How the Australian Government manages its digital projects to support success
This section explains how digital projects are supported from the centre of government including through a world-leading investment management framework specifically designed to create the conditions digital projects need to succeed.
Central oversight and assurance
Major digital projects are monitored and supported from the centre of government through the Digital and ICT Investment Oversight Framework (IOF). This world-class, whole-of-government approach guides digital and information and communication technology (ICT) investments across the project lifecycle, from early planning through to project delivery and realising planned benefits. Agencies managing projects under the IOF have clear direction on best-practice digital policies and standards from the outset, ensuring consistent and effective management of digital investments.
The IOF comprises 6 interconnected functions, referred to as ‘states’, which span the entire lifecycle of a digital project. The DTA engages with agencies at each state to ensure projects are strategically aligned to government objectives. This includes improving digital service delivery and strengthening whole-of-government digital capability, while continuing to achieve their intended outcomes and deliver the expected benefits.
Reforms supporting success
Ensuring digital projects deliver expected benefits for Australians on time and on budget sits at the heart of each of the reforms highlighted throughout this report.
Reforms supporting success: The Australian Government’s IOF is a world-leading approach to the management of digital investments across government
An independent review by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recognised the IOF as a leading international example of best practice in digital investment management:
The Australian Government’s Digital and ICT Investment Oversight Framework (IOF) illustrates a comprehensive approach to overseeing digital and ICT investments across the public administration. Through the IOF, the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) works to ensure that investments are robust, strategically aligned to government objectives, and realise their intended benefits (Note 5-a).
The review highlights the IOF’s strength in providing a whole-of-government approach, supported by robust processes, policies and tools that assist agencies throughout the investment lifecycle. It also identifies the IOF as a mechanism for policy implementation and benefits realisation, consistent with the OECD’s Digital Government Investment Framework, which is built on 3 pillars: strategic planning; coherent implementation; and comprehensive monitoring and oversight.
The OECD’s Digital Government Index (DGI) benchmarks the digital maturity of governments across 33 member and 5 partner countries. The Australian Government consistently scores above the OECD average on 15 of the 20 DGI metrics. The review notes, however, that the DGI does not currently assess the integration of investment practices across the lifecycle – a key strength of the IOF and a factor in the OECD recognising Australia as a leader in managing digital government investment.
Since 2021, the IOF has supported over 300 digital and ICT proposals, including $2.0 billion in investment during the 2023–24 Budget cycle (Note 5-b). A total of 15 projects have come under central monitoring and oversight as part of the IOF since the last report in March 2025.
Details are in Projects under central oversight.
Reforms supporting success: Building international partnerships to advance digital transformation
The DTA’s Strategic Engagement Strategy 2025–27 sets out how we engage globally to address critical priorities in digital transformation and maximise opportunities on an international scale. By fostering collaboration, leveraging strategic alliances and benchmarking achievements, these initiatives aim to position Australia as a leader in digital government while ensuring alignment with international best practices and standards.
One example of this commitment is our engagement in international forums to share insights, strengthen initiatives and collaborate on common goals.
Australia’s digital investment leadership recognised by OECD
The OECD’s Digital Government in Australia: Enhancing Digital Investment review endorsed Australia’s IOF as a world-class approach for managing digital investments across government.
This recognition reflects not only the strength of Australia’s approach but also the value of our ongoing collaboration with the OECD and its member nations. Through these partnerships, we share insights and learn from global leaders to continually refine our practices.
In May 2025, the DTA engaged with Denmark – ranked among the top performers in the OECD Digital Government Index – to exchange knowledge on IOF design and assurance models. Denmark, like Australia, is one of only 5 nations with an IOF, and Denmark’s experience with independent assurance boards and public–private partnerships offers valuable lessons that inform our own evolution.
The OECD review confirms the strength of Australia’s approach and provides us with a clear roadmap to keep evolving to deliver benefits for all people and businesses. These findings underscore Australia’s leadership in digital investment governance and highlight the importance of international collaboration in shaping best practice for the future.
The Assurance Framework supports successful project delivery
The Assurance Framework for Digital and ICT Investments governs the Assurance state of the IOF and reflects global best practice in the use of assurance for digital projects. Its purpose is to maximise the value of assurance in supporting successful delivery, drawing on international experience and lessons learned.
While assurance does not directly deliver outcomes, it is essential to sound governance and informed decision-making. All projects included in this report are subject to the Assurance Framework and must apply its key principles for good assurance. These principles are based on global best practice and, when implemented effectively, provide confidence that projects will achieve their objectives without imposing excessive assurance requirements.
The Assurance Framework also includes escalation protocols to assist agencies in resolving delivery challenges. Central oversight of assurance enables lessons learnt to be systematically applied to future projects, reducing the risk of delivery issues and strengthening the overall maturity of digital investment practices across government.
Reforms supporting success: Digital Governance Program to better support digital leaders
The Australian Government’s digital transformation vision to deliver simple, secure and connected public services depends on the success of its digital projects. These complex and high-stakes investments require highly capable leaders who can successfully navigate the inherent challenges and uncertainties.
