Assurance research series: 01
Schedule
As with all projects, the adequacy of schedule management processes including identification of variance against baseline, establishing trends for the major elements of projects, identification and management of the critical path and project manager ownership of the schedule all affect delivery confidence.
For digital projects, pressure to start delivery quickly instead of developing a robust business case has been found to reduce confidence, potentially resulting in the schedule not representing the full complexity of the task and not accounting for essential interdependencies. This can lead to unrealistic expectations of digital project pace.
Due to the uncertainties involved in many digital projects, contingency should also be included in schedules to allow for learning during delivery.
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.
It will help develop an understanding of how deliverables will be used and the business value they are intended to create, giving an understanding of quality from the customer’s perspective.
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
Your responsibilities
To successfully meet this criterion, you need to:
- adopt transparent data handling
- implement security measures
- maintain a reliable service
- be accountable for the service.
High
Substantial early and sustained engagement with people who are influential, impacted or involved in the project, allowing for a nuanced understanding of needs, interdependencies, and what a quality result looks like.
Off
Medium high
Substantial early engagement and limited ongoing engagement, allowing for a good understanding of needs, interdependencies, and quality requirements.
Off
Medium
Early engagement with some stakeholders but limited ongoing engagement.
Off
Medium low
Key stakeholder groups are not engaged. Assumptions not tested with the people themselves.
Off
Low
No engagement. Little basis for assumptions.
Off-
Substantial early and sustained engagement with people who are influential, impacted or involved in the project, allowing for a nuanced understanding of needs, interdependencies, and what a quality result looks like.
-
Substantial early engagement and limited ongoing engagement, allowing for a good understanding of needs, interdependencies, and quality requirements.
-
Early engagement with some stakeholders but limited ongoing engagement.
-
Key stakeholder groups are not engaged. Assumptions not tested with the people themselves.
-
No engagement. Little basis for assumptions.
Relevant policy
The Digital Experience Policy (the Policy) is mandated and came into effect from 1 January 2025. It is supported by four standards, the Service, Inclusion, Access and Performance Standards, which together form the core requirements for delivering consistent and high-quality digital government services.
The Policy applies to investments that are subject to the Investment Oversight Framework (IOF).
It sets agreed benchmarks for high-quality digital service design and supports a whole-of-government approach to improving how people and business interact digitally with government information and services.
It provides standards and guidance to support agencies to deliver consistent, inclusive, and data-informed digital experiences aligned with the Data and Digital Government Strategy.
Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) tolerances
Adopt transparent data handling
Consider privacy, consent, and control: Safeguard user data by adhering to the Australian Privacy Principles and the Privacy Act (1988). Always obtain explicit, informed consent before collecting a user’s data and provide a means to update or delete it. Allow users to report inaccurate data and respond with how it has been rectified. Notify users of their own responsibilities to protect their data, such as not to share their password with others.
Eliminate ambiguity in your user interface: Provide validating feedback and progress tracking as users interact with your service. Design to eliminate the need for error messages in the first place; make them understandable and actionable where they remain. Tell users what information they need before they start a task and, where appropriate, allow them to pause and resume at their own pace.
Off
High
The project schedule covers the entire scope for the solution, is used to inform management action and is actively updated. Progress assessed on estimate to complete. There is sufficient contingency for the risk of the project. The project is at or ahead of schedule.
Off
Medium high
A schedule measurement baseline exists with a critical path. Critical path is managed and used to inform management decisions. It provides the basis for management of change. The project is at, or ahead of, schedule.
Off
Medium
The schedule appears accurate but is not actively updated. Measurement against baseline is not consistent or regular. A critical path exists and is used to measure progress.
Off
Medium low
The schedule appears mostly complete but is not being used to inform management action. The project is behind schedule.
Off