The case for faster digital adoption

While government services continue to move online, the question remains—are services being designed and deployed to maximise value to citizens and government? 

Not quite, according to research commissioned by Adobe. While over 90% of Australians prefer to access government services digitally, only 79% of interactions in 2023 were carried out online. That gap represents a missed opportunity, with the rsearch also showing that offering improved digital experiences could save the government $12 billion in service delivery costs over th next decade and free up 800 million hours for citizens.

But the data shows that digital adoption is not simply a matter of preference—it relies on four core attributes: efficiency, accessibility, reliability and security. Services that excel in these areas see twice as many as many interactions as those that don’t. 

Performance declines and challenges

The latest Digital Government Index for Australia (DGI) reveals that Australia’s national score has dipped, largely due to a decline in digital equity, which fell 3.6% from the previous year. This means government services are becoming harder to find and interpret, particularly for those with accessibility needs. 

Though most assessed agencies meet the WCAG 2.1 standards, factors like readability and language translation availability have declined, highlighting a growing challenge for Australians with lower literacy levels or those who speak English as a second language.  

Trust is emerging as a critical factor. With the rise of AI-driven search and misinformation, citizens must be confident they are accessing official government sources. Lower site authority scores suggest that information is becoming hard to search for and verify, increasing the risk of misinformation spread. 

State and Territory standings a mixed bag

New South Wales has retained its top ranking, but Western Asutralia and Tasmania made the biggest gains, thanks to targeted digital inclusion initiaves. Meanwhile, Queensland saw the largest drop, particularly in site performance and customer experience. Victoria and Northern Territory struggled, with declines in digital equity scores. 

The biggest improvements are from agencies embedding accessibility and personalisation into their digital strategies, including the NSW Government, which has introduced web translation services for 73 languages and prioritised ‘Easy Read’ resources, helping counter readability challenges seen elsewhere. 

“The NSW Government is committed to digital equity, ensuring all residents can access and benefit from digital services. We’re not just building technology; we’re building a fairer, more connected society where no one is left behind on their digital journey,” said The Hon. Jihad Dib, Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, NSW Government.

Building citizen-centric digital experiences

The report outlines several recommendations to improve digital government services:

• Improve findability and trust: Agencies need to consolidate information, improve search authority, and ensure that government sources are prioritised in AI-driven search results.
• Enhance accessibility beyond compliance: Meeting WCAG standards is a baseline, but governments must also focus on readability, multilingual support, and compatability with assistive technologies.
• Strengthen personalisation capabilities: Australians expect tailored digital interactions, yet many government sites lack personalised dashboards or geo-located content.
• Invest in modern technology stacks: Agencies leading in digital performance have implemented enterprise-level content and data management systems, enabling more seamless citizen interactions.

A critical juncture for digital government

The 2024 DGI for Australia findings should serve as a wake-up call for government agencies. While many have made significant strides in digital services delivery, complacency risks undermining that progress. Accessibility, trust and personalisation to close the gap between citizen expectations and service delivery. The pathway to experience-driven government is clear—now its time for agencies to act and ensure accelerated adoption.
Read the report here: https://publicsectornetwork.com/marketplace/vendors/adobe/whitepaper.