2003

Australian Taxation Office
Skilling personnel in user research

To be a good designer you need a capacity to see things from a vantage point other than your own. You need to understand another's point of view. To walk a mile in their shoes.

Empathy is the DNA of user-centred design—placing the needs of the user at the centre of the design process. But how can you bring this perspective to bear on tax administration?

Working with the Integrated Tax Design Project Team in the ATO, InfoCLEAR helped establish a capability in the Office for small scale, qualitative research as an integral part of the design process.

InfoCLEAR helped design and present skilling programs in two key areas:

• ‘Discovery' research. This helps you find out what users (for example, taxpayers and intermediaries such as accountants) think and do—so you can design products and services to meet their needs;

• Usability testing. This helps you identify how to make products (for example, e-Tax,
  e-Record, BAS forms) easier to use.

Says Rob, 'Over time, some people develop a 'we know what's best for you' attitude or 'some people will never get it' cynicism. The best way to change these attitudes is to get them to apply a simple principle: 'Go see.' Close encounters with users are the gateway to true empathy.'

As the ATO has found, empathy for users leads to the design of better tax experiences, and ultimately, better compliance.

2004

Child Protection Committee
General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia
Developing a Code of Conduct

Anglican clergy and church workers have always had guides to their conduct—in the Bible, the Prayer Book and the canons (laws) of the church.

Sadly, the church has not always been clear about appropriate standards in the area of personal conduct and has at times failed to recognise and deal adequately with unwise, unethical or unlawful behaviour.

The Child Protection Committee of the church's Synod was charged with developing a Code of Conduct with a specific focus on conduct involving children. Later it sought and received the church's approval to expand the scope of the code to deal with broader matters of personal behaviour, sexual conduct and financial integrity.

Rob McGregor was invited to assist the Committee in editing the draft code. 'There was an opportunity to apply some simple plain English principles to make the code easier to read. For example, changing constructions like 'clergy must consider...' to 'you must consider...' made the text speak more directly and personally to the reader.'

The Code was adopted by the Synod in October, 2004.

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