4. Safety, wellbeing and responsible use

Queensland Government employees use digital devices every day to access systems, information, records, emails, data and services.

Devices such as laptops, phones, tablets and desktop computers can provide access to sensitive government information. If they are not used and protected appropriately, they may expose government information, services or systems to cyber security risks.

Strong device protection skills help employees:

• Reduce the risk of unauthorised access
• Protect government information and systems
• Recognise and report suspicious activity
• Keep devices and software secure and up to date
• Use approved devices, apps and networks appropriately
• Support trusted and secure digital service delivery
• Reduce the impact of cyber threats on teams, agencies and customers

Queensland Government cyber security guidance highlights the need to plan and protect, report cyber security incidents, manage vulnerabilities and build cyber resilience across government.

You may be demonstrating this competency when you:

• Keep your work device and software updated
• Lock your screen when leaving your workstation
• Use multi-factor authentication when accessing work systems
• Report a lost, stolen or compromised device
• Recognise suspicious pop-ups, device behaviour or security warnings
• Use approved applications and avoid unauthorised software
• Connect only to approved networks or secure remote access options
• Protect work information when working remotely or travelling
• Follow agency instructions for storing files on managed devices
• Report phishing or unusual account activity promptly
• Check whether a device or application is approved before using it for work
• Avoid saving work information to personal or unmanaged devices

Tool availability and configuration differ between agencies. Use only systems approved by your agency.

Common tools

Tools are the systems, devices and security features that help protect digital devices and the content they access or store.

Examples include:

• Managed laptops, desktops, phones and tablets
• Device lock screens and secure sign-in
• Multi-factor authentication
• Approved virtual private network or remote access tools
• Microsoft Defender or other approved endpoint protection
• Device encryption
• Software update and patching tools
• Approved application stores or software centres
• Mobile device management tools
• Agency service desk and cyber incident reporting channels

Common processes

Processes are the behaviours and agreed ways of working that help keep devices, content and access secure.

Examples include:

• Keeping devices and software updated
• Locking devices when unattended
• Using strong passphrases and multi-factor authentication
• Reporting lost, stolen or compromised devices
• Reporting suspicious emails, links, pop-ups or device behaviour
• Avoiding unauthorised software, browser extensions or storage locations
• Following remote working and travel security requirements
• Using approved networks and secure access methods
• Separating work and personal use where required
• Following agency instructions after a cyber security alert or incident

• Choose one work device you use regularly.
• Check whether the device requires updates or restart actions.
• Confirm that you use secure sign-in and multi-factor authentication where required.
• Review whether work files are being saved in approved locations.
• Check whether you have any unapproved apps, browser extensions or storage shortcuts.
• Review how you connect when working remotely.
• Identify how you would report a lost device, suspicious email or unusual device behaviour.
• Record one practical action you can take to improve device security this week.

Hint: Protecting devices is not only an ICT responsibility. Everyday actions such as updating software, locking screens, reporting suspicious activity and using approved tools help protect government systems and information.

DigComp 3.0 describes eight proficiency levels grouped into four broad bands. For simplicity, this Hub presents the four bands: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Highly advanced. The descriptions below are practical workplace interpretations of DigComp 3.0 and are not verbatim reproductions of the official competence statements.

Basic

With guidance as needed, individuals can:

• Recognise common risks and threats to digital devices and content.
• Apply basic safety measures to protect devices.
• Use passwords, passphrases or authentication methods to protect access.
• Understand that devices and software need to be kept up to date.
• Recognise when to ask for help or report a concern.

Intermediate

Individuals can:

• Apply safety and cyber security measures to protect devices and content.
• Keep devices, applications and software updated in line with requirements.
• Use secure access methods, such as multi-factor authentication, where required.
• Recognise suspicious device behaviour, messages or access requests.
• Follow agency processes for reporting cyber security concerns or incidents.
• Use approved devices, applications and networks for work purposes.

Advanced

Individuals can:

• Assess risks associated with device use in different work contexts.
• Apply appropriate protections when working remotely, travelling or using shared environments.
• Support others to follow safe device and access practices.
• Identify when a device, application or process may create a security risk.
• Contribute to improving secure ways of working within a team.

