Step 1: The Conflict Audit

What it involves

• Confidential one-on-one interviews with Councillors, executive staff, and key personnel

• Review of relevant documentation — complaints, meeting minutes, governance policies, past reports

• Analysis of communication patterns and decision-making dynamics across the organisation

• Identification of recurring conflict triggers — structural, relational, and cultural

Why councils choose it

• Identify governance risk before it escalates into formal complaints or reputational damage

• Gain an independent, external perspective, free from internal politics or bias

• Strengthen relationships between Councillors, officers, and the community

• Build a healthier organisational culture that supports better decision-making

What makes this approach different

• Grounded in trauma-informed, systems-level thinking — not a checklist audit

• Focuses on the underlying drivers of conflict, not just the visible symptoms

• Delivered with the discretion and confidentiality councils require for sensitive internal matters

• Recommendations are practical and genuinely implementable, not theoretical

Ideal for

• Councils experiencing Councillor/officer tension or a breakdown in trust

• Councils preparing for, or recovering from, a period of governance instability

• Councils wanting a proactive, preventative health-check — rather than waiting for a crisis to force the issue

Step 2: The Advisory Retainer

Why an audit alone isn't enough

A Conflict Audit gives you an accurate picture of where things stand today. But governance risk doesn't stay still. New issues surface, staff and Councillors change, and the patterns identified in an audit can quietly re-emerge without ongoing attention. The retainer keeps that picture current, with direct, priority access to advisory support every month.

What you get, every month

• A set number of advisory hours (3–6, depending on your plan) for complaints handling questions, conciliation process advice, and Code of Conduct or Governance Rules queries as they arise

• Direct phone and email access — no new engagement to set up each time, since your advisor already has the full context from your audit

• A quarterly review of your governance documents, with specific, written recommendations for amendment

• A discounted rate on any further mediation or facilitation booked during your retainer term