Editing for government.
Government projects often involve a committee of people, usually from different departments or organisations. The project may include highly technical information or need additional writing. One thing all government projects have in common is the need to ensure the text will be understood by the intended audience, engages their interest and speaks to them at an individual level.
I work with government clients to provide editing and writing services that are sympathetic to their needs, and the needs of their readers. I incorporate plain English editing and accessibility principles into every project I work on.
Most importantly, I ensure that the document meets the high quality standards expected of a government department.
Case study.
Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).
Writing, editing and proofreading.
The Victorian Government established the Barwon River Ministerial Advisory Committee (Barwon MAC) in early 2019. I was contracted to help complete the committee’s final two reports.
When I received the draft Barwon MAC Final Recommendations Report, it needed substantive editing and had to be delivered to the Minister for Planning and the Minister for Water within two weeks. I attended a Barwon MAC meeting and facilitated discussion to enable the report to be finished. I edited the report in close consultation with the committee members and the DELWP Project Manager and Project Officer. Additional text sections were added to enhance understanding, and portions of text were rewritten, deleted or rearranged. I also wrote additional text relating to the interests of Traditional Owners. I worked closely with a Barwon MAC member to ensure this text accurately represented the activities and values of Traditional Owners.
Upon completion of the final draft of the report, I ensured sign-off by Barwon MAC and DELWP representatives and worked with the designer to create graphic and layout elements to enhance sections of the report. I proofread the designed report prior to finalisation and submission to the ministers.
I then attended a second Barwon MAC meeting to prepare for writing and editing the Barwon MAC Community Consultation Summary Report. DELWP provided project documents and consultants’ reports as background information for a high-level summary of the community consultation process and results. The report required substantive rewriting, and a significant amount of new content was added. I proofread the designed report prior to finalisation.