Australian Government runs a six-month whole-of-government Microsoft 365 Copilot trial with more than 5000 APS staff across almost 60 agencies

Overview

From January to June 2024 the Australian Government trialled Microsoft 365 Copilot with more than 5000 APS staff across almost 60 agencies; Nous Group evaluated it for the Digital Transformation Agency. Per the case study, 69 per cent reported improved task completion speed, 61 per cent saw enhanced work quality, 77 per cent were satisfied and 86 per cent wanted to continue using it. Participants reported efficiency gains in summarisation, first drafts and information searches, and agencies faced technical, cultural and capability adoption barriers.

The challenge

The Digital Transformation Agency engaged Nous Group to evaluate the trial, testing the extent to which the promise of AI had translated into real-world adoption by public servants, to help the government consider future opportunities and challenges related to AI adoption.

The solution

Microsoft 365 Copilot was trialled for six months in business-as-usual activities: content generation, summarisation and theming, task management, and data analysis. The trial was non-randomised, with agencies nominating staff to take part.

Reported business value

In the evaluation, 69 per cent of participants reported improved task completion speed and 61 per cent saw enhanced work quality; participants estimated efficiency gains of around an hour on summarisation, first drafts or information searches, and 40 per cent of post-use survey respondents said they could reallocate time to higher-value activities. Satisfaction was 77 per cent, and 86 per cent wanted to continue using the tool. The evaluators caution that agencies faced technical, cultural and capability adoption barriers.