The Albanese government has agreed to keep the myGov platform as its digital front door for services but won’t completely accept expert recommendations to protect it in legislation and introduce new funding models.
On Monday, Government Services minister Bill Shorten revealed the government’s long-awaited response to an independent audit of the myGov platform completed in January.
The audit found the online platform had developed over a decade into “critical national infrastructure” now used by 25 million people. But it had limitations and lacked funding certainty and legislation to define its scope, purpose and high-level commitments to citizens.
The audit had called on the government to provide its response by July. The government’s response to the audit, dated October, was released on Monday.
It agrees to four of the 10 recommendations, agrees in principle to five and notes one that calls to legislate myGov as “national service delivery infrastructure”.
The audit panel, led by former CSIRO chair David Thodey, had envisioned myGov legislation would include its purpose, scope and high-level commitments to citizens as well as reporting requirements for a long-term roadmap and citizen charter and publishing performance data.
The government did agree to the audit’s key recommendations to confirm myGov as the “go to place” for online services and communications.
The government response said it will develop a “unified and pragmatic whole of government approach to myGov as a primary front door”.
This will come through a new decision-making framework and clear guidelines for agencies to determine “where their service fits in into the broader delivery of government services to curb the proliferation of new front doors, consolidate the existing digital ecosystem, and identify opportunities to reuse systems and reduce duplicate investments”, the response said.
However, the government said achieving the full extent of the audit’s recommendation will be “difficult and costly”.
The audit had called for ongoing funding of more than $100 million a year to maintain the platform, while recommending a separate development fund modelled on the New South Wales Digital Restart Fund should be used for new services and major uplifts.
The Albanese government provided $134.5 million over one year in its May Budget while it considered the long-term model and new development fund, with some expecting an announcement with last week’s MYEFO update and new Digital and Data strategy.
But only minor funding was provided last week and the “in principle agreement” in the audit response means the wait will continue for funding certainty or a myGov development fund.
“Further analysis will be completed and brought back in the 2024-25 Budget context ongoing operate and maintenance needs,” the government’s response said.
Services Australia will continue exploring new options for future improvements to myGov and the government last week committed to exploring new funding models more generally in its new Digital and Data Strategy.
Last week, Services Australia went to market for a supplier to develop a myGov funding model before the next Budget.
The audit response released on Monday also has full agreement to improve the accessibility and equitable access of myGov, including commitment to develop a new Digital Inclusion Standard for agencies that will design services to “leave no one behind”.
“Digital services should be simple, connected and secure. Importantly, they should also be designed around the needs of the people who use them,” Mr Shorten said in a statement.
“Labor is taking a commonsense and coordinated approach to streamline and improve online government services for all Australians, keep their information safe through the rollout of Digital ID and other myGov security improvements, and change our long-term investment approach.”
Finance minister Katy Gallagher, who has been mulling the new investment models this year, said myGov will be at the “heart of digital government service delivery”.
“”It is the place millions of Australians go to get support from Government at all points in their lives, and the audit has highlighted just how important it is for myGov to be a primary entry point for people,” she said.
“Implementation will take time but it will lay the foundations to the world class digital government services that Australians expect and deserve.”
In November, the government appointed former New South Wales Services minister Victor Dominello to lead a new myGov advisory group that met in Sydney for the first time on Monday.