Highly advanced

Individuals can:

• Guide others in applying device protection and cyber security practices.
• Contribute to improved approaches for protecting devices, systems and content.
• Support teams to respond appropriately to device-related cyber risks.
• Promote a strong cyber security culture across work areas.
• Help improve organisational practices for secure device use and risk reduction.

Device Protection Check

Objective

Review one work device or setup and take a practical action to reduce security risk.

Learning outcomes

• Check key device protection practices.
• Recognise device and access risks.
• Identify reporting pathways.
• Plan a practical security improvement.

Instructions

Using the downloadable template:

1. Choose one work device or regular work setup.
2. Record the device type, owner and work context.
3. Check updates, restart and security notifications.
4. Confirm secure sign-in and multi-factor authentication where required.
5. Review storage, applications, browser extensions and remote access.
6. Record how to report a lost device, suspicious activity or cyber incident.
7. Choose one improvement action, owner and target date.

Reflection

Consider:

• Which protection is strongest?
• What creates the greatest risk?
• Would you know what to do during an incident?

Stretch activity (optional)

Review a second remote or travel setup and create a short device protection checklist.

Evidence of completion

• The device or setup is reviewed.
• Reporting pathways are recorded.
• An improvement action is documented.

Download: Device Protection Check Template (Excel)

• Information and cyber security policy (IS18)
  Current mandated Queensland Government cyber and information security policy.
• Information security classification framework (QGISCF)
  Current classification and protection framework for government information.
• Queensland Cyber Security Strategy 2025-2027
  Queensland Government cyber resilience, workforce and governance direction.
• Queensland Government Cyber Skills Framework
  Adjacent specialist framework for cyber roles and career pathways.
• ACSC Essential Eight
  ASD baseline cyber mitigation strategies.
• Australian Cyber Security Centre - Protect yourself
  Practical device, account, email and remote-working security guidance.
• DigComp 3.0 - Competency 4.1
  Competence statements and learning outcomes for protecting devices.

After completing this competency section, consider:

• How confident are you that your work device is protected and up to date?
• Do you know how to report a lost device, suspicious email or unusual device behaviour?
• Are you using only approved applications, storage locations and remote access methods?
• What device security habits do you already practise consistently?
• What is one area where you could reduce risk?
• How could your team make secure device use easier and more consistent?
• Which DigComp proficiency statement best reflects your current capability?

Queensland Government agencies collect, use and manage personal information to deliver services, respond to customer needs, support programs and meet legislative responsibilities. Agencies have legal obligations in how they handle personal information, including under Queensland privacy requirements.

Personal information can include names, contact details, job titles, demographic information, identifying numbers, photos, location information or other details that identify, or could reasonably identify, a person.

Strong privacy and personal data protection skills help employees:

• Collect only the information needed for a clear purpose
• Handle personal information lawfully, fairly and securely
• Reduce risks of privacy breaches or inappropriate disclosure
• Support public trust in government services
• Protect customers, colleagues and stakeholders from harm
• Understand when privacy statements, consent or additional advice may be needed
• Recognise privacy risks in digital tools, forms, spreadsheets, email and AI-assisted work
• Escalate concerns or suspected privacy incidents through appropriate channels

Protecting privacy is not only a compliance activity. It is part of responsible public service, ethical information handling and safe digital work.

You may be demonstrating this competency when you:

• Collect personal information through a Microsoft Form, survey or online service
• Save customer or stakeholder information in an approved system
• Decide whether personal information should be included in a spreadsheet, email or report
• Draft or review a privacy statement before collecting information
• Share personal information with another team or agency
• Remove identifying details before using data for reporting or analysis
• Check permissions on a file containing personal information
• Review whether an AI tool is appropriate for work involving personal information
• Identify a possible privacy breach or inappropriate disclosure
• Respond to a request to access or correct personal information
• Apply privacy, classification and recordkeeping requirements to digital information
• Consider whether data should be de-identified, aggregated or restricted before use

Tool availability and configuration differ between agencies. Use only systems approved by your agency.

Common tools

Tools are the digital systems, platforms or resources used to collect, store, protect, manage or share personal information.

