Digital public services are improving, but some Australians benefit more than others
New Adobe research reveals that public services and information have become easier for citizens to find, access, read and understand. Still, barriers remain just as AI-led technologies usher in the next wave of transformative change.
The Australian government is responding as citizens demand simple and equitable access to public services. In the past year alone, the myGov audit, Data and Digital Strategy and the Digital ID system have been prioritised or launched to enhance individual digital experience for citizens.
Adobe’s second annual Global Government Digital Performance and Inclusion (GDPI) Benchmark report for Australia confirms that commitment and investment in digital service delivery has made a difference. Australia’s Benchmark score has climbed to 68.4 out of 100 this year, up from 58.8 in 2022.
The GDPI Benchmark examines government website metrics across three dimensions. The first is customer experience, based on user feedback on desktop and mobile experiences.
Second, is site performance, measuring page loading speeds, errors, and findability of sites. And finally, digital equity, or the ease of accessing, reading, and understanding websites.
Australia’s overall Benchmark score was pushed higher by a 33% uplift in the Digital Equity dimension, followed by a 19% increase in site performance. However, customer experience remained practically unchanged, holding back a higher score.
The analysis revealed that while progress is being made to drive digital inclusion, public services aren’t always designed to cater to the needs of all citizens. Frustrations remain, with 65% of citizens navigating six or more websites before finding what they need.
Tackling equity challenges from all angles
Globally, the agencies that score higher tend to create experiences that ensure citizens can find, read, and understand public information on their preferred devices. This will drive inclusivity and foster interactive relationships between governments and diverse groups of citizens.
While Australian government departments and agencies are narrowing the digital divide, looking more closely at what’s driving the scores by dimension reveals some persistent constraints. For example, while digital social equity has climbed, aspects of customer experience can impact how individual citizens interact with the government online.
That was the case when examining user feedback from the customer experience scoring, where the mobile experience lagged behind that of the desktop. That means citizens with mobile-only internet access aren’t getting the same quality of experience as others.
The changing shape of States and Territory performance
While enhancements were evident in the higher nationwide Benchmark score, a significant variation in digital maturity still exists across the country.
New South Wales Government has again recorded the top score among the States and Territories this year. Its benchmark score increased 72.9 out of 100, leading its peers on the Customer Experience and Digital Equity dimensions.
Commenting on the result, Greg Wells, Chief Executive Officer of Service NSW Government, said, "As part of our commitment to be the world's most customer-centric government by 2030, we've invested in technology to make it easier for our customers to find and access the information and assistance they require."
Queensland made significant strides and was the fastest mover in the past year, with a recorded Benchmark reading of 70.4, a 14.2% rise from 2022. Following the State's ascent in the rankings, it’s now rivalling New South Wales and overtook the Australian Capital Territory, now in third position.
South Australia also gained ground in the rankings, led higher by the best Site Performance score among States and Territories. That was followed by Victoria, which improved its scores across all three dimensions of the Benchmark.
Marching to beat of the experience drum
In a year marked by citizen-centric digital strategies, a substantial opportunity exists for those continuing their journey towards personalised service interactions. To rival the leading agencies, it is crucial to design experiences that enable every citizen to access, comprehend, and engage with on their preferred devices.
With a wave of AI-led change already underway, there is an opportunity to consider applications that can help uplift the citizen experience and bridge the digital divide. The use of generative AI for multi-lingual translation services is a good example.
Another is the potential to personalise experiences by producing variations of content tailored to individual citizens. If they are adapted across the channels governments interact with citizens, they can be better served in their preferred channel.
Based on our observations and work with public sector clients globally, citizen experience-oriented governments tend to share five key traits.
When delivered, it can help create efficient and effective public services, deliver cost savings from early intervention, and offer compliance benefits.
While progress is being made, there is still much work to be done to ensure that every citizen is served equally by an increasingly digital government. For governments, having a sound framework to enhance digital public service delivery and benchmark progress can keep the focus on high-impact activities.
After all, the benefits of well-designed and equitable online service delivery are mutual. Citizens get the support they need quickly, and the government earns an efficiency and trust dividend.
Read the full version of the GDPI Benchmark Australia report here.