Challenge 7.11: How can technology support Citizens Advice advisers to quickly deliver the best possible outcome for their clients using data & collective expertise?

Key information for applicants

Please note: you must apply for this Challenge via Public Contracts Scotland

Launch date
Tuesday 31 May 2022

Questions may be submitted until
16:00, Tuesday 21 June 2022

Closing date
Midday, Tuesday 28 June 2022

Exploration Stage interviews
Thursday 28 July 2022

Exploration Stage
15 August to 2 September 2022

Accelerator interviews
Thursday 8 September 2022

Accelerator Stage
3 October 2021 to 27 January 2023

Maximum contract value
£350,000

What does this mean?

Q&A session

A live Q&A session was held with the Challenge Sponsor team on Tuesday 14 June 2022 at 11:00. A recording of the session can be viewed here:

Why does this Challenge need to be solved?

Data collection and support

Currently within the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) there are variances in how our advisers capture case information in our case management system. Anecdotally, advisers have told us they find inputting case records an unwelcome distraction that limits the time they can spend helping their clients. This means that in some instances there are gaps in our data set or there can be a time lag between the advice being provided and the data being input into the system. Issues with having to access various screens or windows means that advisers will often not complete important sections such as profiling information (which allows us to fulfil our advocacy role of speaking out on behalf of people seeking advice from our service).

If our mechanisms for capturing information were improved, there would be dual benefits in that advisers would save time inputting information, and would be potentially more likely to populate a greater percentage of the information requested to a higher quality, and that this would be easier for them to do and save them time. We would also welcome a solution that helps us to ensure a higher level of consistency in the information captured.

If our levels of completion and consistency were improved, we’d also be able to draw more inferences from our aggregated, national data which would allow us to understand how issues are affecting our client group better and further improve and tailor our support to both clients and advisers.

In addition - If you are a service user of the bureau, your need to be sure that your data is being handled in the same way as all of the other clients. The more consistency there is between how we collect our data, the better we can interrogate that it is being handled correctly.

CAB Knowledge and experience:

Across the network we have advisers that are both new to the role, as well as those who have worked in the role for years. We believe that there are opportunities to use the wealth of knowledge and experience from our long term advisers to influence, support and perhaps prompt the newer ones. If we can create pool of learning across the advisers from new to senior, as well as local to national, we can empower our advisers with knowledge that gives them the confidence to make decisions for our service users.

Citizens Advice Scotland:

If we are able to solve this problem we would hopefully be able to understand the trending and overarching issues better. This would allow us to share that information with policy makers, and be able to do that in a much more granular way. 

If we are able to do our job of advocating on behave of our service users, harm can be removed and government is able change their policy without people experiencing negative impacts.

How will we know the Challenge has been solved?

There are many ways in which we will know that your solution to our challenge is working, some of which are focused around our data and its uses, with others showing that we are able to help our service users directly.

• Advisers spend less time inputting information

• Advisers have more time to spend with clients and we can help more people

• The information collected is of a greater consistency and quality and quantity

• In time, clients get a more tailored experience which draws upon the organisational memory/collective knowledge of how others have experienced similar issues.

• Potentially, we can begin using the information captured to confidently offer new solutions to clients, including currently under-represented groups.

• In time, better quality data will allow us to better influence policy makers in a way that is more granular and useful.

Who are the end users of the solution likely to be?

We expect there to be the following users of your proposed solution:

• Citizens Advice Bureau advisers – Our front line workers

• Possibly the general public/service users/clients (Dependent on proposed solution)

• Citizens Advice Scotland – (The Sponsor) We are the national membership organisation that supports the network on an advice-giving role, as well as delivering national advocacy.

Has the Challenge Sponsor attempted to solve this problem before?

No. We have undertaken significant work on our data hub which provides a front end to our data which we are making available for Government to query, and we have made enhancements to our case management system, but we haven’t yet tackled the early stage of the data journey and how it can be better used.

There is also already an extensive adviser training program (6 months) to equip advisers to provide advice.   We have a system called ‘Advisernet’ which is a brochurewear website that contains all the advice content. Currently this has over 14,000 pages of content. This is flat content that is not interpreted or contextualised, a rule book you could say.

Are there any interdependencies or blockers?