Examples include:

• Approved records and document management systems
• Microsoft Forms
• SharePoint document libraries
• Teams workspaces
• OneDrive for approved work files
• Outlook
• Approved customer relationship management systems
• Power BI or reporting tools
• Privacy statement generators or templates
• Information classification tools
• Approved AI tools, where authorised for the information type

Common processes

Processes are the checks, decisions and behaviours that help ensure personal information is handled safely, lawfully and responsibly.

Examples include:

• Confirming why personal information is being collected
• Collecting only the information needed
• Providing a privacy statement or collection notice where required
• Checking whether information is sensitive or higher risk
• Applying appropriate access permissions
• Using approved storage and sharing locations
• Avoiding unnecessary copies or email attachments
• De-identifying or aggregating data where appropriate
• Reviewing data quality before use
• Following agency privacy, cyber security and recordkeeping requirements
• Reporting suspected privacy breaches or inappropriate disclosure
• Seeking privacy advice before using new tools, processes or AI-enabled services

• Choose one form, spreadsheet, report, mailbox, SharePoint library or system you use that contains personal information.
• Identify what personal information is collected, stored or shared.
• Confirm why the information is needed.
• Check whether the information is stored in an approved location.
• Review who has access and whether permissions are still appropriate.
• Consider whether any information could be removed, de-identified, aggregated or restricted.
• Check whether a privacy statement or collection notice is required or available.
• Identify how you would report a privacy concern or suspected data breach.
• Record one practical improvement that would reduce privacy risk.

Hint: Privacy protection starts before information is collected. If you do not need personal information for a clear work purpose, consider whether it should be collected at all.

DigComp 3.0 describes eight proficiency levels grouped into four broad bands. For simplicity, this Hub presents the four bands: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Highly advanced. The descriptions below are practical workplace interpretations of DigComp 3.0 and are not verbatim reproductions of the official competence statements.

Basic

With guidance as needed, individuals can:

• Recognise the importance of protecting personal data and privacy.
• Identify common threats to personal data and privacy in digital environments.
• Recognise that personal data can be collected and used through digital technologies.
• Apply basic measures to protect personal data and privacy.
• Consider the implications of sharing personal data.
• Recognise that people have privacy rights and that personal data is protected by legislation.

Intermediate

Individuals can:

• Apply appropriate measures to protect personal data and privacy in different digital contexts.
• Assess privacy risks before collecting, using or sharing personal information.
• Use and share personal data safely, ethically and responsibly.
• Recognise manipulative methods that may be used to obtain personal information or account access.
• Respond appropriately if personal information is shared inappropriately.
• Adjust privacy practices based on context, sensitivity and audience.

Advanced

Individuals can:

• Evaluate privacy risks in more complex digital work activities.
• Apply privacy-by-design thinking when developing forms, processes, reports or digital services.
• Support others to handle personal information safely and appropriately.
• Identify when specialist privacy, legal, cyber security or information management advice is required.
• Contribute to improving team practices for protecting personal data and privacy.

Highly advanced

Individuals can:

• Lead or contribute to improved approaches for protecting personal data and privacy.
• Guide teams in managing complex privacy risks across systems, services or processes.
• Promote ethical and responsible use of personal information and data.
• Support organisational practices that strengthen privacy governance and public trust.
• Contribute to privacy-aware design, reporting, data use and digital service improvement.

Privacy Handling Check

Objective

Review one work activity involving personal information and identify a practical way to reduce privacy risk.

Learning outcomes

• Identify personal information and its purpose.
• Review storage, access and sharing.
• Consider minimisation and de-identification.
• Recognise when advice or escalation is needed.

Instructions

Using the downloadable template:

1. Choose an activity that collects, stores, uses or shares personal information.
2. Describe the purpose and people affected.
3. List the information and mark sensitive or higher-risk items.
4. Review storage and access.
5. Check whether a privacy statement, collection notice or advice is needed.
6. Consider reduction, de-identification, aggregation or restriction.
7. Record controls and one improvement, including how a concern would be reported.

Reflection

Consider:

• Is every item needed?
• Are access settings appropriate?
• What requires specialist advice?

Stretch activity (optional)

Review the activity using privacy-by-design principles and compare it with a lower-data alternative.

