| Capability Name | Capability Description | Capability Set | Capability Set Description | Limited Awareness (G0) | Foundational (G1) | Developing (G2) | Proficient (G3) | Expert (G4) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Vision & Strategy | Defines and champions a measurable, citizen-centred digital direction that aligns investment, delivery, and outcomes. | Leadership | Defines the strategic and cultural capabilities required to set direction, enable agile governance, and lead transformation across systems and partnerships. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Understands what a digital vision is and why it matters. Can describe how citizen-centred goals guide investment and delivery in their work. | Connects project or program activity to organisational digital priorities. Uses evidence and feedback to refine intent and communicate direction clearly. | Influences digital direction across teams or divisions. Proposes alignment between strategy and resources. Challenges initiatives that lack clear citizen outcomes and advocates for citizen-centred investment. | Establishes long-term digital strategy across the organisation. Shapes whole-of-government direction and contributes to national digital frameworks. |
| Agile Governance & Funding | Designs and operates governance and funding mechanisms that enable rapid, evidence-based decisions. | Leadership | Defines the strategic and cultural capabilities required to set direction, enable agile governance, and lead transformation across systems and partnerships. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Understands the purpose of agile governance and the link between flexibility, iteration, and accountability. Participates in transparent decision forums. | Applies agile governance within delivery environments. Experiments with iterative planning, balancing evidence, pace, and risk. | Influences governance decisions across programs. Advocates for investment based on evidence and outcomes. Challenges waterfall thinking and champions adaptive funding approaches. | Shapes system-wide governance and funding frameworks across the organisation. Embeds adaptive, transparent decision cycles that sustain trust and responsiveness, and influences whole-of-government governance reforms. |
| Outcomes-Based Portfolio Management | Directs investments and initiatives using evidence of public value, risk, and results rather than inputs or hierarchy. | Leadership | Defines the strategic and cultural capabilities required to set direction, enable agile governance, and lead transformation across systems and partnerships. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Recognises how evidence, benefits, and risk influence funding choices. Contributes to prioritisation and learns from outcome-based examples. | Applies portfolio management principles to track results and adjust resources. Communicates trade-offs and lessons learned across teams. | Influences portfolio decisions within their business area. Proposes prioritisation using public value metrics. Challenges activity with limited benefit and advocates for evidence-led resource allocation. | Shapes investment governance across the organisation. Embeds public value metrics, mentors others in evidence-led decision-making, and ensures resources deliver measurable benefit, contributing to whole-of-government portfolio standards. |
| Change Leadership & Culture | Creates conditions for innovation, collaboration, and continual improvement by shaping mindsets and behaviours. | Leadership | Defines the strategic and cultural capabilities required to set direction, enable agile governance, and lead transformation across systems and partnerships. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Understands how culture and leadership behaviour influence trust and innovation. Models openness within their own team. | Guides others through change. Uses communication, empathy, and feedback to build confidence and shared purpose. | Influences cultural change across teams or divisions. Participates in shaping systems and processes to support adaptive practice. Challenges risk-averse behaviours and advocates for psychological safety. | Builds an organisation-wide culture of learning and improvement. Develops other change leaders and embeds conditions for continuous renewal. |
| Partnerships & Market Stewardship | Builds and manages strategic partnerships across government, industry, academia, and community to deliver shared outcomes. | Leadership | Defines the strategic and cultural capabilities required to set direction, enable agile governance, and lead transformation across systems and partnerships. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Recognises the value of collaboration and contributes constructively to joint initiatives. Builds awareness of different stakeholder needs. | Manages relationships with partners and suppliers. Balances perspectives, negotiates fairly, and maintains focus on shared public outcomes. | Influences complex partnerships within their agency or sector. Participates in partnership governance arrangements. Challenges transactional relationships and advocates for transparency and mutual accountability. | Shapes enduring partnership ecosystems across the organisation. Champions stewardship principles, aligns long-term collaboration to public value, and influences whole-of-government partnership frameworks. |
| Service Design & Orchestration | Designs and coordinates end-to-end citizen experiences that integrate policy, operations, and technology. | Human Experience | Captures the capabilities needed to design, deliver, and continually improve citizen-centred services and experiences across all channels. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Recognises what makes a good citizen experience. Helps map pain points and identify small improvements in their own area. | Uses service design methods to join up processes and improve user journeys. Collaborates with colleagues across functions to test, learn, and iterate. | Assists with the coordination of experiences across multiple teams or services. Influences decisions to balance policy, operations, and technology. Challenges siloed thinking and advocates for joined-up delivery. | Sets direction for service design at scale across the organisation. Embeds design standards, ensures investment and policy decisions reflect citizen experience, and contributes to whole-of-government service standards. |
| Omni-Channel Service Operations | Delivers consistent, high-quality citizen experiences across digital, phone, and in-person channels. | Human Experience | Captures the capabilities needed to design, deliver, and continually improve citizen-centred services and experiences across all channels. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Understands how different channels contribute to the overall citizen experience. Delivers reliable, accurate service through their own role. | Works across channels to align information, tone, and accessibility. Shares feedback to improve coordination and consistency. | Integrates multi-channel delivery across programs. Influences channel design decisions. Challenges channel silos and advocates for seamless transitions and common quality standards. | Builds and sustains an organisation-wide approach to channel management. Champions integration, accessibility, and inclusion across all service environments. |