The DTA’s Digital Governance Program is specifically developed to support Senior Responsible Officials (SROs) appointed to oversee major digital projects. The program provides these senior leaders with the expertise and confidence necessary to successfully guide significant digital projects.
This 2-day immersive program integrates sessions led by experienced SROs, interactive board simulations and collaborative peer learning opportunities – effectively preparing participants for the complex governance challenges digital projects can present.
'This program is essential for anyone taking on the role of SRO for a digital program, regardless of your degree of previous experience leading digital transformation.'
Launched in September 2025, the Digital Governance Program is grounded in global best practice, drawing on proven approaches and experiences from governments across the world, as well as insights from the private sector and academia.
'A great opportunity to meet fellow SROs and get some practical advice about how to best deliver this important function in the APS.'
Participants gain:
- a clear understanding of their accountabilities as SROs
- practical tools to anticipate and counter common failure patterns
- confidence to govern for benefits realisation, not just delivery
- enduring professional connections across the APS.
The program centres around frameworks such as the '8 Bad Omens' – common internal challenges that can disrupt digital projects – and the '7 Lenses of Transformation', which help guide leaders to success. The curriculum also encourages alignment with the IOF and Assurance Framework.
Senior digital leaders throughout the APS have engaged with the Digital Governance Program since its introduction. Participant feedback has been highly positive, indicating that this program effectively addresses the need for targeted capability development to support digital SROs.
'Hearing the experiences of the other delegates added extra dimensions to my understanding and learning.'
As digital projects continue to grow in scale and complexity, we will evolve the Digital Governance Program to be a cornerstone in building a confident, capable and connected leadership ready to deliver lasting public value.
More information is at: Digital Governance Program – For Senior Responsible Officials | digital.gov.au.
Reforms supporting success: Workforce planning to boost digital talent
The ongoing digital transformation agenda and the rapid evolution of emerging technologies are driving up the demand for digital talent within the APS. Securing the capability required to deliver on project commitments has become a significant challenge, with the Future Skills Organisation projecting a shortfall of over 61,000 digital professionals across Australia in the next 5 years.
In fact, 71% of APS agencies reporting on digital projects identified talent shortages as a high risk. To directly address this risk, the APS Data, Digital and Cyber Workforce Plan includes initiatives – such as reskilling programs and diversifying recruitment locations – to expand the talent pool and reduce reliance on traditional pathways.
The Workforce Plan, published in March 2025, sets out a strategic approach to meeting capability requirements. Building on this, the first APS Digital Workforce Insights report (November 2025) highlights 5 priority areas, each accompanied by tangible actions to source and develop the necessary skills:
- Reconsider educational requirements – reduce the reliance on university qualifications by recognising alternative credentials and on-the-job experience.
- Reskill for success – launch targeted online training modules and partner with industry to deliver hands-on workshops for APS staff, enabling efficient upskilling and reskilling at scale.
- Implement the Diversifying Location Strategy – draw capability from regions across Australia, helping to ‘calm the Canberra-based talent war’. Early outcomes from this strategy have shown an increase in applications from regional areas and a more balanced distribution of digital talent.
- Build pathways for growth – establish clear career progression routes into middle management, where demand for digital expertise is greatest, including mentorship programs and internal mobility schemes.
- Clarify foundational roles – articulate the most pressing digital skills needs and identify which capabilities can be developed internally, supported by ongoing skills assessments and targeted recruitment drives (Note 6)
Digital capability is critical to how the government delivers for Australians. By aligning priority actions with the identified risks and backing them with up-to-date statistics and case studies, such as the success rates from reskilling initiatives and early outcomes from the Diversifying Location Strategy, the APS can lead by example in developing a world-class digital workforce. Future updates will continue to reference emerging data to measure progress and maintain credibility.
More information is at: Workforce plan | Data and Digital.
Reforms supporting success: Increasing APS capability in benefits management
Since 2024, the Australian Government has invested in improving project performance by emphasising benefits management. Ensuring digital projects deliver expected benefits for Australians requires robust benefits management practices. Many of the Australian Government’s digital projects are complex and challenging to deliver. Benefits management is key to ensuring teams stay focused on what must go right to make sure these projects deliver expected benefits for Australians.
To support building benefits management capability across the public service, the DTA has released a web-based benefits management toolkit. This kit provides guidance to agencies on meeting the requirements of the Australian Government’s Benefits Management Policy for Digital and ICT Investments. We have also designed a course on how to apply this policy. This course is specifically for public servants involved in preparing proposals for new digital projects, because we know that robust benefits management ensures projects start in the right way, giving them the best chance of success.
Notes:
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2025), Digital Government in Australia: Enhancing Digital Investment, OECD Digital Government Studies, accessed 20 January 2026. Back to note 5-a Back to note 5-b.
- Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) (2025) APS Digital Workforce Insights report, DTA, Australian Government, accessed 20 January 2026. Back to note 6.