• Reusing existing platforms and capabilities

    When reusing existing platforms and capabilities, work closely with the delivery partners to establish a collaborative and trusted relationship. 

    To explore potential synergies or dependencies, engage with other agencies or delivery partners (criterion 5) that are responsible for or involved in these:

    • services
    • platforms
    • capabilities.
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  • Document your findings

    Document your findings and recommendations on how to apply criterion 3.

    • provide evidence to support your decisions and show how you have used the AGA to find reusable platforms and capabilities for your service offering
    • evidence such as user research, cost-benefit analysis, or risk assessment can be used
    • use the Digital Investment Overview (DIO) Data Collection form to report on how you have met the criterion.
    • use the Digital Capability Assessment Process (DCAP) template to report on how you have met the criterion.
       
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  • Suggested activities to apply this criterion

    Understand available capabilities and services available for reuse 

    Use the AGA: Review the AGA early in the design of the service to understand what is available to you.  

    Avoid unnecessary investment: Consider the capabilities available through existing portals and leverage existing government investment. Use existing whole-of-government resources and guidance to help build an understanding of what platforms and capabilities are available.

    Connect and assess: Assess how well the existing capabilities align with the service’s requirements and objectives (Criterion 1). Engage other agencies to gain insights on ways to promote, use or plan for future reuse. 

    Identify and apply any applicable whole-of-government requirements and policies  

    Know what’s required: Use the AGA to determine what requirements and policies apply to the service. Consider how to apply these across the service to enhance the user’s experience and support compliance.

    Document how reuse has been considered in your decisions 

    Compare your needs with existing capabilities: Clearly demonstrate how reuse has been applied in the decision-making process by documenting how the needs of the service compare with what existing platforms offer in terms of user experience, cost and efficiency.

  • Criterion 4 – Follow the decision-making framework

    Next page

  • Criterion 4 – Follow the decision-making framework

  • Apply decision-making criteria to determine if a new access point is required.

  • Apply the relevant decision-making framework
    • Use the decision-making framework relevant to the service: Assess the service against the decision-making framework to understand if reusing existing platforms and capabilities is beneficial to users.
    • Know your user context: Understand if users are accessing the new service as a private individual, as a representative of a business, as a representative of a service provider, or a combination of these.
    • Understand if it is cost effective: Determine if using an existing access point is not prohibitive on the basis of investment required, and if the cost of using the existing portal is outweighed by the benefits. For example, Investment to uplift an existing portal is outweighed by a significantly better experience for users.
    • Consider how to overcome barriers: Consider if there are any challenges making the new service available through an existing point. For example, could there be technical issues interfacing with legacy internal systems or legal barriers such as data sharing. Consider, where appropriate, using mechanisms such as the Data Availability and Transparency Act (DATA) scheme to support ethical data sharing.
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  • When to apply

    Apply Criterion 4 during the Discovery phase to help consider capabilities and services available to improve user experience and promote reuse.

    This criterion requires agencies to apply and follow a set of decision-making principles to determine where a new service is best placed within the existing landscape of government digital services. The decision-making framework will apply based on the users of the new digital service:

    • citizen-facing services (for individuals)
    • business and provider-facing services.
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  • Question for consideration
    • Are users accessing the new service as a private individual, as a representative of a business, as a representative of a service provider, or a combination of these roles?
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  • Guidance and resources Off

  • Guidance to follow the decision-making framework

  • Next page: Criterion 5 – Engage with delivery partners

    Criterion 5

  • Services covered by the Digital Inclusion Standard

    The Digital Inclusion Standard is mandatory and applies to digital services that are: 

    This includes services provided through a website, mobile app or other digital platform. The Digital Inclusion Standard will be introduced and enforced in 2 phases. Refer to the Transition approach section for details about the 2 phases.  

  • Informational services

    Informational services provide users with information, such as reports, fact sheets or videos. They may include: 

    • government agency websites
    • smart answers and virtual assistants
    • e-learning
    • publications
    • multimedia. 
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  • Transactional services

    Transactional services lead to a change in government-held records, typically involving an exchange of information, money, licences or goods.

