The DTA's Annual Report for 2023-24 lays out how we're empowering people, businesses, and government agencies to embrace digital uplift. Our role is to work with all Australian Government sectors to ensure digital solutions add value, boost productivity, and improve outcomes.
The DTA's latest Annual Report provides an overview of the major work we have undertaken throughout the 2023-2024 financial year. It highlights our projects that improve the way we provide digital and information and communications technology (ICT) strategy, policy leadership, investment advice, strategic sourcing, and delivery oversight. We do this to drive the digital transformation of the Australian Government and deliver benefits to all Australians.
'In 2023-24, the DTA made major strides in digital government,' outlines Chris Fechner, Chief Executive Officer of the DTA. 'By adopting new methods, refining governance, and collaborating with various sectors, our teamwork improved the advice we give to government.'
'We strengthened oversight of digital investments and continued to build trust among Australians using digital government services.'
Paving the way for a digital future
In December 2023, we launched the Data and Digital Government Strategy and its implementation plan. This strategy - a joint initiative of the Department of Finance and DTA - focuses on integrating data and digital technologies to make services simpler, more secure, and better connected by 2030.
With this goal of improving public digital services, we conducted work to ensure that their design, delivery, and performance remained clear and efficient. At the conclusion of 2023, we put out the improved Digital Service Standard 2.0. A refresh following in-depth consultation with agencies, it streamlined our advice and provided new resources for users.
This also kickstarted the bulk of our development of the Digital experience policy, which was released in July 2025. The policy was accompanied by four standards, aimed to unify the way government agencies design and deliver their digital services.
Throughout 2023-24, we facilitated a hands-on trial to help government agencies experiment, innovate, and better understand how generative AI could streamline their work.
This new direction and practical trial shaped our policy positions across a variety of potential solutions and services, including:
- Interim guidance on generative AI for Government agencies. The purpose of this interim guidance was to foster a transparent and innovative culture to effectively manages risk through assessment and governance of all emerging technologies. (This has now been superseded by Policy for the responsible use of AI in government.)
- National framework for the assurance of artificial intelligence in government. This framework recommends practices and cornerstones, as well as providing case studies and resources, that embrace the opportunities of AI without breaching confidence or trust.
'The DTA is determined to guide the public service through to understanding how leading-edge data and digital technologies can address the needs of the people and businesses the government serves,' stresses Mr Fechner.
'We will continue delivering resources for the safe, trustworthy, inclusive, and accessible leveraging of opportunities these technologies bring, as well as the reduction and mitigation of threats that they may present.'
Delivering intended benefits
2023-24 also saw us continue to develop a clearer understanding of the benefits of digital projects. Our new Benefits management policy integrates best practices into decisions, ensuring new digital investments meet minimum criteria before receiving funding.
The year saw the development of our Assurance Framework to support agencies in the planning and execution of digital and ICT projects. This framework is designed to ensure that projects are delivered within their defined scope, budget, and on schedule.
None of this digital uplift is possible without access to the right solution products, services, and expertise. Through our digital sourcing and contracting capabilities, the DTA is enabling government agencies to access these vital digital resources. Our work in this space this year included:
- A new enterprise resource planning (ERP) category on the Software Marketplace to provide efficient, straightforward, and cost-effective ERP solutions and products.
- Work on enhancing the Digital Marketplace to ensure it continues to serve the needs of buyers and sellers across Australia.
Early in the 2023-24 financial year, we took a significant leap forward in developing an all-encompassing plan for government architecture. The Australian Government Architecture website serves as a collection of digital artefacts and guidance to inform agencies on how to align to the digital directions of government.
'Looking back, the DTA significantly advanced excellence in digital government,' explains Mr Fechner.
'We've embraced new working methods; improved our governance, strategy, policy, and sourcing; and collaborated with government sectors, industry, academia, and the broader public.'
Hitting milestones and sharing knowledge
Our efforts to move in this new direction, and establish key processes, has been recognised domestically and internationally.
On the international stage, Australia secured the top position in the 'Digital by Design' category as part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Digital Government Index for 2023. Overall, we ranked 5th in our debut participation in this index. This reflected our strategies and dedication to digital transformation.
Australia's digital government capabilities improved domestically too. Our local benchmark improved from 79% in 2023 to 80% in 2024, based on the Digital Government Readiness and Maturity Indicator produced by Intermedium (an Australian SME researcher specialising in government procurement).
We also delivered on our commitment for a transparent and innovative digital public service by releasing data of digital projects in February 2024. This includes projects covered by the Assurance Framework. This means they use technology as the primary method to achieve outcomes and benefits.
Our ongoing advice to government - that helped achieve and will continue to improve upon our leadership in digital government - takes a number of different forms through various forums, including:
- Secretaries Digital and Data Committee provide strategic leadership to promote an APS-enterprise approach for the delivery of trusted and secure digital and data capabilities across government.
- Digital Leadership Committee that comprises senior business and technology leaders from across the APS to guide government digital transformation.
- Digital Investment Overview that advises on the prioritisation of investments to inform ministerial decision-making.
'The improvement we're seeing can be attributed to the increased awareness of the DTA's role in assessing digital proposals,' states Mr Fechner. 'Having agencies engage with us early - to establish a deeper understanding of deliverables and requirements - allows for a strategic, benefits-based approach to our digital uplift remit.'
Read the complete DTA Annual Report 2023-24 here.
