Safeguarding

access to justice.

Strategic
Plan
2020-2023
MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
A strategic plan must be a roadmap that sets out, as an organisation, where we want to go
and how we want to get there. It must be a living document that speaks to our work, those
who carry out our work and those on whose behalf we work. It must be flexible and capable
of adaptation in light of changing needs and priorities while at the same time giving a fixed
sense of purpose and a definite direction.

Our Strategic Plan 2020-23 underscores the importance of our front-line services and that a
well-run organisation is fundamental to delivering high quality legal aid services to vulnerable
and disadvantaged individuals. However, delivering high quality legal aid services is attended
by multiple challenges. Demand often outstrips supply and difficult decisions as to
prioritisation of limited resources must sometimes be made in circumstances where the
overall cost of providing services continues to increase. Ideally, of course, we would never
have to make these tough choices because demand would be met by adequate resources.
But, this is the ideal and we are committed to assisting the maximum number of people we
can given the level of our capacity.

Criminal and family law litigation remain the most visible, and essential of the Commission’s
work. But, other priority areas – such as family violence, elder abuse and mental health –
strongly call for a greater allocation of resource. Our challenge, therefore, is meeting these
emerging civil law needs without a consequential service reduction in other areas of our core
business. Prudent financial management and continual cost savings measures in
administrative overheads and the cost of legally assisted cases are required. Making all
possible efforts to resolve matters early goes some way to mitigating the increasing cost of
legally aided representation, and streamlining or automating administrative processes will
free up capacity and increase the productivity of staff.

We cannot overlook COVID-19 and the inevitable influence it will continue to have in shaping
the legal landscape of the ACT. Many legal issues have been exacerbated by the pandemic,
and our ability to respond to its challenges will be an ongoing factor that will shape how the
Commission is structured and way in which we deliver services. The complex and diverse
effects of COVID-19 emphasises the importance of an agile Commission that can meet
unanticipated challenges. We have incorporated these challenges into our client-focused
planning.

The Strategic Plan 2020-23 includes a specific priority covering staff and staff well-being. The
Commission’s work would not be possible without the commitment of our staff, both
administrative and legal. It is a testament to their dedication that they undertake their
important and often difficult work with compassion and good humour.

Our staff were involved in the creation of this strategic plan and I thank everyone who
contributed to its development. I look forward its implementation over the coming years.

John Boersig
Chief Executive Officer
Legal Aid ACT
PART 1 IDENTITY STATEMENT

WHO WE ARE
Legal Aid ACT is an independent statutory authority established under the Legal Aid Act 1977
(ACT) (the Act). The purpose of Legal Aid ACT under the Act is to promote a just society in the
Australian Capital Territory by:

 ensuring that vulnerable and disadvantaged people receive the legal services they
need to protect their rights and interests;
 developing an improved community understanding of the law; and
 seeking reform of laws that adversely affect those we assist.

We achieve this purpose by delivering a range of high quality legal services through our staff
and professional partners in a caring manner that respects diversity and promotes confidence
in the legal system.

OUR VALUES
EXCELLENCE
 We strive to deliver legal aid services of the highest standard with
compassion and understanding and to continually improve ourselves
and the organisation
RESPECT
 We respect the inherent dignity of those we assist and those we work
with and are always culturally empathetic
INNOVATION
 We always seek new and innovative ways to improve the quality of
our services and the effective use of our resources
DEDICATION
 We are dedicated to helping disadvantaged people achieve justice
and to upholding the rule of law and the highest ethical standards

OUR VISION
To be a leading legal aid services provider in achieving just outcomes for
vulnerable and disadvantaged people
PART 2 COMMISSION PRIORITIES 2020-2023
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
With a view to fulfilling our mandate, the Commission has adopted the following four broad
objectives. These objectives will guide our priorities, specific initiatives and our allocation of
resources for the next three years as well as helping us achieve our vision of being a leading
legal aid services provider delivering just outcomes for vulnerable and disadvantaged people.

