Statutory Declarations
Three agencies work together to implement a Digital Commonwealth statutory declaration service through myGov.
- During COVID there were difficulties with in-person witnessing of statutory declarations. This identified a need for an option to have statutory declarations digitally witnessed.
- Services Australia, Attorney-General’s Department and Department of Finance came together to implement a Digital Commonwealth statutory declaration service through myGov.
- The Attorney-General’s Department led the legislative changes for this new service and changed the law so Commonwealth statutory declarations can be made digitally through an approved online platform.
- To create a digital Commonwealth statutory declaration without a physical witness you must have Digital Identity connected to your myGov account.
All 3 agencies engaged early with the myGov teams at Services Australia. This allowed a full investigation into the capabilities that could be reused and new capabilities that needed to be introduced.
A myGov Design Sprint (Incubation) was conducted. This enabled agencies to understand the feasibility of the new capability and gaps.
New capabilities and enhancements like ‘QR code verification’ and ‘digital upload’ were introduced and enhanced for this new service.
This case study is a real digital service in myGov and shows how these agencies could have applied the Access Standard’s criteria and decision-making framework to their new digital service.
Criteria 1: Understand how your users access digital services
The agencies researched their users and determined that users already use or have access to myGov.
Outcomes from research highlighted that this service required legislative changes to allow the removal of an ‘in person’ witness.
Agencies understood that myGov was fit for purpose and started to investigate what the user experience could look like.
Criteria 2: Define your service offering
The agencies conducted a design sprint with myGov to fully understand their service offering and the capabilities myGov can offer or implement to support the new service.
The agencies learned that Digital Identity and digital upload will be leveraged, but there were some initial gaps in capabilities.
New capabilities were able to be introduced which ensured myGov was fit for purpose.
Criteria 3: Use the AGA to find reusable platforms and capabilities
The Australian Government Architecture (AGA) could be used to help agencies understand what capabilities are available for reuse and other requirements and/or policies that apply to their digital service.
The resources provided on AGA support agencies to understand and consider how their services align with the Australian Government strategy, to reduce the number of government digital access points.
Criteria 4: Follow the decision-making framework
The decision-making framework was applied, which helped agencies understand:
- where users access government services and if myGov is appropriate for their service
- the capabilities that are needed for their digital service and if myGov offers, or could offer them
- the limitations they may face and if they can be overcome
- the associated costs and benefits for onboarding to myGov, by completing a cost/benefit analysis.
Criteria 5: Engage with delivery partners
- The Attorney-General’s Department conducted early engagement with myGov understanding this was essential for the successful implementation into myGov.
- The Attorney-General’s Department and Department of Finance worked in partnership with Services Australia and discovered the need for an early Design Sprint with myGov essential to understanding the design, capability and cost effectiveness of myGov in comparison to bespoke solutions.
myGov Decision-making Framework
The myGov Decision-making framework helps you decide if you should connect your service to myGov.
Know your user
- Do your users currently engage government services via myGov?
- Could your users access myGov?
Service Offering
- Do the capabilities offered by myGov address your services’ needs? (refer to myGov Platform Capability and Functions Overview document)
- Could your service requirements be built into myGov?
Limitations
- Is your service free from limitations that could impeded the use of Gov? (data sharing, ethical or legal)
- Can these limitations be overcome?
Assess the investment - Would connecting your service to myGov be cost effective?