Evidence of completion

• The information and purpose are documented.
• Risks and controls are reviewed.
• An improvement and reporting pathway are recorded.

Download: Privacy Handling Check Template (Excel)

• OIC Queensland - Information privacy
  Primary Queensland regulator guidance on privacy obligations and Queensland Privacy Principles.
• Queensland Privacy Principles
  Current principles for handling personal information in Queensland Government.
• Generate a draft privacy statement
  Practical Queensland Government collection notice tool.
• Information and cyber security policy (IS18)
  Current requirements for protecting government information and systems.
• Information security classification framework (QGISCF)
  Guidance for classifying and protecting information.
• Use of generative AI in Queensland Government
  Guidance on information and privacy risks when using generative AI.
• DigComp 3.0 - Competency 4.2
  Competence statements and learning outcomes for protecting personal data and privacy.

After completing this competency section, consider:

• What personal information do you handle most often in your role?
• Do you understand why that information is being collected, used or shared?
• Are you confident the information is stored in approved locations with appropriate access?
• Could any information be minimised, de-identified or aggregated?
• Do you know when a privacy statement or privacy advice may be required?
• How would you report a suspected privacy issue or data breach?
• What is one improvement you could make to strengthen privacy protection in your work?
• Which DigComp proficiency statement best reflects your current capability?

Queensland Government employees use digital technologies throughout the workday to communicate, collaborate, meet, share information and deliver services.

Digital technologies can improve flexibility, connection and productivity, but they can also contribute to overload, distraction, fatigue, stress or exclusion if they are not used thoughtfully.

Strong digital wellbeing skills help employees:

• Manage digital workload and communication pressure
• Reduce unnecessary interruptions and meeting fatigue
• Set healthy boundaries around availability
• Use digital tools in inclusive and respectful ways
• Recognise online behaviours that may cause harm
• Support safer and more respectful digital workplaces
• Balance digital work with focus time, breaks and offline activity
• Know where to seek help or report concerns

Queensland Government's employee health, safety and wellbeing guidance highlights the shared responsibility to care for health, safety and wellbeing at work.

You may be demonstrating this competency when you:

• Manage notifications so you can focus on complex work
• Schedule focus time or breaks between meetings
• Use Teams status messages to set clear availability expectations
• Avoid sending non-urgent messages outside agreed working hours
• Design online meetings that are purposeful, inclusive and accessible
• Encourage participation from people working remotely or flexibly
• Recognise signs of meeting overload or digital fatigue
• Respond appropriately to online bullying, harassment or inappropriate behaviour
• Support a colleague who is experiencing harmful online interactions
• Use digital tools to support connection, not constant availability
• Choose offline discussion where a digital channel is not the best option
• Review whether digital ways of working are helping or hindering your team

Tool availability and configuration differ between agencies. Use only systems approved by your agency.

Common tools

Tools are the digital technologies and settings that can help people manage digital workload, inclusion, safety and wellbeing.

Examples include:

• Microsoft Teams status, notification and meeting settings
• Outlook calendar settings and meeting options
• Focus time or quiet time features where available
• Microsoft Viva Insights where enabled
• Accessibility tools such as captions, transcripts and screen reader support
• Approved wellbeing, health and safety resources
• Agency incident reporting or support channels
• Collaboration tools that support asynchronous work
• Digital meeting tools such as chat, reactions, hand raise and breakout rooms

Common processes

Processes are the agreed behaviours, routines and ways of working that support wellbeing in digital environments.

Examples include:

• Setting expectations about availability and response times
• Building breaks into meeting schedules
• Reducing unnecessary meetings or duplicated communication
• Using inclusive meeting practices
• Encouraging respectful online behaviour
• Managing notification settings and focus time
• Escalating online abuse, bullying or harassment
• Supporting people to participate safely and confidently
• Considering accessibility and inclusion when using digital tools
• Reviewing team digital work habits and making improvements

• Choose one week of your usual digital work activity.
• Review how much time you spend in meetings, email, chat and focused work.
• Identify one digital habit that supports your wellbeing.
• Identify one digital habit that creates distraction, stress or fatigue.
• Check whether your notification, availability and meeting settings support how you need to work.
• Identify one change you can make, such as scheduling focus time, reducing unnecessary notifications or setting clearer response expectations.
• Trial the change for one week.
• Reflect on whether it improved focus, workload, inclusion or connection.

