The East Arnhem Regional Council delivers essential Local Government Services to nine communities in East Arnhem Land, with offices strategically positioned in Darwin and Nhulunbuy. 

Through a tendering process, Captovate won the contract to build their website. The challenge was the content. The Council had trouble recruiting to a permanent communications role, and therefore lacked the internal resources to coordinate the collection of information across the organisation.

To address this challenge, they reached out to Captovate.

Captovate  proposed an innovative approach: the insourcing of one of their team members to operate seamlessly between the Council's office and the agency. 

Read the story of how insourcing can be an effective way of resourcing within organisations.

That's where my part of the story begins.

Diving into the world of Regional Councils

I am Justine, a French woman who has been living in Australia for a little over a year, with a background in communication and marketing but no experience with councils. To be honest, regional councils were completely off my radar, both in France and in Australia. But the chance to explore the inner workings of an organisation closely linked to Aboriginal communities was too good to pass up. It promised personal and professional growth that I couldn't resist.

Navigating the tricky path of content development

The task of rebuilding the EARC's website turned out to be quite a challenge. It required me to thoroughly review every single webpage, rethink the processes, and keep the content clear and concise. I had to strike a balance between making the content accessible to community members and using the right language for governance bodies. Before I even began the content overhaul, I had to wrap my head around the Local Government Act, laws and policies, which was my introduction to the world of councils. It was a steep learning curve, but it gave me a solid understanding of the Council's mission and what the website needed to achieve.

Tackling communication hurdles across distances

Getting my hands on content also meant collaborating with people scattered across different communities. This came with its own set of challenges –  I had to be clear in my requests and make sure I reached the right person. When your team is spread out across various locations and missions, communication can get complicated. But luckily, it's not impossible. The team in Darwin was a lifeline, always there to help and guide me in finding the right contacts for specific information. As we worked together, it became clear that most team members were eager to contribute their insights.