Getting Started with the GovSafeAI Toolkit¶

Welcome¶

The GovSafeAI Toolkit helps Australian Public Service (APS) agencies accelerate AI adoption through templates, tools, and guidance. This guide will help you get started.

Quick Start¶

The fastest way to use the toolkit is through the hosted applications:

Choose Your Path¶

Starting a New AI Project¶

1. Review When to Ignore This Toolkit - a reality check before you begin
2. Complete the AI Readiness Assessment
3. Use the ROI Calculator for business case
4. Follow the AI Project Delivery Playbook

Key templates: - Use Case Identification - Business Case Template - Stakeholder Register

Worried About an Existing Project¶

Something doesn't feel right? Start here:

1. Validate your concerns
2. Forbidden Questions: About the Model
3. Forbidden Questions: About the Data

4. Forbidden Questions: About the Humans

5. Assess the risks

6. Risk Register Template
7. Uncomfortable Futures

8. Bias Detection Tool

9. Decide what to do

10. When to Kill a Project
11. Political Survival Guide

Building Support for Change¶

Navigating organizational politics:

1. Coalition Builder Overview
2. Finding Allies
3. Mapping Resistance
4. Influence Strategies

Need a Reality Check¶

Cut through the noise:

1. Governance Theatre Detection
2. Comfortable Lies We Tell Ourselves
3. The Process Tax

Evaluating Vendors¶

1. Questions Vendors Won't Answer
2. Vendor Evaluation Guide
3. Model Evaluation Calculator
4. TCO Calculator

Interactive Tools¶

All tools are available at govai-toolkit.streamlit.app:

Common Workflows¶

Workflow 1: Assess a New AI Opportunity¶

1. Complete Use Case Identification Template
2. Run the Readiness Scorer
3. Use ROI Calculator for business case
4. Review Forbidden Questions: Before You Start
5. If proceeding, follow AI Project Delivery Playbook

Workflow 2: Evaluate AI Solutions¶

1. Gather vendor/solution information
2. Use Model Evaluation Calculator to compare options
3. Run TCO Calculator for cost comparison
4. Review Questions Vendors Won't Answer
5. Document findings with templates

Workflow 3: Check for Bias¶

1. Gather prediction data by demographic group
2. Run Bias Detection Tool
3. Review Bias Testing Guide
4. Document findings and mitigations
5. Plan ongoing monitoring per Monitoring Guide

Workflow 4: Privacy Impact Assessment¶

1. Read Privacy Impact Assessment FAQ
2. Use PII Masking Tool to identify sensitive data
3. Review Synthetic Data Fact Sheet
4. Complete your agency's PIA template

Best Practices¶

Using Templates¶

• Start early - Use templates during planning, not after decisions are made
• Collaborate - Share templates with stakeholders for input
• Be honest - The Anti-Toolkit exists because honesty matters more than compliance theatre
• Iterate - Templates are living documents; update as you learn

Using the Uncomfortable Content¶

The "Hard Stuff" sections (Anti-Toolkit, Consequence Simulator, Forbidden Questions, Coalition Builder) exist because:

• AI projects fail for political and organizational reasons, not just technical ones
• Process compliance doesn't equal project success
• Asking hard questions early prevents expensive failures later

FAQs¶

Q: Do I need to use every component of the toolkit? A: No. Use what's relevant. The Anti-Toolkit section even tells you when to ignore the toolkit entirely.

Q: Can I modify the templates? A: Yes. All templates are designed to be customized for your context.

Q: What's with the "Hard Stuff" sections? A: AI projects fail for political and organizational reasons, not just technical ones. Those sections address the real challenges.

Q: Does using this toolkit satisfy compliance obligations? A: No. The toolkit helps you work through requirements, but you still need to complete required assessments and get approvals.

Next Steps¶