About us

Shawn has extensive experience at the highest levels of government decision-making. This has included the preparation of policy advice and strategic initiatives to the Premier and Cabinet, Ministers and Directors' General over three decades.

He has had responsibility for providing financial analysis and advice to the Western Australian Government's Economic Expenditure and Review Committee for the development of departmental and state budgets and has managed the implementation and evaluation of programs worth over $100 million. He has been a member of the Department of Treasury's Policy Council.

Working at the community level for over 30 years, Shawn has successfully helped small and large community organisations access grants and recurrent funding to make their organisations viable and sustainable.

Shawn had been responsible for organisational reviews of community organisations and government agencies including advising and participating as a senior executive in the creation of new government departments.

As the head of the peak community service industry group (WACOSS) and as the Director of State Government's Social Policy Unit, Shawn has been at the cutting edge of policy development and reform at both the national and state levels on diverse issues such as tax reform, wage indexation, welfare reform, law and order and seniors policy.

He has been the lead State Government negotiator for National Agreements in the areas of Indigenous Affairs, Social Inclusion, Early Childhood, Housing and Justice, representing Western Australia and participating in Ministerial Councils and national working groups in collaboration with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

As Executive Director of WACOSS and the Youth Legal Service he has been a highly visible public advocate and media commentator on social issues. In Government he provided advice for Parliament and the media and developed communication strategies for key state government initiatives.

He is as adept at negotiating with community stakeholders as with senior decision makers. Shawn's experience includes grass roots consultations with youth, Aboriginal community members and Aboriginal land councils, and socially excluded individuals and groups in the metropolitan, rural and remote areas.

Shawn has lectured at several universities in social policy, youth and Indigenous Affairs and has been an external consultant to the reviews of the School of Social Work (Curtin University) and Youthwork (Edith Cowan University). He has extensive public speaking experience including presenting keynote addresses at state and national social policy conferences.

Shawn has had several articles published in journals and public policy newsletters and has prepared extensive submissions to State and National Government inquiries and taskforces.

Government, community and private organisations working in the health, social services and Aboriginal Affairs areas seek to serve the individual and groups in the community through the provision of effective programs and policies at the local level.

There are many families and individuals facing increasingly complex needs and entrenched disadvantage.  Developing programs and policies that are effective and recognise the dignity and worth of each human being is the challenge.

In an increasingly interdependent world, understanding the social and economic factors at play are crucial to developing solutions to difficult problems which break the cycle of welfare dependence and deliver opportunities for improved health, wellbeing and prosperity for all.  

Senior executives, who are charged with the responsibility to maintain effective and well governed organisations, also have to think strategically and position their organisation to meet looming threats and take advantage of opportunities at the local, state, national and international level. 

In a highly changing and growing industry where government, community and increasingly for-profit-providers compete, it is necessary to engage skilled individuals to help make the strategic decisions that will chart the course of your organisation’s policies and programs into the future.

As an executive you will need to harness the strengths and passion of your Board, staff and volunteers to ensure there is clarity and unity of purpose as well as flexibility and shared responsibility in achieving the strategies and goals of your organisation.

You can help transform your organisation’s programs and policies to benefit the individual clients and the community.

We can help you in this challenge.

 

Shawn Boyle

Principal Consultant

Shawn has over 30 years of hands-on experience working in Social Policy, Community Services and Aboriginal Affairs at the National and State level. This includes more than 22 years as a senior executive in the Government and non-Government sectors.

Career Highlights include:

• Director of the Social Policy Unit Department of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet - 8 years
• Senior advisor to four Premiers and two Ministers
• Executive Director of the WA Council of Social Service - 8 years
• Director Policy Support - WA Department of Health
• Executive Director Youth Legal Service
• Principal Policy Officer Aboriginal Legal Service WA

Shawn has held numerous positions on Boards and Taskforces in both the government and community sectors throughout his career.

Key memberships have included the Board of the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS), the Lotteries West Gordon Reid Foundation for Youth, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Working Group on Indigenous Reform, the Productivity Commission's Steering Committee on Government Services and the Edmund Rice Institute for Social Justice.

Shawn is highly connected in community and government circles and is recognised as a leader in social policy, community services and Indigenous affairs throughout the state.

He is also very connected to his local community, volunteering on numerous community boards and in many school and sporting activities for his children.