4
ROUND
Connecting Emergency
Services with Staff
and Volunteers
Challenge 2
26.10.2015 / Submitted by Three72 Digital
CASE STUDY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Having been selected as a finalist in Round 4 of the Digital Canberra Challenge (DCC) was an amazing
opportunity for Three72 Digital staff to work on a bespoke, integrated communication solution for the ACT
Emergency Services Agency (ESA). What we have developed is a Proof-Of-Concept (POC) that effectively
delivers a two-way communication with ESA’s 24/7 workforce of staff and volunteers.
The development of the ESA Workforce Connect application was a collaborative effort between the Three72
Digital team and Manager of Emergency Media and Broadcasting Services, Darren Cutrupi. Together we
created a tailored solution to help the ESA Commissioner and Chief Officers effectively communicate changes
associated to the ESA Strategic Reform Agenda.
We were fortunate to have Darren work alongside us on this challenge. Throughout the journey, Darren has
been very cooperative and followed up on all our enquiries. He helped us understand ESA’s requirements
in fine detail and delivered the information we needed to progress the work efficiently at every stage. The
proactive approach between Darren and the Three72 Digital team nurtured the product to evolve far beyond
initial expectations.
The challenge has been a thought provoking experience, as the requirements presented by ESA was unique to
what we had originally proposed; which was an extension to an already existing communication product we
have developed. Three72 Digital embraced the challenge, laid out a blank canvas and started a new journey.
As it got closer to the challenge deadline, the dedication of the team increased to achieve what we set out to
achieve. Working after hours and on weekends became a common occurrence, with the team putting in the
hard yards to get the job finished. In the end, the product we created was everything and more than our team
and ESA envisioned in the beginning.
Kind regards,
Ben Brillante, Creative/Technical Director
1
© 2015 Three72 Digital - ACT Emergency Services Agency
Digital Canberra Challenge, Round 4 Challenge 2, Case Study
CONTENTS
Executive Summary1
Benefits to ACT Citizens and Government
3
Admin Portal UI Design
4
Mobile App UI Design
5
Registration UI Design
6
Our Approach
7
Design and Functionality
7
Proof-Of-Concept static action links
8
The Build Process
9
User-experience
9
Analysis
9
Design
9
Development
9
Wireframing
10
Time Spent
11
Server Requirements
12
ESA Workforce Connect Network
12
Our Initial Thoughts
13
Summary of the challenge
13
Concept of how to address it
13
Full solution assessment
14
The existing communication platform
14
Industry Capability
15
Knowledge and experience in the industry
15
Infrastracture and other support
15
2
© 2015 Three72 Digital - ACT Emergency Services Agency
Digital Canberra Challenge, Round 4 Challenge 2, Case Study
BENEFITS TO ACT CITIZENS AND GOVERNMENT
The ACT Emergency Services Agency is a 24/7, 365 days a year paid and volunteer workforce spread across
the ACT. This includes numerous frontline response stations and sheds from one end of the Territory to the
other, to the HQ and support services located at Fairbairn and Hume.
While some staff do sit at a desk each day, the large majority of staff and volunteer members do not. This
makes the current practise of using emails and an intranet site highly ‘hit and miss’ when it comes to internal
communications. In fact volunteer members cannot even access the organisation’s intranet site.
In early 2015, a very important email sent out to update all staff and volunteers about progress on the ESA’s
Strategic Reform Agenda was only opened by around 25% of recipients. This demonstrated that email is not
how the vast majority of ESA personnel choose to communicate today.
Enter Round 4 of the Digital Canberra Challenge.
The challenge assigned by the ESA Commissioner Dominic Lane to the Manager, Emergency Media and
Broadcasting Services Darren Cutrupi, was to provide the senior executive with a modern digital solution that
allowed timely and responsive engagement with its large and diverse workforce.
Over the last 12 weeks, Three72 Digital worked closely with the ACT Emergency Services Agency to create the
concept for an innovate digital platform to facilitate effective interaction between more than 2500 personnel.
ESA Workforce Connect was developed based on extensive feedback from across the ACT Emergency
Services Agency’s workforce and adopting worlds best practise for effective internal communication in 2015.
The ESA Workforce Connect app will for the first time allow the ACT Emergency Services Agency to have
instant two way communications with its diverse workforce.
This is particularly important for the ACT Emergency Services Agency as it currently works its way through a
major change process with the ESA Strategic Reform Agenda, ACT Ambulance Service Blueprint for Change
and the Women in Emergency Services initiative.
ESA Workforce Connect will raise internal communication and engagement within the ACT Emergency
Services Agency to a whole level.
Through digital innovation ESA Workforce Connect will provide real time statistics to the senior executive on
the effectiveness of individual communication products or levels of interest in a particular issue in real time.
