So it’s mid-September and the Election Period has commenced. The frantic pace of council may slow down a little during council Caretaker Period (we recognise this is certainly not the experience for everyone though). If you or your team find yourself with a little extra breathing space and capacity, here are some things you might ask yourself on how to use your time wisely and get-ahead:
Assess the training needs of your team: Do we need any professional development or training? This may be a perfect time where people have the headspace. If you need community engagement training, you may like to access https://iap2.org.au/ or chat to us for a tailored solution!
Review your processes: Are there processes that need a tweak? Can we make our lives easier down the track by getting it right now? Set the time to review and gain input from all impacted staff.
Data clean-up: Do we have lots of post-it notes waiting to be written up? Lots of different data sets that need to be merged? Stats and facts that need to be updated? It can be a great time to make that data work for you!
Policy reviews: Do we have any policies that are out-of-date? Those policy review deadlines can sneak up on you. Is now a good time to make sure it is still current and relevant?
Evaluations: Do we know how our strategy, program or activity is performing? Are we making a difference? This could be a great time to evaluate your work and recognise what is working well and how to improve.
Upskill during Caretaker Period
The Caretaker Period presents a unique opportunity for council engagement teams to shift their focus inward and build on the skills that will help them in the future. With regular activities on hold, it’s the ideal time to invest in your staff’s professional growth and development through specialised training.
Conversation Co offers a series of practical and hands-on training sessions tailored to the needs of your staff. From handling media interactions with confidence to managing conflict in the field, these sessions are designed to equip your team with the skills they’ll need to navigate both routine and challenging situations. Facilitation training, for example, helps build leadership and communication skills, ensuring that staff can effectively lead discussions and group activities. For those on the front lines, conflict management training offers practical tools to defuse tense situations and maintain positive relationships. Additionally, learning how to initiate and sustain engaging conversations can greatly enhance team cohesion and effectiveness when interacting with stakeholders and the public.
These sessions aren’t just theoretical – they’re grounded in real life experiences and challenges. At Conversation Co, we believe that learning by doing is the most effective way to build lasting skills. Our experienced staff guide participants through realistic scenarios, providing opportunities to practise skills and ensuring that the tools are not only understood but also applicable in everyday work situations.
So, during this quieter Caretaker Period, consider the long-term benefits of upskilling your team. These training sessions are an investment in your staff’s capabilities, helping them feel more confident, adaptable, and prepared for whatever comes next. The skills they gain now will serve them well when the pace picks up again.
Staff Health and Wellbeing Plans
While you may not be able to engage with the community during the council Caretaker Period, you can take this opportunity to meaningfully engage with your team. This may be the perfect time to develop a Staff Health and Wellbeing Plan – this could be for your whole organisation or for your individual team.
Our tips for developing a plan:
1. If you have an existing or expired plan in place, ask for feedback. Some questions could include:
- Were you aware of this?
- Is it making a difference?
- What is going well?
- Is anything missing?
- Does this meet your needs?
2. Determine if there is a budget or funding available for new initiatives (never promise what you can’t deliver!).
3. Open up the conversation with staff to determine their needs. Discuss health in terms of social, mental and physical wellbeing:
- What do you believe the main staff health and wellbeing needs are?
- How could the organisation support the health and wellbeing of staff?
- Do you know of any examples of good practice?
4. Research other Staff Health and Wellbeing plans (you can find ours here). You may also like to see if your needs align with the Municipal Health and Wellbeing Plan for your local area.
5. Prepare a draft plan based on staff feedback and best practice.
6. Present the draft to staff for further feedback and refine.
Now, what are all the things you would do if you were in local government during a time without Councillors?
If you’ve had to defer some of your planned projects until after the election, here’s some reminders of what you may need once the Councillors are elected:
A succinct summary of your team’s services, assets and performance results. Whilst your municipality may have experienced Councillors running for re-election, there are no guarantees. You may need to explain in simple terms, what your service does and how it is performing.
Once the candidate statements are released, scan through them to see what issues are popping up from their point of view. It may be controlling costs, advocacy to the state government, service expansion or service reductions. It will be handy to have responses prepared on some of these topics.
Have your latest community satisfaction or client/customer feedback results handy. Review any recent community engagement reports and summarise if you need to. Are there any trends emerging from this material? Does it all align or are there key differences?
If your team coordinates community facilities or assets, have an up-to-date list available for quick reference e.g. are there 12 kindergartens or 13? Know what is currently in the Forward Capital Works Plan.
Key resources you can get ready:
- Latest Service Review
- Latest Service Plan
- Community/client/customer satisfaction results
- Community engagement reports
- List of services or assets
- Copy of any relevant State-Federal Government policy or strategy
- Any pending legislation that could impact our service
- Any relevant VAGO or Auditor reports
You may have the capacity to undertake some additional tasks. If not, Conversation Co is available to help you get on top of your training, processes, data, policy reviews and evaluations… amongst other things! Reach out if we can help.
