Engaging stakeholders on large projects requires more than periodic check-ins or the use of tools like surveys, interviews, and social media. It’s about fostering an ongoing connection. However, over the course of a multi-year project, this can become challenging. Teams change, consultants transition in and out, and insights can become fragmented - leaving behind reports that quickly lose relevance. This makes it difficult to maintain an understanding of stakeholders’ priorities, concerns, and emotions.

Iceni was founded nine years ago with a mission to deliver public good. Over time, we’ve sharpened our understanding of what that means and how we can create real, lasting impact.

Effective stakeholder engagement is vital when navigating significant changes that impact communities. One of Iceni’s recent projects highlights the importance of early and ongoing engagement in understanding local perceptions.

We are back in surplus. For the first time in 15 years, the Australian Government has announced it will collect more in revenue, predominantly taxes, than it will spend for the year. Revenue from personal income tax has soared. Driven in part by our terms of trade (that is, what we receive for our exported goods versus what we pay for our imported goods) at near record levels, company taxes have also risen strongly. Politically, a budget surplus, albeit a small one, is a big deal for Labour, which for years has been accused by their main political foes of being poor managers of the economy.

With significant pressure on Jim Chalmers to deliver for Australians who are doing it tough, the APS has been doing some clever work on achieving its promised $3bn consultancy spend cut. Alongside their vision for restoring the public service as a great place to work, Australian governments also have the opportunity to design the consultancy market they need.

Organisational capability is often described as a group of individuals using their skills and knowledge to deliver outputs that align with an organisation’s functions and purpose. If this were true, it would mean that the more individuals an organisation employs, the more organisational capability it has. However, history has shown us that lean start-ups can deliver incredible results and large companies can suffer from crippling inefficiencies.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a monumental shift in the way that people are choosing to spend their money. They are voting with their feet by buying products and services that are in line with their social and ecological values, rather than based on convenience or brand. In fact, not only are more people buying from purpose-led organisations, 55% of people are willing to pay more.