Strategy
Strategy that's lived.Not laminated.
We help organisations find clarity, courage and direction, then bring strategy to life in a way people believe in and use. Built with your leaders, your staff and the community you serve.
The problem
Most strategic plans end up on a shelf.And nobody uses it.
A plan written by a few people in a room rarely survives contact with the people expected to deliver it. Staff don't recognise it. The community wasn't asked. Twelve months later it's a document, not a direction.
For when…
- Your current plan has run out, or stopped meaning anything.
- You need to reset direction after a change in leadership or funding.
- Your board, staff and community want different things.
- You need community input that is genuine and defensible, not tick-box.
Who it's for
- Local and state government
- Health and education
- Not-for-profit and community organisations
- Boards and executive teams
What we do
Strategy, engagement, facilitation and leadership.Pick what you need.
Strategic planning
End-to-end planning, from vision to action, with your team and community at the centre. A plan people recognise as theirs.
Community engagement strategy
Engagement approaches that are genuine, defensible and fit for purpose, linking high-level strategy to practical planning.
Facilitation
Full-day workshops, board sessions, community forums and everything in between. We hold the room so your team can think.
Leadership advisory
Working with senior teams to build confidence, clarity and courage in how they lead, decide and communicate.
Capability building
Building your team's engagement skills from the inside out. In-house, tailored and practical.
Evaluation
Independent reviews of programs and partnerships that tell you honestly what's working, for whom, why, and what to do next.
How it works
Three steps.
- 01
Engage.
We talk with your leaders, staff, board and community to find out what matters and where the tension sits.
- 02
Validate.
We test what we've heard with the people living it, and facilitate the conversations that turn hundreds of views into a clear vision, priorities and actions.
- 03
Adapt.
We help you put the plan to work, with practical tools so it guides decisions long after it's signed off.
Work we've done
Governments, councils, health and community organisations.Across Australia.
- Led politically sensitive statewide engagement for a major state government reform, working directly with the Minister.
- Led end-to-end strategic plans for councils, from visioning to final strategy, with residents in meaningful roles.
- Turned hundreds of community inputs into a bold vision and priorities framework for a regional city's long-term growth.
- Built a participatory evaluation framework to measure the impact of community wellbeing initiatives.
- Reset and aligned a health network team's culture and work practices through interviews and workshops.
Results
"I'm not ashamed to say I got a bit teary reading our new strategic plan. It felt like us."
Not-for-Profit organisation staff member
"Becky has an incredible ability to hold space for complex conversations while keeping everyone moving forward."
Manager Community Services, local government
Your strategist
Becky HirstNearly 30 years of strategy and engagement.
Becky is one of Australia's most experienced community engagement strategists. She has worked with hundreds of government and community organisations across Australia and the UK and involved more than 50,000 people in conversations about issues that matter. She brings complex stakeholder groups together to shape strategy and policy, and makes it safe for people to say what's really going on.
Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts · Co-instigator of Global Community Engagement Day · SACE Board of South Australia · Author of For the Love of Community Engagement · beckyhirst.world
Questions
How long does a strategic plan take?
Each engagement is different. Most run over a few months. We will advise.
Do you engage our community as well as our staff?
Yes. Community voice sits at the centre of the plan, alongside your board, leaders and staff.
Can you just facilitate one session?
Yes. Board sessions, workshops and forums can be booked on their own.
Where does it run?
In person with your people, with online options where that suits.
Investment
We don't write plans for the shelf.We fix the system.
From $11,990
Scoped to your organisation and your community.
Or contact us direct.
Becky: 0449 190 125 · becky@fixthesystem.world
Karen: 0401 032 386 · karen@fixthesystem.world