By 2030, the APS will adopt the right capabilities, practices, standards and culture and make effective use of data and digital technologies to operate as a seamless government.

The APS will measure and track the data and digital maturity of entities and the workforce and use this information to drive continuous improvement.

Through consultation on the initial Strategy, stakeholders called for the Australian Government to lead by example on transparency, management and governance of data and digital systems. State and territory governments supported national systems and platforms that can be used by all jurisdictions to deliver services. Stakeholders called for an uplift of APS data and digital capabilities.

Manage data as a valuable national asset

Data is one of the most valuable assets the Government holds and must be managed like other high value assets. The Government expects entities to establish and invest in appropriate mechanisms, infrastructure and practices to support data curation, storage, protection and use. Treating data as an asset will require entities to recognise its value and importance to their operations, devote suitable resources to its collection, maintenance and use, and unlock its full potential, including by making data-driven decisions.

The Government is continually improving how it manages its data, including building the Australian Government Data Catalogue, ensuring inventory completeness and compliance with agreed metadata standards, reusing existing infrastructure and capabilities, and strengthening governance arrangements with state and territory jurisdictions. The Government will also develop a whole-of-government data governance framework for consistent data management across the APS.

The DATA Scheme expands use of the Government’s data, with eligible entities expected to participate as much as possible. Participants and the public will be able to use the Australian Government Data Catalogue and Dataplace to learn what data is held, who holds it and how to access it.

The Australian Government commits that all government entities will:

  • appoint an appropriate senior leader to be responsible for the organisation’s data
  • educate their staff on the importance and appropriate use of data
  • adopt best practice data collection and use to create data assets that support policy development and decision making; for example, the use of gender-disaggregated data collection and analysis to support the Government’s gender equality priorities
  • adopt an organisation specific plan for using data, including identification of data assets, to achieve their organisational objectives
  • incorporate appropriate data management and stewardship approaches, including identifying roles with specific responsibilities for these functions
  • embed data standards into all data asset management functions, focusing on data quality: accuracy, completeness, auditability, consistency, and timeliness
  • embed infrastructure maintenance plans into ICT schedules, to ensure the integrity and protection of data.

Build a data and digital-capable APS

Further investments in the capability of the APS are essential to achieving the Government’s ambitions and commitments in this Strategy. The Government recognises the need for a variety of skills and capabilities to support the implementation of data and digital technologies across the APS. Leaders and champions need to build technical learning expertise but also foster and develop core soft skills such as communication, co-design and embedding of inclusion and accessibility to operate as a government of the future in line with the APS Reform agenda.

Recent reviews, including the 2023 myGov User Audit, acknowledge the record high demand for digital capabilities. However, a highly competitive labour market, a history of outsourcing and the size of the existing data and digital skills gap make meeting this demand difficult. The APS Audit of Employment will help the Government’s efforts to reduce reliance on a contingent workforce while sourcing niche capabilities where appropriate.

The Government will continue to build and uplift data and digital expertise of the APS leadership and workforce to ensure the APS attracts, engages, develops and retains people with the necessary skills. To support this, the Government has established the APS Data and Digital Professions to focus on increasing workforce data and digital capabilities.

Success will rely on improving the gender balance in the APS data and digital workforce. In 2022, only 41% of APS employees working in data and digital job roles were women (Australian Public Service Commission, December 2022). Capability uplift driven under this Strategy will build on existing efforts to strengthen gender representation in STEM through the Australian Public Service Gender Equality Strategy 2021-26 and Women in STEM Decadal Plan, and the Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review.

To attract and retain people with the right skills and remain adaptable and flexible in a data and digital age, the Australian Government commits to:

  • uplifting APS capability to ensure staff can effectively engage with data and digital technologies to produce useful insights, advice and operate more productively
  • increasing the gender diversity of those working in digital and ICT roles in the APS
  • developing a whole-of-APS Digital Workforce Plan
  • improving pathways for entities to share technical expertise
  • engaging with industry and global experts to stay informed of the latest tools, technologies and methodologies in data and digital capability development
  • ensuring further development of data and digital skills.

Grow APS maturity

Data and digital maturity vary between entities, slowing the standardisation of platforms and services, and the delivery of outcomes.

A standardised approach to tracking maturity delivers upon the intent of the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service, to better monitor maturity and progress toward a digitally enabled Australian Government by 2030.

The Government will develop maturity assessment tools for entities to help them understand their data and digital management and use practices, identify capability gaps and better target investments.

To help uplift APS maturity, the Office of the National Data Commissioner is developing education and materials to support best practice data handling and sharing under the DATA Scheme. The Australian Centre for Evaluation’s work to integrate high-quality evaluation into all aspects of program and policy development will support and build on efforts to grow APS data and digital maturity.

The Australian Government commits to:

  • growing data and digital maturity of APS entities
  • developing tools to measure and report on the data maturity of agencies and the APS as a whole.