Case Study
HOW INTEGRITY AGENCIES ARE STREAMLINING INVESTIGATIONS AND BOLSTERING PUBLIC TRUST WITH NUIX
OVERVIEW
Integrity agencies, around the world, put accountability at the center of work in the public sector. These organizations and bodies focus on ensuring ethical conduct, transparency, and accountability within various sectors, particularly in government and public services. Transparency is fundamental to maintaining public confidence in their work. Tasked with detecting and preventing corrupt conduct, integrity agencies receive and analyze thousands of complaints and conduct thousands of investigations each year.
As integrity agencies aim to build good reputation in the public sector, local governments and leaders are encouraged to report more. This is a positive step, but it has resulted in increased reporting of misconduct or suspect activity, and placed added workloads on assessment and investigations teams. The rise in preliminary investigations by integrity agencies worldwide is echoed in Australia, where one agency saw cases triple from the previous year.
KEY TAKEAWAY
The rise in preliminary investigations by integrity agencies worldwide is echoed in Australia, one Australian agency saw its cases triple in a single year, putting unprecedented pressure on investigations teams.
Nuix Neo Investigations helped meet this challenge by:
- automating 95% of routine tasks
- reducing processing times by 80%
- enabling the team to complete 53 matters in just 10 days, a fivefold productivity boost.
By removing manual bottlenecks and utilizing Nuix Neo Investigations, staff could focus on high-value, strategic work, improving both efficiency and morale.
The CHALLENGE
Navigating a surge of complex investigative demands, one of Australia’s leading integrity agencies wanted to find a new way to manage the influx of data, all while balancing time and regulatory pressures, and the need to protect public trust. This was especially true for the agency’s digital forensic officers, who play a critical role in the investigation process. The team is responsible for receiving, reviewing, and assessing complaints from both the public and public officials, as well as reports made by public sector organizations. The volume and complexity of the data has increased dramatically over recent years, placing significant and continued pressure on the digital forensic officers.
At the start of 2023, the agency experienced a major backlog of over 60 cases, triggered by a series of back-to-back warrants. These items, processed manually, created a bottleneck. With only three digital forensic officers in the team, and a system that relied heavily on manual, time-consuming methods, the team were under pressure and drowning in investigation data.
The integrity agency encourages team members to take annual leave. However, digital forensic officers were faced with a grueling backlog of data upon their return to work. Processing took up to three months per case, draining valuable time and energy from the team and resulting in downstream delays that impacted the entire investigation process.
Furthermore, the standard manual approach risked missing crucial evidence, and burnout was a real concern for the team. The integrity agency was looking for a better way to streamline processes, reduce the burden on the team and deliver faster, accurate investigations.
the SOLUTION
The integrity agency has been a Nuix customer for 10 years and had previously leveraged simple automation. Midway through 2023 the integrity agency took a step forward on their long-standing partnership with Nuix by implementing Nuix’s latest technology for automation and orchestration. This technology brought transformative capabilities, enabling the agency to achieve unprecedented efficiency.
In 2023, the integrity agency processed 24 cases, by 2024, this number more than doubled to 58.
The dramatic reduction in processing times was another notable benefit. By June 2024, the integrity agency had achieved 95% automation with the advanced technology. This marked a gamechanging shift in how they handled information. Prior to automation, it was impossible to process matters within the first 10 days of receipt. However, the enhanced capabilities, the agency had a 5x increase processing 53 matters within 10 days.
In addition, Nuix advanced automation enabled a 24-hour processing queue meaning investigators could complete warrants, and immediately receive notifications that electronic evidence is being processed the same day. Cases that once took weeks or even months are now processed in a matter of days.
The technology has also increased job satisfaction, leading to more fulfilling work and better staff retention, which is crucial given the scarcity of digital forensic officers.
ACCURATE EVIDENCE IN COURT
The accuracy and reliability of evidence is paramount in anticorruption investigations, and evidence must stand up before a judge, jury and the public. Nuix’s latest technology for automation and orchestration has delivered improvements in speed and accuracy, while ensuring the integrity agency’s results are explainable in court, and to the public.
With this advanced automation and orchestration technology, Nuix automates routine tasks, providing digital forensic officers with the capacity to dig deeper into the data. This enables them to uncover nuanced insights and answer more complex questions.
The accuracy of evidence is also important as integrity investigations carry immense responsibility. The outcomes often have significant consequences for individuals’ careers and lives, as false information can lead to unjust punishments or wrongful terminations.
DIFFERENT APPROACH, CONSISTENT RESULTS
Nuix ensures consistency across the integrity agency’s small team of three digital forensic officers. Prior to using the with the advanced automation technology, the team was working late into the evening or over weekends to meet tight deadlines. Now, no matter when the work is completed, Nuix’s advanced automation and orchestration technology processes data quickly and consistently.
One of the key benefits has been reduction in idle time. Weekends and evenings are now utilized for continuous automated processing, ensuring the evidence is ready when needed, without delays or the need for manual intervention.
This consistency is key not only for maintaining productivity but for ensuring integrity of the work. Nuix applies the same processing profiles and methods every time, regardless of who is using it or when. As a result, the team focuses on higher-level analysis and decision-making, confident that the processing of the evidence has been handled consistently and accurately.
The flexibility of the product has allowed the integrity agency’s digital forensics team to uplevel their work, offering in-depth analysis and streamlined workflows. Automating manual processing tasks means the team can focus on higher-value activities. Tasks that were once time-consuming – such as backing up a forensic image – are now handled through Nuix, freeing up resources for strategic priorities.
LOOKING AHEAD
Based on success with Nuix’s latest technology for automation and orchestration, the integrity agency is considering a pathway to Nuix Neo Investigations solution, and they are keen to see the advantages that cognitive AI could deliver.
