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Next page
Criterion 5. Analyse and report your digital performance
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Back to the Digital Performance Standard
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Guidance and resources
- Digital Performance Standard Guidance
- Digital and ICT Investment Oversight Framework
- Data and Digital Government Strategy
- Australian Government Architecture
- Benefits Management Policy
- The Australian Privacy Principles (oaic.gov.au)
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Services covered by the Access Standard
The Access Standard is mandatory and applies from 1 January 2025 to informational and transactional digital services that are:
- subject to the requirements of the Investment Oversight Framework (IOF)
- new or replacement public facing.
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Next page: Meeting the Digital Access Standard
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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
- online libraries
- databases and data warehouses.
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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:
- logging in to a portal or platform
- submitting a claim
- registering a business
- updating contact details
- lodging a tax return
- subscribing to newsletters
- grant applications
- public consultation submissions.
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Access points
Access points are the online entry points or ‘front doors’ where users go to find and interact with government digital services. Access points for digital services typically take the form of:
- informational websites
- web applications accessed from a web browser
- online portals or platforms
- mobile apps.
For more information on how ‘portals’ are defined, please refer to the Australian Government Architecture (AGA).
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Services not covered by the Digital Access Standard
The Digital Access Standard does not apply to:
- 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
- existing public-facing digital services
- Australian Public Service (APS) staff-facing services.
State, territory or local government, third parties and APS staff-facing systems may choose to apply the Digital Access Standard to improve access and discoverability of their digital services.
Some services may request an exemption from the Digital Access Standard. See the Exemptions section below.
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Transition approach
The Digital Access Standard will be implemented in phases to target the requirements for agencies to connect new services for individuals to myGov. This will be followed by further decision-making principles that will consider digital service access more broadly.
- Phase 1: 1 January 2025 – New and replacement digital services for individuals suitable for myGov
- Phase 2: 1 January 2026 – All other new and replacement public-facing digital services for individuals as well as those for businesses and providers.
The DTA will regularly review the Digital Access Standard and make improvements as government service delivery and digital services mature. Improvements will be made in line with agency application and feedback.
Phase 1 – Services for individuals suitable for myGov
From 1 January 2025, services that meet the following criteria will be required to meet the Digital Access Standard.
- owned by non-corporate Commonwealth entities
- informational or transactional
- authenticated or unauthenticated
- new or replacement services
- public-facing digital services for individuals suitable for myGov.
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Next page: Meeting the Digital Access Standard
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Meeting the Digital Access Standard
The Access Standard is made up of 5 criteria agencies must follow to prioritise the reuse of an existing platform and consider the integration, consolidation and migration of access points.
To successfully apply the Access 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 Access Standard throughout all the IOF states. A diagram showing how each standard applies across the IOF touchpoints can be found within the Digital Experience Policy.
Exemptions
The DTA acknowledges that some agencies may be unable to meet one or more of the criteria set out by the Access Standard due to a range of circumstances.
Further information can be found in the Compliance, reporting and exemption guide.
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Next page: Measuring success of the Digital Access Standard
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Measuring success of the Digital Access Standard
The DTA will measure success by reporting on agencies’ compliance with the Access Standard.
Agencies are required to report on their compliance with the Access Standard to the DTA within specified timeframes and maintain continuous improvement against performance measures.
Agencies are required to demonstrate compliance through DTA’s current and any future data collection activities that support the IOF.
- For new digital services for individuals suitable for myGov this will apply from 1 January 2025
- For all other public facing digital services this will apply from 1 January 2026.
Further information can be found in the Compliance, reporting and exemption guide.
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Next page: Criterion 1 – Understand how your users access services
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Criterion 1 – Understand how your users access services
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Make the most of existing access points by understanding where users already go to access digital government services.
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Know where your users already go to access government services online
Understand your users’ interactions: Do research to understand where users already go to access similar digital services across government. Map the user’s journey to create a deeper understanding of how they engage with digital platforms. Take stock of the platforms or capabilities that could be used to support a better digital experience (see Criterion 3).
For replacement services, while the existing access point may be assessed as the best option, there may be instances where the replacement service could be consolidated with an alternative access point such as an agency website. When designing replacement services, consider if there is an opportunity to use another existing access point, for example a replacement service for individuals accessed through myGov.
- Increase discoverability: Consider how to increase the visibility of the service by understanding where users access government information and services. Understand the navigation pathways users take and use these to maximise discoverability of the service.
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Evaluate if any existing access points are fit for purpose
- Assess existing access points: Identify existing access points that users interact with (also see Criterion 3). Determine if any existing access point will be fit for purpose for users of the digital service (see also Criterion 4).
- Know the context: Consider if the context is appropriate and if reusing an existing access point is the sensible approach. Determine whether incorporating the service as part of an existing platform enhances user experience.
- Understand the requirements: Consider factors such as the capabilities and requirements for the digital service and how existing access points might meet these requirements. Understand if there are specific requirements that stand out for the users.
- Assess the investment: Consider if an investment is required to provide access to the new service through an existing platform, either to uplift an existing access point, or further investment in the new service itself. Investigate cost-effectiveness to determine if reuse would be cost-prohibitive.
- Share learnings: Collaborate with other agencies to consider lessons learned and user insights to help inform continuous improvement of digital experiences across whole-of-government.
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Questions for consideration
- Who are the target users of the new service?
- How are the intended users of the new service currently accessing government services online?
- Is there an existing access point already familiar to the users?
- Have you explored ways to overcome current blockers for your users when they are accessing digital services?
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Guidance and resources
- Digital Access Standard Guidelines
- Data and Digital Government Strategy
- Digital Service Standard
Connect with the digital community
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