Consultation, collaboration and co-design are important cultural aspects of how we are becoming a more modern and transformative organisation. We are committed to providing opportunities for all our staff to be involved in thinking differently about how we work and contributing to the design and review of the solutions we are implementing. Test Labs are one of our main tools for this and are an essential ingredient of our ‘Build–Test–Refine’ approach.

Test Labs are interactive co-design workshops where staff work together, along with a facilitator, to define problems and develop solutions. Test Labs use the ‘Design Thinking’ methodology developed by the Stanford School of Design.

The methodology is well-suited to exploring topics with a diverse group of people to identify problems, explore and refine options, and develop solutions through collaborative processes. Usually a graphic facilitator is also present to help capture and record the conversations in ‘real time’, allowing the final design to also be presented in a visual form.

Test Labs build our collective capacity to innovate, engage appropriately with risk and to cooperatively problem-solve. Test Labs are an invaluable part of our transformation because they draw together a broad range of views, experience and expertise, and provide an environment for open and honest discussion. And by co-designing the solution, staff feel greater ownership for the outcomes.

Around 600 staff have participated in Test Labs since the program commenced.