Capability and engagement
Resource management and capability
Delivery confidence can be higher where the agency has adequate capacity and appropriate skills and expertise, including in areas such as architecture and systems integration and is investing in capability development.
- Other aspects that heighten confidence are evidence of clear roles and responsibilities, particularly in projects involving collaboration and interdependencies that cross functional and organisational boundaries, and where there are processes for skills transfer, sharing knowledge and data.
- Effective cross-disciplinary teams can also enhance confidence, particularly in artificial (AI) solution development.
Delivery confidence is reduced where turnover is high, there are skills shortages, overuse of consultants or where capability development is limited, or where funding models are misaligned with the project lifecycle risking to resource continuity.
Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) tolerances
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In-house staff have direct experience in managing the delivery of relevant technologies. Sufficient skilled staff are available and roles and responsibilities are appropriately and clearly defined. There are processes in place for skills transfer and knowledge management.
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There are some gaps in capability but training and skills transfer plans are in place. There is sufficient clarity in role responsibilities
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There are significant skills gaps and a lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities
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Lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities and skills shortages are impacting delivery of the project and elements of the solution that are outside the project’s control.
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There are significant skills and capacity gaps that are impacting delivery. Resource turnover is high and there is an overuse of consultants and contractors.
Stakeholder engagement
Government digital projects can involve a complex ecosystem of stakeholders with direct impact on transformation effectiveness.
- Successful delivery relies upon user, client and senior executive involvement in the formulation of project goals and scope and in project decision-making.
- Cross agency inter-dependencies can affect delivery confidence, separating delivery and the business across multiple agencies, confounding understanding of responsibility and ownership.
- Effective stakeholder engagement will reveal dependencies that are beyond project control but affect delivery confidence, such as licensing, regulations, policies, data sharing and interfaces with systems over jurisdiction boundaries.
Lack of engagement with suppliers on the feasibility of objectives prior to contracting can reduce confidence on high ambition transformations involving unfamiliar technology.
DCA tolerances
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Substantial early and sustained engagement with people who are influential, impacted or involved in the project, allowing for a nuanced understanding of needs and interdependencies.
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Substantial early engagement and limited ongoing engagement, allowing for a good understanding of needs and interdependencies.
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Early engagement with some stakeholders but limited ongoing engagement.
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Key stakeholder groups are not engaged. Assumptions not tested with the people themselves.
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No engagement. Little basis for assumptions.
Relevant policy
The Digital Experience Policy (the policy) sets agreed benchmarks for the performance of digital services and supports agencies to design and deliver better experiences by considering the broader digital service ecosystem.
The policy supports a whole-of-government focus on improving the experience for people and business interacting digitally with government information and services, setting a benchmark for good digital services and integrating data based on real-world use.
Through a phased implementation, agencies will be required to meet four standards the: