What we do

What we do

Get off the policy rollercoaster

Anyone who says policy is easy, is kidding themselves. It can be really tricky to navigate the policy practice when priorities, decisions and deadlines keep changing.


If your team is stuck in a policy rut, we can help. We’ve got decades of experience dealing with the most challenging policy problems, finding the opportunities and the light at the end of the tunnel. And we know how to get back up and keep going when it all gets too hard. The celebration is sweeter.

How we help

Latest blogs

Policy perspectives: Not up to or feeling uncomfortable with Australia Day Celebrations? There are many other things that you could do instead on 26 January

By Salli Cohen • January 11, 2024
Acknowledgement of Country I grew up on Guringai Country before moving overseas to return many years later to live, work and raise with my husband our children on Larrakia Country. I acknowledge and respect the traditional owners and Elders of Larrakia Country. I also extend my respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples – the First Nations people of this country who never ceded their sovereignty. I truly appreciate the life I have in Australia though I acknowledge my ancestors were never invited to make their home here. I carry a deep unease that I am a descendent of either convicts or free settlers (most likely the former) who played a part in the colonisation of First Nations Countries. I am deeply sorry for this.

Curiosity may have killed the cat but it’s the life blood of the policy officer

By Salli Cohen • September 19, 2023
Being curious is a critical part of being a policy officer and our number one curiosity tool is asking questions. Asking questions however can be daunting. We may be afraid to expose what we don’t know, maybe we don’t know who to ask or we know who they are though don’t know how to access them. We may have been brought up understanding it was impolite to ask questions. Or perhaps we think we know everything there is to know about a policy; trust me, we don’t. Bottom line - we can’t afford to not ask questions.
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Policy perspectives: Not up to or feeling uncomfortable with Australia Day Celebrations? There are many other things that you could do instead on 26 January

By Salli Cohen • January 11, 2024
Acknowledgement of Country I grew up on Guringai Country before moving overseas to return many years later to live, work and raise with my husband our children on Larrakia Country. I acknowledge and respect the traditional owners and Elders of Larrakia Country. I also extend my respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples – the First Nations people of this country who never ceded their sovereignty. I truly appreciate the life I have in Australia though I acknowledge my ancestors were never invited to make their home here. I carry a deep unease that I am a descendent of either convicts or free settlers (most likely the former) who played a part in the colonisation of First Nations Countries. I am deeply sorry for this.

Curiosity may have killed the cat but it’s the life blood of the policy officer

By Salli Cohen • September 19, 2023
Being curious is a critical part of being a policy officer and our number one curiosity tool is asking questions. Asking questions however can be daunting. We may be afraid to expose what we don’t know, maybe we don’t know who to ask or we know who they are though don’t know how to access them. We may have been brought up understanding it was impolite to ask questions. Or perhaps we think we know everything there is to know about a policy; trust me, we don’t. Bottom line - we can’t afford to not ask questions.
Show More

Latest case study

Designing a policy training package: Supporting Alison’s team to upskill jurisdictional policy capability

By Salli Cohen • July 18, 2023
Alison (name changed) leads the learning and development team that provides training across government departments. Alison’s team had been driving a big policy training push as feedback from whole-of-government surveys identified policy capability as a significant gap. Alison’s team had training packages though they weren’t hitting the mark.
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Designing a policy training package: Supporting Alison’s team to upskill jurisdictional policy capability

By Salli Cohen • July 18, 2023
Alison (name changed) leads the learning and development team that provides training across government departments. Alison’s team had been driving a big policy training push as feedback from whole-of-government surveys identified policy capability as a significant gap. Alison’s team had training packages though they weren’t hitting the mark.
Read More

Still not sure what we can do for you?

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Gain the advantage of personalised attention and expert guidance tailored specifically to your needs.


Let’s create a clear roadmap for success.

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