At our Council Meeting on Monday 25 March 2024 it was decided that we will proceed with an exciting new project – Your Digital Darebin.
We’re investing in technology and processes to place you – our customers – at the centre of everything we do.
We’ll be making it quicker and easier for you to connect with us and we’ll introduce changes that ensure you can connect with us at any time, through your preferred contact method.
We’ve listened to you and know that it can be hard to interact with us at times – our $36.4M investment over the next four years will improve your experience.
It’s a significant investment, but an essential and strategic one to help align Darebin with best practices and sector standards.
The efficiencies realised from this project will be reinvested. Our staff will have more time to engage with you and we can provide a more enhanced customer experience for those more complex problems.
We know that for some customers, current methods of connecting with us are their preferred option and for those customers, those options will still be available.
This upgrade will also bring further benefits including ensuring your privacy and information is protected, making services easier to access, simplifying interactions and improving transparency.
You can watch the recording or view the outcome of the 25 March meeting on the Council & Committee Meetings page.
Check back here for a more detailed timeline and all the latest information about Your Digital Darebin in the coming months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Council making this large investment in technology?
Darebin provides over 100 services to our community, with many enabled by technology. Our technology and process have not kept up with industry standards. This investment is essential so that we can ensure seamless integration between diverse systems to support efficient service delivery. At present, it can be difficult for customers to interact effectively with us. This technology gap has been identified by the Audit and Risk Committee, Monitor’s Report and independent experts in Local Government.
How much is the investment?
Council is investing $36.4M investment over the next four years to improve the customer experience.
Why is this investment taking priority over investing in Council facilities or services?
Not investing in this technology and process upgrade it not an option. Council needs to be able to support service delivery and comply with statutory financial and data privacy requirements. While it is a significant investment, the program will be structured and implemented in four distinct phases to ensure that benefits are realised as soon as possible.
What are the benefits I will see as a customer?
Customers will be able to interact with us at any time and through their preferred contact method. There will be improved communication with customers. The service will be more efficient, allowing the savings realised in staff time to be reinvested in an enhanced customer experience. Cyber-security risks will be better managed therefore protecting sensitive customer data.
How do you know things aren’t working for customers right now?
Through our Customer Satisfaction Survey, other research and feedback from our community and staff, we know that improvements can be made and there are opportunities to increase customer satisfaction levels. The Audit and Risk Committee, Monitor’s Report and independent experts in Local Government have also told us things could be improved.
How will you ensure the project is delivered on time and within budget?
Many other organisations are investing in transformation programs of this size and have delivered the expected benefits in the expected timeframes. The investment will be released in stages after reviewing benefits realisation. Successful program delivery will be realised through strong oversight and governance, a clear benefits realisation plan and suitable controls.
Why is this costing so much money?
This is a large investment, yet comparable to what other businesses are having to pay in order to keep up with technology changes. Council has under-invested in suitable technology over the years. Council has benchmarked with other Councils and has confirmed that this investment is in the expected range of what a project of this size would cost.
What will staff do with the extra time they have?
Time savings realised by this project will be redirected into allowing staff to have more time to solve complex customer enquiries. Further savings will be reinvested into enhancing service delivery where it is needed most.