Reinventing Your Writing for Government in a New World

Thursday, 8 June 2023 | 9:30 AM – 4:45 PM AEST | Online

Training Overview

Write clear, relevant content that connects with a diverse audience

For decades, the public sector was known for its formal, almost parental, tone. Government communication – from letters and forms to web content and emails – was often dense and jargon-heavy, with convoluted and ambiguous messaging. This was accepted as the norm.

But now we’re in a new world where a human-centred approach to written communication is expected. Your readers demand content that is clear, inclusive and highly targeted to their needs. So your writing needs to evolve as a result.

In this course, Reinventing Your Writing for Government in a New World, you’ll get all the advice you need to bring your writing up to best practice in 2023.

You will shape a more user-centric, modern government voice that is clear, concise and relevant, and connects with all the readers in your diverse community.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for government leaders charged with driving, enabling and advocating modernisation including:

Heads of, Director, Managers, Leads and Specialists

Internal Communications, External Communications, Stakeholder
Engagement, Community Engagement

Website, Content, Communications, Marketing Communications, Community Development, Online Platforms

Learning Outcomes

Stay up to date with best practice and enhance your writing skills across different genres and platforms

Better identify, understand and connect with readers to get the results you need

Identify common writing pitfalls and how to avoid them for more effective communication

Adopt an inclusive voice to create a genuine connection between government and your diverse community

Meet Your Facilitator


Kylee Bristow
Owner
Lexi Communications

Kylee is an experienced communications specialist – writer, editor and trainer. Her passion is helping organisations produce content that truly speaks to, and solves problems for, their readers.

She believes that government writing is about human connection, not information distribution. Every Australian has the right to access and understand the information they need to make decisions and take action.

Since 2000, Kylee has run a communications business that delivers writing and editing services, as well as training, for government agencies and educational institutions. She has also worked in many government communications teams, specialising in developing effective content for government websites.

Kylee’s training helps organisational writers stay up to date with best practice, and closes the gap between what organisations want to say and what readers need to know.

Key Sessions

Module 1Module 2Module 3Module 4

The who and why of modern government writing

  • The evolution of government voice in Australia
    • How and why government voice has changed
    • How your government writing must adapt to be effective
    • Knowing your reader – who are you talking to?
  • Identifying the purpose of your writing
    • The importance of asking ‘ why
    • Considering format and distribution
    • How these factors will impact your writing

The art of writing for government today

  • The foundations of structure and language
    • How to structure content for ease of use
    • Content design basics for writers
    • Plain language in practice
  • Enhancing your writing to connect with readers
    • Storytelling for connection and empathy
    • How to make a persuasive argument
    • Writing an impactful call to action

Refining your writing with editing and proofreading

  • Editing for accuracy and consistency
    • The different levels of editing
    • The mechanics: common issues in writing
    • How style guides solve most writing problems
  • Mastering editing and proofreading
    • Tips for more effective editing
    • Editing and proofreading under pressure
    • How to edit well on-screen

Applying new rules to different genres and audiences

  • Tailoring your writing for diverse audiences
    • Why diversity matters in government writing
    • Non-discriminatory and culturally appropriate language
    • Writing for culturally and linguistically diverse
  • Optimising your writing for digital channels
    • How online writing differs from print
    • Applying the new rules to web writing
    • What about social media?

Registration

Early Bird 2

$995

per person + GST
*Ends on 28th April

Final Price

$1195

per person + GST

Customised in-house options available for teams

Interested in any of our online trainings?

You can also choose to have them delivered in house. We will work closely with our inspiring session facilitators to tailor the content around the key development areas your team are prioritising, shape the learning outcomes around your core departmental challenges and make the most of your L&D and upskilling budget.

Interested In Learning More?

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