Wellbeing agency – consultation and co-design outcomes

The Taskforce worked with ThinkPlace  and Professor Mark Evans, an independent facilitator, to deliver the co-design process.  

This process was divided into 3 phases: 

1. discovery and insights: gathering the evidence
2. co-design: making the entity
3. blueprint: writing up the outcomes, including potential entity models. 

The discovery and co-design phases for the new agency included veterans, serving Australian Defence Force members, families, ex-service organisations and other service providers. 

As part of our community consultation process, we: 

• visited 15 locations, covering all states and territories and several regional areas
• held 39 in-person sessions
• delivered 3 community-based virtual sessions
• delivered 2 virtual sessions with DVA staff who are veterans and family members
• received 56 community submissions via an online portal
• received 151 completed online surveys
• had 15 one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders. 

Professor Mark Evans also completed an international lessons project, through which he reviewed six overseas models to inform the discovery sessions and evidence gathering phase. 

The discovery phase concluded on 21 May 2025.  

Summary of findings 

The community consultation raised issues consistent with those identified in the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide Final Report:

• loss of identity and purpose when moving to a civilian life
• challenges with employment, housing and social reintegration exacerbated by lack of recognition of military skills in civilian industries
• a top-down ‘government knows best’ approach
• a complex service system that is hard to engage with and navigate. 

The Royal Commission highlighted the need for a focus on prevention and early intervention to support and enhance veteran and family wellbeing outcomes, especially during transition. This was reaffirmed through the Discovery phase and co-design. Participants were clear that transition is not a single event where a person moves from military to civilian life, but an ongoing journey that unfolds over time.  

The consultation process told us: 

• veterans and families need connection to support to prepare for transition as well as during transition
• those with complex needs, and poor physical and psychological health face increased difficulties
• the transition ecosystem is complex and fragmented with both significant gaps and duplication.  

Four principles arose through the Discovery phase that have the potential to make a significant improvement for veterans and families. 

1. Build trust through the delivery of services recognise the service of veterans and their families, and the promise to support their wellbeing from enlistment to end of life.
2. The new agency should operate with independence but collaborate with Defence, DVA, communities of practice and mainstream services.
3. Improve the support experience through a service architecture based on the principles of:
   • help clients find the right door
   • build trust
   • engage in a way that empowers and prioritises self-agency
   • build a culture that is inclusive, empathetic and accountable
   • develop best practice and continuous improvement.
4. Connect to the community and to services through Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs to encourage a sense of belonging, post-transition. 

Veterans and Families Assembly  

A Veterans and Families Assembly was hosted in Canberra over two days (23–24 May 2025). A group of 68 participants came together, representing veterans, serving Australian Defence Force members, families, and a small cohort of ex-service organisations and service providers. 

A copy of the Discovery Workshop Interim Findings (PDF 531 KB) has been shared with attendees of the workshops and the Veterans and Families Assembly.

The Assembly participants reinforced the findings from our Discovery workshops and helped co-design the functions and operating model for the new agency.

The Veterans and Families Assembly Summary Report outlines discussion about: 

• the promise of the new agency
• key definitions, including Veteran, Family and Transition
• purpose and functions of the agency
• the service experience and service architecture
• stages of implementation
• privacy and consent, diversity and inclusion.