Case study · Grampians Health
Grampians Health, the primary public referral health service in the Grampians region of Victoria, faced a state-wide surge in Freedom of Information (FOI) requests its manual, outdated processes could not keep pace with.
Using Neota's no-code automation platform, the team revitalized its entire FOI service — achieving better compliance, higher-quality service delivery, and enhanced process management without increasing staff or costs.
Established in November 2021, Grampians Health faced challenges responding to a surge in FOI requests. A project team and consumer test group evaluated the organization's systems and found outdated, inefficient processes; laborious manual handling; difficulty meeting legislated timeframes; and templates that were hard to read.
One template was written at a 'difficult' Flesch Reading Ease level, requiring Year 12 to university reading skills, with high portions of passive voice that made the meaning harder to find.
The approach was two-fold. First, Neota's process automation automated the end-to-end administrative workflow. A public-facing application lets applicants submit a request, which is routed to an FOI administrator to assess validity and necessity; administrator and applicant can communicate in the tool, valid requests trigger a generated receipt letter, and additional review stages are tracked via an internal dashboard.
Second, the team rewrote their communication letters into plain English and automated them in Neota — with tables of key information, icons, neutral inclusive language, and consideration for neurodiverse readers. Letters were tested against 'Gladys,' a persona representing the regional audience.
Grampians Health streamlined operations by automating administrative processes, enabling efficient management of escalating FOI demand while ensuring timely, consistent, accountable, and compliant service — and reducing the manual burden on its workforce.
Readability of letters dropped from grade 8–12 to grade 3–4, and reviewers found the new documents warmer and more accessible. Neota's software cost less than employing an additional resource, the service scaled to handle growing demand, and in September 2023 the project was selected for a panel on 'Innovative Thinking in Legal Design' at the International Legal Design Summit in Helsinki.
“Gladys has rapidly become a vital part of our FOI operations at Grampians Health. By automating previously manual processes, Gladys has changed the way we are able to utilise our skilled team and resources to meet the increasing FOI demand in Victoria. We are delighted with our new platform.”
Grampians Health
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