The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA) has held a one-day gathering to promote the design of better Government forms.
Addressing the 200-plus attendees, BETA said that for many Australians, forms were the most common interaction they had with the Government.
“While designing a good form might sound simple, there is actually a wealth of literature, thinking and design that goes into it,” BETA said.
“It’s not easy to strike a balance between gathering useful information and being quick and easy for citizens to navigate.”
It said the form festival— Form-a-Palooza — was the first of its kind in Australia and was aimed at helping PS staff design better forms.
The gathering also saw a new framework launched for better form design, the WISER framework, based on the latest research and experiences working with Agencies on forms, letters and other communication.
According to BETA Form-a-Palooza originated in the United States where a team of academics, officials and members of the public worked to improve as many Government forms as they could.
The local event attracted participants from 38 Agencies who learned new skills and workshop improvements to five Government forms.
BETA said that the Agencies collected millions of forms from Australians every year, so improvements to their forms could have a big impact.
More information about BETA’s Form-a-Palooza can be accessed on its website at this PS News link.