| Analytics & Decision Science | Uses data, experimentation, and evaluation to inform strategy, improve delivery, and measure impact. | Human Experience | Captures the capabilities needed to design, deliver, and continually improve citizen-centred services and experiences across all channels. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Understands how evidence improves service outcomes. Uses basic data and feedback to support local decisions. | Applies analytical tools to inform planning and evaluate results. Shares insights and promotes learning from data. | Contributes to analytical approaches across teams. Influences decisions through data insights. Challenges assumptions and advocates for experimentation and evidence-based practice. | Establishes the organisation's approach to decision science. Fosters a culture of curiosity and evidence, ensuring insights guide strategy and delivery, and contributes to whole-of-government analytics standards. |
| Inclusive & Accessible Design | Ensures services are inclusive, accessible, and meet diverse citizen needs across contexts. | Human Experience | Captures the capabilities needed to design, deliver, and continually improve citizen-centred services and experiences across all channels. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Recognises the barriers faced by different users. Follows accessibility principles in their own work. | Designs and tests solutions with diverse users. Adjusts content, systems, or interfaces to improve access and inclusion. | Integrates accessibility and equity across projects or programs. Influences design decisions to consider diverse needs. Challenges exclusionary practices and advocates for inclusive outcomes. | Champions organisation-wide inclusion and accessibility efforts. Embeds accountability for equity outcomes and ensures diverse participation informs continuous improvement. |
| Experimentation & Learning | Applies experimentation and learning to test, refine, and scale innovative services and products for public service delivery. | Human Experience | Captures the capabilities needed to design, deliver, and continually improve citizen-centred services and experiences across all channels. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Understands why testing and iteration lead to better results. Participates in small pilots or process improvements. | Plans and runs experiments with users in their area of work. Collects evidence, reflects on findings, and shares lessons with others. | Assists with coordination of structured service and product experimentation across teams or portfolios. Influences creation of safe spaces for learning. Challenges risk-averse culture and advocates for evidence-based scaling of innovations. | Drives a culture of evidence-based innovation in service and product design across the organisation. Establishes frameworks for scaling what works, ensures learning continually improves service outcomes, and influences whole-of-government experimentation initiatives. |
| Cyber Security & Resilience | Protects systems, data, and services from threats while ensuring continuity, recovery, and public confidence. | Trust (SPRITE) | Combines governance, technology, and ethics to provide proactive assurance and strengthen public confidence in digital government. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Understands the importance of security and resilience. Follows protective measures and reports incidents promptly. | Implements security controls and participates in testing and recovery planning. Balances protection with usability and service continuity. | Influences security and resilience decisions across teams or programs. Proposes risk management approaches. Challenges security theatre and advocates for transparent, proportionate controls. | Establishes organisation-wide assurance for cyber resilience. Builds trusted systems and culture through governance, transparency, and continuous learning from incidents, and contributes to whole-of-government security standards. |
| Privacy & Data Protection | Manages information responsibly to protect privacy, uphold public trust, and comply with legal and ethical standards. | Trust (SPRITE) | Combines governance, technology, and ethics to provide proactive assurance and strengthen public confidence in digital government. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Recognises why privacy matters and applies basic controls when handling personal data. Seeks guidance when uncertain. | Conducts privacy checks and embeds data minimisation in daily practice. Communicates clearly about how personal data is used and stored. | Influences privacy-by-design within projects or portfolios. Participates in policy and tool decisions. Challenges over-collection and advocates for transparency and citizen control. | Sets organisational direction for privacy leadership. Embeds ethical governance and public assurance mechanisms that reinforce lasting trust in data use, and contributes to whole-of-government privacy frameworks. |
| Operational Continuity & Incident Management | Ensures critical services remain available and recover rapidly from disruptions or system failures. | Trust (SPRITE) | Combines governance, technology, and ethics to provide proactive assurance and strengthen public confidence in digital government. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Understands what constitutes a disruption and their role in recovery. Follows escalation and reporting protocols accurately. | Applies risk assessments and recovery procedures within their team. Helps document lessons from past incidents to improve response. | Assists with continuity planning across multiple services. Influences preparedness decisions. Challenges single points of failure and advocates for transparent communication during crises. | Builds enterprise-level resilience frameworks across the organisation. Aligns business continuity with citizen needs, leads recovery reviews that strengthen confidence and accountability, and contributes to whole-of-government continuity standards. |
| AI & Automation Assurance | Deploys and governs AI and automation responsibly to enhance efficiency, transparency, and fairness. | Trust (SPRITE) | Combines governance, technology, and ethics to provide proactive assurance and strengthen public confidence in digital government. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Understands what AI and automation are and where ethical risks can arise. Identifies potential impacts of bias or error. | Supports responsible deployment by testing fairness, explainability, and compliance with standards. Raises ethical risks where identified. | Contributes to assurance processes for AI and automation systems. Influences decisions to balance innovation with accountability. Challenges opaque algorithms and advocates for transparent decision logic. | Defines organisational frameworks for trustworthy AI. Embeds ethical, legal, and performance oversight that sustains confidence in automated public decisions, and contributes to whole-of-government AI governance standards. |
