Modernising Briefing and Correspondence at the Department of Justice and Community Safety

The Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS) is one of nine government departments in the state of Victoria. It manages and provides services relating to Victoria’s justice system.

Client

Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS)

Industry

Government

Organisation Size

Large

Country

Australia

Context

In an increasingly complex and fast-moving environment, government agencies are expected to respond quickly to emerging issues while delivering public value across social, economic and community outcomes. This requires decision-makers to have timely access to accurate, well-governed information, no matter where they are working.

For the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS), briefings and correspondence play a critical role in supporting Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries and Ministers to make informed decisions. However, existing paper-based processes were not designed to support the speed, flexibility and accessibility required of a modern government department.

Recognising the need to enable faster, more contemporary decision-making, DJCS sought an automated, digital briefing and correspondence solution that would streamline workflows, reduce manual effort and support secure access across a distributed workforce.

To deliver this transformation, DJCS partnered with Engage Squared to design and implement a modern, end-to-end digital briefing platform known as ‘EBC’ aligned to the department’s operational and governance requirements.

Challenge

Transforming a core government process is never simply a matter of digitisation – it requires rethinking how information flows, how decisions are made, and how governance is maintained at scale.

DJCS faced a legacy briefing process that relied heavily on hardcopy records, physical signatures and manual tracking through spreadsheets. The approach was resource-intensive, time-consuming and difficult to scale, limiting visibility across the lifecycle of briefs and correspondence.

The department needed to reduce its reliance on paper-based processes while maintaining strict security, audit and records management requirements. At the same time, senior leaders needed the ability to review and approve matters quickly (often remotely) without introducing risk or complexity.

To be successful, DJCS needed a solution that could:

Replace manual, paper-based briefing and correspondence processes
Streamline review and approval workflows end to end
Maintain strong governance, auditability and records management
Enable secure, mobile access for senior decision-makers
Integrate seamlessly with existing Microsoft and records management platforms

Meeting these needs required a solution that balanced technical robustness with usability, ensuring widespread adoption across the department.

Solution

Engage Squared worked closely with the DJCS project team to define and refine requirements, translating complex business processes into a scalable technical solution. This collaborative approach ensured the system was tailored to the department’s needs while remaining intuitive and easy to use.

Built on DJCS’ existing Microsoft 365 environment, EBC leverages SharePoint Online for document management, Power Automate for workflow orchestration, and Azure Active Directory for identity and access control. The solution also integrates with HP Content Manager (TRIM), ensuring compliance with records retention and disposition requirements.

EBC manages the end-to-end process for briefings and correspondence, from creation and review through to approval and archival, while enabling agile and secure provision of materials to Ministerial Offices. The result is a single, digital platform that supports both operational efficiency and governance at scale.

“The responsiveness and assistance provided by Engage Squared is second to none. EBC has become a mission-critical application for DJCS and their support and quick response to all aspects of development and launch have greatly attributed to its success and implementation across the Department.”

Department of Justice and Community Safety

Results

DJCS has successfully transitioned from a manual, paper-based process to a fully digital solution that supports innovation, efficiency and modern ways of working.

The EBC system is accessible from anywhere, on desktop or mobile, enabling Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries and Ministers to review, edit and approve documents on the go. This has significantly reduced processing times and improved responsiveness across the department.

The platform’s transparency and integrated audit trail make it easy to track each record from creation to approval and archive, strengthening accountability and compliance. At the same time, the near-elimination of paper has delivered meaningful environmental benefits and supported new work-from-home practices.

Today, EBC is used by more than 1,000 staff across DJCS and is considered a mission-critical application for the department.

“I would highly recommend Engage Squared to any company/organisation that would like to build a bespoke system. Their development governance and design approach follow a clear and robust pathway which made it easy to follow and inform as the client.”

Department of Justice and Community Safety

Final thoughts

By modernising how briefings and correspondence are created, reviewed and approved, DJCS has strengthened its ability to support timely, well-informed decision-making across government. The EBC system demonstrates how secure, user-centred digital solutions can improve efficiency, accountability and accessibility while preserving the governance standards essential to public sector operations. It stands as a clear example of how digital transformation can enable a more responsive, resilient and future-ready justice system.