This will provide the ESA Senior Executive with the agility a modern forward thinking organisation needs
to fine tune internal communication messaging and strategies in a timely manner to maximise successful
workforce engagement.
While the focus during the Digital Canberra Challenge has been on Corporate Communications and
Engagement, the ESA Workforce Connect platform could easily be expanded to perform wider functions. For
example - Notification of last minute changes to staff rosters.
In a broader sense, Three72 Digital understands the challenge that confronted the ACT Emergency Services
Agency is repeated across various other ACT Government Directorates.
The benefits outlined above with ESA Workforce Connect could be easily replicated and customised to
3
© 2015 Three72 Digital - ACT Emergency Services Agency
Digital Canberra Challenge, Round 4 Challenge 2, Case Study
other ACT Government agencies or directorates using the ‘one government model’. It could provide DirectorGenerals with a real time two-way communication platform with their whole Directorate, no matter what
they’re working arrangements are.
While Digital Canberra Challenge participants were only required to develop a Proof-Of-Concept to be judged
on, Three72 Digital made a decision to go further and also produce a scaled version of an ESA Workforce
Connect prototype to assist the judging panel and the ESA Senior Executive see how the concept can come to
life.
ADMIN PORTAL UI DESIGN
4
© 2015 Three72 Digital - ACT Emergency Services Agency
Digital Canberra Challenge, Round 4 Challenge 2, Case Study
MOBILE APP UI DESIGN
5
© 2015 Three72 Digital - ACT Emergency Services Agency
Digital Canberra Challenge, Round 4 Challenge 2, Case Study
REGISTRATION UI DESIGN
6
© 2015 Three72 Digital - ACT Emergency Services Agency
Digital Canberra Challenge, Round 4 Challenge 2, Case Study
OUR APPROACH
Throughout the development of this concept we placed ourselves into the user’s perspective, to ensure the
end product was fit for purpose, efficient and easy-to-use.
Research was conducted into other communication platforms to see how they addressed certain elements
and functionality. From these findings, the team worked to produce an innovative digital product, adapting the
conventional features of other communication platforms to work appropriately for the ESA Workforce Connect
platform.
A number of cases were considered to help determine the best approach to design and functionality.
Unnecessary elements surrounding the interface in the initial designs were removed to reduce clutter and
therefore kept the design clean.
Design and Functionality
The design and functionality objective was to provide users immediate access to new communication
products and the ability to engage in a two-way communication between the sender and the receiver. This
approach resulted in an easy-to-use interface giving users quick access to all communication features.
Admin Portal
After an admin staff logs in to their account with an email address and password, they are redirected to a
dashboard.
The admin dashboard was designed to provide an overview of the latest activities, including recently
submitted communication products, recent responses and user activity statistics. From the dashboard, an
admin user can access integral information through the options provided in each module. They are able to
review and or edit a communication product then send it to the relevant member groups.
Mobile App - Android OS Only
For the POC, the ESA Workforce Connect mobile app was developed only to work on Android OS devices.
Three72 Digital would develop the mobile app to work on Apple iOS devices if engaged for full production.
The ESA Workforce Connect mobile app interface maintains the clean structure and design seen in the admin
portal dashboard. The user experience design was focused to eliminate confusion and provide a positive
hassle-free experience.
The mobile app dashboard keeps the user up-to-date with newly distributed products in a similar way to a
social media newsfeed. A user searching for a particular communication product can use the ‘sort by’ or
‘search’ features to refine their search.
In the mobile app, a user can view a communication product distributed from the admin portal and send a
response. A user can also submit a communication product for distribution consideration to admin.
Additional options (currently static) are contained in the drop downs, represented by icons. An example
feature is the ‘Flag’ icon found in the top right corner of each communication product, allowing users to
manage the communication products they receive.
7
© 2015 Three72 Digital - ACT Emergency Services Agency
Digital Canberra Challenge, Round 4 Challenge 2, Case Study
Member Registration
Included in the POC submission, Three72 Digital have also developed a registration form to allow members to
register to use the ESA Workforce Connect mobile app.
More features
Three72 Digital have developed far more features in the POC than what can be mentioned here. To experience
the whole thing, we welcome interested parties to contact us for an in-house demonstration.
Proof-Of-Concept static action links
In the POC, many of the options in the drop-down menu, accessed by clicking the three dots and down arrow
icons in the admin dashboard are static (non-clickable). These visuals are in the POC to help ESA and the
judging panel of DCC develop a greater understanding of the product and its purpose.
8
© 2015 Three72 Digital - ACT Emergency Services Agency
Digital Canberra Challenge, Round 4 Challenge 2, Case Study
THE BUILD PROCESS
User-experience
The user-experience focus is on efficiency and ease-of-use. The design is clean, with a neutral colour palette
and a simple, yet comprehensive layout and structure. Elements within the design are primarily focused on
displaying all key information and functions. Secondary elements are neatly tucked away and can be easily
accessed when required.
