STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION & PRODUCT DESIGN
Listen carefully. Analyse systematically. Design with purpose.
Effective products, frameworks and guidance begin with a clear understanding of the people, industries and organisations they are intended to support.
Compliwise plans and facilitates stakeholder consultation, analyses diverse feedback and translates identified needs into practical, evidence-informed products and solutions.
From early discovery through to drafting, testing and refinement, we help ensure stakeholder input leads to clear design decisions and fit-for-purpose outcomes.
OUR APPROACH
Turning stakeholder insight into practical outcomes
Consultation is more than inviting people to share their views.
For consultation to influence a meaningful outcome, stakeholders must be asked the right questions, given appropriate opportunities to contribute and able to see how their feedback has informed the work.
Compliwise supports the complete consultation and design process. We work with organisations to clarify the purpose of the project, identify relevant stakeholders, gather and analyse feedback, examine competing perspectives and translate findings into practical products, frameworks, guidance or recommendations.
Our approach provides a clear line between:
01
What stakeholders said
02
What the evidence showed
03
What decisions were made
04
How the final product responds to the identified needs
THE CHALLENGE
Common challenges this service addresses
Stakeholders have different or competing priorities
Decisions cannot be clearly traced back to the consultation findings
Existing products no longer reflect current practice
Draft products require testing before they are finalised
Consultation feedback is extensive but difficult to interpret
Technical requirements must be balanced with industry needs
A new framework, resource or product is needed, but the required scope is unclear
Consultation findings need to be presented clearly to decision-makers
Feedback has been collected without a clear analysis method
Stakeholders feel consulted but cannot see how their input was used
Previous consultation has produced information but not a workable solution
Project teams need independent facilitation or technical support
SCOPE
What the service can include
Stakeholder identification and engagement planning
Identifying the individuals, groups and organisations whose knowledge, experience or interests are relevant to the project. This may include developing a stakeholder map, engagement plan, communication approach, consultation schedule and participation strategy.
Consultation design
Developing clear consultation questions and methods aligned with the project's objectives. Consultation may involve:
Individual interviews
Meetings
Workshops
Focus groups
Surveys
Written submissions
Technical review panels
Targeted feedback activities
Meeting and workshop facilitation
Planning and facilitating structured discussions that encourage meaningful participation while maintaining focus on the project's intended outcomes. This may include preparing agendas, discussion papers, presentation material, consultation prompts and meeting records.
Feedback collection and thematic analysis
Bringing consultation information together and analysing it systematically to identify:
Recurring themes
Stakeholder priorities
Areas of agreement
Competing perspectives
Implementation concerns
Emerging risks
Gaps in available information
Opportunities for improvement or innovation
Needs and gap analysis
Comparing stakeholder feedback, current arrangements, available evidence and intended outcomes to determine what is missing, what requires change and what a new or revised product needs to achieve.
Technical research and evidence synthesis
Reviewing relevant frameworks, standards, policy requirements, industry information, research and technical material to provide an evidence base for design decisions.
Product, framework and guidance design
Translating findings into practical outputs that respond to identified needs. Products may include:
Frameworks
Guidance material
Implementation resources
Technical documents
Models
Templates
Tools
Recommendations
Processes
Training product content
Draft review and testing
Seeking targeted feedback on draft products to assess whether they are clear, relevant, technically sound and usable in practice. Testing may involve structured review questions, workshops, technical validation or stakeholder feedback rounds.
Decision and feedback tracking
Maintaining a clear record of:
Feedback received
Themes identified
Matters requiring decisions
Recommendations made
Decisions taken
Reasons for accepting or not accepting feedback
Finalisation and implementation support
Refining the product, preparing supporting documentation and helping the organisation plan how the final output will be communicated, introduced, used and reviewed.
