Service Blueprints | Customer journey mapping | Customer Research | Stakeholder Management | Stakeholder Workshops | Competitor Analysis | Usability Testing Management

Key features of the program

Unified digital platform

The CCE Program provides a centralised digital platform to integrate the operations of various NSW Government agencies. Considering the scale of the CCE Program and the involvement of 28 agencies, two agencies were selected for the discovery process based on several metrics, including volumes, cross-agency processes, complexity, and customer benefits. The two agencies chosen for the discovery process were SafeWork and Fair Trading. Most of the learnings and insights from these two agencies were to be the baseline for the other 26 agencies.

The CCE Program faced a significant challenge in managing the 28 agencies operating on different systems and platforms. The solution was to implement a new system called AMANDA, which can manage the end-to-end processes previously completed by various systems. The discovery process included reviewing current-state processes. For Fair Trading, in particular, due to its involvement across vast industries, home building and automotive were selected. The discovery process also included reviewing Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and data migration to ensure that customer and regulatory information is future-proof.

Benefits for stakeholders

Businesses:

• Simplified compliance processes and reduced administrative burdens.

• Increased transparency in regulatory requirements and enforcement actions.

• Access to digital tools and resources for managing compliance obligations.

Citizens:

• Easier access to lodge complaints and receive updates.

• Improved safety and protection through more efficient regulatory enforcement.

• Greater confidence in the regulatory system due to enhanced transparency and responsiveness.

Regulatory agencies:

• Improved data management and decision-making capabilities.

• Enhanced ability to focus on critical regulatory functions.

• Better resource allocation and operational efficiency.

Research phase

Establish project scope and goals:

• Define the overall objectives of the CCE Program.

• Align the project with the strategic priorities of SafeWork NSW and NSW Fair Trading.

• Ensure clarity on the expected outcomes and deliverables.

Identify key stakeholders and users:

• Recognise all relevant parties, including regulatory officers, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), business owners, call centre staff and citizens.

• Understand the roles and interests of each stakeholder group.

Understand user needs, pain points, and the current regulatory landscape:

• Conduct thorough research to grasp the experiences and challenges stakeholders and users face.

• Identify gaps and areas for improvement in the current regulatory processes.

Gather insights through ethnographic research, contextual inquiries, desk research, and stakeholder workshops:

• Use various research methods to collect comprehensive and actionable insights.

• Ensure diverse perspectives are included to inform the design process.

Contextual inquiries

• Objective: Understand the experiences and needs of different user groups.

• Action: Conduct in-depth interviews with stakeholders, including regulatory officers, SMEs, product owners, and citizens, using a semi-structured interview format.

• Outcome: Gather detailed insights into their interactions with the current processes.

• Example Notes:

• Citizen: "Emphasised the need for a user-friendly interface to lodge complaints and receive real-time updates."

Desk research

• Objective: Analyse existing documentation and data to understand the current landscape.

• Action: Review materials from SafeWork NSW and NSW Fair Trading.

• Outcome: Identify common complaints, compliance issues, and enforcement actions.

Workshops with stakeholders

• Objective: Facilitate discussions to identify key pain points, opportunities, and desired outcomes for the SafeWork and Fair Trading teams within the CCE Program.

• Action: Conduct workshops with stakeholders from SafeWork NSW, NSW Fair Trading, and internal teams.

• Outcome: Use journey mapping and service blueprinting to visualise current processes and identify areas for improvement. These insights led to mapping out future state processes. 

Call centre process analysis

• Objective: Understand and streamline the process of handling citizen complaints.

• Action: Observe and document call centre operations, analysing how matters are categorised and escalated.

• Outcome: Identify inefficiencies and opportunities to improve the triage and escalation process.

• Example Notes:

  Call Centre Observation: "Noted that minor issues are resolved on the spot, while more serious complaints are escalated to field officers. The current system lacks a standardised escalation protocol, leading to inconsistencies."

Contextual Inquiries:

• Stakeholders expressed a desire for a more transparent and accessible system that could manage cases end-to-end, citing inefficiencies in the current process.

