DJSIR: Inclusive Engagement Framework.

Background

The Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (DJSIR) engaged The LOTE Agency to support the development of an inclusive communication and engagement strategy for the Victorian Government's Sick Pay Guarantee (SPG) Pilot. While the pilot program was later discontinued due to funding shifts, the insights and strategic outputs remain highly relevant. As a result, the project was repositioned to support broader, inclusive engagement across all DJSIR programs and initiatives.

The work now provides a flexible, community-informed framework that DJSIR can apply across multiple portfolios, ensuring more effective and respectful engagement with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, First Nations Victorians, LGBTIQA+ communities, and people living with disability.

Our Services

Strategic Review and Demographic Mapping\ Analysed existing program and ABS data to assess participation across target communities, focusing on access barriers, representation gaps and equity considerations.

Co-Design Workshops\ Facilitated internal and community-facing co-design workshops, ensuring that insights from lived experience were embedded into the strategy. These sessions were designed to surface cultural nuances, motivations and challenges specific to each priority group.

Culturally Responsive Engagement Strategy\ Developed a tailored strategy for each population group, identifying communication preferences, representative organisations, barriers to access, and key engagement levers.

Inclusive Communication Framework\ Delivered clear recommendations to support plain language content, multilingual materials, visual inclusivity, and accessible formats across digital and physical communication channels.

Recommendations for Activation and Community Outreach\ Outlined options for in-community engagement, including culturally familiar activations, stakeholder packs, and inclusive feedback loops that prioritise trust and two-way dialogue.

Impact

• **Equity-Centred Strategy Development\

** Worked with DJSIR to ensure priority communities were centred in strategy design, aligning with social inclusion principles and future program delivery needs.

• **Culturally Responsive Communication\

** Provided guidance on inclusive language, storytelling, and content creation that reflects community values and priorities.

• **Community Engagement and Co-Design\

** Facilitated meaningful engagement with stakeholders across diverse communities, creating space for shared ownership of insights and recommendations.

• **System-Aware Implementation Planning\

** Framed solutions that are practical and adaptable, supporting DJSIR teams to embed inclusive practices within policy, communications and program delivery

Demonstrated Experience

• Equity-Centred Strategy Development Worked with DJSIR to ensure

priority communities were centred in strategy design, aligning with social inclusion principles and future program delivery needs.

• **Culturally Responsive Communication\

** Provided guidance on inclusive language, storytelling, and content creation that reflects community values and priorities.

• **Community Engagement and Co-Design\

** Facilitated meaningful engagement with stakeholders across diverse communities, creating space for shared ownership of insights and recommendations.

• **System-Aware Implementation Planning\

** Framed solutions that are practical and adaptable, supporting DJSIR teams to embed inclusive practices within policy, communications and program delivery.

Conclusion

This project with DJSIR highlights the importance of designing systems that reflect the realities and needs of all communities. The LOTE Agency's work focused on building a respectful, informed, and practical engagement strategy to ensure that equity is embedded in engagement practices. By co-creating approaches with community leaders and listening deeply to lived experience, DJSIR is better positioned to embed inclusion across future initiatives and ensure that every Victorian has the opportunity to participate, be heard, and be supported.

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