Disclaimer
“Certain numbers in this report have been rounded to one decimal place. Due to rounding, some totals may not correspond with the sum of the separate figures.”
Key Principles for Good Assurance
- Plan for assurance
- Drive good decisions
- Expert-led and independent
- Culture and tone at the top
- Focus on risks and outcomes
Disclaimer
“Certain numbers in this report have been rounded to one decimal place. Due to rounding, some totals may not correspond with the sum of the separate figures.”
52.1% to 98.4% is the 2024–2025 increase in DCAs
In the last report in February 2024, 52.1% of Tier 1 and 2 projects included a delivery confidence assessment. In February 2025, this has increased to 98.4%. Through concerted focus on strengthening how digital projects are overseen, Australians now know how their major digital projects are performing.
Disclaimer
“Certain numbers in this report have been rounded to one decimal place. Due to rounding, some totals may not correspond with the sum of the separate figures.”
A structured evidence-informed approach to policy planning makes sure your work is aligned to priorities and responsive to real needs.
This page provides 9 tips to guide you through the policy development process.
The 5-phase policy development process is a structured, evidence-based approach designed to create effective, well-informed solutions.
The pre-discovery phase is the first step in the process once you have identified there is a problem that may need to be addressed.
The Discovery phase involves an initial exploration of the project. This determines what sort of work might be needed to address the problem and planning to do so.
The alpha phase focuses on generating ideas and gathering feedback. Early concepts can be developed into prototypes to share with stakeholders for feedback to inform solutions.
The beta phase builds on the draft solution and refines it through testing, feedback and iteration to ensure its readiness for implementation.
Implement the solution and conduct regular evaluation or review once the solution is implemented.
A key focus of this phase is regularly reviewing the solution’s success to maintain relevance and implement continuous improvements.
Creating a new policy is not always be the best approach. It’s crucial to start with a clear understanding of the problem, rather than having a solution like a policy or standard already in mind.
The Australian Public Service Academy uses a definition from the Australian Policy Handbook of policy as ‘a Statement of government intent, and its implementation through the use of policy instruments’.
Althaus, Bridgman, Davis 2023
Standards ‘set out specifications, procedures and guidelines that aim to ensure products, services, and systems are safe, consistent, and reliable.’
Standards Australia 2025
Building a future-ready public sector through progressive and measurable digital planning.
Use this checklist to determine if the policy applies to a service.
No Further Action
Existing public-facing digital service
Note: If it’s a new or a replacement digital service, visit digital.gov.au/policy/digital-experience for further information.
Informational or transactional service
Note: These descriptions are a guide only. A service may still be defined as transactional and/or informational if it does not match the examples set out above.
Page visits or transactions
Reporting on compliance is only for services with more than 50,000 page visits and/or transactions per annum.
Note: the policy still applies to services with fewer than 50,000 page visits and/or transactions, though for reporting it focuses resources and compliance efforts on high-impact services. This makes sure the most widely used digital services adhere to the policy standards and smaller-scale services can operate with greater flexibility.
DX Policy compliance, reporting and exemption information for digital government services.
The Digital Service Standard is made up of 10 criteria to help agencies design and deliver services that are user-friendly, inclusive, adaptable and measurable. To successfully apply the standard, agencies must meet all the criteria.
Agencies are encouraged to make sure their digital service applies the criteria across all 4 standards. While compliance with all 4 standards is not always required, there are certain instances where compliance with all 4 standards is mandatory.
The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) acknowledges that agencies may not be able to meet all the requirements of the Digital Experience (DX) Policy in every instance. Where appropriate, agencies can apply for an exemption.
The Digital Inclusion Standard is made up of 5 criteria for designing and delivering inclusive and accessible digital government services through best practice principles. To successfully apply the standard, agencies must meet all the criteria.
Please note that this was required before 1 July 2025 for the Digital Service Standard, and is required before 1 January 2026 for the Digital Inclusion Standard. If you need more time to uplift your services, particularly for the Digital Service Standard, or are unable to meet one of the requirements due to e.g. legacy challenges, you can apply for an exemption if applicable (information below).
Additional Assistance
For further guidance on the exemptions process please see Digital Experience | digital.gov.au or contact standard@dta.gov.au.