1. A Client-focused Commission
Ensuring the Commission is focused on the needs of our clients is the core foundation of
services. We will continue to make our services accessible and responsive to all members of
the ACT community, especially those who are vulnerable or marginalised. In addition to our
legal assistance services, the Commission will build upon its strong base of non-legal support
services by utilising an holistic approach to client needs. This client focus will extend across
all facets of the Commission, from our services, to our policies and communication. We will
continue to interface with the wider community through education sessions to proactively
address legal need. We will continue to respond to unexpected and emerging challenges,
such as COVID-19 and their unique impacts on Commission clients and the wider ACT
community.

2. Collaborative Partnerships
The Commission is committed to providing our clients an holistic service, and recognises that
our clients have a diverse range of needs. We will work in collaboration with our partners
locally, bilaterally, and nationally to facilitate a network of legal, social, and health services
to ensure the best possible outcomes for our clients. We will use referrals to non-legal
support services as a means of proactively working to address the needs of clients and divert
them from the legal system.

3. A Capable and Committed Team

We want our staff to feel proud to work at the Commission, and to bring integrity,
commitment, and a diverse range of insight to their roles. We commit to providing the
support staff need to deliver high quality services to our clients, community and partners.
We will ensure staff are provided a wide range of opportunities for personal development,
and we will foster career advancement. We will encourage staff to build their skills and
expertise with innovative professional education. We will implement policies to address
vicarious trauma and burnout to protect staff mental wellbeing. We will promote staff
participation in operational and decision-making process to facilitate a more transparent,
accountable, and consultative culture.

4. Improving the justice system

As the main provider of legal assistance in the ACT, we are uniquely poised to advocate for
better outcomes for vulnerable and marginalised members of the ACT community, both
within the justice system and more broadly. We will build our capacity to contribute to
legislative and social reform by developing the research and policy skills of our staff and
supporting their participation in submission writing and policy development. We are
committed to using our position to support human rights and reducing disadvantage in the
ACT.
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Our strategic objectives and our strategic priorities will guide the Commission’s activities over
the next three years. Innovation naturally has a place in the delivery of our priorities;
however, we cannot lose sight of our commitment to our core services.

Objectives Strategic Priorities

1. A client- 1.1 Support and represent victims of family violence
focused 1.2 Improve legal assistance to ATSI communities and
Commission CALD communities
1.3 Promote the early resolution of legal problems
1.4 Inform, advise and assist the ACT community
1.5 Represent disadvantaged individuals in civil, family
and criminal law matters
1.6 Deliver community legal education programs to
educate the wider community about their rights
and increase understanding of the legal system
1.7 Provide an online service where potential clients
can easily gather legal information
1.8 Identify and implement legal assistance strategies
to assist responding to emerging challenges, such
as COVID-19
2. Collaborative 2.1 Provide holistic support to clients through referrals
Partnerships to other legal or non-legal services
2.2 Develop partnerships in the health, community and
social services sector which will complement and
enhance our frontline services
3. A capable and 3.1 Recruit and retain dedicated staff from diverse
committed backgrounds with appropriate skills and
team qualifications
3.2 Provide professional development and career
advancement opportunities for staff
3.3 Facilitate staff participation in Commission
decision-making and policy development
3.4 Provide mental health assistance to address
vicarious trauma and burnout
3.5 Invest in and improve our ICT infrastructure to
ensure greater information security and better ICT
processes across the Commission
4. Improving the 4.1 Communicate the value of our work
justice system 4.2 Develop staff research and policy skills to
contribute to submission writing and policy
development
4.3 Engage in law reform activities to improve access to
justice, uphold human rights and reduce
disadvantage
STRATEGIC ACTIONS: Achieving our strategic priorities
1. A client-focused Commission

Priorities Achieving the priorities

1.1 Support and represent a. Expand our family violence order duty
more victims of family service at the Magistrates Court and the
violence Federal Circuit and Family Courts and into
the community

1.2 Improve legal assistance a. Raise the knowledge and capacity of our
to ATSI communities and staff
CALD communities b. Consolidate our migration law service
c. Provide more community legal education
aimed at target groups
d. Build partnerships with key services