• Citizens highlighted the importance of a user-friendly interface for lodging complaints and receiving real-time updates. They wanted a system that allowed them to report issues easily and kept them informed about the status of their complaints. 

Desk Research:

• Analysis of existing processes revealed that officers and businesses often had to log into multiple systems to complete tasks. This fragmentation led to inefficiencies and increased the risk of errors. The need to consolidate these systems into a single, unified platform was evident.

• Regulatory reports indicated a high volume of repetitive administrative tasks that could be automated. Automating these tasks would free up resources, allowing regulatory agencies to focus on more critical functions such as investigations and enforcement.

Stakeholder Workshops

• Workshops with stakeholders from SafeWork NSW, NSW Fair Trading, and internal teams facilitated discussions to identify key pain points, opportunities, and desired outcomes. These collaborative sessions used tools like journey mapping and service blueprinting to visualise current processes and identify areas for improvement.

• The insights gained from these workshops helped map out future state processes, ensuring that the new system would address the identified issues and meet the needs of all stakeholders. This forward-looking approach aimed to create a more efficient and effective regulatory environment.

Call Centre Process Analysis

• Observations at call centres revealed that minor issues were often resolved on the spot, while more severe complaints were escalated to field officers or different departments. However, the lack of a standardised escalation protocol across departments led to inconsistencies in handling complaints.

• By analysing the triage process, the team identified inefficiencies and opportunities to streamline the categorisation and escalation of complaints. This insight aimed to improve the responsiveness and effectiveness of the enquiry and the complaint-handling process.

Key wins

• The new AMANDA platform facilitated the end-to-end management of complaints, compliance activities, and enforcement actions through a consistent and efficient digital interface. This platform eliminated redundant administrative tasks and promoted a more cohesive regulatory environment.

• The SafeWork and Fair Trading teams enabled better data collection and analysis by digitising the majority of the complaints and compliance processes. This improvement in data management supported informed decision-making, allowing regulators to identify trends, potential risks, and areas requiring intervention more effectively.

• The platform promotes greater collaboration between different regulatory agencies by providing a shared digital infrastructure. This interconnectedness facilitates the sharing of best practices and data, leading to more coordinated and effective regulatory efforts.

Achievements

• The program successfully delivered two critical proofs of concept for Regulation.NSW and a customer complaints form for the automotive sector, resulting in nearly 900 online lodgements in just two months.

• Seven data dashboard products were developed, enabling Fair Trading and SafeWork regulators to have a single view of businesses and industry sectors. These dashboards allowed regulators to target their time and resources more effectively, make data-driven decisions, and improve regulatory outcomes.

Reflections

• Stakeholder Engagement: Early and consistent stakeholder engagement built trust and ensured diverse perspectives were considered, resulting in a more inclusive design process and smoother implementation.

• Adaptability: Agile methodologies allowed rapid iteration and responsiveness to feedback, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Using data to inform decisions ensured solutions were evidence-based, highlighting trends and areas for improvement.

• Leadership: Strong leadership and cohesive team dynamics were crucial, highlighting the importance of vision, communication, and team support in overcoming challenges.

Conclusion

The CCE Program has created an efficient, user-friendly platform that enhances regulatory processes, improves public safety, and promotes compliance. The comprehensive research, iterative design, and stakeholder collaboration were key to its success.

Future Work: Leveraging insights from SafeWork and Fair Trading, the next steps include expanding the platform to the remaining agencies and integrating advanced analytics and machine learning for proactive compliance risk management. Continuous user feedback and iterative improvements will maintain the platform's effectiveness and user satisfaction. The CCE Program exemplifies the importance of user-centred design, stakeholder engagement, and data-driven decision-making in digital transformation projects.

Note: Due to non-disclosure agreements, this case study presents only select project artefacts. I'm happy to share further insights and examples during a face-to-face discussion where possible.

Feel free to reach out. I am always happy to discuss potential opportunities. Find me on LinkedIn or email me directly.

Hero Image courtesy of Richard Horvath @ricvath