SERVICES WE OFFER

PROGRAM DESIGN & MANAGEMENT

COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

MONITORING, EVALUATION & LEARNING

SPECIALIST TECHNICAL SKILLS

We design and manage programs that have positive impacts on communities, are realistic and achievable, and where the results can be measured.

We help a wide range of clients to consult and engage with their stakeholders and communities, to shape better, more inclusive outcomes.

We undertake independent evaluations of programs to discover what’s working well and what can be improved; and we help clients build systems to monitor and improve their performance on an ongoing basis.

• Disability inclusion

• Gender and social inclusion

• Climate and resilience

• Organisational governance

PROGRAM DESIGN & MANAGEMENT

Strategic has deep expertise in the design and management of programs across a wide range of disciplines. We design and manage high impact programs that are actionable and measurable.

Our clients include property developers such as Riverview Group; academic institutions such as TAFE Queensland; government agencies such as DFAT and local councils; and community service organisations such as St John’s Community Services in central Sydney and The Centre in North Melbourne.

Framework Design for Australia’s engagement in APEC

Strategic was engaged by DFAT to design a strategic framework for Australia’s whole-of-government engagement with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economic forum. The design sets out the outcomes sought, and outlines the means to ensure Australia’s various involvements with APEC are coherent, effective and efficient.

Implementation of the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC)

Beginning in 2018, Strategic was engaged by TAFE Queensland as an Associate in the implementation of the DFAT-funded Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC). For four years as an ongoing partner in the implementation of the program, our role included: recruitment of the APTC management team; change management from the previous phase of the program; giving technical advice on labour mobility; and organisational review.
(Image: Dion Isaacson for DFAT)

Implementation of Pacific Connect

Beginning in 2017, Strategic was engaged by the International Centre for Democratic Partnerships as an Associate in the implementation of the DFAT-funded Pacific Connect program. Our five-year role in the implementation of the program included leading the development of Pacific partnerships through two team members based in Suva, giving strategic advice to the board, and facilitating international and domestic dialogue meetings.

Design of the Spark Training and Employment Initiative

Strategic was engaged by Ginninderry – a residential development of 11,500 homes in western Canberra – to design a training and employment program to maximise the benefits of the development for disadvantaged groups who are disconnected from the labour market. These groups included youth, aboriginal, mature aged, long-term unemployed and culturally and linguistically diverse people.

Design of Banksia Women

Strategic designed this service for women experiencing domestic and family violence for St John’s Community Services in Sydney. The service offers the highest quality practical help, empowerment and connection to vulnerable women and children.

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COMMUNITY & STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

Strategic works with clients to help them engage meaningfully with their stakeholders and local communities.

Our team are accredited and experienced in implementing the principles and methodologies established by the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2), an organisation of which we are a member.

Community engagement for development of new solar farms

Working in partnership with an environmental consultancy, we led community and stakeholder engagement for the planning and construction phases of new solar farms in regional New South Wales.

Co-design of the future of retirement living

Strategic lead this major co-design process for aged care provider IRT from 2018 to 2021. It involved a national survey of senior Australians to understand their retirement preferences, followed by community-based engagement activities aligned with IRT’s development pipeline to tailor each new retirement living facility to the needs of the local community.

Stakeholder analysis for improved civil-military co-operation

We led a process of stakeholder mapping and analysis to enable the Australian Civil-Military Centre to better perform its coordination function.

Community engagement and affordable housing

Our team supported CSIRO to pursue redevelopment of a significant parcel of land in the ACT, by leading community engagement for the project and convening an expert workshop on best practice in affordable housing.

We are members of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) and ascribe to its principles of international best practice. Our approach emphasises the value in building and maintaining open and respectful face-to-face relationships with the community.

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MONITORING, EVALUATION & LEARNING

Strategic has specialist expertise in program evaluation and impact measurement. Our team are adept at quantitative and qualitative data analysis and incorporation of relevant lessons learned elsewhere, complemented by informed professional judgements. We are sought after by a wide range of private and public sector clients for both program evaluation and development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks.

Our clients include private sector entities such as AECOM and Riverview Group; NGOs such as TEAR Fund and CBM; government agencies such as DFAT and DAWE; and education institutions such as ANU.

Review of the Indigenous Advancement Strategy Grant Decision and Management System

The National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) engaged Strategic to undertake this strategic review in 2020. Our review made 28 recommendations covering eight step-changes in the management of this $1.3b program, all of which were accepted by the NIAA Executive Board.

Evaluation of the ACT language education system

Strategic was engaged by the ACT Education Directorate to review the operation of their investment in Community Language Schools. The evaluation included extensive consultation with culturally and linguistically diverse stakeholders, and provided forward-looking recommendations for future investment to the Minister for Multicultural Affairs.

Evaluation of the New Colombo Plan

Strategic undertook the 2019 independent evaluation of DFAT’s New Colombo Plan. Our recommendations led to significant changes to the direction and operation of this high-profile Australian Government international mobility program.

Mid-term review of the Australia Pacific Climate Partnership

In 2020, Strategic was engaged by DFAT to review the performance of this regional program, in order to assess the performance of the Partnership and its component parts.

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SPECIALIST TECHNICAL SKILLS

The Strategic team also brings specialist skillsets in a number of areas. These include:

Disability inclusion

We have led consultations for the Department of Social Services to improve client experience of the disability support pension; we provide strategic advisory services to DFAT’s Australia-Cambodia Cooperation for Equitable Sustainable Services (ACCESS); and we undertook a review for the ACT Education Directorate of its approach to education for students with disability.

Gender and social inclusion

We conducted gender equity and social inclusion analysis for the provision of digital infrastructure by the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP); we facilitated the co-design of DFAT’s Pacific Women Lead program; and we undertook a review of DFAT’s policies on child protection, social and environmental safeguards, and prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

Public-private collaboration and impact investing

We undertook a formative evaluation of TEAR Fund’s impact investing program; we designed the Business Partnerships Platform and Impact Private Sector Partnerships for DFAT; and we provided specialist advice in gender lens investing to impact investment firm Brightlight for the Frontier Brokers impact investing pilot program.

Climate and resilience

We developed Murray River Council’s Adverse Event Plan; we provided advice on green finance to the Government of Afghanistan through the Institute for State Effectiveness; and we led an independent evaluation of Clarence Valley Council’s ‘Reconnected and Ready’ community resilience program following the 2020 Bushfires.

Organisational governance

We undertook a governance review and strategy development process for St John’s Community Services; we oversaw change management processes for the DFAT funded programs APTC (Pacific) and Prospera (Indonesia); and we have provided specialist advice to two major professional sporting clubs, the Central Coast Mariners and ACT Brumbies.

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CAPABILITY STATEMENTS

Download our capability statements:

Strategic Capabilities - Overview — Strategic’s Capabilities - Overview