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Enabling digital government
The criteria
The Digital Service Standard consists of 10 criteria. Each criterion is accompanied by:
- an explanation of its purpose
- your responsibilities in meeting it
- when it should be applied within the Service design and delivery process
- suggested activities to apply it
- further resources and guidance.
The Data and Digital Government Strategy sets a 2030 vision for:
'the Australian Government to deliver simple, secure and connected public services, for all people and business, through world class data and digital capabilities.'
Digital Access Standard
The Digital Access Standard (Access Standard) sets the requirements for agencies to reduce duplication of entry points, supporting unified access to digital government services for people and business.
While the Access Standard does not mandate a single front door or one login for all government services, it encourages agencies to prioritise the reuse of existing platforms, and consider the integration, consolidation, and migration of access points where feasible. This helps reduce complexity for users, who would otherwise need to navigate a fragmented and decentralised digital landscape. Building on the Digital Service Standard's criterion 4, connect services and criterion 6, don’t reinvent the wheel, the Access Standard expands these principles. It helps agencies understand where their service fits in the broader ecosystem and supports more coordinated, whole-of-government planning.
The Access Standard aligns with the Australian Government’s Data and Digital Government Strategy, and complements related policies, including the Digital Service Standard and the Digital and ICT Reuse Policy. Together, these frameworks promote consistency, reuse, and user-centred design across digital services.
The Access Standard is part of a broader suite of guidance that supports the Digital Experience Policy. This whole-of-government policy aims to improve the digital experience for people and business, and includes supporting standards for inclusion, performance, and access.
Your responsibilities
To successfully meet this criterion, agencies need to:
- develop a business case for change
- survey the policy and service landscape
- understand the service’s lifecycle
- adopt an agile methodology.
When to apply this criterion
Apply Criterion 1 during the Discovery phase to gain a deep understanding of the problem, the service’s business case and the policy and strategic landscape.
Revisit this criterion across the Service design and delivery process to ensure the service remains fit for purpose as government evolves.
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Questions for consideration
- What problem exists?
- What is happening in the policy and service landscape?
- What government priorities and initiatives align to the problem space?
- What might success look like?
Your responsibilities
To successfully meet this criterion, agencies need to:
- develop a business case for change
- survey the policy and service landscape
- understand the service’s lifecycle
- adopt an agile methodology.
When to apply this criterion
Apply Criterion 1 during the Discovery phase to gain a deep understanding of the problem, the service’s business case and the policy and strategic landscape.
Revisit this criterion across the Service design and delivery process to ensure the service remains fit for purpose as government evolves.
Questions for consideration
- What problem exists?
- What is happening in the policy and service landscape?
- What government priorities and initiatives align to the problem space?
- What might success look like?
How to apply criterion 1
Your responsibilities
To successfully meet this criterion, agencies will need to:
- understand the service’s users
- conduct user research
- test and validate designs.
Questions for consideration
- Who will use this service?
- What are their wants and needs?
- What are their pain points and frustrations?
- What is their current experience with this or other services?
- What devices and technology do they use?
Guidance and resources
- Customer journey mapping (Digital.NSW)
- Journey maps (Digital Profession)
- Create a discussion guide (Victorian Government Digital standards)
- Putting innovation theory into practice (Observatory of Public Sector Innovation)
- Human-centred design playbook (Victorian Government)
- Human-centred design resources (Queensland Government)
When to apply
Apply Criterion 3 during the Discovery and Alpha phases and build upon the understanding of users developed in Criterion 2 (‘Know your user’). This criterion will extend outcomes to cater for the needs and unique challenges facing different user groups.
Adhere to this criterion in all phases of the Service design and delivery process to keep up with changing user needs.
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Questions for consideration
- Who are the users that will use the service?
- Which types, if any, are disproportionately affected?
- How can agencies track impact on different types of users?
- What cultural, language, access or socioeconomic barriers need to be planned for?
- How will agencies make the service inclusive and accessible for all?
- How are the voices of marginalised and vulnerable users being heard?
- How will the service be available for people who can’t use digital?
- Can existing inequalities be prevented in a digital world?
Guidance and resources
- Disability Discrimination Act (1992)
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
- WCAG 2 Overview
- Australian Government Style Manual
- First Nations digital inclusion plan
- Accessibility Toolkit – Vision Australia
- Dos and don’ts on designing for accessibility – Accessibility in government (blog.gov.uk)
- Four Principles of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (apsacademy.gov.au)
- Online Accessibility Toolkit | Online Accessibility Toolkit
- Accessibility and Inclusivity Toolkit – NSW Government