The Veterans’ Review Board (VRB) is a tribunal created by the Australian Parliament to review decisions about Repatriation Pensions (other than Service Pensions) and attendance allowance. The VRB is independent of the Repatriation Commission and DVA. 

Through the VRB’s own stakeholder engagement activities it was clear there was an opportunity to provide more convenient digital services to VRB users (veterans and their representatives / advocates, as well as DVA staff). VRB was keen to understand the needs, wants and frustrations of users in order to shape the design of an external digital service. The research was to help inform the development and roll-out of features to external users. 

Pragma designed a User Research Blueprint to map each of these user needs against the existing External Portal MVP and highlight the next steps in the user research lifecycle.

Driven by Pragma’s core belief that user research and evidence-based design is fundamental in creating positive digital experiences, we implemented our proven methodology to deliver practical and actionable findings.

• Research Overview – Using proven techniques we converged ideas into three succinct service themes. Research objectives and primary questions were then developed to help frame the research line of questioning for each key user segment. Our methodology involved a two-stage process including a desktop review and qualitative interviews across the user segments to identify key user personas and artefacts.
• Research Analysis – Based on findings we were able to conduct an in-depth analysis of VRB’s current state providing a clear overview of the service, application and user environment interactions across key user groups.
• Gap Analysis – Based on current state findings we provided clear and concise explanation of where current service themes need improvement and alignment to user service expectations
• Service Design – Leaning on our mature service design methodology, Pragma helped create an operating model and digital design for the way in which the program will be reformed and how it will operate.
• Summary of opportunities and recommendations – Pragma supplied a priority order of opportunities and recommendations to implement reform based on an optimised operating model and digital design.