Projects
A project is a short-term engagement of up to three months where you commission me to research, analyse, and deliver a specific piece of political work. Unlike a session, which is a conversation, a project produces a deliverable: a written briefing, a political environment scan, a stakeholder analysis, an advocacy strategy, or a research report. You tell me what you need, I scope it, quote it, and deliver it.
Projects are for businesses, not-for-profits, community groups, and individuals who need political research or analysis applied to a specific decision, a submission, a tender, a strategic plan, or a public position.
This page outlines a sample of what this work could look like.
Before the project:
If you know you want a project after your initial consultation, we confirm it in that session. Otherwise, you can book a project engagement with me directly.
You sign the agreement and send payment through. We book the first session at least a week out. Before that first session, send me a brief outlining what you need and any relevant background materials. A few paragraphs explaining what you are trying to achieve, what decision you are preparing for, or what question you want answered is enough.
In our first project session, we work through the scope together: what I will deliver, when, and how. All scoping, planning, and negotiation of the work happens during booked sessions only, not over emails or calls.
During the project:
I do the research and analysis. Depending on the project, this may include political history research, policy analysis, stakeholder mapping, review of government documents, analysis of advocacy campaigns, and synthesis of the political environment around your specific situation. I may come back to you with questions during the project to make sure the work stays grounded in your context.
We may schedule a mid-project check-in session (included in the project quote) to review progress and adjust direction if needed. This is especially useful for larger projects where the scope may evolve as the research reveals new dimensions.
After the session:
I deliver the finished work in the format we agreed: a written briefing, an analysis document, a presentation, or whatever the deliverable is. We schedule a handover session (included in the project quote) where I walk you through the findings, answer questions, and discuss what the political analysis means for your decisions.
From there, you take the work into your own conversations. You might take the briefing to your board, your marketing team, your lawyer, your funder, your council, or your staff. The deliverable is yours to use.
If the project reveals that you need ongoing political advisory, we can discuss moving into a programme or a partnership. If the project was all you needed, that is fine.
Some samples cases:
A farming family running a mixed cropping and livestock operation wants to understand why water allocation policy keeps changing, who is making the decisions that determine whether they can irrigate next season, and why the political environment around water feels more hostile to farmers than it used to. I research the political stakeholders in their catchment: the irrigator lobby groups, the environmental water holders, the downstream communities, the state water authority, and the federal Murray-Darling Basin framework. I map the competing political claims between agricultural users who need water to produce food, environmental organisations campaigning for river health and ecosystem flows, urban authorities securing supply for growing cities, and First Nations communities asserting water rights connected to cultural and spiritual obligations to country. I trace the political history that produced the current allocation framework, the buyback programmes, and the compliance and enforcement regime, including the political fallout from the water theft scandals that reshaped how governments approach accountability in the basin. I deliver a written political map of their water landscape: who holds power, who is campaigning for what, where the next allocation review is heading, and how they can engage with the political process that governs their most critical resource. Their next conversation with their irrigation authority is different because they understand the political forces behind the decisions, not just the litres on their allocation notice. Their next conversation with their local member is different because they can advocate from a position of political knowledge rather than frustration.
A women's health organisation wants to make a submission to a government inquiry and wants to understand the full political terrain before they write a word. I research the political history, map the stakeholder positions, and deliver a written analysis. Their submission is grounded in political context that most submitters do not bring. Their next conversation with the inquiry secretariat carries depth that sets their submission apart.
A community group has lost council funding and wants to understand why and how to advocate for reinstatement. I research the council's political priorities, the budget dynamics, and the advocacy strategies that have worked for similar groups. I deliver a written advocacy brief. They go to their next council meeting with a political strategy and a case built in the language councillors respond to.
A skincare brand owner is about to rebrand and wants to understand the political values of her customer base before her marketing team designs anything. I research the political and cultural forces driving her customers' expectations and deliver a briefing. Her marketing team gets a foundation grounded in political intelligence. The rebrand reflects what her customers care about rather than what looked good on a mood board. Her next brief to her designer carries specificity it never had before.
A sole trader wants to expand into government procurement but does not understand why the evaluation criteria now include social value and gender equity. I research the political history behind procurement reform, what evaluators are looking for, and how to demonstrate genuine alignment. I deliver a written analysis she uses to restructure her tender response. Her social value section stands apart from competitors who treated it as a formality.
A not-for-profit board is about to do strategic planning and wants to understand the political environment their sector sits in before setting direction. I deliver a political environment scan covering funding trajectories, advocacy campaigns, cultural shifts in the communities they serve, and the political priorities of the governments they depend on. Their planning day is built on political reality. Their next conversation with their funders carries context the funder notices.
Pricing:
Projects are quoted individually. My pricing follows an equitable scaling model. The base rate is determined by the size of your team: the people you employ as staff, the contractors you regularly pay to operate, and the volunteers who help you run things. The final quote reflects the scope and complexity of the project.
Teams of 1-3: base rate
Teams of 4+: scaled rate
Specific pricing is discussed during your prior sessions or after.
Notes:
I do not lobby on your behalf, represent you to government, or provide legal or financial advice. My role is to build your political understanding so that your conversations with your own advisers, your team, and your community are better informed.