Government website services for the general public are expected to conform to the Australian Digital Service Standard. The standard has 13 criteria for best-practice online project management and service delivery:
- Research to develop a deep knowledge of the users and their context for using the service.
- Establish a sustainable multidisciplinary team to design, build, operate and iterate the service, led by an experienced product manager with decision-making responsibility.
- Design and build the product using the service design and delivery process, taking an agile and user-centred approach.
- Understand the tools and systems required to build, host, operate and measure the service and how to adopt, adapt or procure them.
- Identify the data and information the service will use or create. Put appropriate legal, privacy and security measures in place.
- Build the service with responsive design methods using common design patterns and the style guide.
- Build using open standards and common government platforms where appropriate.
- Make all new source code open by default.
- Ensure the service is accessible to all users regardless of their ability and environment.
- Test the service from end to end, in an environment that replicates the live version.
- Measure performance against KPIs (key performance indicators) set out in the guides. Report on public dashboard.
- Ensure that people who use the digital service can also use the other available channels if needed, without repetition or confusion.
- Encourage users to choose the digital service and consolidate or phase out existing alternative channels where appropriate.
The Digital Transformation Agency website has more information on the rationale for each standard and how to apply it.