Hint: Supporting digital wellbeing is not about disconnecting from work. It is about using digital technologies intentionally so they support effective work, healthy boundaries and respectful participation.

DigComp 3.0 describes eight proficiency levels grouped into four broad bands. For simplicity, this Hub presents the four bands: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Highly advanced. The descriptions below are practical workplace interpretations of DigComp 3.0 and are not verbatim reproductions of the official competence statements.

Basic

With guidance as needed, individuals can:

• Recognise the importance of protecting health and wellbeing in digital environments.
• Identify common risks to physical, mental and social wellbeing when using digital technologies.
• Recognise that digital technologies can have both positive and negative effects on wellbeing.
• Apply basic strategies to support wellbeing when using digital technologies.
• Recognise the value of balancing online and offline activities.

Intermediate

Individuals can:

• Select appropriate strategies to protect health and wellbeing in digital environments.
• Adapt digital technology use to support wellbeing.
• Identify digital features or behaviours that may increase stress, distraction or unhealthy use.
• Recognise signs of problematic digital technology use.
• Use digital technologies in ways that support inclusion, connection and healthy participation.
• Respond appropriately to harmful online behaviour, content or interactions.

Advanced

Individuals can:

• Evaluate how digital technologies affect wellbeing in different work contexts.
• Adjust digital work practices to reduce fatigue, overload and exclusion.
• Support others to use digital technologies in healthier and more inclusive ways.
• Recognise and respond to online abuse, harassment or harmful digital behaviour.
• Contribute to team practices that support respectful, safe and sustainable digital work.

Highly advanced

Individuals can:

• Lead or contribute to improved approaches for digital wellbeing across teams or work areas.
• Promote digital practices that support physical, mental and social wellbeing.
• Guide others in responding to digital wellbeing risks or harmful online behaviours.
• Help design inclusive and sustainable digital work practices.
• Contribute to organisational approaches that reduce digital harm and improve wellbeing.

Digital Wellbeing Check

Objective

Trial one small change to digital work habits and assess its effect on focus, workload, inclusion or connection.

Learning outcomes

• Recognise helpful and unhelpful digital habits.
• Use settings and routines to support wellbeing.
• Consider how digital habits affect others.
• Review the result of a small behaviour change.

Instructions

Using the downloadable template:

1. Choose one digital work habit, such as meetings, email, chat, notifications or after-hours availability.
2. Describe who it affects and how it supports or reduces wellbeing.
3. Review related settings, routines or expectations.
4. Choose one small change to trial for one week.
5. Tell affected colleagues if needed.
6. Record the result and decide whether to keep, adjust or stop the change.

Reflection

Consider:

• What improved?
• Did the change affect other people?
• What boundary or team expectation needs to be clearer?

Stretch activity (optional)

Review team meeting patterns or communication expectations and develop a small team proposal.

Evidence of completion

• A habit and its impact are reviewed.
• A one-week change is trialled.
• The result and next decision are documented.

Download: Digital Wellbeing Check Template (Word)

• Employee health, safety and wellbeing
  Queensland Government guidance for workplace health, safety and wellbeing.
• eSafety - Digital wellbeing
  Guidance on balancing online and offline activity and supporting wellbeing online.
• eSafety - Online abuse in the workplace
  Guidance for recognising and responding to online abuse at work.
• Queensland Government Design System - Designing
  Accessibility and inclusive design guidance.
• Microsoft Viva Insights introduction
  Explains privacy-protected insights that may support productivity and wellbeing where enabled.
• DigComp 3.0 - Competency 4.3
  Competence statements and learning outcomes for supporting wellbeing.

After completing this competency section, consider:

• Which digital habits support your wellbeing and focus?
• Which digital habits create stress, overload or distraction?
• How do your communication patterns affect other people's wellbeing?
• Are team expectations about availability and response times clear?
• How do you recognise and respond to harmful online behaviour?
• What is one small change you could make to improve digital wellbeing?
• How could your team make digital work more inclusive, respectful and sustainable?
• Which DigComp proficiency statement best reflects your current capability?

