All agencies are expected to evaluate the use of the new licensing platform, Licence.NSW, as the preferred platform for government when seeking ICT project funding related to licensing systems and solutions.

Licence.NSW as the replacement for the Government Licensing System (GLS)

Licence.NSW has now been validated and procured as the replacement for the OneGov Government Licensing System (GLS). DCS has committed to a digital transformation of the current licensing approach and Licence.NSW is a key enabler of this vision. The platform includes key integration functionality that will support existing core services and can provide a single view of customer in support of the Premier’s Priority of Government Made Easy where citizens only need to ‘tell us once’. Licence.NSW will also provide more effective regulation through more connected data while supporting the creation of digital end-to-end licensing journeys for customers.

NSW Government has made a significant financial commitment to a program that will migrate and uplift the existing GLS schemes onto the new Licence.NSW platform over the next four years. This investment also speaks to the capabilities of the new platform that will support a broad range of future government services in NSW.

DCS recognises that agencies have existing pipelines of work and critical customer solutions that must be enabled. Accordingly, this circular provides notice in respect of firm requirements to be placed on agencies from 1 January 2022.

Administrative requirement to use Licence.NSW to obtain funding

From 1 January 2022, the use of Licence.NSW will be the preferred platform for any licensing related ICT projects, especially where funding is sought under the Digital Restart Fund (DRF) or the Digital Stimulus Fund Project (DSFP):

• Agencies are to consider the use of Licence.NSW wherever suitable before submitting any funding proposal for licence management solutions;

• Agencies will not be able to access funding without demonstrating how Licence.NSW does not fit their purposes.

Exemptions from the requirement to use Licence.NSW from 1 January 2022

• Exemptions to the use of Licence.NSW as an agency licensing system, where funding is being sought from DRF or DSFP, will be reviewed in cases where the Licence.NSW platform is not deemed suitable. This would be assessed through one or more of the following pre-requisites being met:

  • cost-benefit analysis,

  • market scan of best of class licensing platforms, or

  • security assessment.

• Exemption requests submitted by agencies will be required to develop a briefing paper to request the exemption, supported by:

  • the pre-requisite assessments above;

  • evidence of collaboration and investigation with DCS to determine Licence.NSW’s suitability; and

  • how their proposed procurement will comply with the NSW Government Procurement Policy Framework and NSW Cyber Security Policy.

• Exemption requests that are associated with a funding submission to the DRF will be reviewed and approved by the Delivery and Performance Committee of Cabinet (DaPCo) and are to be submitted in conjunction with the Delivery and Performance Architecture (DAPA) checklist.

Agency requirement to evaluate use of Licence.NSW

Aside from funding submissions to DRF and DSFP, Agencies are still to consider the benefits of Licence.NSW as the preferred whole of government licensing platform. The use of Licence.NSW is encouraged to ensure regulatory benefits as to a single view of customer and improved customer journeys are available across NSW Government. Agency heads are required to ensure adherence to this circular before commencing procurement of any alternative licensing platforms.

Benefits to Agencies

In adhering to the use of Licence.NSW, Agencies will benefit from opportunities to improve their customer service offerings through:

• Common services and integrations such as payments, proof of identity, validations (e.g. Addresses) and checks (e.g. business, qualifications, criminal)

• Access to pre-defined design patterns that have been attributed to a broad spectrum of licensing processes and requirements

Specific components of these will be available at no additional cost. Financial advantages to Agencies are also anticipated in speed to market of delivery through an accelerated model of production, leveraging regularised licensing specific design components.

Enquiries about the Licence.NSW platform can be sent to: [email protected]