| Transparency & Accountability | Operates openly and holds decisions, data, and performance to public scrutiny to strengthen trust and learning. | Trust (SPRITE) | Combines governance, technology, and ethics to provide proactive assurance and strengthen public confidence in digital government. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Understands the role of openness in public confidence. Provides accurate information about work and decisions when required. | Shares performance results and reasoning behind key choices. Responds constructively to scrutiny or audit feedback. | Influences transparency initiatives across teams or programs. Participates in shaping reporting mechanisms. Challenges opacity and advocates for accessible, meaningful disclosure. | Champions open governance across the organisation. Sets enduring standards for disclosure, explainability, and performance assurance that reinforce public trust, and contributes to whole-of-government transparency frameworks. |
| Ethics & Responsible Innovation | Ensures technology, data, and innovation practices reflect ethical principles and public values. | Trust (SPRITE) | Combines governance, technology, and ethics to provide proactive assurance and strengthen public confidence in digital government. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Understands basic ethical principles in innovation, such as fairness and accountability. Seeks advice when unsure of impacts. | Applies ethical assessment tools in projects. Balances innovation benefits with social and environmental considerations. | Contributes to ethical review and assurance for innovation initiatives. Influences decisions to build in fairness, inclusion, and transparency. Challenges unethical implementations and advocates for values-based practice. | Governs ethics across emerging technologies and partnerships across the organisation. Embeds values-based assurance in strategy, ensuring innovation serves long-term public good, and contributes to whole-of-government ethics frameworks. |
| Communication & Storytelling | Communicates ideas, evidence, and outcomes clearly and persuasively to different audiences. | Cross-Cutting Professional Capabilities | Describes the behavioural enablers that underpin all pillars — communication, collaboration, experimentation, and productivity — forming the foundation of effective, ethical public practice. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Expresses information clearly in day-to-day work. Tailors messages to purpose and audience using plain, accurate language. | Adapts communication style across contexts. Uses data and examples to build understanding and engage others in shared goals. | Influences decisions across teams or programs through clear storytelling. Communicates complex ideas with clarity. Challenges jargon and advocates for accessible communication. | Builds organisation-wide communication confidence. Shapes narratives that connect system outcomes to public purpose, mentors others in clear, evidence-based storytelling, and contributes to whole-of-government communication standards. |
| Collaboration & Stakeholder Management | Works constructively with colleagues, partners, and stakeholders to achieve shared outcomes across boundaries. | Cross-Cutting Professional Capabilities | Describes the behavioural enablers that underpin all pillars — communication, collaboration, experimentation, and productivity — forming the foundation of effective, ethical public practice. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Contributes positively to team efforts. Shares information openly and respects diverse views. | Builds relationships across teams or organisations. Balances interests and resolves issues through dialogue and shared understanding. | Helps drive partnerships and multi-team work. Influences collaborative practices. Challenges siloed behaviours and advocates for shared accountability. | Fosters enduring collaboration across sectors and systems within the organisation. Creates conditions for collective accountability, empowers others to lead partnership success, and contributes to whole-of-government collaboration initiatives. |
| Continuous Improvement | Applies evidence, reflection, and iteration to improve internal practice, processes, and ways of working and scale what works. | Cross-Cutting Professional Capabilities | Describes the behavioural enablers that underpin all pillars — communication, collaboration, experimentation, and productivity — forming the foundation of effective, ethical public practice. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Recognises the value of testing and feedback. Participates in small-scale improvements and shares learnings with peers. | Designs and runs experiments within their team's work area and processes. Uses evidence and reflection to refine ideas and inform decisions. | Helps to coordinate structured operational improvement across projects or programs. Influences creation of learning environments. Challenges "this is how we've always done it" thinking and advocates for evidence-based process and practice change. | Embeds a culture of learning and continuous improvement of internal practice across the organisation. Aligns investment and recognition to evidence of impact and shared growth, and contributes to whole-of-government operational excellence frameworks. |
| Productivity & Efficiency | Improves value for citizens through smarter, faster, and simpler ways of working. | Cross-Cutting Professional Capabilities | Describes the behavioural enablers that underpin all pillars — communication, collaboration, experimentation, and productivity — forming the foundation of effective, ethical public practice. | Has little or no current capability in this area. May have heard of related terms or concepts but demonstrates no applied understanding or experience. | Identifies opportunities to streamline work and reduce waste. Follows guidance to deliver tasks efficiently. | Implements process improvements that save time or resources. Monitors progress and shares results to inform better practice. | Assists with workflow improvements across teams. Influences decisions to balance quality, cost, and impact. Challenges waste and advocates for citizen value. | Builds enterprise-wide approaches to productivity across the organisation. Embeds efficiency as a leadership expectation, aligns innovation with measurable citizen outcomes, and contributes to whole-of-government productivity standards. |
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