    Examples of transactional services include: 

    • submitting a claim
    • registering a business
    • updating contact details
    • lodging a tax return. 
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  • Staff-facing services

    Staff-facing services provide information to government employees or support employee transactions. They may include: 

    • intranets
    • learning management systems
    • records management systems
    • case/client management systems
    • decision-making systems. 
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  • Digital experience 

    Digital experiences are the interactions and engagements a user has with a digital service, including its usability, design and the overall user satisfaction.

    Digital inclusion 

    Digital inclusion is the capability of individuals or groups to enjoy the benefits of being online and using technology confidently to improve their day-to-day lives. (See What is Digital Inclusion? for more information.)

    Services not covered by the Digital Inclusion Standard

    The Digital Inclusion Standard does not apply to:

    • corporate Commonwealth entities  
    • state, territory or local government services
    • personal ministerial websites that contain a minister’s political activities or views on issues not related to their ministerial role.

    Services not covered by the Digital Inclusion Standard, such as existing staff-facing services, may choose to apply the Digital Inclusion Standard to improve their digital services.  

    Some services may request an exemption from the Digital Inclusion Standard. See the Exemptions section below.  

  • Next page: Transition approach

    Transition

  • Next page: Meeting the Digitial Inclusion Standard

    How to meet the DIS

  • Measuring success of the Digital Inclusion Standard

    We will measure success by reporting on agencies’ compliance with the Digital Inclusion Standard.

    The DTA will provide oversight of adherence to the Digital Inclusion Standard by collecting self-assessed and quantitative data from agencies. The Digital Inclusion Standard will be implemented in line with existing processes, such as the IOF and Wave, where appropriate, to reduce administrative and compliance burden on agencies.

    Agencies are required to report on their compliance with the Digital Inclusion Standard to the DTA within specified timeframes and maintain continuous improvement against performance measures.  

    1. For new services, this will apply from 1 January 2025 through existing processes as highlighted in the Alignment with the IOF section.  
    2. For existing public-facing services, this will apply from 1 January 2026 through existing mechanisms, such as Wave, where appropriate.

    The DTA will engage with stakeholders on compliance implications and develop a reporting framework prior to reporting requirements coming into place.

  • Meeting the Digital Inclusion Standard

    The Digital Inclusion Standard is made up of 5 criteria to help government agencies design and deliver inclusive and accessible services for all people and business.

    To successfully apply the Digital Inclusion Standard, agencies must meet all the criteria.

    Agencies are strongly encouraged to consider how the criteria applies across the whole service lifecycle.

    It is recommended that agencies also consider the non-digital experience of users to make sure services are inclusive and accessible for all.

    Alignment with the Investment Oversight Framework

    Agencies are expected to consider how their proposal aligns to the Digital Inclusion Standard throughout all the Digital and ICT Investment Oversight Framework (IOF) states.

    During the design phase, agencies should consider how to apply the Digital Inclusion Standard during the Strategic planning and Prioritisation states to align with the strategic outcomes of Government.

    From 1 January 2025, proposals for new digital services will be assessed through the IOF at the following states:

    • Contestability state: The Digital Inclusion Standard will be assessed as part of the existing ICT Investment Approval Process. Agencies must demonstrate to the DTA how they have, or will, apply the Digital Inclusion Standard and provide evidence to support it through the Digital Capability Assessment Process (DCAP). Guidance of what evidence is required will be provided as part of the DCAP Agency Guide.
    • Assurance state: The Digital Inclusion Standard will be assessed through the Assurance Framework. Agencies will be required to demonstrate to the DTA how they applied the Digital Inclusion Standard and provide supporting evidence.

    For new services, agencies should consider obligations under the Digital Inclusion Standard throughout the Sourcing and Operations states.

    For existing services from 1 January 2026, services will be assessed at relevant points throughout the Operations state of the IOF, for example, through the Approved Programs Collection (also known as Wave).

    Additional information on how the DTA will assess compliance with the Digital Inclusion Standard is provided in the Compliance and Reporting Framework. This framework will continue to be evaluated and is expected to mature over time.

  • Next page: Measuring success of the Digital Inclusion Standard

    Measuring success

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