Data and Digital Government Strategy Implementation Plan Update
The first update to the Data and Digital Government Strategy Implementation Plan is an opportunity to celebrate the successes and progress the APS makes towards achieving the Australian Government’s 2030 vision.
The Data and Digital Government Strategy (the Strategy) Implementation Plan has undergone its first major update following its release in December 2023.
Throughout 2024, we have seen numerous projects that showcase the large-scale reform and service uplift underway to build data and digital capability across the Australian Public Service (APS).
Exciting innovations driving this transformation include:
- Expanding the use of Digital ID across the economy. Digital ID can reduce reliance on physical documents and streamline our capabilities to share personal information, in a privacy and secure way, across a variety of interactions in the economy.
- Simplifying the completion of Commonwealth statutory declarations. What took days can now be done in minutes through MyGov. Reducing friction across various claims, and ensuring this service is easily available to both urban and rural communities.
- World first whole of government trial of generative artificial intelligence (AI). To test ways to harness generative AI and determine how it can improve public sector productivity and service delivery, the DTA outlined the opportunities and risks with the service.
The Implementation Plan is updated each year to track progress towards the 2030 vision. It responds to emerging issues and technologies, as well as identifying initiatives to continue Australia’s data and digital transformation.
Updates are completed in consultation with agencies responsible for specific initiatives.
Delivering services that meet people’s needs
Digital experiences that deliver for all people and business is a central theme of the Strategy. The Digital Experience Policy, launched in July 2024, is an important step to achieving this mission.
This policy introduces mandatory new standards for government websites and digital services It sets agreed benchmarks for the performance of digital services and supports agencies’ design and delivery of better experiences by considering the broad digital service ecosystem.
From 1 January 2025, all government agencies will be required to meet 3 additional standards for new services: the Digital Inclusion Standard, Digital Access Standard, and Digital Performance Standard. Together, this suite of standards will support agencies to deliver more cohesive and consistent digital experiences.
The implementation of the Digital Experience Policy plays an important role in supporting government’s focus on improving the experience for people and businesses. This includes how they interact digitally with government information and services, setting a measure for good digital services, and integrating data based on real-world use.
Maximising value from data
The government is strengthening how it links data to develop insights for better informed decision making and service delivery.
At Geoscience Australia, hundreds of datasets are connected to the Digital Atlas of Australia. This includes Income Support Payment data from the Department of Social Services and socio-economic data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
By transforming this data into intuitive dashboards, users can easily evaluate program effectiveness and make data-backed decisions to deliver targeted support for Australian communities.
Separately, the Department of Health and Aged Care is collaborating with government partners and researchers to identify how the Australian Immunisation Register can directly feed into policy insights and support health outcomes.
Delivering a simple and seamless digital ID
Through its work to support wider use of Digital ID , the Government is continuing to integrate services to deliver a fast, secure and seamless experience for all people.
Enabling the use of Digital ID across the economy - as a secure, convenient, voluntary, and inclusive way to verify ID - will give people control of their personal information and enhance the protection of government services against fraud and misuse.
This will increase productivity, improve safety and security, and simplify access to services.
Safely and responsibly adopting Artificial Intelligence
The Strategy highlights the importance of the transparent exploration and adoption of emerging technologies by government. For this reason, the rapid uptake and development of publicly available generative AI tools demanded a quick and effective response.
Throughout 2024, the government conducted a trial of Microsoft 365 Copilot to evaluate the use of a generative AI tool. Involving over 5,000 staff across 60 agencies. The trial enabled the APS workforce to experiment with generative AI in a safe, responsible, and integrated environment, informing approaches to policy, risk management, and assurance.
The package of policies, standards, and frameworks guiding the use of AI include:
- The Policy for the responsible use of AI in government provides a unified approach for government to engage with AI confidently and realise its benefits.
- A standard for accountable officials for the uplift and governance of adoption, as well as a standard for AI transparency statements setting out the information agencies should make publicly available.
- The National framework for the assurance of artificial intelligence in government and a pilot of the Australian Government AI assurance framework help ensure the use of AI by government at all levels is consistent with Australia’s AI ethics principles and community expectations.
Read about all of the initiatives undertaken as part of Implementation Plan, or review the entire Data and Digital Government Strategy, at dataanddigital.gov.au.
The Digital Transformation Agency is the Australian Government's adviser for the development, delivery and monitoring of whole-of-government strategies, policies and standards, for digital and ICT investments and procurement.