Queensland Rail – national expansion strategy study
Queensland Rail (QR) sought to identify and measure issues that would affect its proposed national expansion strategy including identifying which core commercial skills already existed within the business and its acquired divisions across Australia and which needed to be developed and/or sourced externally. VEM conducted a stakeholder study across State and local governments, unions, major customers, major suppliers, board and management, providing issues, opportunities and future prospects. VEM presented the findings and recommendations to the management team. These recommendations are being used to refine QR’s commercial strategy, including the human resources strategy into the future.

 BIS/Cleanaway
A leading Australian industrial company that was in the process of selling two divisions to a substantial private equity firm retained VEM to conduct a perception study of these businesses. Although an information memorandum had been supplied to the equity investors and due diligence had been undertaken, the company wanted to provide greater insight into senior management’s views on budgets and plans for the coming year, to unearth any areas of concern, and to clearly articulate their vision for the business to the new owners.

VEM responded with an in-depth study and produced a two-fold deliverable; a transition business plan and a company perception study. These documents:

· summarised the budgets, identified key action plans and highlighted major strategies for each of the areas of business; and

· clearly set out the opportunities, aspirations, strengths and areas of concern, including resourcing skills and cultural issues that needed addressing under the new ownership structure.

The results of the study were subsequently communicated back to stakeholders with the assistance of VEM, to optimise engagement in the transition process.

 NSW Health – management and staff evaluation study
VEM was also appointed in April 2006 to design, develop and conduct the program evaluation of management engagement using a study across General Managers, Department Heads and team leaders for NSW Health in relation to its level of engagement with the Clinical Services Redesign Program (CSRP). This work looked at the organisation’s level of engagement, job satisfaction, skills needs, and future requirements in relation to CSRP.

The CSRP is a novel program using private partners to deliver program capabilities, staff and management skills training and up-skilling programs in designated projects. It is governed by a meticulous evaluation process which identifies where the projects are having success, what is needed to improve their chance of success, and priorities for revised project intervention. This is a three-year appointment to 2008.

 NSW Health – high-level stakeholder study baseline and first annual repeat
VEM recommended conducting a research and assessment review across the high-level stakeholders in the department to understand their level of ‘buy-in” to the CSRP and to ensure their views and issues were taken into account when designing the two evaluation studies listed above. The study was conducted across 2006 to 2008.

 NSW Health – patient experience evaluation study
VEM was appointed by NSW Health in April 2006 to undertake the evaluation process for the CSRP in respect to developing a Patient Journey Evaluation process. VEM designed a study for NSW Health to be able to understand the perceptions of patients on the journey from home, through the healthcare system, and back home again. This work was conducted across 10 projects at 10 different facilities within the department. After a successful delivery of year-one results this contract was extended to 2008.

 Shell Refining-Fluor Global Alliance transition
In May 2008 VEM conducted an internal stakeholder Perception Study across several levels of operational management and other functions to assist inception of the Shell-Fluor Alliance and manage the transition from multiple local contractor management to a single Alliance Maintenance contract for Victoria’s major hazard facility. VEM:

· assisted with training and implementation of internal high-level communications teams including Alliance Leadership Team and Alliance Management Team;

· developed a Communications Strategy;

· assisted the Maintenance Execution Manager with expert stakeholder issues management and communications; and

· provided ongoing assistance with implementation, tracking and assessment of the Alliance Transition strategy.

 MBF (health insurance provider)
Annual reputation index studies that provided for the establishment of baseline measures highlighted the opportunities for enhancing the stakeholders’ perceptions of MBF. The VEM solution enabled the 2005 study to be tied to KPIs of key MBF executives.

 Sigma Group – national pharmacy study and ASX listing
VEM conducted a national pharmacy study that informed the restructuring offer and achieved the necessary 70 per cent vote required across 12 classes of shareholders (1999 to 2002).

 Dairy Farmers
Successful restructuring achieved after two failed attempts. This national study was conducted from far-north Queensland down to the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, using face-to-face interviews, in less than two weeks.

