO) or equivalent reviews the assessment, guide and resources and assigns an agency coordinator to manage the process.
Agency coordinators identify and engage relevant agency contributors.
Stage 2: Contributors provide input using the offline Digital Maturity Assessment (PDF version).
Stage 3: Coordinators collect, manage and moderate input from contributors.
Stage 4: Coordinators use the moderated and final agency response to enter data in the online platform, generate a preview, and save a PDF copy.
Using this ‘Submission preview’ PDF, coordinators seek final assessment sign off from the agency head or delegate.
Following sign off, the assessment is submitted via the online platform, a receipt of submission is returned to the ‘Agency contact details’ email address you provide.

Roles and responsibilities

- At the end of the collection process, the agency head reviews and signs off on the final version of the agency's Digital Maturity Assessment prior to submission to the DTA.
- Note: delegate should be a senior agency executive.
- Receives the agency's Digital Maturity Assessment private URL via email.
- Assigns an agency coordinator.
- Coordinates the agency assessment process and manages contributor input.
- Moderates and combines input to develop a single agency response.
- Prepares and seeks agency head endorsement for the online submission.
- Sends endorsed assessment via online platform to the DTA.
- Provides input to the agency assessment and may be involved in moderation activities.

Privacy and information notices

The Digital Transformation Agency collects this information to administer the Digital Maturity Assessment, support quality assurance activities, and produce assessment reports. Personal information will be used solely for these purposes and will not be disclosed without consent, except where required by Australian law or a court or tribunal order.
Information is stored in accordance with the Australian Government Information Security Manual (ISM) and the Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF). Records are retained and disposed of in line with the applicable Archives Disposal Authority.
For privacy-related enquiries regarding the Digital Maturity Assessment, contact the Digital Maturity Assessment Privacy Team at privacy@dta.gov.au.
You should be aware that the Digital Transformation Agency has access to in progress and completed online submissions for the purposes of administering the assessment, supporting quality assurance, and generating reports.
- Agency responses will be used to produce agency level reports that identify strengths and opportunities for improvement.
- Agency reports may include comparative insights against other agencies of a similar size or function. These comparisons will be de-identified and presented in aggregate to provide context only.
The Digital Maturity Assessment is delivered through an unclassified, web-based system.
You must not include any classified, sensitive, or protected information in your submission. This applies to all materials provided, including any written responses.

Support

For support, please contact digitalmaturity@dta.gov.au.

Appendix A: Stages