What Is GovCMS?
GovCMS is a Drupal-based content management system platform tailored for Australian government agencies.
It provides a secure, standardised, and compliant foundation for building and managing Drupal websites across government.
GovCMS is available in two hosting models:
- SaaS (Software as a Service) – Fully managed hosting with strict limits on modules, themes, and configuration
- PaaS (Platform as a Service) – Greater flexibility, with self-managed deployments on the GovCMS hosting platform
Why Work With Us
We know GovCMS from the inside out—because we helped build and operate it.
- In 2019, Salsa Digital (a key GovCMS service provider) contracted DrevOps to architect and design GovCMS 2.0, based on Amazee.io Lagoon container platform.
- We also worked with Salsa Digital to help GovCMS automate the migration of over 120 sites from Acquia to the new GovCMS platform.
- This gave us first-hand experience with GovCMS processes, Lagoon’s architecture, and the design and build of the Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipeline.
- From 2021 onwards, we have delivered GovCMS site builds, enhancements, and theming (including CivicTheme) for agencies, while continuing to work within the platform’s compliance boundaries.
This history means we understand how GovCMS works at a fundamental level—and how to get the most out of it while staying compliant.
What We Do
- Set up new GovCMS sites from scratch (SaaS or PaaS)
- Migrate existing Drupal sites to GovCMS
- Configure content types, workflows, media, search, and menus
- Implement themes — including CivicTheme — within compliance rules
- Develop or adapt approved modules, or extend via APIs
- Optimise performance within GovCMS constraints
- Advise on architecture and hosting model selection
- Support releases and environment management in Lagoon
Implementation Approach
- Discovery – Understand your content, compliance, and hosting needs
- Setup – Configure GovCMS environments, settings, and modules
- Customisation – Apply theming, configure workflows, extend features where allowed
- Integration – Connect to APIs or third-party tools while maintaining compliance
- Testing & Deployment – Validate functionality and push to staging/production using the GovCMS delivery pipeline
- Training – Provide handover and guidance for internal teams
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Who This Is For
- Government agencies adopting or migrating to GovCMS
- Vendors building sites for government clients
- Teams needing help navigating GovCMS’ technical limits
- Organisations wanting compliant theming and workflows without sacrificing UX
Real Example
Migrated a multi-agency Drupal site to GovCMS SaaS: reworked custom modules into approved alternatives, implemented CivicTheme, rebuilt workflows for compliance, and delivered a smooth go-live without breaking publishing processes.
FAQs
Can you develop custom features on GovCMS SaaS?
Only within the constraints of the approved module/theme set. We often find compliant workarounds using existing tools or integrations.
Do you work with both SaaS and PaaS?
Yes. SaaS is more restrictive, PaaS offers more control. We can recommend the right model for your needs.
Can you implement CivicTheme on GovCMS?
Absolutely. CivicTheme works well with GovCMS and we’ve implemented it for multiple government sites.