VEM developed and conducted workshops across the District Chairman and Ward representatives, allowing well-defined messages about the need for a restructure to cascade to all 1800 farmers, securing an 85 per cent vote in favour of the restructure. VEM was the only new member added to the team.

 Warrnambool Cheese & Butter Factory – restructuring and ASX listing
After a failed attempt to restructure, VEM was engaged to uncover the blockages with the farmers/members that would allow for restructuring and subsequent listing on the ASX. The VEM methodology allowed for the development of a targeted education program of farmers and WCBF executives, which changed the perceptions of the company’s intentions regarding a restructure, successfully managed the supporting media campaign, conducted the proxy campaign and achieved an 86 per cent vote in favour of the restructure allowing for ASX listing.

 Privatisation of the Australian wool stockpile
Designed a strategy to identify and engage Woolstock unitholders. Conducted a survey across woolgrowers and ran the communications campaign, achieving 95 per cent success in locating and convincing all unitholders of the merits of privatisation. VEM was also involved with the Steering Committee & Finance Committee. Assistance with the Test Marketing (TMP) Campaign for Wool: conducted a high-level stakeholder study globally; developed and drafted the Governance Charter that was adopted to govern the entire TMP project.

 Australia Post
Implementation of significant “Network Renewal” project, including conducting High-Level Stakeholder Perception Studies which fed into the annual report, Communications Strategy and Stakeholder Management Program for high-level stakeholder engagement and investment in infrastructure.

 AMP – 2002, 2003 & 2004 annual reports
AMP wanted to test reaction to its 2001 annual report. VEM recommended that the company use focus groups combined with a telephone survey to explore broader reactions to the company and to develop a strategy for the 2002 annual report. An objective was to make the annual report shorter and the investment more efficient. Our study identified a strategy for shifting content from print to on-line, and for generating a highly investment focused annual report. The 2004 study provided the strategy for the 2005 report and shareholder review.

 Bendigo Bank & Adelaide Bank merger
Conducted two national surveys across Bendigo and Adelaide Bank’s retail share register to determine views, issues and likely outcome of the shareholder vote regarding the merger; advised the merged entity on shareholder communications.

 Bank of Queensland bid for Bendigo Bank
Conducted a national retail shareholder survey for Bendigo Bank, the findings from which were one of the key factors on which the bank based its rejection of the Bank of Queensland bid. This included a Communications Strategy and implementation across all major stakeholder groups.

 Talent2 International Ltd
Provided professional strategic advice and services contributing to national retail and institutional shareholder strategy, and company expansion and growth offshore and into Asia-Pacific; including design and conduct of capital markets studies, retail and institutional shareholder perceptions, Asian investors’ perceptions, shareholder and stakeholder communications, newsletters, results reporting, AGMs and EGMs.

 OneSteel
Executed a market perception study conducted via high-level, face-to-face interviews with key institutional investors, brokers and selected media representatives.

 Healthscope
Conducted a study across the entire suite of Healthscope hospitals, allowing for the establishment of an integrated investor relations and key stakeholder communication program, thereby creating the correct market perception for Healthscope for the first time in the company’s history.

 WentWest General Practice Support
VEM was retained by WentWest to develop a Communications Strategy to underpin its provision of divisional services to General Practitioners and General Practices in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains. VEM undertook a Perception Study with key stakeholders including general practitioners, the ADGP, RACGP, the AMA, the AMS, DOHA and NSW Health, to better understand the practice support and training needs of general practices and general practitioners, including chronic disease management and prevention and the extent to which general practice does and could work with the community in this regard, and used that to inform a communications strategy developed in a workshop with key internal stakeholders.

 WentWest General Practice Training
VEM was retained by WentWest to develop a communications strategy to underpin its General Practice registrar training program. VEM worked with WentWest to develop a list of key stakeholders to be invited to participate in a communications strategy workshop.

At the workshop facilitated by VEM, the participants developed a Communications Strategy, including a SWOT analysis, identification of goals and objectives and development of key messages. A tactical implementation program and recommended way forward were developed by VEM.

 Queen Elizabeth Centre – public hospital and early parenting centre)
Brand perception and QEC education program studies that measured, defined and repositioned the brand and the service offering with its key stakeholders.