TYPICAL PROJECTS
Examples of work that can be undertaken
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Industry and stakeholder consultation projects
Framework and guidance development
Stakeholder feedback analysis
Technical advisory group support
Product testing and refinement
Review of products that no longer meet stakeholder needs
Consultation and design support for Jobs and Skills Councils
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Training product development and review
Consultation to inform policy or regulatory implementation
Qualification or unit review projects
Sector consultation reports
Consultation workshop design and facilitation
Development of implementation resources
Translation of technical requirements into practical guidance
Independent analysis of complex or competing feedback
HOW THE PROCESS WORKS
A clear path from listening to delivery
01
Clarify the purpose
We establish the project objectives, intended users, required outputs, decision-making arrangements and the questions the consultation must answer.
02
Identify and engage stakeholders
We identify the stakeholders who should contribute and determine the most appropriate methods for reaching them and obtaining meaningful input.
03
Listen and gather evidence
Consultation activities are conducted and relevant technical, regulatory, industry or organisational evidence is reviewed.
04
Analyse the findings
Feedback is organised and analysed to identify themes, needs, gaps, priorities, areas of agreement and matters requiring further consideration.
05
Translate findings into design
Consultation findings and technical evidence are converted into clear design requirements, recommendations and draft products.
06
Test and refine
Draft outputs are reviewed with relevant stakeholders or technical experts and refined in response to evidence and feedback.
07
Finalise and support implementation
The final product is completed with a clear record of the consultation process, design decisions and recommended implementation or review arrangements.
DELIVERABLES
Depending on the project, deliverables may include
Stakeholder engagement plan
Consultation strategy
Workshop agendas and facilitation material
Consultation records
Thematic analysis report
Issues and options paper
Consultation findings report
Draft framework or product
Feedback and decision matrix
Implementation plan
Monitoring and review framework
Stakeholder map
Consultation questions and discussion guides
Survey or feedback instruments
Stakeholder feedback register
Needs and gap analysis
Technical research summary
Design brief
Guidance material and supporting resources
Recommendations report
Final consultation or project report
SUITED TO
This service may be suitable for
RESULTS
Expected outcomes
Consultation aligned with clear project objectives
Complex feedback translated into clear findings
Stronger evidence for project and design decisions
Products that better reflect industry and user needs
Greater stakeholder confidence in the consultation process
Clearer pathways from identified need to final product
Relevant stakeholders given meaningful opportunities to contribute
Complex feedback translated into clear findings
Stronger evidence for project and design decisions
Products that better reflect industry and user needs
Greater stakeholder confidence in the consultation process
Clearer pathways from identified need to final product
“Good consultation does not end when feedback is collected. Its value is demonstrated in the decisions made and the product that follows.”
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
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Stakeholders may include employers, industry representatives, workers, RTOs, trainers and assessors, learners, regulators, government representatives, professional associations, technical experts and community groups. The stakeholder mix will depend on the purpose and scope of the project.
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Yes. Support can include designing the session, preparing consultation questions and materials, facilitating discussions, documenting feedback and analysing the findings.
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Yes. Existing survey responses, submissions, meeting records, consultation notes and stakeholder correspondence can be reviewed and analysed. The analysis can identify recurring themes, priorities, conflicting views and matters requiring decisions or further investigation.
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Yes. The engagement can cover consultation only, analysis and reporting, or the complete process from stakeholder engagement through to product development, testing and refinement.
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Depending on the project, products may include frameworks, guidance documents, implementation resources, tools, templates, technical recommendations, processes, training product content or other sector-specific resources.
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A feedback and decision-tracking process can be established to document the feedback received, the issue raised, the analysis undertaken, the decision made and how the final product was amended. This creates a clear and defensible line between consultation and design.
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Different perspectives are documented rather than forced into artificial agreement. The analysis identifies the reasons for disagreement, the evidence supporting each position and the implications for the project. This allows decision-makers to make an informed and transparent determination.
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Yes. Consultation may be conducted online, in person or through a combination of both approaches. The method is selected according to the stakeholders, project scope, accessibility requirements, timeframes and intended outcomes.
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Yes. Compliwise can provide independent consultation, analysis, technical writing or product-design support within a broader project led by another organisation.
GET STARTED
Need to turn stakeholder input into a clear and practical product?
You may be preparing to begin consultation, working through extensive feedback or trying to determine how diverse stakeholder needs should shape a final product.
A discovery call can help clarify the project, identify the support required and establish a practical way forward.