For
NSW Government
In
2022
Fine diversions are a proven and effective way of helping vulnerable people in society avoid hardship by forgiving the debt and penalty of a minor fine if they commit to and prove behaviour change.
Revenue NSW had recently finished a manual pilot for a single fine diversion type and needed to figure out how to scale it up to the whole state, and out to other types of fines.
We designed a service that started when a new fine was recorded at the police station, taking into account their interplay between existing platforms, and triggering a 'Diversion' option for the fine recipient.
They'd get notified by the best contact details we had for them, and given the option to go to a relevant provider to fix the issue behind the fine. This included a triage moment and the ability to book an appointment.
QR codes with unique values on the receipts and certificates were the verification of attendance, and customers would scan them to downgrade their fine to a warning.
In addition, we created a strategy for identifying new fines to prioritise rollout to and how they could technically come into the fold when the time was right.
This work is ongoing and to be an integral part of the new MyFines product, with the identification framework prioritising which fines to onboard first, and how.
learning
Firstly, money is core to interacting with society and for vulnerable people it's a difficult subject that is often deliberately ignored despite consequences. Focusing on inputs and outcomes can, but not always, make that interaction more approachable. Secondly, in public services you can't assume everyone has a phone or even a fixed address. You need to be smart with the data you have and forgiving in timelines and delays when enforcing.
with
Kate Stone, Product Manager
Sharon Bicknell, Design Strategy
Sarah Ashman-Baird, Product Manager
Emily Dao, Research
Laura Ryan, Research & Strategy
Emma Hickey, SME
Karen Elder, SME