The ACT Civil & Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) embarked on a transformative journey to enhance its complaints management services. To achieve this, ACAT initiated a comprehensive assessment of user needs, ultimately resulting in the development of a future vision for the service and the creation of business requirements for a new Energy and Water Technology System (EWTS). This work was undertaken through four integral parts: Part A, which focused on building a compelling business case; Part B, which involved user research; Part C, where the future service vision was articulated; and Part D, where the technology aspects were elaborated upon.

Part A: Building a Comprehensive Business Case

The first phase of ACAT’s transformation journey was to create a robust business case (Part A) that effectively communicated the necessity for change, its financial implications, and the anticipated benefits to ACT residents. This process involved detailed cost analysis, considering implementation costs and the total cost of ownership over the system’s lifecycle and taking the user research, service design and solution design as inputs. The team evaluated necessary resources, infrastructure, and personnel requirements to provide stakeholders with a clear understanding of the proposed enhancements’ financial feasibility and benefits. Simultaneously, an implementation plan was developed, outlining practical steps, timelines, resource allocation, governance, risk management, and evaluation to ensure a thorough understanding of the proposal’s rationale, feasibility, and expected outcomes.

Part B: User Research and Evidence Base

Part B involved conducting user research to analyse the current service and system landscape, forming the evidence base for the business case. This research encompassed desktop studies, environmental analysis, and focused discussions with users to gain insights into user sentiment, attitudes, and behaviors. The findings formed the basis for a service focused on meeting user needs and aligning with ACAT’s goals to enable better user experiences with a strong evidence base for design decisions.

Part C: Crafting a Future Service Vision

This stage focused on drafting high-level models and concept for the service that would guide subsequent detailed design work, including the development of new technology and related service enhancements. The service vision aimed to improve the experience for internal and external stakeholders, addressing the findings from Part B and informing subsequent stages of the business case, including solution design and business requirements.

Part D: Elaborating on Technology Aspects

Part D expanded upon the high-level model introduced in Part C, delving into the technology aspects required to support the service. Informed by evidence from Part B and guided by the design principles outlined in the service vision, this section detailed the technology’s functionality using user stories. It encompassed a wide range of requirements, including business, technical, system integration, security, accessibility, and privacy aspects, with a focus on creating a portal, a case management system, and a data/analytics service.