PROVIDE THE TOOLS, KNOWLEDGE AND BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE NEEDED TO WORK EFFECTIVELY

User Assurance Centre

Both customers and staff are matched with Centrelink products and tools in the controlled user assurance centre environment. The relevance and usability of the product are tested as well as its readiness for implementation.

The Usability Laboratory is a facility within the centre used to observe, record, measure and evaluate products at all stages of development.

The UAC also provides user-centred development of learning packages. For example, in 2003–04, this included feedback on Working Credit, Senior Practitioners, and Quality on Line training.

During 2003–04, the UAC conducted user-centred evaluations for Working Credit, online services, Customer Account claims, the Social Work Information System, Workload Manager, Senior Practitioner training and e-Reference. During the year, the UAC also provided user-centred evaluation services for the Australian Taxation Office and the Australian Electoral Commission.

Providing the business knowledge to help achieve team goals

Staff Online Services project

Focusing on making it easier for Centrelink staff to access the applications and information they need to do their jobs—whatever they do and wherever they work—the project includes a ‘User-Centred Design’ approach which in 2003–04 involved:

• 
  identifying business needs through interviews with Guiding Coalition members
  
• 
  determining staff requirements through a series of workshops and interviews with representatives from CSCs, Call Centres, Remote Access Centres, Indigenous Remote Services Teams, Area Offices and National Support Office
  
• 
  involving staff in the design phase of the project, in particular the design and evaluation of a new workspace.
  

Comparative Reporting Framework

During 2003–04, a Corporate Comparative Reporting Framework was finalised in response to recommendations made by the Boston Consulting Group’s review of Centrelink’s organisational efficiency.

This is a multi-dimensional framework that enables the reporting of Service Quality Outcomes against Cost Efficiency. An integral component of the framework is the incorporation of drivers for improving performance through a series of leadership and workforce capability measures. The integration of these measures ensures the ongoing alignment of our people management capability with corporate performance information.

People Management Benchmarking Program

As a participant in HRM Consulting’s People Management Benchmarking Program, Centrelink is working on a new desktop reporting tool for managers that will incorporate people management Key Performance Indicators and organisational targets for particular measures.

Including Australian public and private sector organisations, the benchmarking program gives Centrelink the potential to monitor performance across a range of human resource and workforce measures, and assess this in the context of broader industry performance.

Centrelink’s People and Corporate Performance Team uses benchmarking data to strengthen its people management reporting and analysis. These data are an important part of our research into improving people’s performance.

The reporting facility will also include resources and information to help managers interpret and understand their workforce data and make more informed decisions.

Workload Manager

During the year, Centrelink rolled-out a new system that helps network staff and Team Leaders match staff resources to business demands. Known as Workload Manager, it presents information to staff as team and individual diaries, including a breakdown of tasks to which they have been assigned.

Workload Manager also makes it easier to identify and set priorities for Customer Service Officer Activities in relation to customer records.

Online Document Recording

In a two-stage implementation of a new Online Document Recording system, Centrelink is set to ensure that recording processes are easier, faster and consistent for all staff.

Starting in June 2004, Stage One introduced structured text, generated from codes and fields entered by the user. This will mean more consistent information management and recording, for example in fields such as ‘Who contacted’, ‘Why contacted’ and ‘Contact channel used’. It will also reduce the amount of storage needed and less processing time.

Scheduled for introduction in September 2004, Stage Two will consolidate improvements and lead to better development and integration with online services. Stage Two will also replace the need to enter details manually, by generating text in response to individual tasks such as updating earnings and accommodation details.

e-Reference

e-Reference is Centrelink’s electronic resource for staff to access when dealing with customer enquiries and claims. It sets out the procedures to follow in completing work for the various payments and services Centrelink provides.

In 2003–04, work on new technology that will deliver a better quality of service to staff was close to finalisation. Roll-out of the new technology will start in 2004–05.

The improvements include:

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  the ability to provide weekly updates
  
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  better search functionality, making the content easier to find
  
• 
  improved information layout, making it easier for staff to read.
  

Once it is fully implemented internally, work will proceed to allow public access to the material over the Internet.

Edge—Decision Support (Expert) System

Given the recent and considerable changes in family policy and its delivery, FaCS and Centrelink commissioned a review of the business case for the further development and installation of the decision support ‘Edge’ system.

Completed in November 2003, the review report found that a viable business case for Edge no longer existed for deploying the system in its then current form.

However, Centrelink has commissioned a feasibility study to explore the targeted use of expert systems that could draw on the work already undertaken and what was learnt from this. The feasibility report is yet to be finalised.

Risk information and management

In 2003–04, Centrelink identified the requirements for an automated risk management information system. The system will give the Board and Centrelink senior managers access to detailed reports on the ‘health’ of risk management within Centrelink. It will also assist in planning for current and expected reporting and monitoring needs.

During the year, demand for risk identification and analysis workshops grew, with an average of one workshop held each fortnight. Following recommendations from an external consultant, these workshops were restructured to help ensure more efficient delivery of risk management in Centrelink.

During the year, National Support Office also piloted a training course on risk management practices. This course will most likely form the basis of a strategy to develop a more sophisticated network of ‘Risk Champions’ in Centrelink, Australia-wide.

As well, work continued on reviewing each team’s annual Business Improvement Plans to ensure they integrate risk into business planning processes and improve the quality of risk assessments.

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