The use of icons that contain dropdown menus was introduced as a way to maintain a simple interface that
focused on the content. The icons provide the user access to additional functions without taking the focus
away from the main content.
Each design element, from the theme colours to the dropdown menu icons, were carefully considered to
ensure that it compliments the design and contribute positively to the user experience. The use of yellow and
blue was derived from the ESA branding, and was used to highlight certain interactive elements. We wanted to
ensure that the branding was maintained throughout the interface, creating a strong connection between the
organisation and the product.
In addition to the neutral colour palette, the structure and layout of the interface was kept clean and simple,
with a clear hierarchy of elements.
Analysis
The first step was for the Three72 Digital team to thoroughly analyse ESA’s requirements and objectives. It
was imperative that a well-rounded understanding of the requirements and objectives was established before
the team dwelled into any design. The process empowered the team with a detailed project map that provided
a strong foundation plan with clear pathways for development.
Design
Based on the information gathered from the analysis sessions, the design of the application was created. The
design process was a collaborative effort between all members of the Three72 Digital team. The development
team provided insights and ideas, which then the creative team put together in a beautifully designed user
interface.
Development
Development was the biggest of the stages, and the team put in the hard yards to turn the designs into a fully
functional application. Every staff member pitched in one way or another to help transform the application
in its current form. The development team carefully considered all of ESA’s requirements and objectives to
ensure the system works as required.
9
© 2015 Three72 Digital - ACT Emergency Services Agency
Digital Canberra Challenge, Round 4 Challenge 2, Case Study
WIREFRAMING
Three72 Digital collaborated with ESA to create wire diagrams for discussion and review, detailing the
placement of elements both in admin view and mobile app pages.
10
© 2015 Three72 Digital - ACT Emergency Services Agency
Digital Canberra Challenge, Round 4 Challenge 2, Case Study
TIME SPENT
From the outset, the Three72 Digital team routinely entered the number of hours they had spent on the ESA
Workforce Connect project in an online project management tool called ‘Open Project‘.
Tracking the times spent on a project allows us to improve on efficiency and productivity, by reviewing and
improving internal processes where applicable. It also gives us a good understanding of the amount of time
required to complete a task, hence empowering us to provide an accurate assessment of time required to
complete work on any given task.
To date, we have collectively spent close to 400 hours to create the ESA Workforce Connect POC.
11
© 2015 Three72 Digital - ACT Emergency Services Agency
Digital Canberra Challenge, Round 4 Challenge 2, Case Study
SERVER REQUIREMENTS
Three72 Digital will house in its own server the POC prototype for the purpose of this scope of work. If
required, Three72 can provide hosting service with built-in system redundancy if the POC goes into full
production.
Three72 provides 24/7 support and response by phone or email. This means that Three72 Digital is accessible
round the clock in the event of problems occurring. In addition:
´´ Servers are located in Australia;
´´ Servers are monitored on a 24/7 basis for a fast,
secure, and reliable server environment;
´´ Servers are never overloaded. This means that
the website will have optimal performance and
stability;
´´ The integrity of servers is checked on a nightly
basis, which means that data is secure and file
systems are protected;
´´ Daily backups are conducted of all data to ensure
nothing is lost;
´´ System redundancy is built-in to ensure that
seamless switching can occur in the event of an
outage; and
´´ Peering is in place at the State level with Optus,
Verizon, Asia Netcomm, Pacific Internet, Uecomm,
and Pipe Networks, to rapidly provide data
exchange.
ESA WORKFORCE CONNECT NETWORK
12
© 2015 Three72 Digital - ACT Emergency Services Agency
Digital Canberra Challenge, Round 4 Challenge 2, Case Study
OUR INITIAL THOUGHTS
Our initial thoughts and proposal as copied below was considerably different to ESA’s vision, however we are
very grateful to have been given the opportunity to enter the competition and address its requirements.
Summary of the challenge
The use of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, have become so mainstream that many people
now use it as their primary tool for organising events, sharing files, sending private messages, etc. One
downside to using these platforms is that all data is stored offshore where Australians have no control over
how their information is being used. There are risks associated with this, however over time people have
grown to become ignorant of these risks and embrace the technology as part of their way of living.
Over the last couple of years, our team at Three72 Digital have been slowly developing a membership social
platform purposely built to make communications between members more private and personal. It is a smallscale social media platform, housing the communication essential features available on Facebook and the
likes. It is an Australian hosted solution giving organisations ability to customise it for their use with more
ownership and control over information being shared.
Our team considered DCC’s Challenge 2 of Round 4, “New Communications Platform” a perfect opportunity to
extend the product for ACT Government use. We thought that if selected, it could help expedite the product’s
development and finally open it to market.