1.3 Promote the early a. Develop more service opportunities by

resolution of legal collaborating with community legal centres
problems (CLCs), the private legal profession,
universities and non-legal organisations
b. Expand the rate of FDR

1.4 Inform, advise and assist a. Empower clients utilising discrete

the ACT community unbundled services
b. Maintain availability of one-off advice
sessions

1.5 Represent disadvantaged a. Expand our family violence order duty

individuals in civil family service at the Magistrates Court
law and criminal law b. Maintain daily duty advice services in the
matters Magistrates and Family Court
c. Continue our duty lawyer service in care
matters
d. Continue representing disadvantaged
individuals via grants of legal aid
e. Review practice processes with a view to
streamlining them and maximising
productivity

1.6 Deliver community legal a. Provide more community legal education

education programs to seminars for the wider community
increase understanding b. Foster social media platform that engages
of the legal system across the Territory’s diverse community

1.7 Provide an online service a. Continue to invest resources into improving

where potential clients the Commission’s existing online services
can easily gather legal
information
 b. Explore new avenues of providing legal
assistance online through alternative
platforms.
c. Upgrade Commission hardware and
software

1.8 Identify and implement a. Provide increased resources to assist clients

legal assistance strategies at services and outreach
to assist responding to b. Continue to support specialist clinics and
emerging challenges, services, including for elder abuse, family
such as COVID-19 violence and tenants.
2. Collaborative partnerships

Priorities Achieving the priorities

2.1 Provide holistic support a. Increase the capacity of our staff to deliver
to clients through culturally appropriate services
referrals to support or b. Renew and extend partnerships with non-
other non-legal services legal support services
2.2 Develop partnerships in a. Maintain existing formal partnerships and
the health, community investigate opportunities for new
and social services sector partnerships
which will complement b. Maintain good working relationships with
and enhance our complementary community organisations,
frontline services health services and social services
organisations

3. A capable and committed team

Priorities Achieving the priorities

3.1 Recruit and retain a. Proactively recruit people with a diverse
dedicated staff from range of backgrounds
diverse backgrounds with b. Foster a workplace with a positive and
appropriate skills and supportive culture and that provides
qualifications opportunities for skills development and
career advancement
c. Implement a series of health and wellbeing
initiatives to promote staff wellbeing
3.2 Provide professional a. Implement a regular series of CLE
development and career presentations for lawyers led by staff or other
advancement members of the profession
opportunities for staff b. Implement a regular series of professional
development sessions for non-legal staff to
support their development and enhance our
services
c. Develop short, medium, and long term staff
development policies
d. Identify opportunities for staff secondment
with other ACT organisations to build
partnerships and staff capacity
3.3 Facilitate staff a. Conduct staff surveys to assess staff
participation in satisfaction and provide an opportunity for
Commission decision- feedback
making and policy b. Utilise staff committees to provide input on
development policy decisions
 3.4 Provide mental health a. Engage mental health providers to provide
assistance to address services to staff to address trauma.
vicarious trauma and b. Provide resources on mental health and
burnout wellness strategies
3.5 Invest in and improve our a. Review how we can streamline and automate
ICT resources to ensure processes and administrative tasks to free up
greater information capacity
security and better ICT b. Carry out process audits to identify how the
processes across the Commission is utilising present ICT resources
Commission c. Implement ongoing ICT upgrades
d. Create a ‘Knowledgebase’ on legal topics for
use by lawyers

4. Improving the justice system

Priorities Achieving the priorities

4.1 Communicate the value a. Maintain an active social media presence to
of our work showcase our services and our work
b. Publish in practice journals such as Hearsay and
the Bar Bulletin
c. Promote our value to governments at the
Territory and Commonwealth level
d. Maintain strategic involvement in local and
national committees and working groups
4.2 Develop staff research a. Provide junior staff with feedback and mentoring
and policy skills to on policy writing
contribute to submission b. Provide writing and researching education
writing and policy resources
development
4.3 Engage in law reform a. Engage with government on issues that
activities to improve adversely affect those we assist
access to justice, uphold b. Continue to provide feedback on cabinet
human rights and submissions
reduce disadvantage c. Provide input into legislative inquiries relating to
our work
PART 3 MEASURING OUR SUCCESS
Part 3 outlines the priority areas with the key performance indicators (measurements) that
the Commission might undertake as the method or means to deliver the outcomes.

