Dr. HUGH WATSON

BA Sydney, PGCE Oxford, M.Ed Canberra, PhD Oregon

The principal, Dr Hugh Watson, is a leading strategy and evaluation consultant. He not only brings more than 25 years consulting experience he also has senior executive experience as a Partner-in-Charge of Coopers & Lybrand in Canberra and Group General Manager on the Executive of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG). He has senior executive experience in both the public and private sectors and was a senior advisor to a Cabinet Minister. Hugh is Director of Hugh Watson Consulting.

Hugh has led national program evaluations and undertaken sensitive reviews for Government. He has worked with private sector CEOs, Government Department CEOs and Secretaries and Chiefs of the Defence Force as an organisational strategist and adviser on top team performance and has been an executive coach to over 250 executives and senior executives in the public sector.

Consulting experience

Hugh has led major evaluations and reviews in the areas of Indigenous consulting, evaluation and review, organisational strategy and governance.

Indigenous consulting

Hugh has had considerable evaluation, review and consultation experience in working with Indigenous communities, organisations and Indigenous leaders on a range of issues impacting on Indigenous Australians. That experience includes:

  • Renewing a Vital Indigenous Voice and Community Asset – A National Review of the Indigenous Broadcasting and Media Sector
  • Qualitative Fieldwork Findings for five projects for the Empowering YOUth Initiatives (EYI)
  • A review of programs Supporting Indigenous Job Seekers for the Department of Employment
  • A review of operational partnerships in the remote Indigenous broadcasting sector for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
  • An assessment of Reconciliation Australia’s delivery of activities under the “improving relationships” Funding Agreement for the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
  • A review of the Vocational Training and Employment Centres (VTEC) model proposed by the Australian Employment Covenant an GenerationOne and a comparison with a number of successful employer-driven Indigenous employment initiatives (including Rio Tinto, Fortescue Minerals Group and Coles) in partnership with the Government’s Indigenous Employment Program for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
  • Review of best practice and innovation in 23 successful Jobs Fund projects for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
  • An Investigation of the impact of the Global Recession and the operation of local Jobs Fund projects on Indigenous people in selected areas
  • Development of a Business Plan for a Kimberley Region ‘At-Risk’ Indigenous Youth Diversion Program
  • National evaluation of the National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy (NIELNS) including visits to 17 Indigenous communities throughout Australia
  • Reviews of the operations and governance of National Indigenous Television (NITV), the National Indigenous Radio Service (NIRS) and Imparja Television for the Department of Environment, Heritage, Water and the Arts
  • Facilitation of the first and second ever meetings of Australia’s 120 Indigenous leaders for ATSIC
  • An assessment of Reconciliation Australia’s delivery of activities under the “improving relationships” Funding Agreement for the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
  • Development of a framework for the annual National Report to Parliament on the Educational Performance of Indigenous students

Evaluation and review

  • Qualitative research into the Empowering Youth Initiatives Program for the Department of Jobs and Small Business
  • Research project to identify the support needs of Work for the Dole Host Organisations for the Department of Employment
  • National evaluation of the Students at Risk Program for the Department of Employment, Education and Training
  • National review of Commonwealth/State Expenditure on Adult Literacy for the Department of Employment, Education and Training
  • An evaluation of Jobs Fund Projects where we visited and captured examples of best practice and innovation in 23 successful Jobs Fund projects around Australia
  • An assessment of the sustainability of the Australian National Child Offender Register (ANCOR) for CrimTrac
  • Facilitation of a national review of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy for the Department of Family and Community Services.
  • A conceptual analysis of the Trials of Innovative Government Electronic Regional Services (TIGERS) Program for the National Office for Information Economy (NOIE).
  • An environmental scan of the Automatic Number Plate Recognition system (ANPR) for CrimTrac.

Organisation and strategy

  • A strategic consultancy to establish the new Commonwealth Office of the Information Commissioner including strategy, structure and business processes (with Oakton Consulting)
  • Strategic review of Headquarters Australian Defence Force for the Vice-Chief of the Australian Defence Force
  • Feasibility of a National Gambling Research Institute – A report on options for the establishment of a National Gambling Research Institute for the Minister for Family and Community Services
  • Strategic review of the Department of Communications and the Arts for the Secretary
  • Strategic review and business process re-engineering for the Department of Primary Industries and Energy for the Secretary
  • Strategic planning and business adviser to Hamilton, James & Bruce, a publicly listed company
  • Development of a change management strategy for a major company re-structure for Nestle in Switzerland
  • Strategic review of the Department of Industry, Technology and Regional Development for the Minister
  • Major change management consultancies for the Attorney General’s department, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Department of Administrative Services as they commercialised their operations
  • Evaluation of several hundred NSW Government funded disability service standard providers for the Department of Community Services
  • Development of High Performance Sporting Strategies for the Governments of New Zealand and Hong Kong
  • Strategic reviews of the Australian Sports Commission and the Australian Institute of Sport
  • A business development plan and Intellectual Property Inventory for the Australian Sports Commission