Priority 1: Success measure/performance criteria

​Deliver digital and ICT strategies, policy and advice, including advice to Government and Commonwealth entities on digital and ICT investment, that supports digital transformation across government to deliver a better user experience.

Source: Combined Corporate Plan 2019–23 success measure and Portfolio Budget Statement 2019–20 performance criteria.

Targets for 2019–20

Facilitate digital transformation of government by:

• providing advice to Government and Commonwealth entities on digital and ICT strategies, policies, priorities and trends, including how to leverage emerging technologies, to improve service delivery.

Result: Achieved

Throughout the year we led whole-of-government digital and ICT policy, strategy, advice and support to improve service delivery. Examples include:

COVID-19 response

• We established a cross-agency governance forum to cement the whole-of-nation view. We also advised on, and worked across the APS to deliver, the Government’s coronavirus information products and the COVIDSafe contact tracing app (more details on our contribution to the COVID-19 response are in Priority 4).

Protected Utility program

• The Protected Utility program delivered the first blueprint design for a secure, modern desktop based on Microsoft Office 365. The program continues to provide consolidated learnings to further enhance design and delivery, and drive more efficient digital transformation of government (see more about Protected Utility in Priority 2).

Whole-of-government Hosting Strategy

• While work on this strategy was delayed due to COVID-19 related issues, we continued to address aspects of ownership, sovereignty, disclosure and certification. A total of 24 government agencies and 15 companies from industry have taken an active interest in the work and are helping to collaboratively develop our hosting strategy implementation.

National ministerial forum

• During 2019–20 we supported the Australian Data and Digital Council. This Council was established to provide strategic leadership for the Government’s digital transformation and ICT programs.Our CEO chaired the Digital Leadership Group, comprising senior Chief Information Officers from across the APS.

Target for 2019–20

Providing advice to agencies and Government on new digital and ICT-enabled policy proposals.

New digital investment proposals

• We updated our advice to help agencies more effectively address the Government’s Digital Transformation Strategy and Digital Transformation Priorities in new digital and ICT-enabled proposals.
• We saw increased engagement with APS agencies, even with the impacts of the bushfires and COVID-19 on usual work practices, availability, and changes to the budget cycle.
• During 2019–20, we engaged with 36 agencies on 50 digital and ICT-enabled initiatives. We provided advice to assist agencies to develop proposals that aligned with whole-of-government digital and ICT priorities. Our advice supported improvements in efficiency and productivity delivered through digital and ICT-enabled initiatives across the public service. This included collaborating across government agencies to identify, and support joint proposals to address, common requirements.
• We worked closely with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Department of Finance to provide advice to Government on all new digital and ICT proposals, in keeping with the ICT Investment Approval Process.
• We also coordinated 7 assurance activities across 3 major digital investments, which assisted agencies in managing key risks to successful delivery.

Target for 2019–20

Providing advice on whole-of-government digital and ICT sourcing.

Sourcing advice

• We provided advice on whole-of-government digital and ICT sourcing through our work establishing, updating and maintaining digital and ICT marketplaces, panels and whole-of-government agreements (see more details in Priority 3). We also provided advice through direct engagement with agencies

Target for 2019–20

Providing advice and guidance on design and delivery of digital and ICT projects.

In-flight projects

• We engaged with 26 entities on 48 in-flight projects and related activities to promote better practice project management methods and support project teams to realise intended benefits.

Digital Census

• We provided advice and support to the Australian Bureau of Statistics team developing the 2021 digital census. We ran a health check against the Digital Service Standard for the team’s service design and delivery, and recommended areas to focus on moving to the Beta stage. We provided ongoing advice and support as the team progressed through the Beta stage and we will conduct another health check in the coming months.

Ongoing support

• We engaged regularly with departments and agencies seeking advice, guidance and support for their efforts to apply the Digital Service Standard and the service design and delivery process to their service transformation efforts.
• We continued our work with agencies, providing independent assurance for major digital investments as part of the $500 million Australian Public Service Modernisation Fund.
• During the year, we also engaged with 25 agencies on 21 strategic digital and ICT forums, designed to maintain and build on inter-departmental relationships.

Target for 2019–20

Reviewing the Digital Transformation Strategy and roadmap annually to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose.

Year 1 Digital Transformation Strategy update

• Minister for Government Services, the Hon Stuart Robert MP, released the first annual update on progress of the Digital Transformation Strategy in November 2019. The strategy sets the vision for government that is easy to deal with, informed by you (people and businesses of Australia) and fit for the digital age. The accompanying roadmap outlines the planned initiatives to help us achieve our goals.
• The Year 1 update found that we are making significant progress, with 85% of the roadmap initiatives complete, meaning we are well on target to meeting our vision to deliver world-leading digital services for the benefit of all Australians by 2025.
• The update also featured case studies as examples of progress, such as the use of emerging 3D x-ray technology to protect Australia’s borders through automated biosecurity screening that alerts officers to potential risks in baggage or mail items, and the interactive National Drought Map that supports better decisions and support for those affected by drought.

Target for 2019–20

Expanding and implementing a framework to identify, prioritise and accelerate service improvements around key life events.

Government Experience (GovX) initiative and life event journeys

• Understanding life events allows governments to orient services around people’s needs, rather than how government is organised. We are working to improve common issues people have when dealing with government as a result of life events (such as Looking for work or Having a baby).
• We continued working with state jurisdictions on 3 life event journeys – the birth of a child (Australian Capital Territory Government leading), end of life (New South Wales Government leading) and looking for work (Queensland Government leading). This work has developed a clear understanding of how users interact with government services, the pain points they experience, and several opportunities for government improvements. It also identified the need for an Australian Data and Digital Council endorsed approach to accelerate progress through priorities, to focus future work and principles to guide national development and implementation of service improvements.
• In September 2019, the Australian Data and Digital Council endorsed our life event journey approach and Principles for National Service Improvement as a shared framework to prioritise, govern, fund and manage life event initiatives to transform services and outcomes for people and business.
• We also developed Life Event Prioritisation Framework and a draft measurement framework to assess life event initiatives against the Australian Data and Digital Council criteria of service improvement and efficiency, citizen experience and citizen wellbeing.
• Drawing on the 12 life event journeys we have mapped, and the 6 life event communities we have established, we provided advice and support to a range of Commonwealth and state agencies on how to redesign services using a life events approach. This included working with Services Australia to ensure a life event approach is used to identify and guide new initiatives.
• In addition, we provided training on the life events mapping approach to over 70 staff from more than 20 Commonwealth, state and local government agencies.