Policies and strategies from the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) are key documents guiding government action and informing international audiences. We worked with DFAT to ensure key policies and strategies met the needs of national and international audiences.
Biotext works with complex content at the highest level, delivering content, structural and presentation advice and editing for national and international policies and reports.
Our role
- Content design and structure
- Summaries
- Copyediting and proofreading
- Work with subject matter experts
Our solution
We worked with DFAT to develop a series of policies and strategies guiding Australia’s relationships and interactions with other countries. It is critical that Australian international policies have a robust and logical structure, with priorities and actions supported by guiding principles and aims. The policies and strategies must also be supported by clear evidence on both the areas of need and the effectiveness of the identified actions.
In the discovery and strategy phase, we worked with the department to identify key audiences, frameworks and related content.
We then helped develop the written policies, providing structural advice and draft infographics to support understanding. We edited the documents for clarity and consistency and wrote summary sections to bring together the key messages for wider audiences. The documents included citations to support evidence-based action and input from numerous stakeholders. We provided quality assurance to ensure citations were accurate and stakeholder views were accurately represented.
Our projects included:
- Australia’s International Development Policy, which is a key document for government and international partners and organisations. In 2023, DFAT, in consultation with jurisdictions and stakeholders, produced the first major development policy in 10 years.
- Australia’s International Gender Equality Strategy, which sets out Australia’s efforts to support and advance gender equality, with a particular focus on the Indo-Pacific region. The strategy was developed through extensive consultation and input from numerous stakeholders.
- Australia’s International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy, which sets out a framework for action to achieve disability equity and rights in the work of DFAT, in Australia’s partnerships with governments and local and international organisations, and on the broader global stage.
- Australia’s Humanitarian Policy, which provides a framework for Australia to prevent, mitigate and respond to global humanitarian crises, which are compounding in frequency and intensity. The strategy aims to take a holistic approach that addresses the links between humanitarian action, development, human rights, peace and stability.
- Australia’s Sports Diplomacy Strategy, which aims to take advantage of the opportunities presented by international interest in Australian sporting excellence, while also managing the challenges that Australian sporting organisations face around the world.
We also worked with DFAT to ensure Development Partnership Plans (DPPs) were consistent and compatible with Australia’s International Development Policy, related documents and each other, met accessibility standards, and were suitable for the intended audiences. Publication of country and regional DPPs is an important commitment under Australia’s International Development Policy. The DPPs are prepared in consultation with partner governments, set out agreed objectives, and include a performance assessment framework to monitor progress.