Concept of how to address it
The Three72 Digital team thought the challenge would give us the opportunity to explore high-end
customisation of the product that is tailored to how the ACT Government intends to use it.
Our team is confident in producing a powerful solution for this challenge, having already explored and
developed some of the communication features in a company project.
Our team to date have developed or have been working on introducing the following features to the mix. Some
if not all of these features can be integrated in the “New Communications Platform” if required:
1. Members directory allow quick and easy access to members contact information on any device at any
time.
2. Members are able to create member groups within groups, allowing the organisation of private events,
access to group documents and group chats.
3. Members are able to send private messages, with or without file attachments to one member or to a
group of members.
4. Members are able to select what information is visible on their profile.
5. Members are able to update their avatar or profile picture by uploading an image from their computer
or by using a picture taken by their mobile phone.
6. In comments, members are able to tag other members in the conversation by using the hash tag (#)
feature.
7. Admin managers can easily add, edit and remove members from the directory.
13
© 2015 Three72 Digital - ACT Emergency Services Agency
Digital Canberra Challenge, Round 4 Challenge 2, Case Study
8. Admin managers can customise which fields are made available to members.
9. Admin managers can create events and invite members to attend the event.
10.Members are able to follow or unfollow events and for the event they are following to appear in their
member dashboard as a feed.
11. Members are able to leave comment on an event from their event feed.
12. Members can add event to their calendar and be reminded when the event is on.
13. Members can invite users to an event.
14. Members can RSVP to attend, not attend and or invite non-member guests to the event.
Full solution assessment
Three72 Digital proposes the design and development of a “New Communication Platform” tailored to the ACT
Government requirements, introducing some or all of the features the team has already developed for its own
communication based product.
The solution will be developed using web technology and be made accessible in all devices including
desktops, laptops, tablets and mobiles.
Three72 Digital understands the need for Government sites to comply with WCAG 2.0 standards at minimum
AA rating and may also require the platform to be integrated with a Drupal Content Management System. The
team at Three72 has had many years of experience working on government sites and is confident at delivering
the product at a very high level of standard.
The existing communication platform
14
© 2015 Three72 Digital - ACT Emergency Services Agency
Digital Canberra Challenge, Round 4 Challenge 2, Case Study
INDUSTRY CAPABILITY
Knowledge and experience in the industry
Three72 Digital’s current standing is as a small to medium business. Our current team is six full-time members
strong and we are open to stable growth with increasing project demands. Our established team has steadily
been growing over the last seven years and our location has changed once in that time to accommodate future
growth within the Canberra region.
Our services are effectively deployed as consultancy arrangements and large-scale complex project scenarios.
The diverse skill-set found across the Three72 Digital staff base put us in a position of strong project
management and production capability. We can carry out projects that span native app development, web
deployment, print-based production and external collaboration.
The Three72 Digital team has had no issue in the past with integrating and developing for existing systems. We
currently work across Linux, Windows and Mac OSX with ease and we have worked with many different server
configurations, API’s and development frameworks. Thoughtful consideration of the standing technology plans,
ICT strategies and operating environments of those involved is at the forefront of our planning and development
pipe-line.
Collaboration and company wide flexibility are crucial in the effort to accomplish truly great tasks, this is a core
belief at Three72 Digital. We currently engage in many different business models to suit a range of clients with
varying business requirements, from business affiliates to contracting, direct business and collaborative works.
Flexibility is a Three72 forte.
Infrastracture and other support
Internally, Three72 Digital utilises ‘Open Project’ as project management tool and an in-house built custom
software for customer relation management. These systems store and track all relevant information to navigate
a project and its requirements. Such reports are regularly used internally at Three72 Digital for tracking our own
targets, key performance indexes and production pipe-line efficiency. Three72 Digital will build into these existing
systems any additional business practices required to ensure that up to date reports are generated promptly and
punctually to meet the requirements of a client and/or project.
In Three72 Digital’s efforts to provide high quality end products to our clients we produce easy to digest succinct
quotations in a timely manner. In order to produce the best quality service/product we utilise cost saving
strategies to maximise the effect of money committed to any given project. These strategies often include a
clean and clear break down of duties, requirements and obligations of all parties involved. These responsibilities
are incorporated into a production timeline that is a guiding road map through all production meetings, costing/
invoicing discussions, problem solving and management meetings. Three72 Digital values performance feedback
and reviews to incorporate into our ongoing cycle of self evaluation and self improvement.
15
© 2015 Three72 Digital - ACT Emergency Services Agency
Digital Canberra Challenge, Round 4 Challenge 2, Case Study
DIGITAL
CREATIVE
BRANDING
© 2015 Three72 Digital
www.three72.com.au
1300 971 882