The Challenge:
Camden’s growth trajectory is of national significance, projected to almost double its current size to 236,250 people in 2036. With this growth comes significant challenges and opportunities that due to their complexity and scale require the attention and investment of Council’s partners – other level of governments, industry and institutions such as universities and not for profit sector.
Camden Council required an advocacy strategy to support the work of the Advocacy Committee and Council as a whole to work with the community and its partners to deliver for Camden’s future.
What we did:
Through an extensive discovery and engagement phase, we explored the needs of the strategy through perception analysis interviews with government agencies, service providers and tertiary education institutions, demographic analysis, as well as a review of relevant policies and other strategies affecting the future of Camden.
To develop the strategy, Council staff were engaged through two co-design workshops that helped set collective focus areas and priorities, developing fit-for-purpose content for the strategy and it’s actions.
A critical component of success was ensuring that the strategy aligned with existing activity of Council. A key component of this was ensuring that the advocacy strategy spoke to the objectives of the Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS) and the work already activated by Council’s Advocacy Committee.
Results:
- A strategy delivering Camden’s priorities for managing growth and change through a collaborative advocacy approach
- Development of a strategy “on a page” to easily communicate Council’s objectives and aspirations
- Rigorous evidence base and data population framework to support Council in the delivery of the strategy.
Client testimonials:
“Astrolabe Group are very personable and worked with Council’s advocacy committee to shape workshops and develop the document. There were minimal changes because of the checkpoints and ownership of the document by Council is strong as a result”.
Photographer for cover image: Brett Atkins