Ready for Rules as Code? Here are some of the key lessons we’ve picked up along the way - insights that might be useful as you consider your own approach.
After 18 months of exploration and experimentation, the Rules as Code (RaC) sandpit program wrapped up at the end of 2025. We’re now taking what we learned and moving towards delivering a production, enterprise-grade service for the Australian government.
During the sandpit phase, we explored how Rules as Code can be used as a regulatory compliance tool, a way to self-assess government benefits, a tool for modelling the impact of policy changes, delivering government rules via third-party software and many more.
Each project expanded our understanding of what can be achieved and taught us valuable lessons we’re excited to share.
Define your rules
The process of translating policy into code often exposes ambiguities and gaps in the policies themselves. Before starting, it’s essential to ensure rules are clearly defined and unambiguous.
Throughout the sandpits, we found creating plain English “rules statements” were helpful to get all stakeholders on the same page. These rules statements were then used as content for the results page of our RaC sandpits, transparently informing the end user of how an outcome was reached.
Work with the experts
Get the right people involved – Rules as Code projects require continuous engagement with subject matter experts, legal experts, policymakers and developers to ensure legislation is coded accurately, aligning with the intent of the rules. We found bridging the gap between technical developers and policy experts worked best in meetings where issues could be talked through to ensure all parties were happy.
Start small
Choose a small piece of legislation or regulation that is well-suited for a proof of concept. This approach allows you to build internal processes, while also providing insights into resource requirements and how the solution can be scaled in future. Ensure that you know what defines the minimum viable product for your project and explicitly document what’s out of scope so ‘nice-to-haves’ don’t quietly become commitments.
To learn more about what we’ve discovered through the sandpit program, or to explore whether Rules as Code is right for your agency in 2026, get in touch with us.