In previous editions, we provided updates on our Digital Transformation Roadmap project, funded by the Financial Counselling Industry Fund’s Innovation Grant 2025 round.
As outlined earlier, FCVic is working closely with our technology partner Infoxchange and the Financial Counsellors’ Association of NSW (FCAN) to deliver this project between November 2025 and October 2026, under the supervision of our Reference Group. The Reference Group commenced monthly meetings in November 2025 and includes representatives from FCAN, FCVic, a range of NSW and Victorian agencies, financial counsellors, and technology partners, among others.
During the consultation phase, both FCVic and FCAN asked our respective members in February 2026 to complete survey questions about their use and views of technology and artificial intelligence (AI). In March 2026, we then surveyed agencies across Victoria and NSW to understand their current use of technology systems and their organisational approach to AI. Separately, to support agencies to better understand the risks and frameworks associated with AI, we shared Infoxchange’s ‘AI Assessment Tool’. This tool enables agencies to assess, free of charge, their readiness to safely adopt AI at an organisational level.
We are currently coordinating a series of workshops facilitated by our technology partner Infoxchange. Our first workshop was held on 20 April 2026 and focused on technology systems, in particular Client Management Systems (CMS) used by agencies to deliver financial counselling services.
Hosted online, with a broad range of representatives from agencies across Victoria and NSW, the workshop explored key issues, common pain points, and desired functionality across the CMS used by the sector. Participants were selected through an expression of interest process, resulting in a strong group of financial counsellors with systems expertise, agency managers, operations managers, and digital technology leads, alongside Reference Group members and representatives from FCAN and FCVic.
The 90‑minute workshop was thoughtfully facilitated by Infoxchange and generated excellent discussion. FCVic is very grateful to the financial counsellors and agency staff who generously contributed their time and expertise.
Our second targeted workshop, planned for 27 May 2026, will focus on AI. This session will explore ethical considerations, alignment with professional standards, and implementation safeguards relevant to the financial counselling sector. We are looking forward to this workshop, which will also be facilitated by Infoxchange and bring together a similar mix of participants selected through the expression of interest process.
Once the workshops are completed in late May, our technology partner Infoxchange will draw on the wealth of data and insights gathered to inform the development of the digital transformation framework and ethical guidelines for using AI in the financial counselling sector. These will form the key deliverables for the project.
If you would like to know more about the project or would like to use Infoxchange’s AI Assessment Tool for your agency, please contact Georgina Molloy, Projects Coordinator at FCVic, at [email protected].