Priority Measurement
1.1 Support and  Number of family violence related services provided
represent victims of annually
family violence  Number of referrals to legal and non-legal services
providers
 Number of non-legal support services
1.2 Improve legal  Number of services provided to ATSI and CALD persons
assistance to ATSI annually
communities and  Number of non-legal support services provided to ATSI and
CALD communities CALD persons annually
 Number of CLE activities provided to ATSI and CALD persons
annually
1.3 Promote the early  Number of outreach sites and people assisted (by priority
resolution of legal group) annually
problems  Number of CLE activities annually
 Number of communications through website, online chat
and helpline
1.4 Inform, advise and  Number of Helpline, OPAL and tenancy telephone and
assist the ACT internet chat services provided annually
community  Number of advice and minor assistance services provided
annually
1.5 Represent  Number of people assisted through duty services, FDR and
disadvantaged representation annually
individuals in civil,  Number of referrals to other legal service providers annually
criminal and family  Number of non-legal support services provided annually
law matters  Number of grants of aid in family law and criminal law
matters provided annually
 Number of duty services in family and criminal law provided
annually
 Number of information and advice services provided
annually
1.6 Deliver community  Number of CLE activities provided annually
legal education  Attendance at CLE activities annually
programs to educate
the wider
community about
their rights and
increase
understanding of
the legal system
1.7 Provide an online  Number of website page views annually
service where  Number of new electronic resources posted annually
potential clients can  Virtual attendance of webinars and online presentations
easily gather legal annually
information
1.8 Identify and  Number of COVID-19 related projects administered
implement legal annually
assistance strategies  Number of family violence, elder abuse, and tenancy
to assist in COVID-19 services provided annually
response and
recovery
2.1 Provide holistic  Number of referrals to legal and non-legal service providers
support to clients annually
through referrals to  Number of non-legal support services provided annually
other legal or non-
legal services

2.2 Develop  Number of partnerships created or renewed by 2023

partnerships in the
health, community
and social services
sector which will
complement and
enhance our
frontline services
3.1 Recruit and retain  Number of women, ATSI, CALD or people with disabilities
dedicated and employed
diverse staff  Key relationship and client satisfaction with
professionalism, skills and commitment of staff
3.2 Provide professional  Number of training seminars for legal and non-legal staff
development and  Completion of short, medium, and long term planning
career advancement policies
opportunities for  Number of staff seconded
staff

3.3 Facilitate staff  Number of staff surveys conducted annually

participation in  Number of responses to surveys annually
Commission  Number of meetings of staff committees
decision-making and
policy development
3.4 Provide mental  Number of mental health sessions conducted annually
health assistance to  Number of mental health resources engaged with annually
address vicarious  Staff satisfaction and retention
trauma and burnout

3.5 Invest in and  Reduced frequency and duration of breakdowns in IT

improve our ICT services
infrastructure to  Number of OPC requests for assistance per quarter
ensure greater  Number of security breaches
information security  Staff satisfaction with current ICT processes
and better ICT  Number of hardware and software upgrades
processes across the  Number of process audits carried out
Commission
4.1 Engage in law  Number of law reform submissions
reform activities to  Number of cabinet submissions responded to
improve access to  Number of appearances or instruments at parliamentary
justice, uphold inquiries or similar
human rights and
reduce disadvantage
4.2 Develop staff  Number of resources provided to staff
research and policy  Number of submissions contributed to by staff members
skills to contribute
to submission
writing and policy
development
4.3 Communicate the  Number of website hits
value of our work  Social media engagement on Commission posts
 Number of publications