Recording and transcription project
A recording and transcription project is underway to implement a new recording and transcription service into Queensland Courts by 1 July 2021.
Project goals
- Review current court recording and transcription services (complete)
- Identify future options for service delivery (complete)
- Recommend the best overall value-for-money option (complete)
- Roll out new recording and transcription services (in progress—complete by 1 July 2021)
About us
Our vision
“The Queensland Justice System has quality recording and accurate transcriptions that are valued by users and responsive to their needs.”
Currently Auscript provides all recording and transcription services for Queensland Courts. However, the way that court and tribunal proceedings are recorded will be changing.
The Recording and Transcription (R&T) project team was established in 2017 to review current court recording and transcription services and to identify future options for service delivery.
Following this review, a new service delivery model was recommended where DJAG and a panel of transcription service providers will be responsible for recording and transcription services.
This new service delivery model was chosen to ensure quality and timeliness of court transcripts, while providing the best value for money. This recommendation was announced in early 2019 by the Honourable Yvette D’Ath, former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice.
The project team is working closely with the judiciary, courts and tribunal staff representing various business areas and service providers to implement the new service delivery model.
Upcoming changes
Between March and July 2021, the department will transition from the current recording and transcription service model with Auscript, to the new service model by 1 July 2021.
The key changes as part of the new service delivery model are:
- New hardware and recording software have been installed across 248 courtrooms across Queensland.
- Staff and transcription service providers will use the new software to control the recording of court proceedings and create annotations.
- A new web-based portal (QTranscripts) replaces the Auscript ordering portal. QTranscripts enables DJAG staff to order transcripts more quickly, track their orders and enables us to collect data about end-to-end recording and transcription service responsiveness to highlight areas for improvement.
Procurement
Most of the procurement associated with the project has now been completed , with no more open market processes to be undertaken.
Recording software procurement—awarded to VIQ Solutions Pty Limited
The recording software invitation to offer (ITO) closed on 5 June 2019. The purpose of this first procurement was to purchase the software that will be ultimately integrated in to the DJAG recording platform and used to record and provide transcriptions of court proceedings. The recording software contract was awarded to VIQ Solutions Pty Limited(formerly Spark and Cannon Australasia Pty Limited) on 28 October 2019.
Service operations platform procurement—awarded to DXC Technology Australia Pty Ltd
A multi-stage procurement was undertaken in 2019 to engage an organisation with the expertise to design, customise, support and maintain a service operations platform for court recording and transcription services.
DXC Technology Australia Pty Ltd (DXC) was successful in the process and has subsequently worked closely with DJAG and are undertaking final enhancements to the service operations platform (to be known as QTranscripts).
Transcription services—ITO complete and early contractor involvement contract in place
The final invitation to offer process was for the procurement of one or more transcription service providers to deliver transcription services, documenting audio recordings as a written transcript when requested by the court, by parties to proceedings or by other court users.
An extensive evaluation process resulted in 2 suppliers being engaged for an early contractor involvement process to prepare for the transition of transcription services. Contract negotiations for the award of ongoing services will commence early in 2021, with 1 or 2 suppliers to provide transcriptions services after a transition period. The names of the successful supplier/s will be announced once contracts have been awarded.
A recording and transcription project is underway to transition the Queensland Courts to a new recording and transcription service by 1 July 2021.