Queensland Government employees use digital devices, systems, cloud services, data storage, online meetings, AI tools and collaboration platforms every day.

Digital technologies can support sustainability by reducing travel, enabling remote services, improving data-driven decision-making and supporting more efficient processes. They can also create environmental impacts through energy consumption, device manufacturing, data storage, electronic waste and the resource demands of emerging technologies such as AI.

DigComp 3.0 specifically identifies that data centres, AI systems and other digital infrastructure can have significant environmental impacts that are not always visible to individual users.

Strong awareness of digital sustainability helps employees:

• Reduce unnecessary digital waste
• Use devices and applications more efficiently
• Minimise avoidable storage, duplication and data transfer
• Make more sustainable choices when using digital tools
• Support reuse, repair, recycling and responsible disposal of devices
• Consider sustainability when designing digital processes and services
• Understand the environmental impact of cloud services, AI and data storage
• Use digital technologies to support more sustainable government operations

Sustainability is also relevant to government ICT procurement and asset management. Queensland Government procurement guidance supports sustainability considerations when procuring ICT products, and Australian Government guidance encourages sustainable end-of-life management of devices through reuse, donation and recycling where appropriate.

You may be demonstrating this competency when you:

• Delete or archive unnecessary duplicate files in approved systems
• Avoid creating multiple versions of large files when a shared link would work
• Consider whether a meeting needs travel, video, audio or asynchronous collaboration
• Use digital tools to reduce paper-based processes
• Turn off or restart devices in line with agency guidance
• Use approved settings that support energy efficiency
• Consider storage impacts before keeping large files indefinitely
• Reuse existing digital content rather than recreating it unnecessarily
• Follow agency processes for returning, reusing, recycling or disposing of devices
• Consider sustainability when designing a new digital process or service
• Use data or dashboards to support environmental or operational efficiency
• Consider whether high-volume AI, video, storage or processing activities are necessary and proportionate

Tool availability and configuration differ between agencies. Use only systems approved by your agency.

Common tools

Tools are the digital technologies, settings or platforms that can support more sustainable digital work.

Examples include:

• Managed laptops, monitors, tablets and phones
• Device power and energy settings
• SharePoint and Teams shared workspaces
• OneDrive and approved cloud storage
• Microsoft 365 file sharing and version control
• Power BI and reporting tools
• Digital forms and workflow tools
• Approved asset management systems
• Approved device return, reuse or disposal channels
• Cloud and storage reporting tools where available
• Sustainability reporting or carbon optimisation tools where enabled

Common processes

Processes are the agreed ways of working that help reduce avoidable digital waste, energy use and environmental impact.

Examples include:

• Reducing unnecessary duplication of files
• Sharing links instead of sending large attachments where appropriate
• Managing storage and retention in line with agency requirements
• Closing or archiving inactive workspaces when appropriate
• Using digital processes to reduce unnecessary printing
• Considering whether video is needed for every meeting
• Keeping devices longer where supported and approved
• Returning devices through approved asset management channels
• Supporting reuse, donation or recycling where policy allows
• Considering whole-of-life sustainability when procuring or designing ICT solutions
• Using data and digital tools to improve operational efficiency
• Reviewing whether digital activity is necessary, proportionate and useful

• Choose one digital work habit, workspace or process you use regularly.
• Identify where digital resources are being used, such as storage, devices, meetings, data processing, printing or collaboration tools.
• Look for one source of avoidable digital waste, such as duplicate files, unnecessary large attachments, outdated workspaces, unused reports or repeated manual processes.
• Identify whether the waste can be reduced without affecting recordkeeping, privacy, security or business requirements.
• Choose one small improvement, such as using links instead of attachments, archiving unused content, reducing duplicate storage or replacing a paper-based step with an approved digital process.
• Trial the improvement for one week.
• Record whether it reduced duplication, effort, storage, printing, travel or unnecessary digital activity.
• Decide whether the change should be continued, adjusted or discussed with your team.

Hint: Sustainable digital practice is not about using less technology in every situation. It is about using digital technologies intentionally, efficiently and responsibly.

