Australia’s states and territory local governments can now access CivicInsights, a comprehensive offering by Orbus Software that will assist local councils in meeting the changing needs of their citizens.
Local councils face numerous challenges in today’s demanding environment including processes such as managing citizen inquiries, tracking service requests, and ongoing service improvement.
Traditional reporting methods often involve manual data entry, siloed systems, and time-consuming work, and as a result, many councils struggle to meet regulatory requirements and provide timely and accurate information both internally and to their constituents.
These organisations also face outdated service management systems that lack integration, leading to inefficiencies in service delivery and difficulty in gathering comprehensive data for decision-making.
With this in mind, Orbus Software has developed and launched its new offering for Australian local councils, CivicInsights, based on its experience working with numerous LGAs in Australia including Australia’s largest – Brisbane City Council, the City of Gold Coast, Isaac Regional Council, City of Perth, City of Swan, Gympie Regional Council, and Townsville City Council, to name but a few.
The offering streamlines reporting, provides access to real-time analytics and dashboards, analyses service demand trends to identify under-performing areas, and ensures local councils can comply with regulations and standards.
“Local councils encounter significant business problems due to their inability to effectively report on the services they provide to their residents and businesses,” said Peter White, Managing Director APAC at Orbus Software, based in Sydney.
“There are regulations in place – such as the New South Wales Local Government Act 1993 – that mandate councils to report on their service delivery in accordance with the Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework, however, audits have found that councils report satisfactorily on the tasks they have done, but not so comprehensively on the outcomes of their effort. More information is often required on how efficient they are, on their performance over time, or levels of customer satisfaction.”
CivicInsights by Orbus Software is built on the company’s market-leading platform, OrbusInfinity, and provides a technological foundation for a council’s service delivery capabilities. It automates data collection, aggregation, and reporting by a council. Staff can input and update service data, track progress, and generate reports in one centralised system. A CivicInsights dashboard tracks key performance indicators such as performance against SLAs and service cost efficiencies, and identifies trends in service improvement initiatives. This enables councils to make informed decisions based on accurate data and maintain an audit trail, simplifying regulatory compliance and accountability.
Councils working with other councils
There are further challenges addressed when it comes to shared service agreements between councils. Before entering into a shared service arrangement with another council, local authorities often fail to thoroughly assess the performance of their existing services.
“Without a comprehensive evaluation, there is no visibility of the strengths, weaknesses, and potential areas for improvement in their service delivery,” adds Mr White.
“In addition to this, when councils decide to collaborate and jointly manage back-office functions or community services, it is often done without considering shared costs or the risks associated with shared service arrangements.”
“The absence of this hinders informed decision-making and efficient resource allocation. By addressing these issues, councils can enhance service delivery, optimise resources, and better serve their communities.”
“Local councils in Australia strive for citizen satisfaction, cost effectiveness, and for both council staff and constituents having a great experience. We believe CivicInsights by Orbus Software can help them get there.”