• The CAB service hold in very high regard its ‘confidentiality’ principle. Throughout the CivTech process, we will need to ensure that the work meets legal requirements and follows best practice in data management, ethics, privacy and security. To achieve this, and secure buy-in from CAB, we will seek expert advice and support (including from the SG AI team) and are currently recruiting a co-design group to steer CAB engagement.

• Our ‘Castle’ case management system – This currently is the interface that advisers use to input information about their clients and cases. It is a bespoke system that is provided by a single supplier. This is bespoke to CAS, so any work that required integration would require work with that supplier to understand any blockers or interdependencies that may exist.

Will a solution need to integrate with any existing systems or equipment?

• Most likely our CASTLE case management system which is the current repository for holding case information.

• Possibly (timeline dependent) our new public facing advice site which is currently under development.

• Both may require work with incumbent suppliers but we don’t have an concerns about this and would work with the solution provide to progress any integration needed. 

Is this part of an existing service?

Yes – this challenge relates directly with the Citizens Advice Bureau advice service. This is used heavily and provides advice and support to hundreds of thousands of people across Scotland every year.

Any technologies or features the Challenge Sponsor wishes to explore or avoid?

We’d be interested in exploring machine learning / AI as part of a software solution that assists advisers to complete case records.

We view this project as having potential future applications in offering a more tailored service to clients that draws upon learnings from issues experienced and advice offered to others in similar situations in order to better predict and mitigate against severe negative outcomes for individuals such as homelessness or income crisis.

For this to be possible, it is essential that AI is used in a human-centric way, as regards to both advisers and citizens, and in accordance with the principles adopted in Scotland’s AI Strategy to enable the development and use of Trustworthy, Ethical and Inclusive AI (https://www.scotlandaistrategy.com/)

The advisor still needs to remain the primary decision maker in the process, with the AI helping them to make the best use of their intuition, experience and training, not replacing them.

The AI will also need to recognise the diversity of the people we serve and their problems. There are a multitude of ways the data and AI/Machine learning could be used to assist/triage but it should not try to treat people using a one size fits all model. We are not looking to drive types to work personas, … It is about sharing knowledge and understanding, codifying the data to help advisers to make the best decisions they can make. It is particularly important that any AI solution recognises edge cases, variety and difference in client groups.

What is the commercial opportunity beyond a CivTech contract?

Anything that speeds up the process of data entry in a service setting would have a wider commercial application.

We anticipate that there could be other public sector users of the solution, as whilst our use would be specific to our dataset, the algorithms or stack could be deployable into other settings where a person-centred data solution is required.

If the solution includes AI components (for example, to help data entry/management or assist decision-making), these might be applicable to the delivery of other services to the public by government, provided they are designed according to the principles outlined above. For example, the Scottish Government has been piloting the development of explainable and ethical AI in the Scottish public sector.  

Who are the stakeholders?

Main Stakeholders

• Citizens Advice Scotland – service design and research/data, training, quality, IT teams

• Citizens Advice Bureau – selected co-design groups

• CAB advisers

• (possibly) selected CAB clients.

• Data protection – CAS data protection officer

Additional stakeholders that we may make introduction to if necessary:

• Pulsion – provider of ‘Castle’

• Waterstons – Provider of the Data warehouse

• Access to 2x Executive Directors at CAS (Advice Services & Impact)

• Operations Manager

• Quality and Training Manager

• Research and Data teams,

• IT teams

Who’s in the Challenge Sponsor team?

Citizens Advice Scotland (The Sponsor)

• Polly Tolley, Director of Impact at Citizens advice Scotland

• George Eckton, Director of Advice

• Ben Craigie-Sharland: Project Manager

What is the policy background to the Challenge?

National Outcome
Children and Young People

Current Indicators
Child material deprivation Child Material Deprivation | National Performance Framework

National Outcome
Economy national outcome

Current Indicators
Income equality https://nationalperformance.gov.scot/income-inequality

National Outcome
Human Rights

Current Indicators
Public services treat people with dignity and respect

National Outcome
Poverty

Current Indicators
Cost of Living: https://nationalperformance.gov.scot/cost-livingUnmanageable
Debt: https://nationalperformance.gov.scot/unmanageable-debt
Persistent Poverty: https://nationalperformance.gov.scot/persistent-poverty
Food insecurity: https://nationalperformance.gov.scot/food-insecurity