DigComp 3.0 describes eight proficiency levels grouped into four broad bands. For simplicity, this Hub presents the four bands: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Highly advanced. The descriptions below are practical workplace interpretations of DigComp 3.0 and are not verbatim reproductions of the official competence statements.

Basic

With guidance as needed, individuals can:

• Recognise the importance of protecting the environment when using digital technologies.
• Identify common environmental impacts of digital technologies.
• Recognise that digital technology use has environmental impacts.
• Apply simple actions to reduce the environmental impact of using digital technologies.
• Identify basic strategies to reduce energy or data consumption, such as avoiding unnecessary use of high-consumption applications or digital tools.

Intermediate

Individuals can:

• Adapt how they use digital technologies to reduce environmental impact.
• Consider environmental implications when using digital devices, tools, applications and storage.
• Select appropriate strategies to reduce digital energy use, unnecessary data consumption and avoidable digital waste.
• Recognise that digital infrastructure, including AI systems and data centres, can have environmental impacts that are not always visible to individual users.
• Use digital technologies in ways that support efficiency and sustainability.

Advanced

Individuals can:

• Evaluate the environmental impacts of digital technologies in different work contexts.
• Identify opportunities to reduce environmental impacts from devices, storage, workflows, services or digital processes.
• Support others to use digital technologies more sustainably.
• Consider whole-of-life impacts, including procurement, use, repair, reuse, recycling and disposal.
• Contribute to more sustainable digital ways of working across a team or work area.

Highly advanced

Individuals can:

• Develop or improve approaches for reducing the environmental impacts of digital technologies.
• Lead or contribute to initiatives that improve sustainable digital practices.
• Guide others in considering environmental impacts when designing or using digital services.
• Support reuse, circular economy and responsible end-of-life practices for digital assets.
• Contribute to organisational approaches that use digital technologies to support sustainability outcomes.

Digital Sustainability Check

Objective

Identify and test one practical way to reduce avoidable digital waste or environmental impact.

Learning outcomes

• Recognise sources of digital waste.
• Balance sustainability with business requirements.
• Test a small improvement.
• Explain the result and next step.

Instructions

Using the downloadable template:

1. Choose one digital workspace, process or work habit.
2. Record where resources are used, such as devices, storage, video, printing, travel or processing.
3. Identify unnecessary duplication, storage, printing, travel or manual effort.
4. Check privacy, security, recordkeeping and business requirements.
5. Choose and trial one practical improvement for one week.
6. Record effects on waste, effort, storage, printing, travel or digital activity.
7. Decide whether to keep, adjust or share the improvement.

Reflection

Consider:

• What caused the most avoidable impact?
• Did the improvement create trade-offs?
• Could the change work across the team?

Stretch activity (optional)

Estimate the annual effect if the improvement were adopted by the team and compare two digital options.

Evidence of completion

• The current impact is reviewed.
• A safe improvement is trialled.
• Results and a next decision are recorded.

Download: Digital Sustainability Check Template (Excel)

• Sustainable procurement guide: ICT products
  Queensland Government sustainability considerations for ICT procurement.
• Records governance policy
  Ensures deletion and disposal actions remain authorised and accountable.
• Sustainable device management guide
  Australian Government guidance on reuse, donation and responsible recycling.
• Cloud sustainability
  Microsoft guidance on environmental and financial efficiency in cloud use.
• Microsoft for Sustainability
  Overview of technology, AI and sustainability considerations.
• DigComp 3.0 - Competency 4.4
  Competence statements and learning outcomes for environmental impacts of digital technologies.

After completing this competency section, consider:

• What digital habits in your work create unnecessary waste, duplication or energy use?
• Are large files, meetings, reports or digital workspaces being kept longer than needed?
• When do digital tools reduce environmental impact, such as by reducing travel or paper use?
• When might digital tools increase environmental impact, such as through unnecessary storage, processing or duplication?
• How do privacy, security and recordkeeping requirements affect what can be deleted, archived or reused?
• What is one small digital sustainability improvement you could make this week?
• How could your team build more sustainable digital habits over time?
• Which DigComp proficiency statement best reflects your current capability?